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The town of Chlumec, located at the foot of the Ore Mountains, witnessed three historically significant battles.
The first battle was the culmination of the struggle for the Czech principality between Soběslav and Ota II. Olomouc. He turned to the German King Lothar III for help. Together, at the head of the German army, on February 18, 1126, they entered Bohemia through the pass above Chlumec, where they encountered a prepared Czech army. A short bloody battle took place in which Otto II. died and Lothar III. was captured.
The second battle took place on June 16, 1426 on the Na Běhání hill, near Hrbovice and Předlice. Here, the armed forces of the Hussite unions defeated a larger army of Roman-German mercenaries who were trying to free Ústí from a siege lasting almost 2 months.
The most famous battle took place on August 29-30, 1813 near the villages above Chlumec and near Přestanov. After the defeat of the allied troops of Austria, Prussia and Russia by Napoleon in the Battle of Dresden, the French emperor had the opportunity to penetrate into Bohemia. He therefore sent General DR Vandamm with more than 30,000 men with the aim of pursuing the retreating, so-called Czech Army, occupying Teplice and cutting off the main communication between Dresden and Prague. Bloody battles took place in Chlumeck for two days, during which the villages of Chlumec, Stradov , Žandov , Přestanov , Roudné and Dolní Varvažov were completely destroyed . 9,300 Allied soldiers and 11,000 French died, thousands more were wounded. Napoleon lost one of his decisive battles at Chlumec. Not only did he not succeed in occupying Bohemia, but the heavy defeat heralded the definitive end of his dream of conquering Europe.