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The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany . With the recent addition of Austria , the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in their quest to expel the French from Central Europe .
The Old Guard (French: Vieille garde) were the veteran elements of the Emperor Napoleon's Imperial Guard. As such it was the most prestigious formation in Napoleon's Grande Armée. [1] [2] French soldiers often referred to Napoleon's Old Guard as "the Immortals". [3] [4]
Saint-Cyr's corps played a major role in Emperor Napoleon I's victory at the Battle of Dresden in late August. Since it was assigned to garrison Dresden, the XIV Corps missed the Battle of Leipzig in October. Isolated after Napoleon's decisive defeat at Leipzig, the unit endured the Siege of Dresden which ended in November with a French surrender.
After the French defeat at the Battle of Leipzig the garrison of Dresden was cut off and eventually besieged by the Russian Corps commanded by Alexander Ostermann-Tolstoy which was joined on 26 October by the Austrian IV Corps commanded by Johann von Klenau.
During the Peninsular War from 1808 until 1814, the Middle Guard positioned between the Old Guard and the Young Guard, saw action during key moments of the war, particularly in France's battles against British and Portuguese forces. However, as the war dragged on, the Middle Guard faced increasingly difficult circumstances.
The coalition now had a clear numerical superiority, which they eventually brought to bear on Napoleon's main forces, despite earlier setbacks such as the Battle of Dresden. The high point of allied strategy was the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, which ended in a decisive defeat for Napoleon.
Marshal of the Empire and Napoleon's brother-in-law. Murat was a daring and charismatic cavalry officer who took part in many Revolutionary and Napoleonic battles such as the Abukir, Jena, and many others. Michel Ney: 1769–1815 French Marshal of the Empire during the Napoleonic Wars, famous for his great courage ("le brave des braves").
The Battle of Borodino was the bloodiest single-day battle of the Napoleonic Wars. The new Grande Armée was somewhat different from before; over one-third of its ranks were now filled by non-French conscripts coming from satellite states or countries allied to France.