Battle of Auerstädt

October 14, 1806

While the majority of the Grande Armée was engaged with the Prussian force at Jena, Marshal Davout's III Corps was attempting to follow Napoleon's orders to cut the line of retreat from Jena. Unbeknownst to Davout, his corps was about to collide with the main body of the Prussian army at Auerstadt. Despite the uneven odds and Marshal Bernadotte refusing to bring his I Corps to help, Davout's III Corps was able to defeat the Prussians through hard fighting. Later Marshal Davout was named the Duke of Auerstadt in honor of this achievement.

Bibliography

Chandler, David G. Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1979.
Smith, Digby. The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill Books: 1998.

Updated March 2014