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. Whatâs more, these were not the same bunglers
heâd crushed in 1805 and â6, 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, BlĂŒcherâs Army of Silesia,
and the Army of the North, under Napoleonâs ex-Marshal Bernadotte, now Crown Prince of
Sweden. Together, 130,000 men and 536 guns. To the southeast, General Bennigsenâs 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 Bernadotteâs 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. Napoleonâs forces around Leipzig were outnumbered
almost two-to-one. But with 200,000 men and 700 guns, the Grande
Armée 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 Rappâs Tenth Corps besieged in Danzig, Marshal St.Cyrâs
First Corps besieged in Dresden, Marshal Davoutâs 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 enemyâs
advance guard. Around 12,000 horsemen fought what some have
described as the largest cavalry battle in Europeâs 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
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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
didnât 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 Coalitionâs Headquarters were
nothing like Napoleonâs, were one manâs 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 Wittgensteinâs
corps-group to lead an attack in four main columns â 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. Victorâs 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, Kleistâs Prussian Second
Corps drove out the Polish defenders after bitter fighting. While on the left bank of the Pleisse, Merveldtâs
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 Klenauâs
Fourth Corps occupied the high ground of the Kolmberg, and fought its way into Liebertwolkwitz. Napoleon, observing from Gallowâs Hill,
ordered up Augereauâs Ninth Corps and the Young Guard in support. Macdonaldâs 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 â a warning that Bennigsenâs 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 Gyulaiâs Austrian Third Corps, with
orders to threaten Napoleonâs line of retreat, advanced over marshy ground towards Lindenau.
Ney had to divert Bertrandâs Fourth Corps to reinforce the village, and ensure the road
to France was kept open. Napoleon was waiting for Neyâs reinforcements
before launching his attack on Schwarzenberg. But now Fourth Corps was tied down at LindenauâŠ
and there was more bad news from Ney: BlĂŒcherâs Army of Silesia was approaching
from the northwest. Marmontâs 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 DÄ
browskiâs Polish division clung
onto Wiederitzsch, under attack from an entire Russian corps. This was a nasty surprise for Napoleon, whoâd
thought BlĂŒcher was still a dayâs 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 Schwarzenbergâs 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 heâd
hoped, nor likely to last long. Schwarzenberg and Alexander were already moving
up reserves â though Schwarzenberg now found that his were on the wrong side of the Pleisse
River â 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
linesâŠ. Then Victorâs Second Corps, Lauristonâs
Fifth Corps and the Young Guard began their advance. In support, Murat gathered two entire cavalry
corps â 10,000 horsemen â 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. Maisonâs 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 morningâs objectives, which
was finally secured. By 5pm it was clear that Napoleon didnât
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, Yorckâs 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 Marmontâs 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 âVIII 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.â Poniatiowskiâs report, end of Sat 16th Oct Sunday 17th October brought a lull, with both
armies exhausted by the previous dayâs 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
Arrighiâs Third Cavalry Corps. That day Napoleon received 14,000 reinforcements
when Reynierâs 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. Colloredoâs Austrian First Corps⊠Bennigsenâs
Army of Poland⊠and Bernadotteâs Army of the North â 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 â 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 âthe Battle of the Nationsâ. In preparation for his withdrawal, Napoleon
pulled back his forces into a tighter, defensive perimeterâŠ. and ordered Bertrandâs Fourth Corps to march
west to secure the armyâs 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 Gyulaiâs Third Corps. General Barclayâs 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. Bennigsenâs troops had more ground to cover,
but towards noon, theyâd driven back Macdonaldâs infantry and taken their objectives. They would now wait for Bernadotteâs 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 Leipzigâs 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 Kleistâs 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 Friantâs division of the Guard to reinforce the position. To the north, Bernadotteâs 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 Bulowâs Prussian corps,
supported by Austrian jaegers and its small British rocket detachment, attacked Paunsdorf. Reynierâs 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 Saxonsâ
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 dayâs fighting cost both sides
another 25,000 casualties. Napoleonâs 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 Leipzigâs walls⊠and at 4am began its
retreat west, crossing the single bridge over the Elster River, that led back to France. Thereâd 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 Leipzigâs
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 cityâs 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 cityâs 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: â⊠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 shakeâŠ
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 enemyâs 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.â 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 daysâ 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: âA more revolting and sickening spectacle
I never beheld,â he wrote. âScarcely 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 oneâs blood run cold to glance upon
the upturned faces of the dead⊠We got over this âfield of gloryâ as quickly as we
could.â Napoleon had suffered a calamitous defeat.
He had lost the battle for Germany â 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, Napoleonâs
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,
âI made him a count, but I couldnât make him a general.â 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
â 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 Hillerâs Austrian army. While in Hamburg, Marshal Davout, with 34,000
troops, would soon be cut off, and under siege. Napoleonâs 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
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These videos are fantastic!
I'd advise everyone of you to watch the whole series.