I wondered how it had come to this; how Vienna, this precious capital, had been left in this parlous state. Around us were majestic buildings; palaces, cathedrals, recital halls. This was the heart of the Holy Roman Empire not three years ago, and Franz, its Emperor, was the last in a line a millennium long, from Charlemagne.

I asked my great-uncle then if I should take up arms immediately, and he insisted in no uncertain terms that I should not. ‘For better or worse, you are here under my protection,’ he told me, ‘and I will not see you put at additional risk. You will stay close to your master and do his bidding. That is all the duty you have.’

Upon that remark, I returned to Kleine Steingasse to find Frau Meyer guarding the door against the French, broom in her hand, and Doctor Haydn sitting in his bed, asleep on his pillows. I set Frau Meyer at ease, telling her the French would not be in tonight, and resisted giving her the full bitter draft of Uncle Andrew’s medicine.

I retired to my quarters, but sleep would not come, so I lit a candle and set about recording events.

12th May, 1809

By the time I awoke today, after a few hours of fitful slumber, much had transpired, though I was yet to learn of it.

I made my report to Doctor Haydn and, as my uncle had anticipated, the news was immediately taken to the street, for our neighbours were awaiting it, knowing of my relationship with FML O’Reilly and that I had been sent to him for information. In exchange, our neighbours reported that, though it was not greatly evident from Kleine Steingasse or anywhere in Windmuehle, smoke had been seen to the north of the city since soon after first light. Upon learning of that, Doctor Haydn sent me back to my uncle to ascertain what defensive measures were being taken to ensure that Vienna could hold out.

When I found Uncle Drew, I asked him how the Austrians would prevail, and he told me not to be daft.

The sequences of the night’s events, as I now understand it, was as follows. A council of war advised Archduke Maximilian that Vienna could not be defended and that troops should be withdrawn under cover of darkness. In light of his claims of impending victory mere days ago, the archduke held firm to his belief that counterattack was the better option. He considered our enemies weak near the Lusthaus and ordered they be joined in battle there. By the time this attack commenced, the French had reinforced their troops in that area with artillery and infantry, and the Austrian troops were quickly defeated. As news of this came in, or perhaps even before it, word was received that no more Austrian reserves would be arriving. The archduke immediately ordered all regular troops to leave Vienna. This order was not conveyed to full effect around the city and, with the evacuation wrongly deemed complete, the Tabor Bridge was set alight, with Uncle Andrew and three thousand troops remaining in Vienna.