In the mean time, the war was proceeding in Italy, where the Archduke John, and the Viceroy Eugene Beau harnois, were opposed to each other. At first the Arch duke was successful : Padua and Vicenza were taken, the Adige crossed, and Venice threatened ; but the Viceroy having been reinforced, retook Padua and Vicenza, cross ed the Brenta, and drove the Austrians before him. At this period, these hostile armies were sent for, in order to reinforce the grand armies on the Danube ; but as they were proceeding towards Austria from Italy, they met at Raab, where a severe engagement took place on the 14th of June, the anniversary of the battle of Marengo. The battle began at two o'clock in the afternoon, and though the French were superior in numbers. victory was long doubtful ; at length, the troops of the Hungarian insurrec tion, unaccustomed to service, gave way, and the Aus trians were forced to save themselves by flight. The Archduke Charles retreated to Comorn, in order to secure his junction with the grand Austrian army ; while the Viceroy about the same time accomplished the same object.
On the 4th of July, the whole army of Bonaparte was concentrated in or near the island in the Danube, where the Archduke Charles had not deemed it prudent to attack them. Bonaparte, having been reinforeced by the Viceroy, resolved to cross the river, and try the issue of another engagement with the Archduke ; For this purpose, in a very short space of time, three bridges were thrown across it, by which he intended to pass, and another bridge oppo site to Essling, erected in order to draw off the attention of the Archduke to this quarter. In the short space of two hours, during the night of the 4th, while the Aus trians were expecting to be attacked on their right, near Essling, the French passed the Danube, and on the morn ing of the 5th appeared drawn up on the left of the Aus trians. This masterly manoeuvre, by which the Archduke had been completely deceived, gave Bonaparte a great ad vantage ; which he did not fail to profit by, in the obsti nate but decisive battle of Wagram, which was fought on the evening of the 5th and during the 6th of July. During the first movements on the former day, the Archduke was obliged to give up his entrenchments ; and on the 6th, Bonaparte, having strengthened his centre, attacked the weakened centre of the Austrians ; the consequence was, that the latter gave way, and the wings, being thus expos ed, also retreated. After this battle, all thoughts of serious resistance to Bonaparte were given up. Proposals for an armistice were carried to him from the Emperor Francis, which was agreed to, and signed immediately. By one article it was stipulated, that the Austrians were not to afford any succour to the Tyrolese.
These brave and bold mountaineers, as soon as they learned the rupture between France and Austria, resolved to use their utmost efforts to shake off the yoke of Bavaria. At first they were successful ; the Bavarian troops, though 27,000 strong, having been defeated by them, A still greater force was then sent against them under Marshal Le Febre, consisting of French, Bavarian, and Saxon troops. These they could not venture to meet in the field,
but, taking advantage of the nature of their country, they destroyed thousands of them as they passed through the gorges of the mountains, by precipitating masses of rock on them. When, however, the armistice was concluded between France and Austria, their cause became hopeless, though they continued, for some time afterwards, to fight obstinately for their national independence.
On the 14th of October, a treaty of peace was signed at Vienna between France and Austria. By this treaty, the latter ceded to the former all her sea coast ; and the king doms of Saxony and Bavaria were enlarged, so as to be come sufficient checks on her. Prussia was recompensed for her neutrality by the cession of part of Gallicia; and the Emperor Francis agreed to acknowledge Joseph Bona parte King of Spain. Such were the leading articles of this treaty, that were communicated to the world at the time ; but the Emperor Francis obtained these favourable terms only by a sacrifice of a domestic nature, which we shall alterwards have occasion to notice.
Soon after Bonaparte's return to France, the meetings of the legislature were opened by a speech from him. In this speech, the events of the year 1809, and the state of France at time close of it, were, as usual, the principal topics. He was marching, he said, on Cadiz and Lisbon, when he was under the necessity of treading back his steps, and planting his eagles on the ramparts of Vienna. Three months had seen the rise and termi:iation of this fourth Punic war. He next adverted to the Walchcren expedition ; and, in short and unsatisfactory terms, to the state of Spain. The annexation of Tuscany and the Ro man states were next dwelt upon; but that part of the treaty of Vienna which had put him in possession of the Illyrian provinces, and thus brought the French empire contiguous to the empire of Constantinople, seemed the favourite topics of this speech. " 1 shall find myself in a situation," he observes, "to watch over the first interests of my commerce in the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and the Levant. I will protect the Porte, if the Porte with draws herself from the fatal influence of England. I shall know how to punish her, if she suffers herself to be govern ed by cunning and perfidious councils." In the course of 1809, Bonaparte had advanced one step towards blotting out even the nominal independence of Switzerland, by de claring himself the Mediator of that country. This he adverted to in his speech ; and at the same time he hinted, that changes might become necessary in Holland, as she was equally injured by France and England, and yet was the debouche of the principal arteries of his empire.