Battle
On 29 August, Vandamme (32-34,000 soldiers, 84 guns) attacked Russian formations under the command of Ostermann-Tolstoy (13-14,000 soldiers). The situation was very dangerous for the allies - if Vandamme won, the French would take the passes in the mountain, and the retreating allies' army could be trapped by Napoleon. But Vandamme was repulsed. On 30 August, however, the situation changed. A Prussian corps commanded by Friedrich von Kleist attacked Vandamme's rear guard. Kleist then received help from a combined Russian and Austrian attack on Vandamme's front, under the command of General Ostermann-Tolstoy. In an attempt to repulse simultaneous attacks on his front and rear, Vandamme ordered his forces to form squadrons. The inexperienced French troops were unable to fend off the allies, and soon withdrew from the battlefield, with heavy losses.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Kulm
Famous quotes containing the word battle:
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
—Bible: Hebrew Ecclesiastes, 9:11.
“Much have I seen and known—cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honored of them all—
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I am a part of all that I have met;”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)
“One may confidently assert that when thirty thousand men fight a pitched battle against an equal number of troops, there are about twenty thousand on each side with the pox.”
—Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)