Battle of Dresden's

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26 August 1813 marks the Battle of Dresden's 1st day in the 6th Coalition War when Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s 100-135,000 men* defeated Allied Supreme Commander Field Marshal Prince Karl zu Schwarzenberg’s 99,976 Habsburg**, 34,599 Prussian & 25,193 Russian infantry & 13,194 Habsburg, 7,376 Russian, 6,932 Prussian & 2,793 Cossack cavalry – totaling 159,768 infantry & 30,295 cavalry. Habsburg Emperor Franz I, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III & Russian Tsar Aleksándr Pavlovich were also present.

*While the overwhelming majority of Napoleon’s men at Dresden were French, some weren’t. His 244 infantry battalions included 237 French, 4 German (3 Westphalian & 1 Saxon), 2 Italian & 1 Spanish. His 145 cavalry squadrons included 91 French, 23 German (8 Saxon, 8 Württemberger, 5 Berg & 2 Westphalian), 14 Italian, 10 Dutch & 7 Polish.

**While it’s common to call Habsburg soldiers “Austrian,” most weren’t ethnic Austrians. The Hauptarmee was a multinational force. At Dresden, Schwarzenberg led 26 Bohemian (Czech), 24 Hungarian, 17 Galician (Polish), 16 Moravian (Czech), 6 Austrian, 3 Wallachian (Romanian), 2 Illyrian (Albanian), 2 Croat, 1 Slovene & 1 German infantry bns & 35 Bohemian, 18 Moravian, 18 Austrian, 16 Hungarian, 6 Slovak & 4 Polish cavalry sqns. As such, I call them “Habsburgs” or “Habsburgers” instead of “Austrians.”

Schwarzenberg besieged Saxony’s capital, Dresden. Marshal Laurent St. Cyr’s XIV Corps (20,000 French & Saxons) held it. The Elbe River divided it in half. A high wall protected the Old City, facing Schwarzenberg. Suburbs extended beyond it. 5 redoubts ringed them. Each had a gun & infantry. 3 were too far from each other to offer mutual support. Gates were blocked. Trees were cut down to provide a clear field of fire. The Grand Garden southwest of Dresden between Redoubts 2 & 3 was key to any attacks.

The Allies surrounded Dresden. Schwarzenberg led the center & left wing - 9 Austrian infantry & 3 cavalry divisions & 128 guns. Cavalry General Count Peter zu Wittgenstein led the right wing - 2 Russian infantry divisions, Lieutenant General Friedrich von Kleist’s Prussians & 158 guns. Infantry General Count Barclay de Tolly led the central reserve – 2 Russian grenadier & 4 Guard cavalry divisions, the Prussian Royal Guard & 150 guns. The Weisseritz Ravine divided Schwarzenberg’s left & center. This would be a decisive factor later in the battle.

The Russian campaign had devastated Napoleon’s army. His mostly conscript infantry were in poor condition & hastily trained. They maneuvered badly, marched slowly & many couldn’t even load muskets. His cavalry were poorly mounted & equally ill trained. 80% never rode a horse before. The Polish & Saxon cavalry were better. With over 1,200 guns lost in Russia, the artillery had been hastily rebuilt. New guns were mounted on unseasoned wood, prone to cracking. But general morale was high. The French still believed themselves invincible.

Schwarzenberg attacked at 03:00, 26 August. When he learned Napoleon was in the area, he reconsidered. But his men were already engaged with French pickets. At 05:00, Prussian Major Generals Count Hans Ziethen’s (7,662 foot: 1. Inf., 10. Reserve Inf., 8. Landwehr Inf.; 8 guns) & Georg von Pirch’s (7,422: 2. Inf., 7. RI, 9. LW; 8 guns) brigades seized Strehlen, southwest of the Grand Garden. They charged the Garden – 1.5 square km of open space in an oblong shape. Controlling it was vital before further progress could be made.

MG Roth’s Advance Guard (5,920 Russian foot: 20-21st, 24-26th Jägers; Selenginsk Inf., 12 guns)attacked its northeast corner under the fire of Redoubt 2. At 07:30 Roth & the 23rd Jägers (1,450 men) switched targets. They now attacked Pirna suburb south of Dresden between the Garden & the Elbe. Redoubt 3’s artillery repelled the 23rd. By 10:30, the Allies held half the Garden & its central palace. They deployed a battery on Windmill Hill south of Pirna.

At 09:00, the Habsburg No. 58 Inf. (1,791 foot) attacked Friedrichstadt north of Dresden, along the Elbe. They were repelled, retiring after expending their ammunition. At 11:00, the Allies saw French streaming into Dresden. Napoleon had arrived between 09:00-10:00. St. Cyr’s men said, “There is Napoleon! Things will soon be very different!” He strengthened the redoubts’ artillery & sent 25 Old Guards to each street barricade. Their mere presence greatly boosted morale.

At 14:00, Marshal Joachim Murat arrived with Division General Victor Latour-Maubourg’s I Cavalry Corps (16,537). Napoleon sent them to his right wing. Murat took command of Latour, DG Pierre Pajol’s 10e Light Cavalry & DG François Teste’s 23e Infantry. At 15:00, Marshals Edouard Mortier’s Imperial Guard & Michel Ney’s II Young Guard Corps (24 bns each) arrived. Napoleon sent Mortier to Pirna & Ney to Redoubt IV, west of Dresden, facing Schwarzenberg’s center. 1 Old Guard regiment was sent to Pirna, 1 to Redoubt 4 & 1 to Freiburg suburb near Friedrichstadt. 2 more formed a central reserve. The men were exhausted after 72 hours marching, but eager for battle.

At 16:00, 72 Habsburg guns targeted Redoubts 3, 4 & 5. 2 French batteries were overwhelmed & withdrew. Dresden caught fire. Many citizens fled to their cellars. Napoleon rode to the front. Field Marshal Lieutenants Count Moritz von Liechtenstein’s (2,940 Habsburg foot: 1-2nd & 7th Jägers, No. 7 Inf.; 1,459 horse: No. 1 & 4 Chevaulegers; 14 guns) & Hieronymus von Colloredo’s (13,837 foot) divisions attacked Redoubt 3, held by the 27e Légère. Canister shot from the redoubt shredded & halted them.

Suddenly the guns went silent. They’d run out of ammunition. The Habsburgers charged. They seized the redoubt in savage bayonet fighting. They pursued the 27e into Machzinsky Garden. They met an 8-foot-high wall behind a ditch & palisade. The 27e manned the wall & fired volleys into their foes. The Habsburgians fell back, rallied & charged. Old Guard Grenadiers & Middle Guard Fusiliers counterattacked. Most of the Habsburgians became trapped. They surrendered. 180 French & 344 Habsburgian corpses later were found in Redoubt 3.

Also at 16:00, FML Nikolaus von Weissenwolf’s division (12,423 Habsburg foot; 18 guns) charged Redoubt 4. He seized it after a ferocious bombardment that killed or wounded 96 of its garrison. An Old Guard 2e Chasseurs company ejected him. The No. 1 Inf. attacked Redoubt 5 twice, failing but inflicting heavy losses. They occupied Lobtau northwest of Dresden. FML József Meszko’s division (5,217 Habsburg foot: No. 12-13, 16 & 58 Inf.; 1,426 horse: No. 3 & 12 Husaren) reached the Elbe north of Dresden. They retreated to avoid being trapped.

At 16:00 Wittgenstein led LG Prince Andrei Gorkachov’s I Russian (6,919 foot, 24 guns) & Kleist’s II Prussian (29,253 foot, 2,177 horse, 32 guns) Korps from Blasewitz Wood north against Pirna. Near Windmill Hill, a 30 gun battery on the Elbe’s opposing bank opened fire. It & Redoubt 1’s guns shredded I Korps. The Young Guard hurled Wittgenstein back. He counterattacked with 6 bns. The Guard inflicted heavy casualties, chasing him back to the woods. Kleist reached Moszczynski Garden. DG Pierre Berthezène chased him off.

Kleist also attacked Grand Garden, now held by DG Mihel Claparède. Kleist reached Redoubt 2. Habsburgers supported him by attacking Redoubt 3 on the Garden’s other side. Suddenly music came from Dresden. The Young Guard hurled Kleist back. Also at 16:00, Roth attacked Grand Garden. He seized it & stormed Redoubt 2 at 17:00. Mortier led Pierre Dumostier’s (Young Guard Fusilier-Chasseurs & Grenadiers, 1-3e & 6-7e Voltigeurs; 24 guns) & Pierre Barrois’ (YG Flanqeur-Grenadiers & Chasseurs, 1-3e & 6-7e Tirailleurs; 24 guns) divisions from Pirna. 2 Old Guard bns followed. He pushed Roth back, recapturing half the garden.

Napoleon deployed 35 guns before Friedrichstadt. Murat’s command, joined by DG Jean Razout’s 45e Division, deployed behind them. The 21e Ligne attacked Lobtau, still held by the No. 1 Inf. After a 10-20 minute artillery duel, 4 Vistula Uhlan sqns bypassed Lobtau. They routed the No. 12 Husaren (641 horse). The No. 8 Husaren (605 horse) drove the Poles back. French & Italian cavalry drove the No. 8s back. Murat’s remaining cavalry drove back Meszko & Weissenwolf. They reached the Habsburger guns. The No. 3 Chevaulegers drove them off. The Saxon Zastow Cuirassiers & Garde du Corps (4 sqns each) shredded a No. 12 Inf. bn & attacked the gunners.

Napoleon ordered a general counterattack. From 19-20:00, Mortier drove Roth from Windmill Hill into the woods. He then swung right to the Grand Garden. The Young Guard attacked Redoubt 3. 50 Guardsmen entered a gate. It closed behind them, trapping them. 500 Habsburgers attacked. With no officers, a drum-major took command. He felled the Habsburger leader with his baton. The detachment held out until relieved by 2 regiments.

Redoubt 3 fell. 400 captives were taken. Ney attacked Schwarzenberg’s center-left between FML Frederick Bianchi & Colloredo. Both FMLs fell back to avoid being cut off. A bn was captured. Ney seemed unstoppable. To save his center-left from total collapse, Schwarzenberg sent FML Marquis Johann von Chasteler’s grenadier division (5,193 Habsburg foot, 12 guns). They halted Ney in vicious fighting. They took heavy losses. Darkness ended the action.

Napoleon lost 2,000 dead/wounded. Schwarzenberg lost 4,000 dead/wounded, 2,000 captive. Napoleon had recaptured all the ground lost to the Allies. Morale was high & supplies plentiful. At 22:00, he distributed crosses to a Young Guard bn escorting 700 Austrian captives. Marshals Claude Victor’s II (25,158 men) & Auguste Marmont’s VI (27,000) Corps & DG Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes’ Guard Cavalry Division (10 sqns) arrived in the night.

At midnight, torrential rains began. They continued all night & all next day. Allied morale was low. Supplies were short. They had gained nothing. All of them dreaded Napoleon’s presence. After a war council, the Allies decided to continue the battle next day.