Battle of Château-Thierry (1814)
On the 1st of February 1814, Blücher and his generals celebrated a victory at La Rothière. They believed the war would end soon. Schwarzenberg agreed to let Blücher's army move along a more northerly route. This decision separated the two Allied armies. Schwarzenberg's Army of Bohemia marched west through Troyes along the Seine River. Blücher moved north to Châlons-sur-Marne and then drove west along the Marne valley toward Meaux. One historian estimated that the two Allied armies numbered 200,000 between them. Napoleon faced these forces with only 70,000 French soldiers. The Allies lost contact with Napoleon's retreating army by the 4th of February. Schwarzenberg began pulling Wittgenstein's corps south away from Blücher. On the 5th of February, Russian General Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly ordered Seslavin's force away without notifying Blücher. The Prussian field marshal mistakenly continued to believe Seslavin watched the gap on his left flank. Napoleon calculated that Marshals Claude Perrin Victor and Nicolas Oudinot with 39,000 troops could hold off Schwarzenberg. He gathered a strike force of 20,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry to march against Blücher.
By the 8th of February, Blücher's advancing Army of Silesia spread itself out across the countryside. Farthest to the west was Sacken's cavalry at Viels-Maisons while his infantry was at Montmirail. The Russian corps pursued Marshal Jacques MacDonald's 10,000-man French corps. Yorck's corps reached Dormans to the northeast of Montmirail. Olsufiev's 4,000-man corps sat east of Sacken at Étoges. Peter Mikhailovich Kaptzevich's Russian corps and Friedrich von Kleist's Prussian corps were farther east at Châlons-sur-Marne. On the 9th of February, everyone marched west. Kaptzevich and Kleist reached Bergères-lès-Vertus. Olsufiev arrived at Champaubert. Sacken got to La Ferté-sous-Jouarre. Yorck approached Château-Thierry. Napoleon arrived at Sézanne with the Imperial Guard after a difficult march over muddy roads. French farmers brought their teams of horses to help pull the cannons through the quagmire. That day, Schwarzenberg asked Blücher to reinforce his right wing. Dutifully, the Prussian commander set out on the 10th of February with Kaptzevich and Kleist. As the Allies marched, they heard the distant growl of cannons to their right. It was Napoleon's army falling on Olsufiev's outnumbered corps in the Battle of Champaubert. After an obstinate resistance, Olsufiev tried to break out to the east but he was captured. His corps effectively destroyed.
On the 11th of February, Kaptzevich and Kleist turned around and marched back to Bergères. Blücher authorized Yorck and Sacken to withdraw via Château-Thierry toward Reims where his army would reassemble. MacDonald sent Antoine-Louis Decrest de Saint-Germain with part of his cavalry across the Marne to Coulommiers by a roundabout route. The remainder of his cavalry under Horace Sebastiani was unable to cross at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre because Sacken had broken its bridge. Napoleon launched his troops after the beaten Allies at 9:00 am on the 12th of February. Marshal Édouard Mortier commanded the pursuit on the main highway while Napoleon personally led another column farther west through Rozoy. The French emperor ordered MacDonald to seize the bridge at Château-Thierry. At dawn on the 12th of February, Sacken's corps passed through Yorck's lines near Montfaucon. Sacken dropped off a brigade under General Heidenreich that consisted of the Tambov and Kostroma Regiments. Friedrich von Katzler's advance guard stood at Montfaucon with the 1st and 7th Prussian Brigades. Georg Ludwig von Wahlen-Jürgass provided Reserve cavalry in support. Mortier marched to Fontenelle-en-Brie with the 2nd Old Guard Division under Charles-Joseph Christiani. Claude Marie Meunier led the 1st Voltiguer Division. Louis Friant brought the Gardes d'Honneur cavalry.
At 1:00 pm, Mortier's advance encountered Katzler's Prussians near Viffort and the Caquerets Hills. Katzler's 1st and 2nd East Prussia Infantry Regiments overlooked a stream. The position was attacked by two battalions of Old Guard Foot Chasseurs. Napoleon's duty squadrons led by Claude-Étienne Guyot joined the assault. Katzler withdrew when the French began turning his flanks. Farther along the highway, the French found Heinrich Wilhelm von Horn's 7th Brigade barring their advance. The 2nd Silesian and Leib Grenadier Battalions defended the right flank while the Leib Regiment held the left flank. A large force of cavalry under Marshal Michel Ney began to maneuver around the Prussian left flank. These were four divisions of elite cavalry under Pierre David de Colbert-Chabanais, Jean-Marie Defrance, Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes, and Louis Marie Levesque de Laferrière. Napoleon sent 200 grenadiers to seize the hamlet of Petite-Noue. Mortier launched six battalions under Christiani in a frontal attack. Yorck ordered his wagon train to cross to the north bank of the Marne. Yorck ordered Jürgass to move 3,000 Reserve cavalry from the highway to the left flank. They were joined by the Brandenberg Hussar Regiment under Friedrich von Sohr.
Historians David G. Chandler and Francis Loraine Petre stated that the Prussians had 1,250 casualties. The Russians suffered 1,500 losses while the French lost 600 men. The French also captured nine cannons and much baggage and transport. Other authorities put French losses at 400, 600. Prussian killed and wounded numbered 22 officers and 1,229 enlisted men. Russian losses ranged from 1,200 to 1,500 soldiers. That evening, the two Allied corps retreated north to Oulchy-la-Ville. Since the French army lacked a bridging train, it took a full day before the Château-Thierry bridge could be rebuilt. When it was finished, Mortier led the divisions of Christiani, Colbert, and Defrance in pursuit of the Allies. They rounded up 300, 400 stragglers. They found a number of artillery caissons destroyed by the Allies in their hasty retreat. Heidenreich and most of his brigade were captured along with three cannons. Stockhausen's action allowed other units to escape across the bridge. By the time his 400 soldiers fought their way to the bridge, it had been destroyed. His 400 survivors were compelled to surrender.
Napoleon wrote that his Foot and Horse Guard covered themselves with glory. The enemy seemed struck by a singular terror. However, the emperor was extremely disappointed that he had failed to destroy Sacken and Yorck. MacDonald hardly budged and failed to capture the all-important Château-Thierry bridge. The next day, Yorck's troops marched to Fismes while Sacken moved to Reims. Prince William's brigade observed Soissons. On the 12th of February, Blücher waited at Vertus for news from Yorck and Sacken. Since the 11th of February, Marshal Auguste de Marmont with one infantry division and the I Cavalry Corps watched Blücher. The Prussian field marshal finally decided that Napoleon was retreating. On the 13th of February, Blücher began pushing west with Kaptzevich and Kleist. This enforcement led directly to the Battle of Vauchamps on the 14th of February. The failure to annihilate the Allied corps left them intact enough to fight again. Blücher advanced to attack Napoleon with two more corps. The subsequent battle would test the French army once more.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
What happened during the Battle of Château-Thierry on the 12th of February 1814?
Napoleon launched his troops after the beaten Allies at 9:00 am on the 12th of February. Marshal Édouard Mortier commanded the pursuit on the main highway while Napoleon personally led another column farther west through Rozoy. The French emperor ordered MacDonald to seize the bridge at Château-Thierry.
Who were the commanders involved in the Battle of Château-Thierry (1814)?
Napoleon faced Blücher and his generals with Marshals Claude Perrin Victor, Nicolas Oudinot, Jacques MacDonald, and Édouard Mortier leading French forces. Allied commanders included Russian General Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Prussian field marshal Blücher, and corps leaders such as Yorck, Sacken, Kaptzevich, and Kleist.
When did the Battle of Château-Thierry take place?
The battle occurred on the 12th of February 1814 when Napoleon launched his troops after the beaten Allies at 9:00 am. By the time his 400 soldiers fought their way to the bridge, it had been destroyed and they were compelled to surrender.
How many casualties did each side suffer during the Battle of Château-Thierry (1814)?
Historians David G. Chandler and Francis Loraine Petre stated that the Prussians had 1,250 casualties while the Russians suffered 1,500 losses and the French lost 600 men. Other authorities put French losses at 400 or 600, with Prussian killed and wounded numbering 22 officers and 1,229 enlisted men.
Why was the Battle of Château-Thierry significant in the War of the Sixth Coalition?
Napoleon was extremely disappointed that he had failed to destroy Sacken and Yorck because the failure to annihilate the Allied corps left them intact enough to fight again. Blücher advanced to attack Napoleon with two more corps, leading directly to the subsequent Battle of Vauchamps on the 14th of February.