Seeing as Nick and I are off to Jena at the end of the week I though it would be interesting to try and blog the build up to the battle in real-time. here goes....
Today (8 Oct 1806) Napoleon and his Grand Armee crossed into Saxony from south western Germany. It has been a phoney peace since the defeat of the Russians and Prussians on 2 Dec 1805 at Austerlitz. Both sides have been steadily building up their forces, and Napoleon now seems set to try and end things before the winter bites. His forces have been moving up from their concentration areas around Wurzburg , and in the last few days have crossed the Franconian Forest to take up positions on the River Main near Bayreuth. Napoleon is reckoned to have 180,000 men under arms.
The Prussians are arrayed along the north side of the Thuringerwald, around Saalfeld and to the north and west.
Napoleon is advancing in three columns each of 2 Corps, commanded by Lannes/Augereau, Bernadotte/Davout and Soult/Ney, with Murat's cavalry scouting ahead. There have been a few cavalry skirmishes with Prussian picquets, but otherwise the French are advancing un-opposed. As night falls the French columns have reached Coburg, Lobenstein and Munchberg - just on the south edge of the Thuringerwald.
Right click View Image for full size map.
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