First Battle of Bar-sur-Aube
The First Battle of Bar-sur-Aube (24 January 1814) was fought during the War of the Sixth Coalition when Marshal Édouard Mortier, duc de Trévise's corps of French Imperial Guards defended against an Austrians corps under Ignaz Gyulai and a Württemberger corps led by Crown Prince Frederick William of Württemberg. After holding his main defensive positions in stiff fighting, Mortier withdrew his elite troops during the night and retreated to Troyes. Bar-sur-Aube is located 53 kilometres (33 mi) east of Troyes.
| First Battle of Bar-sur-Aube | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Campaign of France of the Sixth Coalition | |||||||
French Old Guard infantry in combat wearing their bearskin caps. | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| France |
Austria Württemberg | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Édouard Mortier |
Ignaz Gyulai Prince of Württemberg | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
13,000–14,200 50 guns |
Austria: 15,000 56 guns Württemberg: 12,000–13,000 24 guns Total: 25,000–28,000 80 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 700–1,700 killed, wounded, or captured | 1,000–1,400 killed, wounded, or captured | ||||||
Location within France | |||||||
Campaign in north-east France
The 1814 Campaign opened with an invasion of eastern France by the main Coalition army led by Austrian Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg and a second army led by Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. The weak French defending forces were pushed back without too much trouble, except for Mortier's guardsmen near Langres. These crack troops made a fighting withdrawal to Bar-sur-Aube where they offered battle in a strong position. Two days after the clash, Emperor Napoleon joined his reeling forces and the major fighting began.