“ In the military career of Napoleon no other event, probably, stands out so brilliantly as Austerlitz, because of his numerical inferiority, the audacity of his plan, the precision with which it was executed, and the completeness of the victory. ”

“ Lannes, too, on the left of the French, succeeded in driving back the allied right under Bagration. The victorious French troops were then swung upon the rear of the left of the Allies, and of the unhappy three columns the third was entirely crushed, while the others were shattered into fragments. The battle became a rout, and as the remnants of the Allies fled across the river the French artillery broke the ice and thousands of fugitives were drowned. The Allies lost 35,000 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners, while the French loss was only 7800. ”

“ The latter, who numbered some 84,000 men opposed to the 70,000 French, attacked in five columns, aimed in oblique order against the French right, the intention of the Allies being to concentrate on that wing, outflank the enemy, and cut off their communication with Vienna. Napoleon, who perceived this purpose, conceived the bold design of permitting the enemy to gain a temporary success over his right wing, allowing him in turn to concentrate his forces against their weakened centre, and, having broken that, to take them in the rear. ”