11 February, 1814
confidence growing after Champaubert,
Napoleon Bonaparte and
his troops sought their next targets and settled on the
nearby corps of Russia's General Dmitri Sacken and Prussia's
General Johann Yorck.
Bonaparte was taking a risk with the offensive as his 10,000
troops were outnumbered by almost two-to-one by each of
the enemy corps of about 18,000 men.
French leader, however, knew his reinforcements were likely
to arrive before Yorch's men were ready to commit to battle
and his troops were mainly veterans of the Old Guard.
his force, Bonaparte detached men to hold up Yorck's arrival
while he threw his men against Sacken.
Russian was decisively defeated and the arriving Prussians
were quickly forced to retreat from Marshal
Mortier's fast-marching reinforcements.
Allies lost some 4000 men, while Bonaparte suffered 2000