Caught by surprise by Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg 's main Coalition army, the forces under Marmont and Mortier were steadily driven back and finally completely routed by aggressive Allied horsemen and gunners, suffering heavy casualties and the loss of most of their artillery. He hoped to draw the Coalition armies away from Paris by cutting their supply lines, but Schwarzenberg's army instead began moving west toward Paris.
Belatedly realizing they were marching into a trap, the French began a withdrawal to the west. After six hours of orderly retreat, a sudden violent rainstorm made it difficult for the French foot soldiers to fire their muskets and the Allies' enormous superiority in cavalry proved decisive. With the corps of Marmont and Mortier crippled, the Allied capture of Paris was practically inevitable and the Battle of Paris followed on 30 March. Though Gneisenau was a brilliant strategist, he was not capable of leading an army.
The acting commander allowed his beaten foes to continue the fight the next day and then slip away that night without being pursued. News of Saint-Priest's rout reached Coalition headquarters on 16 March. This prompted the Austrian field marshal to make the intelligent decision to fall back and reassemble his army between Troyes and Arcis-sur-Aube. Believing that it was only necessary to deliver a sharp blow to send the cautious Schwarzenberg into retreat, Napoleon occupied Arcis at mid-day on 20 March.
Soon after, a large body of Coalition horsemen threw back the French cavalry, but the situation was stabilized that evening after a tough struggle. The next day, Napoleon ordered an attack only to find his 28, soldiers facing 80, Allies. Thanks to Schwarzenberg's hesitation, the French emperor quickly pulled his army to the north bank of the Aube covered by stout rearguard fighting, [ 9 ] but the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube on 20β21 March was a Coalition victory.
After this setback, Napoleon determined to operate against the Allied supply line stretching back to the river Rhine while adding the fortress garrisons to his army. MacDonald's wing was in great peril as it moved east on the north bank of the Aube. On the way, the French light cavalry seized a Coalition convoy and dispersed its two-battalion escort. Consequently, the Russian Guard Light Cavalry Division attacked the unguarded wagon train, carrying off 15 artillery pieces and prisoners while destroying the gunpowder and spiking 12 cannons.
