Battle of Brienne

Battle of Brienne
Part of the Campaign of France of the Sixth Coalition

Napoleon was nearly taken by the Cossacks after the battle, but was saved by French general Gaspard Gourgaud.
Date29 Junary [O.S. 17 Junary] 1814[1]
Location48°23′29″N 04°31′15″E / 48.39139°N 4.52083°E / 48.39139; 4.52083
Result See aftermath
Belligerents
First French Empire France
Commanders and leaders
Strength
36,000[1] 28,000–30,000[1]
Casualties and losses
  • 3,000[1]–3,500 killed, wounded, or captured
  • 8–11 guns lost
3,000[1]–4,000 killed, wounded, or captured
Battle of Brienne is located in France
Battle of Brienne
Location within France
Map
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Maps: terms of use
200km
125miles
Paris
22
Battle of Paris (1814) from 30 to 31 March 1814
21
Battle of Saint-Dizier on 26 March 1814
20
Battle of Fère-Champenoise on 25 March 1814
19
Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube from 20 to 21 March 1814
18
Battle of Limonest on 20 March 1814
17
Battle of Reims (1814) from 12 to 13 March 1814
16
Battle of Mâcon (1814) on 11 March 1814
15
Battle of Laon from 9 to 10 March 1814
14
Battle of Craonne on 7 March 1814
13
Battle of Laubressel on 3 March 1814
12
Battle of Saint-Julien (1814) on 1 March 1814
11
Battle of Gué-à-Tresmes on 28 February 1814
10
Battle of Montereau on 18 February 1814
9
Battle of Mormant on 17 February 1814
8
Battle of Vauchamps on 14 February 1814
7
Battle of Château-Thierry (1814) on 12 February 1814
6
Battle of Montmirail on 11 February 1814
5
Battle of Champaubert on 10 February 1814
4
Battle of Lesmont on 2 February 1814
3
Battle of La Rothière on 1 February 1814
2
Bar-sur-Aube
1
First Battle of Bar-sur-Aube on 24 January 1814 Second Battle of Bar-sur-Aube on 27 February 1814
  current battle
  Napoleon in command
  Napoleon not in command

The Battle of Brienne (29 January 1814) saw an Imperial French army led by Emperor Napoleon attack Prussian and Russian forces commanded by Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. After heavy fighting that went on into the night, the French seized a château, nearly capturing Blücher. However, the French were unable to dislodge the Russians from the town of Brienne-le-Château. Napoleon himself, making his first appearance on a battlefield in 1814, was also nearly captured. Very early the next morning, Blücher's troops quietly abandoned the town and retreated to the south, conceding the field to the French.

In late December 1813, two Allied armies initially numbering 300,000 men smashed through France's weak defenses and moved west. By late January, Napoleon personally took the field to lead his armies. The French emperor hoped to cripple Blücher's army before it could combine with the main Allied army under Austrian field marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg. Napoleon's gamble failed, and Blücher escaped to join Schwarzenberg. Three days later, the two Allied armies combined their 120,000 men and attacked Napoleon in the Battle of La Rothière.

  1. ^ a b c d e Bodart 1908, p. 470.