Since October 7, the Division of Prince Louis - the advance guard of Hohenlohe's army, including 18 squadrons, 12 battalions, 27 guns - was cantoned north of Rudolstadt. It's outposts are spread out from Oberhof to Kahlerten and had reserves at Appurg (5 squadrons) and at the Blankenberg (3 battalions, 1/2 battery and 3 squadrons). On the 9th, Prince Louis, after hearing that Lannes' Corps had arrived at Graffenthal, concentrates his Division at Rudolstadt and orders Saalfeld to be occupied by the reserve at Blankenberg, less 1 battalion, and reinforced by a heavy battery (12 guns in all). There are, therefore, at Saalfeld, since the night of the 9th: 2 Prussian battalions, 1/2 light battery, 1 heavy battery, 1 company of light infantry and 3 squadrons of hussars. On the same day, the 9th, Prince Louis received from Prince Hohenlohe the order to come to Possnech via Saalfeld, as soon as the posts of Blankenburg and Rudolstadt have been relieved by detachment's from Blucher. However, Prince Louis has a different idea of his own. He decides to give battle in order to save Saalfeld where there was a depot of stores. Early in the morning of the 10th, having heard of the march of the French Corps on Saalfeld, he sets his Division moving toward Saalfeld via Schwarza. He arrives at about 9 a.m. at a point in line with Wolsdorf, while the small advance guard action mentioned above is taking place. He forms his Division in three lines, on a low ridge placed to the left rear of Crosten and in front and to the right of Graba. What does Prince Louis intend to do? According to the 1806 Prussian doctrine, he has left to the French the uncomfortable and difficult slopes which rise towards the woods and has kept to the bottom of the valley where regular maneuvers are easier. It is, in 1806, in the Prussian army a matter of principle that it is necessary to attack so to recreate the glorious 1757 victory at Rossbach all over again. That attack must take place when the enemy debouches from difficult ground. To attack in echelon is the last word of science. [3] In order to achieve that maneuver, what you need before all else is an open ground for maneuver. The 1806 Prussians did not know how to fight in any other fashion. [4] In addition, as a result of the 18th century views prevailing within the Prussian army, Prince Louis does not doubt that the French will take Saalfeld as an objective. Saalfeld is a storehouse, a road junction, a crossing over the Saale. (i.e. a complete geographical objective) Unfortunately for Prince Louis, the French generals trained during the Wars of the French Revolution ignore the whole science of geographical points ..... More 1806 Battle of Saalfeld Introduction I: Grand Army and Lannes' Movement Prior to Battle II: Initial Situation at Saalfeld III: Events and Intents from the Prussian Side IV: Lannes' Initial Disposition and Deployment V: Preliminary Action on Prussian Side VI: Prussian Attack VII: Lannes' Attack VIII: Combats Around Garnsdorf, Saalfeld, and the Pursuit IX: Conclusions X: Further Conclusions XI: The Battlefield Today Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 6 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com