Napoleon's Conquest of Prussia, 1806

14 October 1806

Battles of Jena and Auerstedt

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

The remaining six views, of scenes in the earlier part of the campaign, were taken by the author in September 1906, almost exactly a century after the events which occurred during Napoleon's invasion of Saxony. Across the lower part of the Saalfeld battlefield now runs a railway ; but the fields on which were fought the decisive battles of Jena and AuerstSLdt are almost precisely as they were one hundred years ago. As the camera was rested on the Napoleonstein, marking the spot where Napoleon stood with Lannes on the afternoon of the 13th October 1806, it required but a slight effort of the imagi-

INTRODUCTION

One cannot read the story of the Jena Campaign, as told by Mr. Petre, without realising from the tragedy of Prussia in 1806, as depicted therein, a tragedy with- out a parallel in modern times — the fate, amazing in its swiftness and appalling in its severity, which may at any moment overtake a state which exists in fancied security, based on traditions of a heroic past, and wrapped in a selfish indifference, hoping, ostrich-like, to escape the danger it refuses to see.

INTRODUCTION

A Prussian ultimatum was despatched to Paris on the 25th September 1806. It was not, however, until the 7th October that it reached Napoleon, who was then with his army south of the Main. The Emperor's answer was the entry of his troops on the following day into Prus- sian territory. On the 14th October the Prussians were defeated in the battles of Jena and Auerstadt, fought on the same day, with losses amounting to upwards of 20,000 killed and wounded, an almost equal number of prisoners, 60 colours and 200 guns. In the pursuit the Prussian army was annihilated, and the panic and demoralisation were so great that fortified places surrendered without a struggle one after the other.

ILLUSTRATIONS

tBATTLEFIELD OF AUERSTADT (FROM HASSEN-