Battles & Campaigns · 1813
Battle of Wartenburg
Wartenburg (Kemberg), Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
What happened
The Prussians crossed the Elbe River and advanced on French positions behind a long dike near Wartenburg. A direct attack stalled, so Prussian brigades worked around the sides through marshy ground. They pushed the French back, and Bertrand withdrew.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The victory let Blücher's Army of Silesia establish itself on the west bank of the Elbe. It was a step toward threatening Napoleon's links with France.
What came next
Other Allied armies crossed the Elbe the next day, and two weeks later came the Battle of Leipzig. Yorck was given the title Count of Wartenburg.
Did you know?
Bertrand had surveyed the area when the water was higher and thought his position almost impossible to take.
Timeline
- 3 October 1813Battle of Wartenburg.
- 4 October 1813The Army of the North crosses the Elbe at Rosslau.
- October 1813Battle of Leipzig, about two weeks later.