Battle of Dresden

:For the bombing of Dresden in World War II, see Bombing of Dresden in World War II.

Prelude

On August 16, Napoleon had sent Marshal Saint-Cyr's corps to fortify and hold Dresden in order to hinder allied movements and to serve as a possible base for his own manuevers. He planned to strike against the interior lines of his enemies and defeat them in detail, before they could combine their full strength. He had some 300,000 men against allied forces totaling over 450,000. But the Coalition avoided battle with Napoleon, himself, choosing to attack his subordinate commanders instead (See the Trachenburg Plan ). On August 23 , at the Battle of Grossbeeren, south of Berlin , Crown Prince Charles of Sweden (Formally French Marshal Bernadotte, one of Napoleon's most able commanders) defeated his old comrade Marshal Oudinot. And on August 26, Prussian Marshal Graf (Count) von Blücher defeated Marshal MacDonald at Katzbach.

Related Topics:
August 16 - Marshal - Saint-Cyr's - Trachenburg Plan - August 23 - Battle of Grossbeeren - Berlin - Crown Prince Charles - Marshal Oudinot - August 26 - Von Blücher - Marshal MacDonald - Katzbach

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