page_title: Battle of Bautzen (1813)
section_title: Aftermath
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Bautzen (1813) / Aftermath
caption_attribution_description: English: Gebhard Leberecht BLUCHER (1742-1819) - Prussian military commander, Field Marshal (1813), Prince von Wahlstatt. In 1813-1814 Commander of Russian-Prussian Army of Silesia in the war with France, in 1815 – Commander of Prussian Army, which participated in the Battle of Waterloo. Русский: БЛЮ́ХЕР Гебхард Леберехт (1742-1819) — прусский военачальник, генерал-фельдмаршал (1813), князь Вальштатт. В 1813-1814 главнокомандующий русско-прусской Силезской армией в войне с Францией, в 1815 — прусской армией, участвовавшей в сражении при Ватерлоо.
context_page_description: In the Battle of Bautzen, a combined Prusso–Russian army, that was massively outnumbered, was pushed back by Napoleon but escaped destruction, with some sources claiming that Marshal Michel Ney failed to block their retreat. The Prussians under General Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher and Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein, retreating after their defeat at Lützen were attacked by French forces under Napoleon.
context_section_description: Although a success for the French, Bautzen was not the decisive, strategic result Napoleon was looking for. Ney's failure to cut the line of retreat robbed the French of complete victory. Once more Napoleon had to settle for a narrow, pyrrhic victory. To make matters worse, during the battle, Napoleon's close friend and Grand Marshal of the Palace, General Geraud Duroc, was mortally wounded by a cannonball the day after the battle and died. Following Bautzen, Napoleon agreed to a nine-week truce with the Coalition, requested by the Allies on the 2 June 1813. The Armistice of Pleischwitz was signed on the 4 June, and lasted until the 20 July, but was later extended to the 10 August. During this time he hoped to gather more troops, especially cavalry, and better train his new army. The allies, however, would not be idle; they too would mobilise and better prepare, and after hostilities were resumed, the Austrians joined the ranks of the allies. It is reported that Napoleon later (on Saint Helena) said that his agreement to this truce was a bad mistake, because the break was of much more use to the allies than to him. The campaign would resume in August.
caption: Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher in Bautzen, 1813
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