Battle of Laubressel
The Battle of Laubressel (3 March 1814) saw the main Allied army of Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg mount a three-pronged converging attack on the weaker army of Marshal Jacques MacDonald. The French forces under Marshal Nicolas Oudinot bore the brunt of the fighting, in which the Allies tried to turn their left flank. The French abandoned Troyes and retreated west as a result of the action. The village of Laubressel is located 10 kilometres (6 mi) east of Troyes.
| Battle of Laubressel | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Campaign of France of the Sixth Coalition | |||||||
The battle of Laubressel, near Troyes | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| France |
Austria Bavaria Russia Württemberg | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Jacques MacDonald Nicolas Oudinot |
Karl von Schwarzenberg Karl Philipp von Wrede Peter Wittgenstein Prince of Württemberg | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 20,000 | 32,000-50,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
3,000 killed, wounded, or captured 7–11 guns lost | 1,000–1,500 killed, wounded, or captured | ||||||
Location within France | |||||||
Campaign in north-east France
After the French victory at the Battle of Montereau on 18 February, Schwarzenberg's army withdrew behind the river Aube. When Napoleon moved north against Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher's Army of Silesia, he left MacDonald and Oudinot to watch Schwarzenberg's army. After beating Oudinot at the Battle of Bar-sur-Aube, the Allies pressed the French back toward Troyes. At Laubressel, the Allies overpowered Oudinot's left wing. The Allies slowly pursued MacDonald's army, pressing it back to Provins before news of a victory by Napoleon brought Schwarzenberg's advance to a halt.