In the Battle of Halle on 17 October 1806 a French corps led by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte fought the Prussian Reserve under Eugene Frederick Henry, Duke of Württemberg. The French defeated their opponents, forcing the Prussians to retreat northeast toward Dessau after suffering heavy losses. The clash occurred in the War of the Fourth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars. The city of Halle is located about 30 kilometers northwest of Leipzig on the Saale River.
The Battle of Halle, October 17th 1806 by Per Krafft the Younger, 1821
Queen Louise
The Battle of Jena-Auerstedt shattered the Prussian armies, by Richard Knötel.
Marshal Bernadotte's failure to support a fellow marshal infuriated Napoleon.
Charles XIV John was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John and before he became royalty in Sweden, his name was Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte. During the Napoleonic Wars, he participated in several battles as a Marshal of France.
Charles XIV John, c. 1840
Bernadotte's birthplace in Pau, France
Bernadotte during the French Revolution
Bust of a young Bernadotte at the Bernadotte Museum in Pau, France
