War of the Third Coalition

References

War of the Third Coalition

European history

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The War of the Third Coalition (1805) was a major conflict in the Napoleonic Wars. It saw a coalition of European powers, including Great Britain, Russia, and Austria, unite against Napoleon's France. Napoleon's decisive victory at the Battle of Austerlitz against Austrian and Russian forces was a key event, leading to Austria's peace with France. At sea, the Battle of Trafalgar resulted in a significant British naval victory, thwarting French invasion plans. The coalition ultimately dissolved, with Prussia remaining neutral initially but later joining the Fourth Coalition.12345

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

First French Empire
War of the Third Coalition (1805–06)
War with England had broken out again in May 1803. Napoleon thereupon intensified his preparations for the invasion of that country, and two years were spent in training an expeditionary force dubbed the Armée d’Angleterre (Army of England), building…
Read More
War with England had broken out again in May 1803. Napoleon thereupon intensified his preparations for the invasion of that country, and two years were spent in training an expeditionary force dubbed the Armée d’Angleterre (Army of England), building…
Read More

Battle of Austerlitz
…the first engagement of the War of the Third Coalition and one of Napoleon’s greatest victories. The battle took place at Austerlitz in Moravia (now Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic). Napoleon’s 68,000 troops defeated almost 90,000 Russians and Austrians nominally under Gen. Mikhail Kutuzov, forcing Austria to make peace with…
Read More
…the first engagement of the War of the Third Coalition and one of Napoleon’s greatest victories. The battle took place at Austerlitz in Moravia (now Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic). Napoleon’s 68,000 troops defeated almost 90,000 Russians and Austrians nominally under Gen. Mikhail Kutuzov, forcing Austria to make peace with…
Read More

Battle of Eylau
…Eylau, an engagement of the War of the Third Coalition, fought February 7–8, 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. The first major deadlock suffered by Napoleon, the battle was fought around the East Prussian town of Eylau (modern Bagrationovsk, Russia), 23 miles (37 km) south of Königsberg (Kaliningrad). The unrelenting winter…
Read More
…Eylau, an engagement of the War of the Third Coalition, fought February 7–8, 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. The first major deadlock suffered by Napoleon, the battle was fought around the East Prussian town of Eylau (modern Bagrationovsk, Russia), 23 miles (37 km) south of Königsberg (Kaliningrad). The unrelenting winter…
Read More

Friedrich Gentz
Early life and career.
…a series of disappointments: the War of the Third Coalition (1805–07) ended with the allied defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz and a rapprochement between Russia and France, and the Fourth Coalition ended with a Franco-Austrian alliance cemented by Napoleon’s marriage to a Habsburg archduchess. Gentz found himself in a…
Read More
…a series of disappointments: the War of the Third Coalition (1805–07) ended with the allied defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz and a rapprochement between Russia and France, and the Fourth Coalition ended with a Franco-Austrian alliance cemented by Napoleon’s marriage to a Habsburg archduchess. Gentz found himself in a…
Read More