The excuse for this act was that Luetzow had violated the armistice; but he had satisfied Nisas, the French officer there in command, that he was loyally observing it.

Nevertheless, his brigade was cut to pieces.

The protests of the allies received no response except that Luetzow's men might be exchanged--as if they had been captured in fair fight.

Finally, Napoleon refused to hear the statement of Nisas in his own justification, reproached him for casting a slur on the conduct of French troops, and deprived him of his command.[327] But it was Napoleon's bearing towards Metternich, in an interview held on June 26th at the Marcolini Palace at Dresden, that most clearly revealed the inflexibility of his policy.

Ostensibly, the interview was fixed in order to arrange the forms of the forthcoming Congress that was to insure the world's peace.