Battle of Saalfeld

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Battle of Saalfeld
Part of the War of the Fourth Coalition
Date 10 October 1806 Location Saalfeld, Germany Result Decisive French victory
Combatants
First French Empire	Kingdom of Prussia
Commanders
Jean Lannes	Louis Ferdinand of Prussia†
Strength
12,000 14 cannons	8,000
Casualties
ca 200 killed or wounded	400 killed and wounded, 1,000 prisoners, 20 guns

War of the Fourth Coalition
Maida – Saalfeld – Jena-Auerstadt – Golymin – Pułtusk – Eylau – Danzig – Heilsberg – Friedland

The Battle of Saalfeld took place on October 10, 1806, between 8,000 Prussians under Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and a division of Lannes' corps under the Marshal himself. The Prussian infantry was broken and driven under the walls of Saalfeld, whereupon the Prince put himself at the head of his cavalry and charged the advancing French. The charge was repulsed and the Prince, refusing to surrender, was cut down and killed. The Prussians lost in this action 400 killed and wounded, 1,000 prisoners and 20 guns.

[edit] Aftermath

Four days after Saalfeld, the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt took place on the plateau west of the river Saale. Although the war went on for an other seven months, the decisive defeat suffered by the Prussian army resulted in Prussia's effective elimination from the anti-French coalition up until the liberation war of 1813.

[edit] External links

• Battle of Saalfeld