Battle of Haynau

{{Short description|1813 battle during the War of the Sixth Coalition}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} {{Use shortened footnotes|date=June 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Battle of Haynau | partof = the [[German campaign of 1813|German campaign]] of the [[War of the Sixth Coalition|Sixth Coalition]] | image = File:Combat d'Haynau, 26 mai 1813.jpg | caption = Prussian cavalry attacking French infantry under the command of General Maison. | date = 26 May 1813{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}} | place = [[Haynau]], [[Province of Lower Silesia|Lower Silesia]] | coordinates = {{Coord|51|16|N|15|56|E|region:PL}} | map_type = Europe | map_relief = 1 | map_size = 300 | result = Prussian victory | territory = | combatant1 = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[First French Empire|France]] | combatant2 = {{flagicon|Prussia|1803}} [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] | commander1 = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} [[Nicolas Joseph Maison]] | commander2 = {{flagicon|Prussia|1803}} [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]] | strength1 = 5,000{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}} | strength2 = 15,400{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}} | casualties1 = 1,400{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}} | casualties2 = 250{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}} }} {{Campaignbox German campaign}} {{Campaignbox Sixth Coalition}} {{OSM Location map | coord = {{coord|52.4|13}} | zoom = 5 | float = right | nolabels = 1 | width = 304 | height = 180 | title = [[War of the Sixth Coalition]]:<br />[[German Campaign of 1813|German campaign]] | caption = {{legend|black|current battle}}{{legend|maroon|Napoleon in command}}{{legend|navy|Napoleon not in command}}

| label1 = | mark-coord1 = {{coord|54.37|18.63}} | mark-title1 = [[Siege of Danzig (1813)]] from 16 January to 29 November 1813

| label2 = | mark-coord2 = {{coord|52.14|11.95}} | mark-title2 = [[Battle of Möckern]] on 5 April 1813

| label3 = | mark-coord3 = {{coord|51.22|12.18}} | mark-title3 = [[Battle of Lützen (1813)]] on 2 May 1813 | label-color3 = maroon | shape-color3 = maroon

| label4 = | mark-coord4 = {{coord|51.18|14.42}} | mark-title4 = [[Battle of Bautzen (1813)]] from 20 to 21 May 1813 | label-color4 = maroon | shape-color4 = maroon

| label5 = | mark-coord5 = {{coord|51.27|15.93}} | mark-title5 = Battle of Haynau on 26 May 1813 | label-color5 = black | shape-color5 = black

| label6 = | mark-coord6 = {{coord|51.85|13.72}} | mark-title6 = [[Battle of Luckau]] on 4 June 1813

| label7 = | mark-coord7 = {{coord|52.35|13.3}} | mark-title7 = [[Battle of Großbeeren]] on 23 August 1813

| label8 = | mark-coord8 = {{coord|51.10|16.10}} | mark-title8 = [[Battle of the Katzbach]] on 26 August 1813

| label9 = | mark-coord9 = {{coord|51.03|13.73}} | mark-title9 = [[Battle of Dresden]] from 26 to 27 August 1813 | label-color9 = maroon | shape-color9 = maroon

| label10 = | mark-coord10 = {{coord|50.69|13.94}} | mark-title10 = [[Battle of Kulm]] from 29 to 30 August 1813

| label11 = | mark-coord11 = {{coord|51.97|13}} | mark-title11 = [[Battle of Dennewitz]] on 6 September 1813

| label12 = | mark-coord12 = {{coord|53.15|10.84}} | mark-title12 = [[Battle of the Göhrde]]on 16 September 1813

| label13 = | mark-coord13 = {{coord|50.99|12.43}} | mark-title13 = [[Battle of Altenburg]] on 28 September 1813

| label14 = | mark-coord14 = {{coord|51.83|12.25}} | mark-title14 = [[Combat of Roßlau]] on 29 September 1813

| label15 = | mark-coord15 = {{coord|51.81|12.78}} | mark-title15 = [[Battle of Wartenburg]] on 3 October 1813

| label16 = Leipzig | mark-coord16 = {{coord|51.33|12.38}} | mark-title16 = [[Battle of Leipzig]] from 16 to 19 October 1813 | label-color16 = maroon | shape-color16 = maroon

| label17 = | mark-coord17 = {{coord|50.13|8.92}} | mark-title17 = [[Battle of Hanau]] from 30 to 31 October 1813 | label-color17 = maroon | shape-color17 = maroon

| label18 = | mark-coord18 = {{coord|54.37|9.82}} | mark-title18 = [[Battle of Sehested]] from 10 December 1813

| label19 = | mark-coord19 = {{coord|53.58|9.98}} | mark-title19 = [[Siege of Hamburg]] from 24 December 1813 to 12 May 1814 }}

The '''Battle of Haynau''' was fought on 26 May 1813, between Prussian cavalry under the command of General [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]] and a French infantry division under the command of General [[Nicolas Joseph Maison]]. The battle resulted in a Prussian victory.{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}}

==Prelude== After their defeat at the [[Battle of Bautzen (1813)|Battle of Bautzen]] (20–21 May), the allies broke off the action at their own time and retired in such good order that Napoleon failed to capture a single trophy as proof of his victory. The enemy's escape annoyed him greatly, the absence of captured guns and prisoners reminded him too much of his Russian experiences, and he redoubled his demands on his corps commanders for greater vigour in the pursuit.{{sfn|Maude|1911|p=229}}

==Battle== Napoleon's entreaties led his corps commanders to push on without due regard to tactical precautions, and Blücher took advantage of their carelessness. On 26 May, with some twenty squadrons of Landwehr cavalry, he surprised, rode over and almost destroyed Maison's division. The material loss inflicted on the French was not very great, but its effect in raising the morale of the raw Prussian cavalry and increasing their confidence in their old commander was, enormous.{{sfn|Maude|1911|p=229}} On the other hand, they had to suffer the loss of the commanding cavalry officer {{ill|Florens von Bockum-Dolffs|de|Florenz Ludwig von Bockum genannt Dolffs}}, who had led the charge himself.{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=451}}

== Monument== As on other battlegrounds, a small monument was erected there commemorating the Prussian victory. It was destroyed by Polish forces in 1945.{{sfn|Nungesser|1987|p={{page needed|date=March 2019}} }}

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== * {{cite book | last=Bodart | first=Gaston | year=1908 | title=Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905) | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_A0kNAAAAYAAJ | url-access=registration | access-date=4 June 2021}} * {{citation | last=Nungesser | first=Michael | year=1987 | title=Das Denkmal auf dem Kreuzberg von Karl Friedrich Schinkel | location=West Berlin | publisher=Arenhövel | isbn=3-922912-19-2}} '''Attribution:''' *{{EB1911|mode=cs2|last=Maude |first=Frederic Natusch |wstitle=Napoleonic Campaigns |volume=19|pages=212–236}}

==External links== * {{Commons-inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haynau 1813}} [[Category:1813 in the Confederation of the Rhine]] [[Category:1813 in Prussia]] [[Category:Battles in 1813]] [[Category:May 1813]] [[Category:German campaign of 1813]] [[Category:Battles of the War of the Sixth Coalition involving Prussia]] [[Category:Legnica County]] [[Category:History of Lower Silesian Voivodeship]] [[Category:Poland in the Napoleonic Wars]]