History glossary
the Third Coalition
the 1805 alliance against Napoleon, led on land by Austria and Russia with Britain as a major opponent of France.
- Category
- Military alliance
- Region
- Europe
- Date range
- 1805
What it means
The Third Coalition was the 1805 alliance formed to oppose Napoleon's expanding power. Britain, Austria, Russia, and other states joined the wider struggle against France. Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz shattered the coalition's main continental armies and forced Austria into peace.
