VIENNA UNDER FIRE
By 1809 Napoleon dominated much
of Europe and showed no signs of
abating. He had neutralized Russia,
subdued much of Germany, and con-
trolled Holland, Spain, and Italy. In a
bid to check his ambition and restore
the balance of power, Austria and Brit-
ain united against the French emperor
and formed the Fifth Coalition.
In response, Napoleon advanced on
Vienna. The Austrian emperor and
his court left the city, leaving Arch-
duke Maximilian to defend the capital.
When the archduke refused to surren-
der, French troops bombed the city,
spreading panic among the popula-
tion. The damage was minimal but
enough to break the resistance, andon May 13 Vienna fell to the French,
who occupied it for five months.
Beethoven spent the night of the
bombardment sheltering in the cel-
lar of his brother Karl. He covered
his ears with cushions to protect
them (he would not become totally
deaf until around 1816, when he was
in his mid 40s). “What a life full ofTHE FRENCH BOMBARDMENT
OF VIENNA, MAY 12, 1809, IN AN ANONYMOUS
ENGRAVING. HEERESGESCHICHTLICHES
MUSEUM, VIENNA
ERICH LESSING/ALBUM