Battle of Limonest

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Battle of Limonest
Part of the Campaign of France of the Sixth Coalition
Charge du 13e regiment de cuirassiers a la bataille de Limonest, 20 mars 1814.png
Charge of the 13th Cuirassiers Regiment at the Battle of Limonest, 20 March 1814, by Theodore Jung
Date20 March 1814 [1]
Location 45°50′13″N4°46′19″E / 45.83694°N 4.77194°E / 45.83694; 4.77194
Result Coalition victory [1]
Belligerents
Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg  Austrian Empire
Flagge Grossherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg  Grand Duchy of Hesse
Flag of France (1794-1815).svg  First French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg Prince Frederick of Hessen-Homburg Flag of France.svg Pierre Augereau
Units involved
Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg I Corps
Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg II Corps
Flagge Grossherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg VI German Corps
Flag of France.svg Army of the Rhône
Strength
30,000 [1] -53,000, 112 guns 20,000 [1] -23,000, 36 guns
Casualties and losses
2,900 [1] -3,000 1,000-2,000 [1]
France relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location within France
  current battle
  Napoleon in command
  Napoleon not in command

The Battle of Limonest (20 March 1814) saw 30,000-53,000 Austrian and Hessian troops led by Prince Frederick of Hessen-Homburg defeat 20,000-23,000 French troops under Marshal Pierre Augereau. [1]

Contents

Background

While Napoleon faced the main Allied armies of Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher to the east of Paris, a secondary campaign was conducted near Lyon to the south. In January 1814 the Austrians easily captured large swaths of territory, but failed to seize Lyon. By mid-February, a reinforced Augereau managed to recapture some towns, posing a threat. Anxious for his supply line back to Germany, Schwarzenberg sent Prince Hessen-Homburg large forces to protect his southern flank.

Battle

After some stiff fighting, the Allies forced the outnumbered French defenders to withdraw from a line of hills north of Lyon in this War of the Sixth Coalition action.

Aftermath

Lyon, in 1814 the second largest city in France, was abandoned to the Allies as a direct result of the defeat. With greatly superior forces, Hessen-Homburg pressed the French back in a series of battles and captured Lyon on 22 March.

Notes

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References