Battle of Leipzig

Battle of Leipzig
Also known as: Battle of the Nations


October 16, 1813 - October 19, 1813

The largest battle of the time, Napoleon summoned his various corps to Leipzig as multiple Allied armies crossed the Elbe River and advanced on his position. Initially Napoleon had roughly 177,000 men in the vicinity while the Allies brought 257,000 to the area. An initial attack by the Allies on the 16th made headway but a counterattack by the French retook all the lost ground. By the 18th the number of troops that had arrived to take part had risen to 195,000 for France and 365,000 for the Allies. Against such odds, the French were unable to win the battle, and things were complicated for them when the Saxons switched sides suddenly, turning and firing on their former allies.

Napoleon ordered a general retreat and was in the progress of escaping with most of his men intact when the bridge across the Elster was accidentally blown before the entirety of the army had escaped. Numerous French units were now trapped between the river and the enemy and were forced to surrender, making the battle much more disastrous for Napoleon. Afterwards, the Bavarians also switched sides and tried to stop the French at Hanau, and before long the Allies would be ready to strike at France itself.


Bibliography


External Links:

Updated March 2017

© Nathan D. Jensen