When was the Battle of Mormant fought?
The Battle of Mormant was fought on the 17th of February 1814, during the War of the Sixth Coalition. It took place near the town of Mormant, approximately fifty kilometres southeast of Paris.
Questions about Battle of Mormant
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who commanded the Russian forces at the Battle of Mormant?
Count Peter Petrovich Pahlen commanded the Russian advance guard at Mormant. His force consisted of roughly two thousand to twenty-five hundred foot soldiers and between fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred mounted troops.
What were the casualties at the Battle of Mormant?
Casualty estimates vary by source. George Nafziger estimated eight hundred French casualties against three thousand Allied losses and fourteen guns captured. Gaston Bodart recorded six hundred French casualties against twenty-four hundred Allied, including five hundred and fifty Austrians. The Reval and Selenginsk Regiments lost so many men they were withdrawn to Plock in Poland to reorganize.
What happened to Marshal Victor after the Battle of Mormant?
Napoleon relieved Victor of his command after the Battle of Mormant because Victor failed to reach Montereau by six in the morning on the 18th of February 1814 as ordered. Victor did not arrive until nine in the morning, and Napoleon replaced him with General Gerard.
How did the Battle of Mormant fit into Napoleon's 1814 counteroffensive?
Mormant, along with the same-day action at Valjouan and the Battle of Montereau on the 18th of February, marked the start of a French counteroffensive against Schwarzenberg's Allied Army of Bohemia. The offensive concluded with Schwarzenberg's army being driven back beyond Troyes on the 24th of February 1814.
Why was Pahlen's force isolated and nearly destroyed at Mormant?
Pahlen's force was isolated because Wittgenstein had disobeyed Schwarzenberg's order to pull back behind the Seine and instead pushed his corps aggressively west, leaving Pahlen's advance guard exposed near Mormant. Withdrawal orders reached Pahlen too late, and an Austrian division nearby declined to assist, sealing his force's encirclement.