Second Battle of Kulm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Kulm / Battle of Teplitz
Part of the War of the Sixth Coalition
Date 17 September 1813 Location Kulm (Chlumec) in northern Bohemia 50°41′59″N 13°56′23″E / 50.699725°N 13.939653°E / 50.699725; 13.939653 Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Austria  Prussia  Russia	France
Commanders and leaders
Karl von Schwarzenberg Eugen von Württemberg Friedrich Graf Kleist	Napoleon
Strength
120,000	60,000
Casualties and losses
Light	Moderate

The Second Battle of Kulm, also known as the Battle of Teplitz, happened on September 17, 1813. It took place near the town of Kulm in northern Bohemia. This battle was fought between the Army of Bohemia, led by Austrian Field Marshal Prince Schwarzenberg, and a French army under Napoleon. The Coalition forces won this battle against the French.

Why This Battle Happened

After the French lost the first Battle of Kulm on August 30, the Coalition armies needed a break. The armies from Prussia, Russia, and Austria, led by Schwarzenberg, rested in Bohemia. They also waited for more soldiers to join them.

Meanwhile, Napoleon was still fighting from his base in Dresden. He faced threats from Coalition armies in Berlin and Breslau. These armies were led by Bernadotte and Blücher.

The Coalition's Smart Plan

The Coalition commanders had a clever plan for 1813. They wanted to avoid fighting Napoleon directly. Instead, they decided to attack his generals when Napoleon was not there. This plan worked very well. Napoleon's commanders lost important battles when he was absent. These losses happened at the Battle of Großbeeren, the Battle of the Katzbach, the first Battle of Kulm, and the Battle of Dennewitz.

This strategy also kept Napoleon busy. He often had to lead his soldiers on long, tiring trips. He tried to help his generals, but these efforts were often useless. This weakened his main army in Dresden.

Napoleon's Response

Schwarzenberg kept watching Napoleon. He sent soldiers towards Dresden to check on the French. Each time, Napoleon found them and made them retreat. Napoleon soon realized the Coalition's plan to avoid him.

So, Napoleon changed his army's setup around Dresden. He decided to push Schwarzenberg's soldiers back over the Erzgebirge Mountains. He wanted to force a big battle on the plains of Kulm.

The Battle Begins

On September 15, Napoleon made his plans. He led his soldiers south from Gieshibel to Peterswalde. This made the Coalition forces retreat in a messy way. The next day, Napoleon moved forward to a mountain pass called Noellendorf.

General Saint Cyr protected Napoleon's right side. Schwarzenberg kept pulling his army back. He stopped near Kulm and got his army ready. He wanted to stop Napoleon from reaching the plain. General Meerfeldt supported Schwarzenberg's right side. The Army of Bohemia had 120,000 soldiers ready. Napoleon had less than 60,000.

Fighting on the Mountain

Napoleon spent the night at Noellendorf. He woke up early on September 17 to check the situation. It was foggy, but Napoleon decided to attack. He sent his soldiers down the mountain road and through the woods.

As the French moved forward, Russian soldiers fired at them. The Russians had light infantry and cannons high above the road. The fighting continued until the French soldiers, cavalry, and cannons reached the plain. They advanced to a place called Doelnitz.

Coalition's Counterattack

The weather got a bit better, but Napoleon still didn't see the full size of the Coalition army. When the French paused, Coalition cannons started firing from many directions.

Later in the battle, Schwarzenberg attacked Napoleon's sides. He sent Prussian Ziethen cavalry through mountain paths to attack the French on the right. At the same time, he sent Austrian soldiers led by Meerfeldt into the hills. They went to Napoleon's left side near Knienitz. Their goal was to attack the French from behind.

Napoleon reacted to these threats. He moved some of his soldiers back up the hills. He also used his reserve soldiers to defend at Knienitz. Then, night came, and heavy rain started. The armies became hard to see. This ended the battle. Napoleon pulled his soldiers back into the mountains to Noellendorf. The Coalition forces did not chase them. They regrouped at Kulm on the plain. There was no fighting the next day. On September 19, Napoleon's forces went back to Gieshibel.

What Happened Next

Later that month, Schwarzenberg and Blücher moved their armies towards Dresden. This forced Napoleon to retreat west to Leipzig.