The Jena Campaign - 1806

Prussia had sat on the sidelines in 1805 whilst Napoleon hammered the Austrian and Russian armies in a dazzling series of victories culminating at the battle of Austerlitz. As the court of Frederick William III awaited a favourable moment to intervene, they looked on their army with a misplaced confidence based on the deeds of Frederick the Great, his well-drilled infantry and daring cavalry. However, the army had not kept up with the development of the French: their training suffered the c...