Quote:The current calendar was not immediately adopted by the western world as many believe.
In 1805 the Russians were still using the Julian calendar which differed from the Gregorian calendar in use by the Austrians ( and the French ) by some 12 days. Whether or not the Russkis could have reached Ulm in any case (Ulm being across Germany on the Danube and in the SW no less) before the French stomped General Mack's Austrian army to bits in October is debatable but the point is they did not get there in time to intervene. As a result the French were able to occupy Vienna and then meet - and crush - the combined Austro/Russian army at Austerlitz. The calendar problem had nothing whatsoever to do with that.