396 FRANCE. 



contested all day ; but in the evening the allies retired from the 

 field, and commenced their retreat towards Silesia. Fortune seem- 

 ed now to have taken a decided turn in favour of Bonaparte. Berna- 

 dotte, the crown-prince of Sweden, landed at Stralsund on the 12th 

 of May, and immediately proceeded towards Hamburg, which was 

 threatened by general Vandamme. But he was too late ; and that 

 city was taken by storm on the 30th. 



Austria, during the campaign in Russia, had taken an active part 

 on the side of France ; but when the contending armies approached 

 her frontiers, she declared her intention of becoming neutral. She, 

 however, continued to augment her forces, which, at the opening of 

 the second campaign, amounted to upwards of 200,000 men. Availing 

 herself of her neutrality, she now came forward as a mediator be- 

 tween the belligerent courts. The allies, confident that her views 

 could not be materially different from their own, gladly listened to the 

 proposal ; and Bonaparte, fearful of offending the emperor Francis, 

 and also wishing time to bring up his reinforcements, agreed to an ar- 

 mistice, previous to entering into negociations for peace. The terms 

 which the allies proposed as the basis of the negociations, were ; 

 the dissolution of the confederation of the Rhine ; the restoration of 

 the empire of Germany, and of the Austrian dominions in Italy ; the 

 integrity of the house of Bourbon in Spain, and of that of Orange 

 in Holland, and the reduction of France within her ancient limits. 

 With these demands, so highly favourable to her, Austria of course 

 united. As soon as these terms were made known, Bonaparte deter- 

 mined not to accede to them ; but, sensible that his refusal would in- 

 volve him in immediate hostilities with Austria, and wishing to gain 

 as much time as possible, he agreed to the assembling of a congress 

 at Prague. To allow the congress time, the armistice was extended 

 to the 10th of August, and when that time expired, Bonaparte de- 

 clared his intention of prosecuting the war, to maintain the integrity 

 of his empire. As soon as Austria was informed of this determina- 

 tion, she issued a declaration of war against France ; and hostilities 

 recommenced. On the 22d of August, the allied army began its ope- 

 rations, passed into Saxony, and on the 25th encamped near Dres- 

 den. On the 26th, Bonaparte entered Dresden from Silesia, and on 

 that day the whole allied army attempted to carry the city by assault. 

 The French fought without the city. The action lasted till night ; 

 when the allies returned to their encampment, and the French retir- 

 ed within the walls. On the 27th, the French became the assailants, 

 and towards evening obliged the allies to recommence their retreat 

 into Bohemia. On the 30th, the French corfis (Tarmee, under gene- 

 ral Vandamme, approached the Bohemian frontier. The allies imme- 

 diately attacked them with a greatly superior force, and drove them 

 back with slaughter. Vandamme was taken prisoner. 



General Blucher, who commanded the allies in Silesia, met with a 

 force much stronger than his own, commanded by marshal Ney. 

 With these he maintained six or eight engagements in. rapid succes- 

 sion, and eventually was compelled to retire to the vicinity of Janer. 

 On the 24th, the emperor Napoleon, with Ney, left Silesia, and the 

 former returned to Dresden. Ney passed through Lusatia, to attack 

 the crown prince. Upon this, Blucher immediately recommenced 

 offensive operations. On the 25th, he made a general attack upon 

 the French lines; the result of which was the precipitate retreat of 

 the French into Lusatia. This disaster called Napoleon a second 



