Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
1806 CE · Germany
The Battle of Jena-Auerstedt was fought in 1806 CE in Germany between French Empire vs the Kingdom of Prussia and Saxony; decisive French victory that led to the collapse of the Prussian army.
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt: quick facts
- Date
- 1806 CE
- Location
- Germany
- Belligerents
- French Empire vs the Kingdom of Prussia and Saxony
- Commanders
- Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis-Nicolas Davout vs the Duke of Brunswick and Prince Hohenlohe
- Result
- decisive French victory that led to the collapse of the Prussian army.
- Era
- ⛵ Colonial & Napoleonic Era
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt?
Napoleon shattered the Prussian army in a devastating twin engagement. While Napoleon himself defeated one Prussian force at Jena, Marshal Davout's outnumbered III Corps held and routed the main Prussian army at Auerstedt. The double victory destroyed Prussian military power in a single day, and within weeks Napoleon occupied Berlin. Prussia was forced into a humiliating peace that reduced it to a shadow of its former self.
Did you know?
Marshal Davout's III Corps at Auerstedt defeated the main Prussian army while outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, yet Napoleon was reportedly annoyed that Davout had stolen some of his glory.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Jena-Auerstedt on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.