Following the battle of Rehfeld (Torgau), the French fell back north and west and the Coalition advanced toward Berlin, seeking to link up with the armies of Blucher who were moving to the capital from the north. Bagration was generally seeking to get his forces across the Spree while Yorck was pursuing northwest. He drove Ney back from Dennewitz but when he pursued on to Trebbin, he was startled to find a hundred thousand French there. He fell back to Dennewitz with Ney in counter-pursuit. Napoleon, at Trebbin, was in the process of trying to steal the central position and so while he pursued south with Ney, he also directed Corps to Teupitz and Berlin, looking to engage as many enemy forces as possible.

The goal here was to decisively damage a part of the Coalition armies while pinning another and drive them apart so that they could not link up. In order to do that, he pulled troops in from everywhere and even dangerously weakened his forces at the siege of Wittenberg. Once reports came in from the different battlefields, the French Emperor chose to reinforce the battles of Dennewitz and Teupitz, while encouraging II Corps at Berlin to simply engage and withdraw, tying up Blucher's army for the day.

At Dennewitz, Generals Bagration and Yorck knew that they were likely to be forced to retire, but were determined to make a fight of it. They selected a battlefield where they could cover the retreat paths toward Torgau and Dahme. The Russians in particular were hoping to use the Dahme road if necessary in order to link up with the forces at Teupitz and Furstenwalde, where the bulk of the Russian armies were. The Coalition forces did not deploy behind the creek, wishing instead to keep the option open to make attacks against the oncoming French. The last of Yorck's Prussian artillery had been lost in the hasty retreat from Trebbin so the right flank of the allies would be without guns. General Bagration's Russians still maintained a healthy amount of artillery that would create a formidable wall in the center.

The French IX Corps, it should be noted, was made up mostly with veteran infantry, under excellent officers. Marshal Ney initially appeared to refuse his left flank but it seemed to be that this was a ruse to disguise his true intentions.

A light rain falls that would limit the effectiveness of musket fire.

1000 hours: The armies square off to the east of Dennewitz. Although the Russians initially did not elect to deploy themselves into the town of Juterbog, their artillery was positioned to punish any French that entered it.

Quickly, the forces of Ney's left wing caught up to those of his rightmost Corps. The French were marching forward at an aggressive pace, primarily against the Prussian Corps. French artillery is not unlimbered to engage, but rather Marshal Ney will rely upon the energy of his infantry to shape the battle. Near Juterbog, Russian artillery would fire would unsettle and disrupt the French advance.

It is only 1030 in the morning and already the Prussians are rushing forward through the rain to get to grips with French. When the Russians see this aggression in their allies, they also move forward, seeking to take advantage of disordered French columns to their front.

The coalition would enjoy great success in this advance. Three French fresh brigades would be routed and a gap would appear in Ney's center. Prussian cavalry would try to follow up these successes with charges toward the French columns to their front in an effort to force them into squares, but the veterans would manage to repel the uhlans without too much trouble.

In the early fighting in the center, Marshal Ney would find himself isolated after leading an infantry charge, and Prussian infantry would overrun him. Germans laid hands upon his uniform and began to make a capture but the Marshal fought them off with his sabre and cut his way free. He would receive violent wounds in the exchange and be required to retire form the field to have the deep cuts to his face and jaw dressed. He would be obliged to pass off the running of the battle to a surbordinate.

The Russians brigades that went forward found themselves out of command and screening their artillery, and so were retreated back behind the gun line to reorganize. One column was caught in the open and run down by French Hussars. The Prussian columns found themselves the target of aggressive French counterattacks. This included advances by the French veteran infantry into the cavalry recall areas, disrupting the ability of the Uhlans and Hussars to make their presence felt. Still, a great many of the French formations spent a good portion of the morning moving into and out of square in the face of Prussian cavalry charges.

It is still only noon, and the French IX Corps has advanced as far as the creek and is swinging in. The road to Dahme is now denied to the Coalition.

The Russians are alert to the danger as the last Prussian infantry are sent routing or dispersed from the field. X Corps has turned to their right but their gun line, hotly engaged by opposing French artillery, cannot limber up to join in the turn.

At 1230, French I Corps appears from Trebbin. While the Russian left wing had been enjoying some success and was looking to secure the buildings of Juterbog, the presence of I Corps would threaten to put even the Coalition left flank into danger.

1300 hrs: Russian grenadiers would drive the French from Juterbog but it is a case of too little, too late. French veteran infantry are rolling forward through the rally area of the coalition. The Prussian Corps is shattered and the remnants, fatigued, are pushed across the creek. The Russians, tied down at Juterbog, anchored by their artillery, and with no functional reserve other than militia, abandon the battle and order a general retreat. The only road open to the allies is that to Torgau and they take it.

It is a decisive victory for Marshal Ney, despite his wounds. He does not yet know the results of the battles at Wittenberg and Teupitz, but he has performed his duty on this day and driven the allies further from their supports. The Prussian army available to Yorck is broken.