Battle of Iéna
The battles of Iéna was held the October 14th 1806, with Iéna, (current Germany), and ended in a victory of the French ordered by Napoleon against the Prussian ordered by the general of Hohenlohe.
Be a prelude to
In August 1806, Europe seems in peace: Austria disarms; the United Kingdom, ruined by the war and demoralized by the French victory over the continent, makes very to find an agreement with France, especially since the death of William Pitt and its replacement by Fox while the kingdom of Naples is occupied, obliging its king to exile itself in Sicily.
However, Frederic-Guillaume III of Prussia is very anxious when Napoleon reorganizes, without holding it informed, the Holy roman Empire in Confédération of the Rhine, the latter too favorable to France: the principal States which compose it are under its protectorate. Moreover, Napoleon would like to restore the Hanover with his former owner, the United Kingdom. However, since less than six months, this territory is occupied by the Prussia, in exchange of its neutrality with France, while the Large army is occupied in Bavaria and Moravie against the Russian and Austrian units of the Third coalition.
During August at September, the beautiful queen of Prussia, Louise de Mecklembourg-Strelitz, pokes the hatred of the army and the population Prussian against the French: the officers of the royal army enjoy to sharpen their sabers on the steps of the embassy of France with Berlin while Frederic-Guillaume III of Prussia lance in which wants to hear it:
Not need for sabers, the clubs will be enough for these dogs to French .
Alexandre I {{er}}, Tsar of all Russies and Frederic-Guillaume III of Prussia meets with Potsdam, and swears on the tomb of large the Frederic II of Prussia to never again separate before the victory over France.
The Prussia, the Russia, the Sweden, the Saxony and the the United Kingdom (with died of its Fox Prime Minister, the September 14th), form the Fourth coalition and mobilize their troops the August 9th. The Prussian army is divided into three groups: Under the orders of Charles Guillaume Ferdinand, duke of Brunswick (70 000 men), another under the command of the prince of Hohenlohe (50 000 men) and a third under Rüchel and Blücher (30 000 men).
The October 4th, Napoleon receives an ultimatum inviting it to withdraw Right Bank of the the Rhine before the October 8th. The 6, one makes read with the Large army a bulletin which announces:
Soldiers! The order of your re-entry in France was already given, of the triumphal festivals awaited you. But of the war cries were made hear in Berlin. We are caused by an audacity which requires revenge .
Immediately, the Large army (180 000 men), a such torrent, submerges Germany, having for objective Berlin. The avant-garde, under the orders of the marshal Lannes, pushes back a Prussian body with Saalfeld the October 10th. The prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, the nephew of the large Frederic, finds death in singular combat there. However, the opposing army resists. The cavalry of Murat is sent in recognition in the plain of Leipzig, but without result. In fact, the Prussians decided to fold up themselves towards North, leaving under the orders of Hohenlohe only one strong back keeps with Iéna. Napoleon moves there then with the large one of his troops. He gives the order to Davout to go on Naumbourg, with an about sixty kilometers in the south of Leipzig, to take the enemy with reverse and to strike his backs. Bernadotte is left in reserve, on the heights of Dornbourg, and must lend hand-strong to Davout in the event of problems.
Involved forces
The Prussian army is divided into two columns: under the command of Brunswick, and the other under the orders of Hohenlohe with 50.000 men and 120 guns. This last has as an aim of protection the retirement of the first. It is the body of Hohenlohe which will support the confrontation with Napoleon.
The French forces include/understand the 4th body of Soult, 5th of Lannes, 6th of Ney and 7th of Augereau (these two last are incomplete at the beginning of the battle) and the imperial Garde, is 55 000 men. The reserve of cavalry is added to it, that is to say 10 000 men. The artillery includes/understands 173 guns. The whole is ordered by Napoleon.
Preparations
The October 13rd, at fallen from the night, Lannes arrives in front of Iéna, that the Prussians have just given up. The city is devastated by the fires born of plunderings. This site is appropriate badly for an arranged battle. It is about a very boxed valley, surrounded by a dense forest. In the east, the plate of Landgrafenberg reaches 350 meters, but the Prussians neglected to keep it, considering its slopes insuperable.
The legend tells that it is a Saxon priest, not admitting the forced alliance of its country with the Prussia, who guided the staff of Lannes, by a narrow and stony path, which was usually used to lead the goats until the top. Napoleon made at once arm his battalions with peaks and shovels to widen the passage in order to make pass French artillery, blocked in bottom of the way. The Emperor directed itself the operation, not hesitating to encourage and help his soldiers. All the center “was massed” on this plate, the chest of each man touching the back of the soldier placed in front of him. The only access road towards the valley is well kept by the troops saxonnes.
Napoleon improvises at once an opposite operation of that of Austerlitz: He conquers without the knowledge of his enemy a plate which ensures a dominant situation to him. He thus overhangs the Prussian army concentrated right in front of him.
Course of the battle
The French Army progresses, with from left to right, the bodies of Augereau, Lannes, Ney and finally of Soult. The imperial Garde is in withdrawal, between Augereau and Lannes, as well as the cavalry of Murat, placed at the extreme right-hand side. On the other hand, the Prussian army enters in battle order, in two columns perfectly aligned, as during the Guerre Seven Year old. The body of prince Rüchel (30 000 men) is placed on the Prussian right side, in reinforcement. But this one too moved away and badly ordered, cannot take part in the battle.
At six o'clock in the morning, Napoleon gives the order of the attack. The Prussians, badly awaked and amazed, expect to see leading the French to their line. They support successfully the attack of Augereau, but it is about an operation of diversion. The surprise of the Prussians is total when they see emerging from the fog 30 000 men who take their sides. Immediately, Lannes hustles the reserve of the Tauertzien general while Soult progresses by the line and Augereau by the left.
Napoleon stabilizes the face by aligning his wings compared to his center, but Ney, enthusiastic, continues its projection and makes charge its troops. It is found quickly in the middle of the unfavourable lines. Hohenlohe counter-attack with all its cavalry, is twenty squadrons. Helped of artillery, Ney righting the situation.
The Prussian general Hohenlohe, visionary military of his time, knows that its men were not involved, and that the battle surely will be lost. His/her friend, the Messembach general, joined it at the time when the situation becomes critical. About midday, the Prussian lines are inserted. The Saxon ones form the squares but the French cavalry enters in action and the ten-per-cent tax. The remains of the Prussian army are rammed by French artillery, with large complete.
Contrary to Austerlitz, where Napoleon had not made to continue by number of soldiers consequent Russians and Austrians beating of reprocesses (only the cavalry of Murat sprang on their traces, without intention to destroy what remained enemy army), this time, he gives the order to spring on the traces of the Prussians. Murat progresses so quickly that it seizes at the entry of Weimar artillery and the luggage of the Prussians. The queen of Prussia, " heart damnée" war, flees by a door of the city while the French enter by the other. Better riding and especially lighter, it had, a few hours earlier, already been successful to sow the dragons French.
Losses
The Prussian troops undergo heavy losses: 49 generals (including 19 Saxon), 263 officers, 12 000 men, killed or wounded, 14 000 captured prisoners, 40 flags and 112 guns.
The French lose 6 senior officers (of which colonels of 20th hunters and Barbanègre of the 9th hussards), 288 officers and approximately 6 000 men, killed or wounded.
Consequences
The battle of Iéna is combined with that of Auerstaedt, which is held the same day, and sees the triumph of Davout, which with only 27 000 men, overcomes the 60 000 soldiers of Brunswick. The Prussian army loses in the same day approximately 45 000 men and all his artillery. These defeats throw the Prussians in the distress. Thus, one saw three French hussards capturing alone and without resistance an enemy squadron. There is no more Prussian army. the October 17th, Bernadotte crushes the prince of Wurtemberg.
The October 27th 1806, is less than one month after being entered to shift, Napoleon enters to Berlin. The 28, Murat captures the prince of Hohenlohe and all its army (16 000 men, 6 regiments of cavalry, 60 guns and as many flags). The November 7th, Blücher capitulates with Lübeck. Lastly, Ney puts an end to the hunt , according to the expression of a Prussian general, seizes Magdeburg, and captures 15 000 men and a park of artillery of several hundreds of guns, coldly delivered by the British.
The armistice is signed the November 30th. The fate of Prussia is decided the July 9th 1807 by the Traité of Tilsit. It is cut down by half of its territory and the majority of its fortified towns (Magdeburg, Erfurt, Stettin, Graudeuz, Dantzig), the majority in the west of the Elba. It loses 5 million inhabitants and must pay a considerable war indemnity, that is to say 120 franc million of the time.
Anecdotes
It was known as that Hegel, which was then professor at the university of Iéna, had supplemented its chief of work , the Phénoménologie of the Spirit, while the battle made rage. Hegel considered that this battle was “ the end of the History ”, in terms of evolution of the human society towards what it called the universal and homogeneous State “ ”. Hegel declares besides, after having seen passing Napoleon on his horse close to the university of Iena: “I saw the Reason with horse”. It also called Napeoléon " the heart of the monde". Let us note, in connection with the end of the history at Hegel that it is imperial Prussia, built in reaction to the Napoleonean campaigns, which constitutes the result of the history. This topic will be taken again by Kojève which will see then the realization of " the universal State and homogène" of Hegel in Stalin then in the " construction européenne" it will be one of the activists until his death in 1968. With the fall of Communism, the topic returns in the book of Francis Fukuyama: End of the history and the Last Man who sees the unification of the world under the emblem of the liberal democracy .
Partial source
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