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On 6th February 1814, the
deputy mayor of Reims opened his city gates to a
handful of Cossacks. Following this bold move, the
city would alternate between French and Coalition
rule four times within the month of March. Renegade
General Saint-Priest seized the city by force on
12th March at the head of a Russian-Prussian Army
Corps: This pushed Napoleon to commit himself in
this battle in order to restore a critical tactical
situation. He triumphantly entered Reims from
the day after at nightfall upon rough fights which
took place in Tinqueux and at the gate of Vesle. The
inhabitants cheared enthusiastically at him when he
left the city in the morning of 17th Marc. He had to
proceed on his tragic destiny about to be achieved a
few days later in Fontainebleau.
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