Sunday 28 August 2016

27 AUG 1813 BATTLE OF DRESDEN

Battle of Dresden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the bombing of Dresden, see Bombing of Dresden in World War II. For the 1760 engagement, see Siege of Dresden.
Battle of Dresden
Part of the War of the Sixth Coalition
Napoleon.Dresden.jpg
Battle of Dresden
Date26–27 August 1813
LocationDresden, Saxony, present-day Germany
ResultFrench victory
Belligerents
France French EmpireAustria Austrian Empire
Kingdom of Prussia Prussia
Russia Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
France Napoleon I
France Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
France Michel Ney
France Joachim Murat
France Auguste Marmont
France Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier		Austria Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg
Austria Emperor Francis II
Kingdom of Prussia Friedrich Graf Kleist
Kingdom of Prussia Frederick William III
Russia Tsar Alexander I
Russia Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly
Russia Peter Wittgenstein
Russia Jean Victor Marie Moreau †
Strength
135,000214,000
Casualties and losses
10,000 dead or wounded38,000 dead, wounded, or captured,
40 guns
Map of the battle
The Battle of Dresden was fought on 26–27 August 1813 around Dresden, Germany, resulting in a French victory under Napoleon against forces of the Sixth Coalition of Austrians, Russians and Prussians underField Marshal Schwartzenberg. However, Napoleon's victory was not as complete as it could have been. Substantial pursuit was not undertaken after the battle, and the flanking corps was surrounded and forced to surrender a few days later at the Battle of Kulm.

Prelude[edit]

On 16 August, Napoleon had sent Marshal Saint-Cyr's corps to fortify and hold Dresden in order to hinder allied movements and to serve as a possible base for his own manoeuvres. He planned to strike against the interior lines of his enemies and defeat them in detail, before they could combine their full strength. He had some 300,000 men and 800 cannons against allied forces totaling over 450,000 and 1200 cannons. But the Coalition avoided battle with Napoleon himself, choosing to attack his subordinate commanders instead (see the Trachenberg Plan). On 23 August, at the Battle of Grossbeeren, south of Berlin, Crown Prince Charlesof Sweden (formerly French Marshal Bernadotte, Napoleon's own Marshal) defeated his old comrade Marshal Oudinot. And on 26 August, Prussian Marshal Blücher defeated Marshal MacDonald at the Katzbach.

Battle[edit]

On the same day as Katzbach, Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg, the commander of the Austrian force of over 200,000 men of the Austrian Army of Bohemia and accompanied by Francis II, Alexander I, and Frederick William III, attacked Saint-Cyr. In Dresden, French infantry manned the various redoubts and defensive positions. They hoped to last long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Sure enough, they got their wish. Napoleon arrived quickly and unexpectedly with reinforcements to repel this assault on the city. French counterattacks on the Great Garden in the southeast and on the allied center were successful, and by nightfall the French had regained almost all of Saint-Cyr's original positions. Although outnumbered three to two, Napoleon attacked the following morning (27 August), turned the allied left flank, and won an impressive tactical victory. The flooded Weisseritz cut the left wing of the Allied army, commanded by Johann von Klenau and Ignaz Gyulai, from the main body. Marshal Joachim Murat took advantage of this isolation and inflicted heavy losses on the Austrians.[1] A French participant observed, "Murat.... cut off from the Austrian army Klenau's corps, hurling himself upon it at the head of the carabineers and cuirassiers. .... Nearly all his [Klenau's] battalions were compelled to lay down their arms, and two other divisions of infantry shared their fate."[2] Of Klenau's force, Lieutenant Field Marshal Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-Kubiny's division of five infantry regiments was surrounded and captured by Murat's cavalry, which amounted to approximately 13,000 men, and 15 colours.[3] Gyulai's divisions also suffered serious losses when they were attacked by Murat's cavalry during a rainstorm. With damp flints and powder, their muskets would not fire and many battalions became an easy prey to the French cuirassiers and dragoons.
However, Napoleon's failure to follow up on his success allowed Schwarzenberg to withdraw and narrowly escape encirclement. The Coalition had lost some 38,000 men and 40 guns. French casualties totaled around 10,000. Some of Napoleon's officers noted he was "suffering from a violent colic, which had been brought on by the cold rain, to which he had been exposed during the whole of the battle."[4]

Aftermath[edit]

The Napoleon symbol "N" left in Dresden, Germany
On 27 August, General Vandamme received orders to advance on Pirna and bridge the Elbe there. This was accomplished in a pouring rain, without disturbing the Russians drawn up on the heights of Zehista. This advance by Vandamme resulted in the Battle of Kulm three days later. Interestingly Napoleon's old rival Jean Victor Marie Moreau who had only recently returned from his banishment from the United States was talking to the Tsar (who wished to see Napoleon defeated) and was mortally wounded in the battle and died later on 2 September in Louny.
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