Battle of Bautzen

The battles of Bautzen (called battles of Wurschen on the Triumphal arch of the Star) is a French victory of the troops of Napoleon I {{er}} gained May 20th and 21st 1813 over the troops Russo - Prussian ordered by the marshal Wittgenstein. In spite of much higher manpower of the French Army and the bad decisions of the adversary, Napoleon can gain only one incomplete victory, whereas it was able to gain a decisive victory, mainly because of the Ney marshal. It takes place within the framework of the war of the sixth coalition.

Countryside preceding the battle

After disastrous the retirement of Russia, united the weapons against France begin again. The May 2nd, the Prussian and Russian armies were already beaten with Lützen, but the strong losses in cavalry of the retirement of Russia prevented Napoleon from making of them a complete success, the continuation not having been able to take place.

The Wittgenstein general starts by making retirement on Right Bank of the Elba; after some tergiversations of the Prussians who want to cover Berlin, the Prussian army gathers finally with the Russians (under the impulse of Frederic-Guillaume) with Bautzen from May 10th to 13rd, under the protection of the rear-guard of Miloradowitch, which retains the marshal Macdonald (the Russians are dislodged of their position to the combat of Godan, on May 15th). They are joined there on May 16th by Barclay de Tolly. The united army is strengthened there, to give battle in strong position to it, while being near the Austria, which one awaits the entry in war, and capable to receive Russian reinforcements.

On his side, Napoleon until May 10th gives his troops in state, by establishing deposits, in particular with Dresden, while making build several bridges on Elba. Cavalry lack, it has little information.

From the 11, it passes on Right Bank of Elba. Ney with an army with 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th body of infantry and the 2nd body of cavalry (that is to say 85.000 men) walk in North, to make accept an attack on Berlin; the principal army, directed by Napoleon, gathers 4th, 6th, 11th and 12th of infantry, the imperial Garde and the 1st body of cavalry (120 000 men), and follows the army Russo-Prussian. After the rearguard action of May 15th (Macdonald and Miloradowitch), Napoleon understands that the enemy accepts the battle, and gives orders to gather the maximum of troops with Bautzen. He makes park the attachments (genius, artillery) and establish hospitals on left bank of Elba the 18, while its bodies arrive the ones after the others at Bautzen.

May 19th, Coalisés is firmly established on Right Bank of the Sprée, on both sides of Bautzen. Wittgenstein sends Barclay de Tolly with the duke of York (22 000 men on the whole) to destroy the 5th French body. This body leaves at midnight, and meets in the afternoon, in Koenigswartha, Italian division (ordered by the Peyri general), completely surprised. The Peyri general and the three sergeants are killed. The arrival of 3rd (general Lauriston) and of the 5th body (division Maison of the body of Ney) which faces the Prussians with Wartha, prevents the total destruction of the Italian division, which loses: 3000 men (killed, wounded, captive). These engagements last up to eleven hours and midnight. On theirs: 12000 engaged soldiers, united lose: 3500 men; the French lose: 5000 men on: 15000 committed (of which: 2000 of the 5th body).

The battle

Positions and plan of Wittgenstein

The united army is laid out of the south in north on Right Bank of Sprée. The Russian general made strengthen the hills around Bautzen: the goal is to hold where Napoleon will attack, and to counter-attack where the pressure will be less strong with the reserves of the Russian Guard.

The body of Miloradowitch holds the first line, on both sides of Bautzen, with under its orders 25.000 men and the generals Saint-Priest, Kleist and prince Eugene of Wurtemberg.

The principal position, supported by cuttings off and fear, behind of Bautzen, is defended by: 40000 men (of which: 9000 of York, still in returning way of the combat of Wartha). The chiefs of police are Kleist, Blücher, the duke of York. The right wing (: 9000 men) is placed on a flat ground, between Sprée and a small river, without fulcrum, and is ordered by Barclay de Tolly. The reserve is consisted of the Russian imperial Garde.

On the whole, the face is of 15 km. Although strongly defended in the center and on the right (except with the extreme right-hand side), the united, too long and cut line marsh and ponds, is difficult to hold vis-a-vis double manpower. Wittgenstein thus hopes to attack as soon as it can it. The communications are behind constrained; its extreme line, without fulcrum, is its weak point.

First day

Napoleon decides to begin the battle on May 20th: Ney, which must tackle the line of the adversary, arrives in position (see combat of the day before). That enables him to start the forces of the enemy in the course of the day, before turning it the following day and to have the afternoon to continue the enemy.

Its right wing (12th body of the marshal Oudinot) thus attacks at midday; 11th the attack carries out on Bautzen, without succeeding; the 6th body of Marmont passes Sprée, protected by fire from 60 parts, and drives back the prince Eugene of Wurtemberg (around 4 p.m.). Its division Compans penetrates then with reverse in Bautzen, evacuated in catastrophe by the Russians. The 11th body can then advance.

More in north, the 4th body of Soult is retained all the day by Kleist, supported by Blücher. Only the 23 {{E}} of line, of the brigade Morand, manages to be established with artillery on Right Bank of Sprée. But the projection of the 6th body (and the catch of Burck by division Bonnet), oblige Kleist to make retirement, and make it possible the 4th body to cross Sprée.

With fallen the night (19 hours, the then not existing summer-time, that is to say approximately 21 hours in 2006), the 12th body occupies the fulcrums of the united extreme-left. The Russian staff, whose prince Alexandre, thinking that the principal danger comes from there, makes send by Wittgenstein (unwillingly): 3500 men of the reserve. With this reinforcement, Miloradowitch pushes back Oudinot, the engagements lasting up to 10 p.m. (modern midnight).

To north, the army of Ney progressed, division Souham having driven out a Russian detachment of the borough of Klix.

At the evening of the 20, Miloradowitch occupies the strengthened left wing; York and Blucher the center and line, with Kleist passed in reserve; and Barclay, extreme-right-hand side.

Second day

The plan of Napoleon is then:

to make attack on the right 12th and 11th body, in order to distract the enemy (and to make there send reinforcements)
to make emerge the army of Ney in the North, which takes with reverse the right wing of Wittgenstein (ordered by Blucher)
the center (left the 11th body, 6th and 4th body, cavalry of the Turn-Maubourg, Guard) waits vis-a-vis the enemy positions, too strongly defended to be carried of attack without strong losses (Napoleon surely has in memory the battles of Lutzen or Moskowa), then will give the principal attack when the enemy sees himself turned.

Napoleon sees all the battle field, except the Northern part, where Ney operates, from which it is separated by one hour and half with horse. The point determining of the plan, the unexpected overflow by the right wing of the enemy, rests entirely on Ney delivered to itself.

The day starts according to this plan: Ney déboule in north, while Oudinot attacks in the south, not too firmly. Consequently, the tsar Alexandre I {{er}} sends: 4500 men of his Guard in reinforcement, keeping only: 11000 men in reserve, of which less: 6000 infantrymen, at the beginning of the battle. Miloradowitch pushes back Oudinot, which keeps in reserve Bavarian division. Divisions Fressinet and Gerard, of the 11th body, support it, and limit the retreat.

To north, Maison division committed in Klix (is rather early crossed by Souham division of the 3rd body the day before), but the Lauriston general does not support it. The 3rd body, ordered by Ney, arrives then in support (divisions Souham and Delmas), and pushes back Barclay, which requires reinforcement, without obtaining some. It is then demolishes by the projection of 3rd and 5th body. Whereas the plan envisaged the occupation of Preititz to 11:00, as of 10:00 Souham division occupies it. The remainder of the bodies Lauriston and Ney advances more prudently, which obliges Souham to move back in front of Kleist, sent in reinforcement by Blûcher.

The French center attacks at this time (midday). It progresses thanks to the positions in height acquired the day before, then around 2 p.m., it launches the attack at bottom. Ney understands that it is covered, and that it can attack. But it does it slightly. The retirement of Blucher, made before 3 p.m., can proceed in good order. Indeed, Ney supports on its line, and its 3rd body followed of 5th precipitates on the positions released by Blucher, and sows the disorder in the 4th body of Soult.

The united left wing starts to make retirement towards 15 or 16 hours, slightly continued by Oudinot, whose forces have fought hard for two days. Around 5 p.m., Ney attacks finally in the good sense with 3rd, 5th and 7th body, but the Russians and the Prussians had already started their retirement, and are thus not overflowed, and the cavalry of the Turn-Maubourg cannot throw the disorder in the squares united in perfect order.

Over these two days, united lose approximately: 17000 men, against: 15000 with the French. With the engagements of 19, the losses are balanced upon: 20000 men on both sides.

Wittgenstein operates a good operation with Bautzen, by diverting Ney of Berlin, while taking rest a few days in a strong position. It makes a heavy fault while delivering battles, its face too being lengthened, its superiority in cavalry would have enabled him to make again a retirement in full safety, while waiting for reinforcements.

The destruction of the united army is avoided by a negligence of the Emperor, who does not recall immediately in the operations preceding the battle totality by the army of Ney. The 7th body of Reynier (9000 men) thus does not arrive at Bautzen that the 21 to 2 p.m., and the 2nd body of Victor (: 13000 men) and the cavalry of Sébastiani do not arrive that the 22, are: 20000 men who miss with the French Army. Obviously, the operation would have succeeded if Ney had supported its projection in the right direction and in time. But the orders of Napoleon and Berthier were too laconic for the marshal, which although excel born leader was not a large strategist.

Lastly, only: 80000 of: 180000 French soldiers present on the battle field really fight, part of those of Ney as the French center not being never with the contact. For the French center, one can explain it by the fact that Napoleon wanted on the contrary to make leave with the Russians their strong position to limit his own losses. Ney, having gone, and having too slowly tackled in an unmethodical way, arrives complete on the battle field but too late.

Continuation

It is incomplete for two reasons:

it begins the following day (if one excludes the combat of night between stations of the two camps, remained interfered after the battle)
from the countryside Russia, France misses cavalry.

The May 23rd, takes place the Bataille of Reichenbach: she opposes the 7th body of Reynier, the French imperial Guard and the body of cavalry of Latour-Maubourg to the body of the prince Eugene of Wurtemberg. It is a weak French victory, marked by death with the staff of the generals Duroc and Kirgener of Planted, chief of staff of the genius of the Guard, killed by a ball lost with a few meters of the Emperor. A few front minutes, the general Bruyères had had the two legs carried by a ball.

May 25th, Wittgenstein is raised of its command and is placed at the head of a body of infantry. It is replaced by Barclay.

May 26th, Maison division is beaten by the cavalry of the Ziethen general in a ambush with Haynau.

Armistice

An armistice is concluded on June 2nd for seven weeks.

See too

Source

This article is written according to the book of the commander Lanrezac, the Operation of Lutzen , is published in 1898.

External bonds

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