BATTLE // August 29, 1813

Battle of Kulm

Name: Battle of Kulm
Start: 1813-08-29
End: 1813-08-29
Location: Battle of Kulm

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Significance

The Battle of Kulm, fought on 29–30 August 1813 in northern Bohemia, ended in a decisive defeat for the French corps under Vandamme. Surrounded by Kleist's Prussians striking the French rear while Russian and Austrian reinforcements pressed the front and left, Vandamme's force suffered losses of between 13,000 and 25,000 men and 82 guns — a crippling blow to French strength in the campaign. The engagement checked a French thrust that had threatened the Allied armies operating in Bohemia during the War of the Sixth Coalition. In recognition of those who distinguished themselves, Frederick William created a dedicated award, the Kulm Cross, marking the battle's place in Prussian military memory.

Tactics

On 29 August, Vandamme's French corps attacked Ostermann-Tolstoy's Russian corps near Kulm and Přestanov in northern Bohemia. The following day, Friedrich von Kleist's Prussian corps struck Vandamme from the rear, while Russian and Austrian reinforcements engaged the French front and left flank simultaneously, enveloping the French force and forcing its defeat.