Battles & Campaigns · 1806
Battle of Schleiz
Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
What happened
Napoleon's army was marching north into Saxony in tightly packed columns. Near the Oschitz wood south of Schleiz, it ran into Tauentzien's troops, who pulled back when they saw how big the French force was. The French took Schleiz and chased the retreating troops.
Why it matters
It was the first clash of the War of the Fourth Coalition. Napoleon's army was concentrated, while the Prussian and Saxon army was spread along a front more than twice as long.
What came next
The next day the French won again at Saalfeld, and four days later Napoleon crushed the Prussians at Jena and Auerstedt.
Did you know?
That evening the Prussian–Saxon army was spread over about 145 km, against Napoleon's 60 km front.
Timeline
- 9 Oct 1806Battle of Schleiz.
- 10 Oct 1806Battle of Saalfeld.
- 14 Oct 1806Battles of Jena and Auerstedt.