Laon

9-10 March, 1814

Following up his success at Craonne, Napoleon Bonaparte again tried the flanking manouevre against Marshal Blucher's 85,000 men.

Dividing his 47,000-strong force, Bonaparte sent Marshal Marmont with almost 10,000 men in a heavy assault against the Allies' left flank.

The move met with disaster for the French, as Marmont moved too slowly and was caught on the hop by an Allied attack.

Marmont would have been completely destroyed had it not been for a heroic defence of a crucial gully by small detachments of the Old Guard.

Bonaparte withdrew the next day leaving behind 6000 casualties, while his opponents suffered 4000.