Military operations between the San, Dunajec and the Carpathians in 1809

A lost chance for the success of the Duchy of Warsaw?

Abstract

The expedition of the troops of the Duchy of Warsaw to Austrian Galicia,
during the war between Austria and Napoleonic Europe in 1809, had mainly a political purpose: to annex these lands to the Duchy of Warsaw. Part of the excursion included offensive operations conducted in May 1809 between the San and Dunajec rivers. The premature retreat of the numerically weak forces of the Duchy of Warsaw (several hundred soldiers) from the newly occupied areas was the result of an erroneous decision made by the high command. These actions caused panic among the Austrian authorities and led to a temporary breakdown of the Austrian administration in the central part of Galicia. They also involved a disproportionate number of Austrian forces, which were missing in the decisive battles of the War of 1809 (Battle of Raab, Battle of Wagram).