Battle of Haynau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Haynau
Part of the German campaign of the Sixth Coalition
Prussian cavalry attacking French infantry under the command of General Maison.
Date 26 May 1813 Location Haynau, Lower Silesia 51°16′N 15°56′E / 51.267°N 15.933°E / 51.267; 15.933 Result Prussian victory
Belligerents
France	Prussia
Commanders and leaders
Nicolas Joseph Maison	Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Strength
5,000	15,400
Casualties and losses
1,400	250

The Battle of Haynau was a fight that happened on May 26, 1813. It was between the Prussian army and French soldiers. This battle took place near a town called Haynau, which is now known as Chojnów in Poland. It was part of a bigger conflict called the War of the Sixth Coalition, where many European countries fought against Napoleon Bonaparte and his French Empire. The Prussians, led by General Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, won this battle against a French group commanded by General Nicolas Joseph Maison.

What Happened Before the Battle?

A few days before Haynau, there was a big fight called the Battle of Bautzen. The armies fighting against Napoleon, known as the Allies, lost that battle. However, they managed to retreat in a very organized way. This meant Napoleon couldn't capture any of their cannons or soldiers.

Napoleon was very annoyed by this. It reminded him of his difficult time during the war in Russia. He really wanted his commanders to chase the Allies more aggressively and capture them.

The Battle of Haynau

Because Napoleon pushed his commanders so hard, the French soldiers became a bit careless. They chased the Allies without being careful enough about their surroundings. General Blücher, who was leading the Prussian cavalry (soldiers on horseback), saw this as a perfect chance to attack.

On May 26, 1813, Blücher and about twenty groups of Prussian cavalry surprised the French division led by General Maison. The Prussians rode right into the French soldiers, almost completely destroying Maison's group.

The French didn't lose a huge amount of equipment or soldiers in this specific attack. However, the battle had a very important effect. It greatly boosted the confidence of the new Prussian cavalry soldiers. They felt much better about their skills and trusted their experienced commander, Blücher, even more. Sadly, the Prussian cavalry officer who led the charge, Florens von Bockum-Dolffs, was killed during the battle.

Monument

Like many other battlegrounds, a small monument was built at Haynau to remember the battle. However, this monument was destroyed by Polish forces in 1945.