LEIPZIG
The German campaign of 1813 is
remarkable in many ways. After losing one army Napoleon created
another one and defeated the armies of the allies at Lutzen and
Bautzen. The allies decided not to attack Napoleon himself, but
fought his subordinates and defeated them viciously at battles
like Gross Beeren. Napoleon had several chances at keeping his
throne but threw them away. He was finally trapped at Leipzig
in a 3-day battle which cost him his second army. He then went
on and built a third army. The battle at Leipzig could have been
a major victory. Napoleon put minor forces to the north as a rearguard,
expecting Blucher to be too far away to arrive in time to spoil
his plans. He then pinned down the Army of Bohemia with the intention
of destroying it. After heavy fighting the French were causing
serious damage to Schwarzenberg. But Blucher arrived in the north
and pushed the French out of Mockern, and Schwarzenberg sent reserves
on the French flank. Having to use up his reserves, Napoleon could
not achieve the victory he needed on the 16th. The next day was
mostly spent in negotiations while Napoleon waited for the rest
of his men. But the allies received even more reinforcements than
Napoleon, and by the 18th he was on the defensive. The allies
attacked all along the front, giving and taking ground, but much
of the day was fought by artillery. Most of the Saxons deserted
to the Allies. By nightfall the French had again given far more
casualties than received, and Napoleon pulled back to a line he
had chosen earlier, closer to the city. During the 19th the French
began to retreat over the only bridge. As the French were crossing
the bridge the sounds of firing got nearer. A corporal of the
guard was left to watch the bridge and lost his nerve, destroying
the bridge while covered with troops. Over 30,000 men and 260
cannon were still on the other side. There was bloody hand-to-hand
fighting in the city, until the Russians allowed the French to
surrender. The end of the Napoleonic Empire was just over the
horizon.
