Napoleon 1813: Battle of the Nations

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These videos are fantastic!

đŸ‘ïžŽ︎ 3 đŸ‘€ïžŽ︎ u/Rocky-Raccoon1990 đŸ“…ïžŽ︎ Apr 01 2020 đŸ—«︎ replies

I'd advise everyone of you to watch the whole series.

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October 1813. Napoleon Bonaparte faced his greatest crisis since becoming Emperor of the French, nine years before. His long war in Spain had ended in defeat, and an Anglo-Spanish Portuguese army had now crossed the Pyrenees to invade France itself. In Germany, the Kingdom of Bavaria had switched sides, and joined the Sixth Coalition against France. While in Saxony, Napoleon faced four armies converging on him from all directions. What’s more, these were not the same bunglers he’d crushed in 1805 and ‘6, at Austerlitz and Jena. Prussia, Austria and Russia had all learned from their mistakes; they were now better organised, trained and led, and more wary of Napoleon
 The largest Coalition force was the Army of Bohemia, commanded by Austrian Field Marshal the Prince of Schwarzenberg. His was a huge mixed Austrian-Russian-Prussian army of 194,000 men and 790 guns. To the north, BlĂŒcher’s Army of Silesia, and the Army of the North, under Napoleon’s ex-Marshal Bernadotte, now Crown Prince of Sweden. Together, 130,000 men and 536 guns. To the southeast, General Bennigsen’s Army of Poland, besieging Dresden. Another 34,000 men and 135 guns. In total, the Coalition had fielded 360,000 men and 1500 guns, with Russia supplying the bulk of the troops. One unique addition to Bernadotte’s Army of the North was a single troop of British rocket artillery - an experimental weapon-system based on the Congreve rocket, a type seen here in 1830. Although wildly inaccurate, their high explosive warhead could be devastating at close range. Napoleon’s forces around Leipzig were outnumbered almost two-to-one. But with 200,000 men and 700 guns, the Grande ArmĂ©e was still a force to be reckoned with, with many experienced troops and commanders, even though it increasingly relied on young conscripts to make up numbers. There were another 140,000 men that Napoleon could not call on
 General Rapp’s Tenth Corps besieged in Danzig, Marshal St.Cyr’s First Corps besieged in Dresden, Marshal Davout’s Thirteenth Corps holding Hamburg, as well as several smaller besieged garrisons across Germany and Poland. Napoleon was currently about 20 miles north of Leipzig with the bulk of his army. Marshal Murat was 40 miles to the south with 90,000 men, covering Schwarzenberg. Napoleon now decided to rapidly join Murat, and with their temporary superiority in numbers, defeat Schwarzenberg, before Bernadotte and BlĂŒcher could intervene. Murat had orders to conduct a fighting withdrawal northwards, but at Liebertwolkwitz, he was drawn into major combat with the enemy’s advance guard. Around 12,000 horsemen fought what some have described as the largest cavalry battle in Europe’s history. Murat, in the thick of it as usual, was very nearly captured by Prussian dragoons. The battle ended in a minor Coalition victory, with around 2,000 casualties on each side. The next day Napoleon arrived to take command. This video is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, home of more than 11,000 on-demand video lectures, covering everything from science and maths to the natural world, and history. The Great Courses Plus regularly update their content, so you could watch a documentary on Coronavirus, or courses on infectious diseases or historical pandemics. But if you’d prefer a bit of escape, we can recommend the 24-part course ‘The High Middle Ages’, exploring every aspect of the medieval world from feudalism to chivalry, heretics and crusades.. and maybe just a bit of plague. That’s more than 12 hours of shared expertise, and The Great Courses Plus have more than 100 courses on history alone. Each course is hosted by a qualified expert from a top university or institution, such as The Smithsonian. Plus you get to watch whenever you like, wherever you have your computer, tablet or phone. Support our channel and get access to a ton of great educational content, by registering for a free trial at thegreatcoursesplus.com/epichistorytv, or click on the link in the video description. Thank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this video. By 16th October, Napoleon had concentrated most of his forces south of Leipzig. Field Marshal Schwarzenberg meanwhile, against Russian advice, had deployed his army on either side of the Pleisse River, which would hinder his movements throughout the battle. Napoleon had entrusted the northern sector to Marshal Ney, with orders to keep an eye out for BlĂŒcher and Bernadotte. But Napoleon didn’t expect them for at least another day, and so Ney had orders to transfer most of his troops south for the attack on Schwarzenberg. Schwarzenberg, however, knew that BlĂŒcher and Bernadotte were closer than Napoleon suspected, and that Bennigsen was also marching up from Dresden. This was the moment the Coalition had been waiting for - all their armies converging on Napoleon with overwhelming superiority in numbers. However the Coalition’s Headquarters were nothing like Napoleon’s, were one man’s will decided all. Schwarzenberg had to attempt to co-ordinate the actions of three large armies, from three separate states. And although he was Commander-in-Chief, his plans still needed to be approved by Emperor Alexander, the Supreme Commander
 whilst he also managed relations with the King of Prussia and the Emperor of Austria, all of whom were present at his headquarters. The plan finally agreed was for General Wittgenstein’s corps-group to lead an attack in four main columns – with two Austrian flanking attacks west of the Pleisse. At 8am, a bombardment began along the line, as Russian, Austrian and Prussian infantry regiments advanced across cold, muddy fields. Wachau soon fell to Russian infantry, but French artillery fire made it impossible for them to advance further. Victor’s Second Corps then counter-attacked, retaking the village at bayonet-point. Wachau would change hands twice more that morning. These bloody contests for small Saxon villages would come to typify the fighting around Leipzig. At Markkleeberg, Kleist’s Prussian Second Corps drove out the Polish defenders after bitter fighting. While on the left bank of the Pleisse, Merveldt’s Austrian Second Corps struggled across broken ground to attack well-defended villages. Their assault on Connewitz stalled, but with heavy losses, the Austrians got a toe-hold in Dölitz. On the right flank, around 10am Klenau’s Fourth Corps occupied the high ground of the Kolmberg, and fought its way into Liebertwolkwitz. Napoleon, observing from Gallow’s Hill, ordered up Augereau’s Ninth Corps and the Young Guard in support. Macdonald’s Eleventh Corps was now also arriving in position on his left. His troops retook the Kolmberg, and counterattacked Liebertwolkwitz, driving out the Austrians, and pursuing them over the fields beyond. The advance was only halted when Russian Cossacks were sighted on their open left flank – a warning that Bennigsen’s army was not far off. The Coalition offensive was going nowhere, with most of its modest gains lost to French counterattacks. But there was one sector where the Coalition had more success that morning: General Gyulai’s Austrian Third Corps, with orders to threaten Napoleon’s line of retreat, advanced over marshy ground towards Lindenau. Ney had to divert Bertrand’s Fourth Corps to reinforce the village, and ensure the road to France was kept open. Napoleon was waiting for Ney’s reinforcements before launching his attack on Schwarzenberg. But now Fourth Corps was tied down at Lindenau
 and there was more bad news from Ney: BlĂŒcher’s Army of Silesia was approaching from the northwest. Marmont’s Sixth Corps had had to turn about, to keep the Prussians at bay. Heavy fighting broke out around Möckern, the village itself held by elite French marines
 while Dąbrowski’s Polish division clung onto Wiederitzsch, under attack from an entire Russian corps. This was a nasty surprise for Napoleon, who’d thought BlĂŒcher was still a day’s march away. But the old Prussian general, hearing cannon-fire to the south, had urged his men on, and into the attack. BlĂŒcher intended to draw as many French troops onto himself as possible, to assist Schwarzenberg’s Army of Bohemia. His actions, and the bloody fight for Möckern, may just have saved the Coalition from defeat
 Napoleon was outnumbered across the whole battlefield, but in the south, he still had a numerical advantage
 not as large as he’d hoped, nor likely to last long. Schwarzenberg and Alexander were already moving up reserves – though Schwarzenberg now found that his were on the wrong side of the Pleisse River – costing precious hours. It was now or never for Napoleon. At 2pm he ordered the attack to begin. A grand battery of 180 guns blasted the enemy lines
. Then Victor’s Second Corps, Lauriston’s Fifth Corps and the Young Guard began their advance. In support, Murat gathered two entire cavalry corps – 10,000 horsemen – and led them in one of the great mass cavalry charges of the Napoleonic Wars. Cuirassiers of the 1st Heavy Cavalry Division broke through to the main enemy battery. Some even nearly reached the three Coalition monarchs. But the ground was marshy and broken by fences and ditches. The French horses were soon exhausted, and the squadrons disordered. Austrian cuirassiers and Russian Guard cavalry were coming up from the south. When these fresh Allied cavalry reserves charged the French, a great melee ensued
 but the French were eventually driven back to their start line. Maison’s division of the Fifth Corps was involved in a desperate struggle for GĂŒlden-Gossa. The fighting swept back and forth through the village, the streets filling with dead and wounded from both sides. But as Russian and Prussian Guard regiments arrived to reinforce the village, the French were forced to fall back. Around 4pm, the Austrian Reserve Corps finally arrived, and renewed the assault on Markkleeberg - one of the morning’s objectives, which was finally secured. By 5pm it was clear that Napoleon didn’t have enough reserves to force a decisive outcome in the south. To the north, Möckern was being stubbornly held by French marines, with lethal close-range artillery support. But despite terrible losses, Yorck’s Prussian corps continued to attack. Marshal Marmont himself was wounded twice, but remained in command. Finally a brilliant charge by Prussian hussars triggered a French rout. Möckern fell, as Marmont’s corps streamed back towards Leipzig. As dusk fell around 6pm, fighting died out across the battlefield. The first day of the battle had cost the French an estimated 25,000 casualties; the Coalition, at least 30,000. Napoleon had come close, but failed to land a decisive blow. The chance for victory was slipping from his grasp. LEIPZIG DAY 2 17th October 1813 “VIII Corps have lost a third of their men and many officers. All ammunition stocks have been used up
 The slightest delay in ammunition resupply could cause us heavy losses as we have not enough to maintain combat for one hour.” Poniatiowski’s report, end of Sat 16th Oct Sunday 17th October brought a lull, with both armies exhausted by the previous day’s fighting. Napoleon needed to rest his troops and resupply them with ammunition, which was running dangerously low. He also sent a message to his father-in-law, Emperor Francis I, suggesting an armistice and finally offering concessions. But the allies were no longer interested. They knew time was on their side. The only major combat that day occurred in the north, where BlĂŒcher continued to attack. Russian infantry stormed Eutritzsch
 and Gohlis
 Russian hussars charged and routed part of Arrighi’s Third Cavalry Corps. That day Napoleon received 14,000 reinforcements when Reynier’s French-Saxon Seventh Corps arrived from the northeast. But the same day, the Coalition received more than 100,000 reinforcements, as their armies continued to converge on Leipzig. Colloredo’s Austrian First Corps
 Bennigsen’s Army of Poland
 and Bernadotte’s Army of the North – though the latter was widely criticised for his leisurely march to the battlefield. The next day Napoleon would face odds of nearly two to one – it was time for the emperor to begin planning his retreat. On Monday morning, the sun shone across 40 square miles of battlefield, on which nearly half a million troops and 2,000 cannon were assembled: soldiers from France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Poland, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and even Britain. This was truly ‘the Battle of the Nations’. In preparation for his withdrawal, Napoleon pulled back his forces into a tighter, defensive perimeter
. and ordered Bertrand’s Fourth Corps to march west to secure the army’s line of retreat. Two divisions of the Young Guard, under Marshal Mortier, took their place at Lindenau. Schwarzenberg, meanwhile, planned to close the net on Napoleon, with six converging attacks. Fighting in the south began around 8am. The Austrians took Dölitz, but Marshal Oudinot led a counterattack at the head of a Young Guard division, and drove them out again. Schwarzenberg was so alarmed by this reverse, that he sent orders to recall Gyulai’s Third Corps. General Barclay’s troops initially faced little opposition, as they took Wachau and Liebertwolkwitz, scenes of such bitter fighting two days before, but now scarcely defended. Barclay then paused, waiting for Bennigsen to get into position on his right, before continuing his attack. Bennigsen’s troops had more ground to cover, but towards noon, they’d driven back Macdonald’s infantry and taken their objectives. They would now wait for Bernadotte’s army to link up on their right. But the Army of the North was again making slow progress, for which many, again, blamed its commander, who seemed exceedingly cautious about facing his old master in battle. BlĂŒcher, in contrast, did not hesitate to launch Russian infantry against Leipzig’s northern defences, though their attack failed with heavy losses. By 2pm, Napoleon was hard-pressed on all fronts, but holding his own. His attention was now focused on Probstheida, key to his southern front, under attack from Kleist’s Prussian Second Corps. French troops had turned the village into a fortress, and inflicted terrible losses on the advancing Prussians. Probstheida was soon engulfed in smoke and fire, as fighting raged on all sides. Some Prussian regiments lost half their men attacking the village, while three French generals were killed as they organised its defence. Napoleon even sent in Friant’s division of the Guard to reinforce the position. To the north, Bernadotte’s army was finally joining the battle in earnest. Marmont had assembled 137 guns around Schönefeld, which poured fire into the Russian ranks. In response, Bernadotte massed 200 guns of his own. The fields were soon strewn with the dead and wounded, as the sheer weight of fire made it impossible for either side to advance. Around 3pm, von Bulow’s Prussian corps, supported by Austrian jaegers and its small British rocket detachment, attacked Paunsdorf. Reynier’s Seventh Corps could not withstand the onslaught. An hour later, around 3,000 Saxon soldiers rushed over to the enemy and surrendered. The Saxons were deeply disillusioned with their French allies. Their main wish now was for a quick end to a war that had ravaged their homeland for many months. The hole in the line created by the Saxons’ defection was soon plugged by Guard cavalry. But the Coalition juggernaut could not be stopped. Towards dusk, under relentless Russian pressure, Marmont abandoned the burning ruins of Schönefeld, while the Prussians took Sellerhausen. In the south, Probstheida still held, but the situation was grim for Napoleon. The third day’s fighting cost both sides another 25,000 casualties. Napoleon’s army was exhausted, outnumbered, virtually encircled
 and critically low on ammunition. Finally, the Emperor gave the order to retreat. Overnight, under cover of darkness and early morning fog, the French army withdrew behind Leipzig’s walls
 and at 4am began its retreat west, crossing the single bridge over the Elster River, that led back to France. There’d been time and materials to build extra bridges, but in what would prove a serious oversight, no one had given the necessary orders. Furthermore, there was no clear plan for Leipzig’s defence, which was left to a jumble of under-strength units, mostly Poles and Germans. Napoleon left Leipzig around 10am. Behind him, there were scenes of mounting chaos and confusion, the city’s streets jammed with troops, guns and wagons. The 20,000 wounded troops in the city had little hope of escape. 30 minutes later shells began to rain on the city, as the Coalition launched an all-out assault from north, east and south. The rearguard held the city’s gates for as long as they could. But they were soon overwhelmed by the enemy, and savage street fighting broke out across the city. A barge, packed with gunpowder, had been moored beneath the Elster bridge, so that it could be quickly destroyed after the rearguard crossed. Around 2pm, a corporal lit the fuse when he saw Russian soldiers on the far bank
 even though the bridge was still packed with troops, wagons and horses. The bridge was destroyed in a gigantic explosion, that trapped 30,000 men and 30 generals on the wrong side of the river. Panic broke out among those who suddenly found themselves cut off. Most became prisoners, but some tried to swim for it
 including the Polish Prince Poniatowski, made a Marshal by Napoleon just three days before. Weak from his wounds, he rode his horse into the river, but as it tried to climb the steep far bank, it rolled over him, and he was drowned. Marshal Macdonald had also been cut off by the blast, and resolved to escape, or die trying. He found a place where engineers had cut down two trees as a makeshift bridge, and made his attempt: “
 and there I was, one foot on either trunk, and the abyss below me. A high wind was blowing. I was wearing a large cloak and fearing that someone would grab at it, I got rid of it. I was already three-quarters of the way across, when some men decided to follow me; their unsteady feet caused the trunks to shake
 and I fell into the water. Fortunately I could touch the bottom, but the bank was steep, the soil loose and slippery
 Some of the enemy’s skirmishers came up.... They fired at me point-blank, and missed me, and some of our men who happened to be nearby drove them off, and helped me out. I was wet from head to foot, breathless and sweating heavily from my efforts. Marshal Marmont, who had got across early in the day, gave me a horse; I wanted dry clothes more, but they were not to be had.” The loss of the bridge turned what was already a heavy defeat for Napoleon
 into a disastrous one. Later that day the three Allied monarchs met in the centre of Leipzig to celebrate their great victory. It had come at enormous cost. Exact numbers are impossible to establish, but in four days’ fighting, the Coalition armies suffered at least 52,000 casualties. Napoleon, who could less afford such losses, came off worse: 47,000 killed and wounded, 35,000 taken prisoner, 325 guns lost. More men were killed and wounded at Leipzig than in any European battle before the First World War. Sir George Jackson, the British ambassador to Austria, rode over the battlefield with Metternich, the Austrian foreign minister, two days later: “A more revolting and sickening spectacle I never beheld,” he wrote. “Scarcely could we move forward a step without passing over the dead body of some poor fellow, gashed with wounds and clotted with blood
 another, perhaps, without an arm or a leg
 here and there a headless trunk, or a head only, which caused our horses to stumble or start aside
 It made one’s blood run cold to glance upon the upturned faces of the dead
 We got over this ‘field of glory’ as quickly as we could.” Napoleon had suffered a calamitous defeat. He had lost the battle for Germany – his domination of Europe appeared at an end. With 80,000 survivors, he began a fighting retreat to the French border. There was now no chance of rescue for the 100,000 men trapped in garrisons across Germany and Poland, though some would hold out for another five months. Marshal Murat took his leave of the Emperor, assuring him of his loyalty
 but secretly planning to cut a deal with the Allies to save his throne in Naples. It was the last time the two men saw each other. Eleven days after the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon’s former allies, the Bavarians, tried to block his escape at Hanau, with 40,000 men. The Bavarian commander, von Wrede, had served with Napoleon in many campaigns. But on seeing his deployment for battle, Napoleon remarked, “I made him a count, but I couldn’t make him a general.” The French Emperor then ordered the Imperial Guard to lead an attack, that forced the enemy to fall back in disarray. The French army reached the safety of Mainz three days later. Napoleon himself pushed on to Paris, to contain the political damage from his defeat. Behind him, his Empire was being dismantled. On 4th November the Coalition announced the dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine – several of its former members now joining the war against France. In the Illyrian Provinces, local revolts, Austrian invasion and British naval support brought an end to French rule. In North Italy, EugĂšne was retreating steadily before the advance of von Hiller’s Austrian army. While in Hamburg, Marshal Davout, with 34,000 troops, would soon be cut off, and under siege. Napoleon’s situation was desperate. But in the next campaign
 fought for France itself
 Napoleon would prove that he was still the master of war. Thank you to all our Patreon supporters for making this series possible, and to Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this video. Visit our Patreon page to find out how you too can support the channel, get ad-free early access and help to choose future topics.
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Views: 964,517
Rating: 4.9528847 out of 5
Keywords: epic history tv, history, epic history, napoleon, leipzig, military history, napoleonic wars
Id: P9hDA0u6FO0
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Length: 33min 16sec (1996 seconds)
Published: Thu Mar 26 2020
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