Siege of Hamburg

The siege of Hamburg took place from December 1813 to May 1814, at the end of the wars of the War of the Sixth Coalition. The French garrison of Hamburg, commanded by Marshal Davout, resisted the coalition forces of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Sweden for nearly six months.

Isolated from the main theatre of war of the German Campaign of 1813 by the defeat of Marshal Oudinot at the Battle of Grossbeeren, Marshal Davout's 13th Corps withdrew to the Hamburg region, which the French had fortified during the summer. After the Battle of Leipzig and the retreat of the Grande Armée to the Rhine, the uprising in the Netherlands and the Russian occupation of Bremen severed communications between Hamburg and France.

Initially separated by the natural defenses formed by the lower reaches of the Elbe and the Bille, the French garrison and the besieging army engaged in psychological warfare throughout December. In January, the branches of the Elbe froze over, allowing Russian forces to launch several assaults against the city. Despite the loss of a few advanced positions, the French garrison managed to retain the strategic positions of Harburg and Wilhelmsburg. From 23 March, the thaw ended the assaults and marked a return to psychological warfare.

When Napoleon I abdicated on 6 April 1814, Marshal Davout still firmly held Hamburg. He refused to believe in the return of the Bourbons until 28 April and continued, even after that date, to refuse the surrender of the city to his Russian adversary. In early May, the marshal was relieved of his command; General Foucher de Careil negotiated the restitution of the city, while General Étienne Gérard escorted the 13th Corps back to France. The corps left Hamburg freely, with arms and baggage, on 27, 29, and 31 May 1814.

Marshal Davout was criticized as early as May 1814 for his management of relations with the civilian population, particularly for the seizure of funds from the Bank of Hamburg. Although these accusations were quickly dropped, they, along with his late allegiance to Louis XVIII, resulted in a period of disgrace that ended only with the Emperor's return during the Hundred Days.