Battle of Hanau

With the battles of Hanau (30 and October 31st 1813 with Hanau) the Austro-Bavarian bodies ordered by Karl Philipp von Wrede attack the French Army of Napoleon which beats a retreat.

Context

Bavaria, old allied of France, according to the Treated of Ried, adheres to the Sixth coalition. After the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon makes retirement by gaining some successes. However, in October the latecomers disorganize the Large army more and more. It is necessary to take into account the 43 000 Bavarian and Austrian ordered by Wrede which joined the coalition and advances in Franconie, in the north of the the Danube. They reach Hanau, blocking the route of Napoleon with Frankfurt. Believer that the large one of the French Army travels more in north for Coblentz, Wrede thinks of dealing with only 20 000 men protecting the side from the principal army.

The battle

The October 30th, Wrede starts to deploy its forces to face the French. It places its center in front of the Kinzig and its right side at the south, on an isolated position, only connected to the principal force by a bridge. With the infantry of MacDonald and the cavalry of Sébastiani, Napoleon has only 17 000 men to be opposed to him.

Dense forests in the east of the positions of Wrede make it possible to the French to progress until the contact of the allies. Napoleon decides to attack the left wing with all his troops available. About midday Victor and MacDonald release the forest in front of the enemy center. Drouot finds a way through the forest to place its guns, towards the left of Wrede. The pomegranates of the old guard release the ground and three hours later, 50 guns are deployed.

After a load of the Bavarian cavalry, struck down with bearing end by a shooting of grapeshot, Drouot, supported by the cavalry of Sébastiani, advances its guns in the plain and after a short artillery bombardment, reduced to silence the 28 guns of Wrede. The French cavalry tackles and drives back the unfavourable cavalry on the left wing, before tackling the center which starts to move back with heavy losses, on the banks of the Kinzig. The right wing then tries to reinforce the center, but much of men perish drowned while trying to cross the river on the single bridge.

It is this load of cavalry which changes the face of the battle. The impact of the heavy cavalry of the imperial Guard is terrible. The Pomegranates with horse and the Dragons of the Empress find there the glory lost in this period of retirement towards France. The general Louis-Michel Letort de Lorville has his horse killed under him, and the major Claude Testot-Ferry receives 22 blows of sabers and lances and is finally brought back to the alive back.

Wrede which thought of not having opposite him that crumbs of the Large army any more was not but disappointed. However, while gathering its troops, he manages to form a defensive line, bridge of Lamboy with Hanau. During the night, whereas the Emperor bivouac in the forest in the middle of its troops, the allies give up the city which the French occupy the October 31st. Napoleon does not make any effort to continue Wrede. The road of Frankfurt is now opened, the French retirement continues.

In the day of the October 31st, Wrede tries to take again the city still occupied by Marmont and the general Bertrand, but it is again pushed back and again loses 1.500 to 2.000 men. His/her son-in-law prince Œttinguen is killed, even is wounded him with the stomach and must leave the command to the Austrian general Fresnel

Conclusion

Wrede lost 9 000 men, Napoleon loses some much less. But between the 28 and October 31st, approximately 10 000 carriages are made prisoners. Frankfurt is reached the November 2nd by the French, then with only 35 kilometers of their base camp of Mainz.

Sources

in its version of June 19th, 2007
Museum of Versailles with a historical text. Théodose Oil-can - 1845
Napoleon, collection by chronological order of its letters, proclamations, bulletins, speech on the civil and political matters, forming a history of its reign… Mr. Kermoysan divides into volumes third - 1857
historical Galerie of the French revolution Albert Maurin - 1849
Histoire of the consulate and the empire Adolphe Thiers - 1857
Dictionnaire Napoleon , Jean Tulard - 1999
Histoire of the Imperial Guard , Emile Marco de Saint-Hilaire - 1847
Napoleon i and the Imperial Guard , Eugene Fieffé - 1859
Napoleon and the Imperial Guard , Cdt Henry Lachouque - 1956

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