would commit another £ 5 million in subsidies so that the war could
continue for another twenty years if necessary.
In the last week of February Blucher again began advancing on Paris.
Napoleon ordered Marmont and Mortier to block his advance at all costs;
meanwhile, leaving Oudinot, MacDonald, Kellermann and Gerard to face
Schwarzenberg, he set off after the Prussians, hoping to take them in the
rear. Oudinot engineered a deception whereby Austrian spies would
think the Emperor was still in Troyes; he held noisy reviews, with the air
full of cries of 'Vive l'Empereur!' But Schwarzenberg caught them off
balance by suddenly ordering a general advance and defeating Oudinot at
Bar-sur-Aube on 27 February.
Napoleon's daring plan to catch Blucher also failed. Once again
Blucher escaped the trap in the nick of time and crossed to the north
bank of the Marne, before withdrawing north to Aisne with Napoleon on
his heels. Because of cowardice by the commandant of Soissons and the
tardiness of Marmont and Mortier, who were supposed to head the
Prussians off there, Blucher made good his getaway, met his reinforce
ments under BUlow and emerged from the chase with an army of Ioo,ooo
Prussians and Russians. Just then word came in that MacDonald had
retreated and allowed the enemy to occupy Troyes; once again the
Emperor was stupefied at the incompetence of his marshals. Undeterred
he hurried on to engage Blucher, whom he found on the plateau of
Craonne on 7 March.
With just 40,000 men, Napoleon was again facing impossible odds,
especially with 25,000 fresh Russian troops in the field. It was the
Russians who caused the French the heaviest losses, including both
Grouchy and Victor wounded, but finally they gave ground and retreated
to Laon; casualties were about 5 ,ooo either side. Even at these odds
Napoleon might have scored a complete victory but for the idiocy ofNey,
who attacked prematurely before the artillery had been brought up.
Lacking cavalry for reconnaissance, Napoleon concluded from the enemy
withdrawal that he had defeated Blucher's rearguard and was astonished
to run into the main army at Laon on 9 March.
A grim struggle on IO March saw the French unable to make progress
against superior numbers; Blucher fought defensively, fearing a trap.
That night Y orck probed and found Marmont's VI Corps, coming up as
reinforcement, in an exposed position. He unexpectedly counterattacked
and routed Marmont's corps; another 4,ooo men were lost that Napoleon
could ill afford. Napoleon heard the bad news at 5 a.m. and decided to
stand his ground and deflect the Prussians on to himself. It was fortunate
fo r the Emperor that at this point BlUcher fe ll ill and handed over to his
marcin
(Marcin)
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