Battles & Campaigns · 1814
Battle of Brienne
Brienne-le-Château, Aube, France
What happened
Napoleon attacked Prussian and Russian troops under Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher. Allied armies had invaded France. Napoleon struck Blücher at Brienne and fighting went on into the night. The French took the château and nearly captured Blücher, who withdrew south before dawn.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Historians disagree on who won; one called it 'scarcely a tactical victory' for Napoleon. Blücher's army was able to join the other allied army.
What came next
Three days later the combined allies attacked Napoleon at La Rothière. The campaign of 1814 went on until Paris fell.
Did you know?
Blücher and his chief of staff Gneisenau were nearly captured in the château.
Timeline
- 29 January 1814Battle of Brienne.
- 1 February 1814Battle of La Rothière.
- 31 March 1814Paris surrenders.