1600 to 2000
16 August 1813
General Wittgenstein
– Russian Commander in Chief
Wittgenstein
has spent an anxious 48 hours.
As the newly
promoted commander in chief of the Russian field army he was aware that many
senior generals, some with the ear of the Tsar, were waiting for him to make a
mistake. Following the revered Kutuzov
would be difficult for any general, for such a young and junior one it was
particularly so.
At the start
of the campaign he ordered his headquarters to move west from Dresden. Throughout 14th and 15th
August he received vague reports of wide spread fighting between Naumburg and
Possneck. It was clear that Napoleon had
launched a major offensive over the river Saale. It was less clear how it was going.
On arrival
at Gera on the morning of 16th August he received the welcome news
that his army had not only held the line of the river Saale, but they had driven
the French west of the river and that the 2nd French corps had
surrendered.
Very little
of this was due to Wittgenstein. His
strategic plan for the campaign was to hold the line of the river and see what
Napoleon would do. The defeats
inflicted on the French were entirely due to the bravery, skill or perhaps luck
of his corps commanders. However this
would not prevent Wittgenstein from claiming credit for defeating Napoleon in
person.
Had his army
lost and been defeated he would have had to carry the blame. He was determined that he would reap the
benefits of victory.
Only one
small matter remained to be resolved.
How best to cross the river, drive the French west and turn a major
tactical victory into a major strategic one.
