Battle of Dennewitz

The Battle of Dennewitz took place on 6 September 1813 between French forces commanded by Marshal Michel Ney and the Allied Army of the North consisting of Prussia, Russia, and Sweden of the Sixth Coalition commanded by Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden and Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow. It occurred in Dennewitz, a village in the Prussian province of Brandenburg, near Jüterbog, 40 kilometres southwest of Berlin. The battle marked a turning point in the German Campaign of 1813 as not only did the Allied victory end Napoleon's hopes of capturing Berlin and knocking Prussia out of the war, but the severity of the French defeat was also the catalyst for the defection of Napoleon's primary German ally Bavaria and the erosion of fidelity in the Saxon Army toward the Napoleonic cause.

In late August 1813, Napoleon decided to order a general offensive to take Berlin, the Prussian capital, with the overall goal of knocking the Prussians out of the war. Berlin and its environs was defended by the Coalition's Army of the North, composed of Prussian, Russian and Swedish troops, under the command of Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden . Marshal Oudinot's three corps advanced towards this objective along three separate roads. The Army of the North was prepared for battle and well positioned along an east–west axis. The heavy fighting that took place on 23 August was essentially three isolated actions at Blankenfield, Grossbeeren, and Sputendorf, but is known as the Battle of Grossbeeren. In each case the Allies prevailed and Oudinot retreated to Wittenberg. At this point Napoleon appointed Marshal Michel Ney to command.

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