Battle of Reims (1814)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Rheims


caption=Napoleon during the 1814 campaign.
Painting by Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, 1864
partof=War of the Sixth Coalition
date=13 March, 1814
place=Reims, France
result=French victory
combatant1=flagicon|France French Empire
combatant2=flagicon|Russia Russia
flagicon|Prussia|1803 Prussia
commander1=Napoleon I
commander2=flagicon|Russia Emmanuel de Saint-Priest
strength1=10,000
strength2=15,000
casualties1=
casualties2=3,000 dead, 5,000 captured|

The Battle of Reims was fought at Reims (France) on 13 March, 1814 between the French Empire and a Russian-Prussian force. The French, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, were victorious.

Background

The engagement took place during the 1814 campaign. After Napoleon had retreated from Russia and lost the Battle of Leipzig, the allied armies had invaded France. Napoleon won a number of victories (such as the battle of Reims), but had little chance of success, with just 70,000 men against half a million allied forces. The campaign ended with the allies taking Paris on 31 March and Napoleon's abdication on 6 April.

The battle

On 12 March, General Emmanuel de Saint-Priest had taken the city of Reims with 15,000 men. Napoleon responded by heading east from Soissons with 10,000 men and retaking the city the next day. Some 3,000 allied soldiers fell in the battle, and St. Priest was mortally wounded.

In a letter to his brother Joseph on 14 March, Napoleon wrote: "Yesterday I arrived in Reims, which had been occupied by General St. Priest with three Russian divisions and a new Prussian division. I captured the city, taking twenty guns, plenty of baggage, and 5,000 prisoners. General St. Priest has been mortally wounded."

Napoleon entered Reims at 2 a.m. while the allied forces fled through another city gate. The allies retreated to Laon, where St. Priest died two weeks later.

See also

* War of the Sixth Coalition
* Six Days Campaign
* Battle of Paris (1814)

Sources

* [http://www.napoleongames.com/1814_campaign_hist.html NapoleonGames]
* [http://livredor.quick-web.com/?id=EricLM&page=4 Live d'Or]
* [http://www.thebetterdrink.com/PastIssues/Summer_05/Feature/index.htm War and Champagne]