Battle of Hagelberg
The 'Battle of Hagelberg (also: Battle of Lübnitz) took place on 27 August 1813, following the Battle of Grossbeeren and in the run-up to the Battle of Leipzig during the War of the Sixth Coalition. A Prussian force of mostly Landwehr militia, together with Russian Cossacks, destroyed a French, Saxon and Westphalian force of 8,900 men. Prelude In August 1813, the Napoleonic troops under Marshal Oudinot wanted to take Berlin and thus obtain a favorable starting point for negotiations with the Allies. This plan failed on 23 August 1813 in the Battle of Großbeeren. In order to support Oudinot's troops near Berlin, a larger unit of foot soldiers, cavalry and artillery - around 8,900 men, mainly French, Saxon and Westphalian soldiers - came from the fortress of Magdeburg under division general Jean-Baptiste Girard. Since they did not arrive in time, they struck their camp west of Belzig. When securing the camp, they paid particular attention to the east, because they feared attacks by Cossacks of the Russian army in front of Belzig. The camp was poorly secured to the west. Battle For a surprise attack on this camp from the east, the Prussian general Karl Friedrich von Hirschfeld gathered troops