ed the rearguard of Prince Hohenlohe's corps, and upon
the capitulation of the main body of Prenzlau he carried off a remnant
of the Prussian army to the northward, and in the neighbourhood of
Lubeck he fought a series of combats, which, however, ended in his being
forced to surrender at Ratkau (November 7, 1806). His adversaries
testified in his capitulation that it was caused by "want of provisions
and ammunition." He was soon exchanged for General Victor, and was
actively employed in Pomerania, at Berlin, and at Konigsberg until the
conclusion of the war. After the war, Blucher was looked upon as the
natural leader of the patriot party, with which he was in close touch
during the period of Napoleonic domination. His hopes of an alliance
with Austria in the war of 1809 were disappointed. In this year he was
made general of cavalry. In 1812 he expressed himself so openly on the
alliance of Russia with France that he was recalled from his military
governorship of Pomerania and virtually banished from the court.

When at last the Napoleonic domination was ended by the outbreak of the
War of Liberation in 1813, Blucher of course was at once placed in high
command, and he was present at Lutzen and Bautzen. During the armistice
he worked at the organization of the Prussian forces, and when the war
was resumed Blucher became commander-in-chief of the Army of Silesia,
with Gneisenau and Muffling as his principal staff officers, and 40,000
Prussians and 50,000 Russians under his control. The autumn campaign of
1813 will be found described in the article NAPOLEONIC CAMPAIGNS, and it
will here be sufficient to say that the most conspicuous military
quality displayed by Blucher was his unrelenting energy. The
irresolution and divergence of interests usual in allied armies found in
him a restless opponent, and the knowledge that if he could not induce
others to co-operate he was prepared to attempt the task in hand by
himself often caused other generals to follow his lead. He defeated
Marshal Macdonald at the Katzbach, and by his victory over Marmont at
Mockern led the way to the decisive overthrow of Napoleon at Leipzig,
which place was stormed by Blucher's own army on the evening of the last
day of the battle. On the day of Mockern (October 16, 1813) Blucher was
made a general field marshal, and after the victory he pursued the
routed French with his accustomed energy. In the winter of 1813-1814
Blucher, with his chief staff offi