Möckern

Napoleon had chosen Leipzig as his central position to defeat the widely separated Allied armies as they advanced to give battle. Early on the 16th, Napoleon ordered Marmont’s Corps to join him, but Blücher, Napoleon’s implacable enemy, had advanced from …

1813-10-16

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Napoleon had chosen Leipzig as his central position to defeat the widely separated Allied armies as they advanced to give battle. Early on the 16th, Napoleon ordered Marmont’s Corps to join him, but Blücher, Napoleon’s implacable enemy, had advanced from the north more quickly than anticipated, and Blücher’s advanced guard required Marmont to turn back to face the approaching Prussians and Russians. With the French drawn up between Möckern and Podelwitz, Blücher went on the offensive. Langeron’s Russians moved forward on Gross and Klein Wiederitzsch, while Yorck and the Prussians advanced on Möckern. The Russians outnumbered the Poles, but many of the Poles were veterans of years of combat in Spain and fought fiercely from within the villages. The Russians advance was held off twice. Langeron, hoping for a breakthrough, ordered his Russian cavalry to charge, but a counter charge by the Polish and French cavalry threw the Russian cavalry back. One final massive Russian push finally forced the Poles to abandon the villages. While at Möckern, the village changed hands a number of times through the day’s fighting. Finally, with all the Prussian reserves committed, Yorck ordered his cavalry to charge Möckern. The bold move swept away the remaining French in the village, but the exhausted Prussian cavalry was unable to pursue what was left of the French forces as they fell back.

Möckern, Germany

The Battle of Möckern was a series of heavy clashes between allied Prusso-Russian troops and Napoleonic French forces south of Möckern. It occurred on 5 April 1813. It ended in a French defeat and formed the successful prelude to the "Liberation War" against Napoleon.

Wikipedia: Battle of Möckern

French

Prussians/Russians

Sixth Coalition