Battles & Campaigns · 1813
Battle of Hanau
Hanau, Hesse, Germany
What happened
Napoleon's retreating army fought an Austrian and Bavarian force under Karl Philipp von Wrede. After his defeat at Leipzig, Napoleon was retreating toward the Rhine. Bavaria had just switched sides, and Wrede's army blocked the road at Hanau. The French pushed through the forest and broke Wrede's line with massed cannon fire, and the allies left Hanau overnight.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The victory reopened Napoleon's road home. His weakened army reached French soil.
What came next
Napoleon reached Frankfurt on 2 November and his army regrouped near Mainz. In 1814 the allies invaded France.
Did you know?
Napoleon joked, 'I have made Wrede a Count but it was beyond my power to make him a General.'
Timeline
- October 1813Bavaria switches sides by the Treaty of Ried.
- 30–31 October 1813Battle of Hanau.
- 2 November 1813Napoleon reaches Frankfurt.
- 12 December 1838Wrede dies at Ellingen.