Hofer and his general staff during the third battle of Bergisel on August 13, 1809. Scene from the Innsbruck cyclorama (1896).

Hofer was elected from among all the officers to the rank of supreme commander. The first battle of Bergisel on May 25, 1809 failed to result in the conclusive victory the militia had hoped for, so four days later they once again attacked Deroy's division, which was camped in Innsbruck. The number of troops under Hofer's command had swelled as patriots from the far corners of the province answered the call to arms. He did everything in his power to rally militiamen from all over Tyrol for the third, decisive battle of Bergisel.