was the Austrians, who went on the offensive. This event increased Poeltenberg's concerns about the eventual starting of an offensive toward Győr, but his scouts reported to him only contradictory information. Poeltenberg thought that the Austrian troops will receive reinforcements on 28 June, so he proposed on 24 June to the Central Operational Bureau (Központi Hadműveleti Iroda) and Klapka, that his corps and Kmety's division should attack immediately the Austrian troops around Győr before that day, but he did not receive any response. On 25 June Kmety reported to Poeltenberg that 30,000 Austrian soldiers are marching towards Győr from the direction of Sopron. Later he sent a report to both the Central Operational Bureau and Klapka, that the Austrians are planning to encircle Győr from the south, cutting the Kmety division from his troops, and the best way to prevent this is that Kmety should move with his troops from Marcaltő (where he was ordered to station by Bayer and Görgei) to Ménfő because here he will prevent the k.u.k. troops to cut him from the VII. corps. But in the case of an Austrian success in this matter, he will be forced to retreat from Győr, to avoid the encirclement. Prelude On 26 June, the imperial troops attacked. Besides their overwhelming numerical superiority, they had another factor to boost their moral: the presence of the young emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, at the Austrian headquarters at Mosonmagyaróvár. Their plan was for their III corps (the right wing of Haynau's army) to encircle the Hungarian positions from Győr. On 27 June the main body crossed at Árpás, the Gerstner brigade from Marcaltő, and the Schneider brigade from Bodonhely. The Gerstner brigade advanced to Lesháza, taking a position on the road towards Pápa, covering the advancement of the main body. The main body of the Austrian army had to advance to Pannonhalma, or, if the IV corps did not defeat the Hungarian troops from Győr, they would march towards Táplán. On 27 June Görgei learned that the Austrian army was preparing to attack along the line of the river Rába, and during the evening he was informed that the imperials had crossed the river, cutting the Kmety division from the VII Hungarian corps. The imperials encircled the positions of the VII corps, intending a concentric attack the following day. Knowing this, Görgei departed that night towards Győr. The IV. corps