Battle of Nations

On July 5th, 1804, at Hofburg Palace, Napoleon worked on renovating one of the state rooms to transform it into a war room. His intention was to have a command center from which he could oversee and direct the French Army's actions currently engaged in battle against coalition forces at Austerlitz.

Aware that the coalition forces possessed advanced weaponry, such as bolt-action rifles and artillery, the safety of a head of state in the midst of battle had become a concern. Stray bullets or artillery fire posed significant threats.

But even when he was far away from the battlefield, Napoleon could vividly picture the unfolding battle through reports from the Corps Generals.