Napoleon arrived from headquarters to meet with his key Marshals on the Pratzen Plateau. The Pratzen commanded a wide view of the whole region, and he was determined to fight here. Standing on the summit near a feature called the "Stari Vinohrady" and gazing eastward, Napoleon and his marshals beheld an amazing sight: the entire enemy army, some 72,000 strong, emerging from the village of Austerlitz and marching straight toward the heights on which they stood.

Pulling back his cavalry, Napoleon allowed the enemy to occupy the entire heights. This was, after all, just what the Austrian Chief of Staff had predicted. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. Napoleon had intelligence of the enemy plan to attack his center or his right, and cut-off his communications with the great depot of Vienna. The Emperor had no intention of interfering with this plan. "If they dare to descend from the heights to take me in my flank, they will surely be beaten without hope of recovery."