Battles & Campaigns · 1814
Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube
Arcis-sur-Aube, Aube, France
What happened
Napoleon, with Oudinot, Ney and Sébastiani, fought a much larger allied army under Schwarzenberg, with Tsar Alexander I present. Napoleon thought he was chasing a retreating enemy. On the second day he saw the allied army massed to the south and realised he was badly outnumbered. His troops fought their way out and withdrew north.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was Napoleon's second-to-last battle before he gave up his throne. It left the allies free to march on Paris.
What came next
Paris surrendered on 31 March, and Napoleon abdicated and was sent to Elba.
Did you know?
Napoleon rode his horse over a shell to calm his soldiers; it exploded and killed the horse, but he was unhurt.
Timeline
- 20–21 March 1814Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube.
- 25 March 1814Allied victory at Fère-Champenoise.
- 31 March 1814Paris surrenders.
- 6 April 1814Napoleon abdicates unconditionally.