When was the Battle of Saint-Dizier fought?
The Battle of Saint-Dizier was fought on the 26th of March 1814. It took place during Napoleon's Campaign of France, which was part of the War of the Sixth Coalition.
Questions about Battle of Saint-Dizier
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who commanded the forces at the Battle of Saint-Dizier?
Napoleon Bonaparte commanded the French forces, numbering roughly 30,000 men. The Allied force was under General Ferdinand Wintzingerode, with the advance guard led by Tettenborn, who had five regiments of Cossacks, one regiment of Hussars, and eight pieces of horse artillery.
Why was the Battle of Saint-Dizier significant for Napoleon?
The Battle of Saint-Dizier was Napoleon's last military victory before the surrender of Paris and his subsequent abdication. Despite winning the battle, Napoleon was deceived into believing the main Allied army was behind him, which delayed him three days and allowed the Allies to capture Paris.
How did Wintzingerode deceive Napoleon after the Battle of Saint-Dizier?
Wintzingerode hired rooms at Saint-Dizier for the Tsar of Russia and the King of Prussia and spread word that his cavalry was merely the advance guard of the main Allied army. Napoleon believed Schwarzenberg's whole force was pursuing him and halted at Vassy, wasting three critical days while Paris fell.
What happened to the Allied cavalry at the Battle of Saint-Dizier?
Tettenborn led about 1,000 horsemen, including four squadrons of hussars and Cossacks, in a charge against the French and broke two French lines before being forced to withdraw. His total losses were only forty men. The rest of Wintzingerode's cavalry, which waited passively, suffered far heavier casualties and lost several artillery pieces.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Fere-Champenoise near the same time as Saint-Dizier?
On the 25th of March 1814, Allied forces met the combined troops of Marshals Marmont and Mortier near Fere-Champenoise. After a short but bloody engagement, both marshals were beaten and their troops were, in the contemporary account, utterly destroyed, leaving the road to Paris open to the Allies.