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Title
Blankenfelde
Description
After the disastrous Russian campaign, Napoleon feverishly rebuilt his Grande Armee. The young recruits, the ‘Marie-Louisas,’ acquitted themselves well, but the French victories at Lutzen and Bautzen had come at a high cost in casualties. Both Napoleon and the Allies …
Publisher
Date
1813-08-23
Scenario#
413
Scenario Description
After the disastrous Russian campaign, Napoleon feverishly rebuilt his Grande Armee. The young recruits, the ‘Marie-Louisas,’ acquitted themselves well, but the French victories at Lutzen and Bautzen had come at a high cost in casualties. Both Napoleon and the Allies needed time to rebuild and strengthen, so a short truce went into effect. Negotiations were fruitless, so when the war resumed, Napoleon ordered Oudinot to lead the offensive against the Prussian capital of Berlin, hoping to knock the Prussians out of the war. Oudinot’s ill health, lack of cavalry, weather and underestimation of the enemy, would doom the expedition to failure. The Allies were prepared to fight because they had adopted the wise strategy of fighting only when Napoleon was not present on the battlefield whenever possible. Oudinot’s 60,000 man army was forced to advance on three widely separated roads due to marshy terrain and rainy weather toward a Swedish-Prussian force under the former French Marshal Bernadotte, now a Crown Prince of Sweden. Bertrand’s French/Italian IV Corps advanced on the right. Around 9:00am, Bertand’s column attacked toward Blankenfelde. The Prussians had taken up a strong defensive position in front of the village close to the woods. Even though most of the Prussians were militia, their patriotism more than made up for their lack of training. Bertrand believed, mistakenly, that his role was diversionary, and after two halfhearted advances, he gave orders for Fontanelli’s Italians to fall back. Meanwhile in the center, Reynier’s VII Corps was decisively repulsed at Grossbeeren.
Location
Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Germany
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
The Battle of Großbeeren occurred on 23 August 1813 in neighboring Blankenfelde and Sputendorf between the Allied Army of the North under Crown Prince Charles John – formerly Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte – and the French under Marshal Nicolas Oudinot. Napoleon had hoped to drive the Prussians out of the Sixth Coalition by capturing their capital, but the swamps south of Berlin combined with rain and the marshal's ill health all contributed to the French defeat.
Narrative Source
Combatants
French
Prussians
Additional Information
Sixth Coalition

Geolocation