In the autumn of 1805, at the beginning of the War of the Third Coalition against France (1805–1806) the French occupational troops left Hanover in a campaign against the Archduchy of Austria (End of the "First French Occupation of Hanover", 1803–1805). British, Swedish and Russian coalition forces captured Hanover, including Bremen-Verden. In December, the First French Empire, since 1804 France's new form of government, ceded Hanover, which it didn't hold anymore, to Brandenburg-Prussia, which captured it early in 1806. But when the Kingdom of Prussia, after it had turned against France, was defeated in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt (November 11, 1806), the Privy Council of Hanover returned from Lauenburg to Hanover City for a month, only to have to flee again from the "Second French Occupation of Hanover" (November 1806-January 1810), including Bremen-Verden.