Minor campaigns of 1815 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minor campaigns of 1815 |
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| Part of the War of the Seventh Coalition | |||||||
 Strategic situation in Western Europe in June 1815 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
Seventh Coalition: Austria Russia Sardinia Switzerland Liechtenstein French royalists |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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 Charles Decaen and Bertrand, comte Clausel (Armies of the Pyrenees east and west) Jean Lamarque (Armée de l'Ouest — Vendée and Loire) |
 Prince of Schwarzenberg (Upper Rhine), Duke of Casalanza (Upper Italy), Johann Frimont (Naples) Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly (Russia)von Hake |
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In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from the island of Elba. He wanted to get his empire back. Many European countries formed a group called the Seventh Coalition to stop him. This time, known as the Hundred Days, ended when Napoleon faced the armies of Prince Blücher and the Duke of Wellington. He was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.
After this big defeat, the allied armies marched to Paris. Napoleon had to give up his power for the second time. But other armies from Russia, Austria, and some German states also fought against him. These armies invaded France from different directions. The biggest fights happened with two Austrian armies: the Army of the Upper Rhine and the Army of Italy.
The Battle of Waterloo was so important that it ended the war quickly. Napoleon's power was destroyed, and King Louis XVIII was put back on the throne. This happened even before the other armies had fully invaded France. If Waterloo had not been such a clear victory, these other campaigns would have been much more important. The quick win at Waterloo stopped a longer, wider war across France's eastern borders.
Contents
French Army: Where Were They?
When Napoleon returned, he found the French army was not very strong. It had only about 56,000 soldiers ready to fight. But by the end of May, he had built up his forces. He now had about 198,000 soldiers, with more training.
Napoleon placed his armies in different areas to defend France:
- The Armée du Nord (Army of the North) was led by Napoleon himself. This army fought in the Waterloo Campaign.
- The Armée du Rhin (Army of the Rhine) was near Strasbourg. It had about 20,000 to 23,000 men.
- The Armée des Alpes (Army of the Alps) was based in Lyons. It defended the city and watched the Austrian-Sardinian army. It had about 13,000 to 23,500 men.
- The Armée du Jura (Army of the Jura) was near Belfort. It watched for Austrian movements through Switzerland. It had about 5,300 to 8,400 men.
- The Armée du Var was near Toulon. It had about 10,000 men.
- Other troops guarded the Pyrenees mountains.
- About 10,000 men under General Lamarque went to La Vendée. Their job was to stop a rebellion by French royalists there.
Upper Rhine Front: Austrian and German Armies
This was the largest Austrian army. It was led by Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg. Its main goal was to reach Paris. This army included soldiers from Austria and several German states.
Coalition Forces: Who Was There?
The Army of the Upper Rhine had many different groups of soldiers.
- Austrian and German Army: This large army had over 260,000 men. It included soldiers from Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, and other German states.
- Swiss Army: This army had about 37,000 Swiss soldiers. They watched the French border.
The Plan: Invading France
The plan was for this army to cross the Rhine River in two main groups.
- The right group would cross between Germersheim and Mannheim.
- The left group would cross between Basle and Rheinfelden.
The goal was for these armies to meet at Nancy.
Campaign Begins: Moving into France
When the fighting started in Belgium, Prince Schwarzenberg ordered his army to advance.
- The Bavarian army was sent to cross the Sarre. Their goal was to cut off the French V Corps near Strasbourg.
- A Russian group joined the Bavarian army to help.
Austrian Right Wing: Bavarian Advance
On June 19, the Bavarian army crossed the Rhine. They moved towards the Sarre River.
- On June 23, they took control of the river crossings at Saarbrücken and Sarreguemines.
- At Saarbrücken, the Bavarians fought the French and captured the town.
- At Sarreguemines, they took a French bridgehead after some fighting.
- The Bavarians also tried to take the Fortress of Bitche, but the French commander refused to surrender.
Prince Wrede Reaches Nancy
By June 27, the Bavarian advanced troops reached Nancy. Prince Wrede set up his headquarters there on June 28. This move cut off the retreat of the French General Rapp, who was still near the Rhine.
Prince Wrede waited at Nancy for other Austrian and Russian armies to arrive. On July 5, he received orders to move towards Paris. This was to help the British and Prussian armies already fighting near Paris. On July 7, Prince Wrede learned about the agreement to stop fighting in Paris. He was then told to move his army towards the Loire River.
Austrian III Corps: Fighting General Rapp
On June 22, part of the Austrian III Corps crossed the Rhine. They moved towards Wissembourg and Haguenau. Their goal was to help cut off General Rapp's retreat.
- On June 24, they fought the French at Bergzabern and Niederotterbach, pushing them back.
- On June 25, they advanced to the Lines of Wissembourg. The French left these defenses during the night.
- On June 26, the Austrians attacked and defeated the French at Surbourg.
- General Rapp then moved his army behind the Souffel River near Strasbourg. He had about 24,000 men.
On June 28, the Crown Prince of Württemberg fought General Rapp's army at the Battle of La Suffel. Even though the Austrians had twice as many soldiers, they were pushed back. However, Rapp soon pulled his forces back into the Strasbourg fortress. The Austrians lost many men in this battle.
Austrian Left Wing: Crossing the Rhine
The Austrian I and II Corps crossed the Rhine on the night of June 25.
- On June 26, the I Corps moved towards Belfort and Montbéliard. They also surrounded the Huningue fortress.
- The Austrian I Corps fought a French group of 3,000 men and pushed them back.
- On June 28, the I Corps attacked the French near Chavannes. The French were forced back to Belfort.
- The town of Montbéliard was captured by the Austrians after a tough fight.
Stopping the Fights: A Truce
The III Corps stayed in front of Strasbourg until July 4. Then, the Austrian II Corps took over. The Austrian Reserve Corps moved towards Remiremont.
On July 7, the Württemberg corps reached Lunéville. They then moved towards Neufchâteau and continued advancing towards Paris. However, on July 18, they stopped at Auxerre and Châtillon.
General Rapp stayed inside the Strasbourg fortress. News of Paris being captured by British and Prussian troops led to a ceasefire. This truce was signed on July 24. It included the fortresses of Strasbourg, Landau, Huningue, and others.
Italian Frontier: Austrian and Sardinian Armies
Coalition Forces: Who Was There?
Army of Upper Italy (Austro-Sardinian Army)
This was Austria's second largest army. It was led by General Johann Maria Philipp Frimont. Its goal was to capture Lyons. This army had about 50,000 Austrian and Sardinian soldiers.
Austrian Army (Army of Naples)
General Bianchi led this smaller Austrian army. It had already defeated another army in the Neapolitan War. Its goal was to capture Marseilles and Toulon. This army had about 23,000 men.
French Forces: Who Was There?
The French Armée du Var was based at Toulon. It was led by Marshal Guillaume Marie Anne Brune. This army had about 5,500 to 6,100 men. Its job was to stop any royalist uprisings and watch Bianchi's army.
Campaign Begins: French Retreats
The Austrian Army of Italy, with about 60,000 men, moved against the French Army of the Alps. This French army was led by Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet.
French Leave Mountain Passes
Napoleon had ordered Marshal Suchet to secure the mountain passes in the Valais and Savoy. This was to block the Austrians.
- On June 15, French troops advanced to control the border from Montmeilian to Geneva.
- They aimed to hold the passes of Meillerie and St. Maurice.
- However, on June 21, the Austrians pushed the French back at Meillerie.
- By June 27, the main Austrian group reached the Arve River.
- On June 28, the Austrians fought the French at Conflans and took control.
To cross the Arve River, the Austrians moved to Bonneville. The French had fortified this place and fought hard. But the Austrians found another crossing at Carrouge. This forced the French to leave Bonneville.
The Austrian army then moved towards the Jura mountains. On July 1, they attacked the French defenses there. The Austrians were first pushed back at the Pass of Les Rousses. But with more troops, they launched a flank attack and captured the pass. The French had to abandon all the Jura passes.
Fort l'Ecluse Falls
The Austrian Reserve Corps was sent to push the French back towards the Rhone River. The French destroyed the bridge at Seyselle and held Fort l'Ecluse to block the road.
- The Austrians stormed and captured a small fort in front of Fort l'Ecluse.
- The Reserve Corps then tried to cross the Rhône at the Perte du Rhône. The French had a bridgehead there but were forced to leave it.
- The French destroyed a beautiful stone bridge, so the Austrians had to build temporary ones.
- The Austrians fought the French at Charix and forced them to retreat.
Meanwhile, the Austrian I Corps started bombing Fort l'Ecluse. After 26 hours, a powder magazine exploded, causing a fire. The French soldiers rushed out and surrendered. This opened the road from Geneva to Lyons in just three days.
Lyons Surrenders
On July 3, the Austrians attacked the French at Oyonnax. The French were forced to retreat. The Austrian I Corps reached Bourg-en-Bresse on July 9.
On July 10, a group of Austrians captured the bridgehead and town of Mâcon on the Saône River.
On July 7, the Austrian II Corps reached Echelles. A group of Sardinian troops watched Grenoble. On July 6, they attacked the suburbs and cut off communication between Grenoble and Lyons. The French soldiers in Grenoble offered to surrender on July 9. They had many guns and supplies, showing they could have fought longer.
On July 9, the Austrian II Corps and Reserve Corps gathered in front of Lyons. On July 11, the French asked for a truce, which was granted. Lyons and its defenses were to be evacuated. The French Army of the Alps had to retreat behind the Loire River.
General Truce: End of Fighting
On July 9, a Sardinian general made a truce with Marshal Brune, who commanded the Armée du Var. This happened near the Maritime Alps.
The Army of Italy now controlled the Rhone River and part of the Saône River. The I Corps moved towards Chalon-sur-Saône. The French Armée du Jura was at Salins.
- The Austrians sent troops to Salins and Dole.
- The French general Lapane's retreat was cut off. This led to an agreement. The French National Guard was disbanded, officers surrendered, and one of the forts at Salins was given to the Austrians.
On July 20, the I Corps advanced to Autun. Since Austrian troops from the Army of the Upper Rhine had already taken Besançon, the two Austrian armies met near Dijon. This ended all fighting in that part of France.
Other Campaigns: Russians and Germans
The Russian army followed the Austrian Army of the Upper Rhine into France. Further north, the German Corps helped the British and Prussian armies capture some French forts.
Russian Army: A Huge Force
Russian Army: Who Was There?
Field Marshal Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly commanded the First Russian Army. In June, it had about 200,000 soldiers.
Russian Campaign: March to Paris
The main Russian army, with about 167,950 men, marched quickly across Germany in three large groups. They crossed the Rhine at Mannheim on June 25, following the Austrian Army of the Upper Rhine. Most of the Russian army reached Paris by mid-July.
German Corps: Capturing Forts
The German Corps was made up of soldiers from smaller German states. It was part of the Prussian army but acted on its own.
- This corps had about 25,000 men.
- It was first commanded by General Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf, then by Lieutenant General Karl Georg Albrecht Ernst von Hake.
The German Corps was gathered near Koblenz in April. It crossed the Rhine and took positions near the Moselle and Sarre.
- On June 19, they reached Arlon.
- On June 21, they were ordered to move into France and capture the fortresses of Sedan and Bouillon.
- Sedan surrendered on June 25 after being bombed.
- They tried to take Bouillon quickly, but the French defense was too strong. Bouillon was surrounded until August 21.
On June 28, Lieutenant General von Hacke ordered an attack on Charleville. This town was near the Fortress of Mézières. Hessian soldiers successfully captured Charleville, which helped with the siege of Mézières. Other groups watched the fortresses of Montmédy, Laon, and Rheims. Rheims surrendered on July 8, and its 4,000 soldiers retreated.
Lieutenant General von Hake began a full siege of Mézières on August 2. The French commander refused to surrender. On August 13, the French left the town and went into the citadel. The citadel surrendered on September 1.
The German Corps then focused on the fortress of Montmédy. They set up twelve batteries by September 13. After a strong defense, the French garrison agreed to leave on September 20. After capturing Montmédy, the German Corps stayed in the Ardennes region until November, when they returned home.
British Mediterranean Force: Supporting Royalists
Great Britain also sent a smaller army. These were British soldiers from Genoa, led by General Sir Hudson Lowe. The British navy helped transport and support them.
- The British landed at Marseilles to help French royalists who had rebelled against Marshal Brune's forces.
- The National Guard of Marseilles, joined by 4,000 British soldiers and sailors, marched to meet Brune.
- Faced with this force, Brune retreated to Toulon. He then surrendered the city to the Coalition forces.
La Vendée: Royalist Uprising
The Armée de l'Ouest (Army of the West) was formed to stop a royalist rebellion in the La Vendée region of France. This army was led by General Jean Maximilien Lamarque. It was planned to have 10,000 to 12,000 men, but probably had around 6,000.
While other regions like Provence and Brittany did not rebel, La Vendée did. The royalists successfully took Bressuire and Cholet. But General Lamarque defeated them at the Battle of Rocheserviere on June 20. They signed the Treaty of Cholet six days later, on June 26.
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