Napoleon Bonaparte – a military high-flyer
Napoleon Bonaparte, born in Corsica, rose to power during the French Revolution as a fighter against the royalists. After his coronation as French Emperor in Notre Dame, he founded the Confederation of the Rhine in Germany - a confederation of German states, which with this foundation consequently withdrew from the Holy Roman Empire. The planned expansion of the confederation failed, however, due to resistance from the larger member states. Napoleon was able to continue to expand his supremacy in Europe. It reached its peak in 1807 with the Peace of Tilsit, when France ended the war between Russia and Prussia. More and more areas were incorporated into the Napoleonic Empire. After Napoleon relaxed the Continental Blockade with Great Britain to enable trade, he was unsuccessful. Smugglers, negative trade balances and bankruptcy were the reasons for Russia's ban on trade in luxury goods. Tensions between Russia and France worsened, so that both sides prepared for war. In 1812, the Russian campaign finally began, during which the Grande Armée was able to advance as far as Moscow. However, France was defeated by Russian troops in the Battle of Tarutino on October 18, 1812, and Napoleon left Moscow for the southwest. The army suffered particularly severe setbacks on the retreat to Vilnius: the icy temperatures in Russia caused thousands of soldiers to freeze to death - only around 100.000 of the original 600.000 soldiers returned to their homeland.
On December 30, 1812, General Yorck, Prussian Field Marshal, concluded the Convention of Tauroggen with Russia's General Diebitsch - a kind of peace treaty between the two countries. Austria under General Schwarzenberg also joined the armistice. France, on the other hand, saw this as a sign of rebellion and continued to rearm. So on March 17, 1813, Prussia declared war on France - Prussia's army united with Russia and the combined army marched into Saxony. In the Battle of Möckern on April 5, the Saxon king switched to Napoleon's side. However, both suffered heavy losses in the following battles. By August, another armistice was negotiated, but it did not last long. The Bohemian, Silesian and Northern armies were formed from the coalition troops. Napoleon was also unable to prevail in the fight against Austria: he had to retreat to Dresden and wanted to attack again in October.
October 1813 – a month for the history books
On October 14th, Napoleon intended to unite his troops around Leipzig. He took up position at the Outer Grimma Gate. The cavalry battle at Liebertwolkwitz between troops of the Sixth Coalition (Prussia and Russia) and the Grande Armée was the starting point of bloody battles in the coming days that would go down in history. After the battle, Napoleon hastily rang the victory bells and positioned his troops in Connewitz and Markkleeberg as well as from Wachau to Holzhausen. The majority of his opponents were the Bohemian Army under Karl Phillip zu Schwarzenberg with around 130.000 men.
The Battle of the Nations near Leipzig was the bloodiest battle in the world and lasted four days. On October 16, there was another skirmish at Möckern and Lindenau: during an attack by the Brandenburg Hussars, Yorck and his army were able to break through the French position in the north of Leipzig and snatch the victory Napoleon had hoped for. The next day was quieter: Sunday was a short break in the bloody battle. Only in the north of the city were Gohlis and Eutritzsch captured by the Prussian Field Marshal Blücher. Napoleon's attempt at a ceasefire was ignored, so that the French emperor was practically forced into a decisive battle.
On October 18th, Napoleon's troops withdrew from their old position and moved closer to Leipzig. The Polish troops and the troops of the Confederation of the Rhine were used as cover. The right wing under the Polish general Poniatowski was on the Pleiße from Connewitz to Dölitz, the center was Probstheida. The new position could hardly withstand the allies. There were also bitter battles for the city gates of Leipzig. At midday on October 18th, the allies moved into the city center. In the afternoon, the right wing of the Bohemian army under Bennigsen attacked: his conquest of Holzhausen, Zuckelhausen and Paunsdorf was the reason for up to 4.000 Saxons to switch sides. Instead of continuing to support Napoleon, they now sided with the Allies. This change of sides gave rise to the saying "C'est un Saxon" - "That's a Saxon" - which is still used today.
Napoleon had not taken defeat into account and had therefore made inadequate preparations for a possible retreat. As a result, the retreat proceeded haltingly along a road in the direction of Weissenfels.
A new battle was to be prepared overnight for October 19th. After the light of the new day broke, the storming of the center of Leipzig began. The Grande Armée retreated in the direction of the Ranstädter Gate and only reached the Ranstädter Steinweg with difficulty. However, after the intact Elster Bridge was accidentally blown up, many soldiers became afraid, so that many Frenchmen lost their lives, surrendered or were taken prisoner of war.
France withdrew from Germany with only 100.000 men. They were allowed to pass through Switzerland on their retreat and Austria offered them peace under milder conditions, which would allow France to keep the Rhine border. Napoleon, however, refused. Meanwhile, the Russian Tsar, the King of Prussia and the Swedish Crown Prince came to Leipzig. The jubilation over Napoleon's defeat was great and for a brief moment made people forget the tragic misery that this four-day battle left behind. The exact number of deaths is still unknown: various accounts report up to 120.000 victims who lost their lives on the field. Many of the wounded were not found on the battlefield until days later and subsequently succumbed to their injuries. Around 30.000 Frenchmen were also taken prisoner by the Allies in Leipzig. Due to poor hygiene, a typhus epidemic broke out in Leipzig as a result of the battle - even more wounded and residents of Leipzig died.
After losing the battle, Napoleon no longer had any ambitions for power on German territory. The Confederation of the Rhine was slowly but surely disintegrating. On October 21, 1813, the Tsar appointed the Austrian-Russian general Victor von Prendel as the Russian city commander of Leipzig. Within a year, he brought Leipzig from military chaos back to normality.
The following year, on March 31, 1814, the allies finally entered Paris, which led to Napoleon's downfall. At the Congress of Vienna, which was held from September 18, 1814 to June 9, 1815, the powers of Europe agreed on a new division of the countries. Under the leadership of Prince Metternich, the era of restoration began for Europe. After his exile to the island of Elba, Napoleon returned to France on March 1, 1815. During his "Hundred Days' Reign," he wanted to return to power. But this did not last long: as a result of the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, he was defeated by England and finally exiled to the island of St. Helena.
The Time after the Battle of the Nations
The situation only slowly eased in 1814. A petition from Saxon merchants made reconstruction possible - but the victims themselves had to bear most of the damage and losses. As a result of Napoleon's loss of power, the Confederation of the Rhine also dissolved. This also ended French rule on German territory. The aim of the Congress of Vienna was not only to reorganize Europe, but also to establish a balance of power between the great powers of Prussia, Russia, Austria, Great Britain and France.
In the years that followed, the Battle of the Nations was repeatedly celebrated as a liberation festival – the battle marked the birth of the German nation and was seen as a popular movement for freedom and unity as well as a victory over Napoleon.
After the First World War, numerous nationalistic people also used the date of October 18th as a day for events to represent Germany's glory and greatness - but without the actual liberal idea of freedom. Later, in the GDR, the Battle of the Nations served primarily to invoke the German-Russian brotherhood in arms, which, however, was increasingly forgotten from 1970 onwards.
Living Witnesses in Leipzig
Even today, numerous buildings and monuments commemorate the greatest battle of the past. There are a large number of memorials, especially in and around Leipzig. The most famous monument from this period is the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in the Probstheida district. The idea for the building came from the poet Ernst Moritz Arndt - he wanted a memorial for the fallen. In 1894, the architect Clemens Thieme founded the German Patriot League with the aim of collecting donations for the construction of the building. Four years later, the foundation stone was finally laid. After 15 years of construction, it was inaugurated on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Nations, on October 18, 1913, in the presence of the German Emperor. With a height of 91 meters, it towers over all the surrounding buildings and is a reminder of the fighting that took place at that time. The architect Bruno Schmitz planned to use concrete and granite porphyry from Beucha as the materials for the building. On the front, a 60-meter-long relief commemorates the course of the battle, and inside there is a hall of fame. The crypt commemorates all fallen soldiers. In addition, 10-meter-high colossal figures inside the memorial represent the personification of the virtues of bravery, strength of faith, national strength and willingness to make sacrifices - all virtues that the soldiers embodied in battle at that time.
The FORUM 1813 is located not far from the Monument to the Battle of the Nations - also affectionately known as "Völki". The museum offers insights into the events of the Wars of Liberation, which ultimately led to the Battle of the Nations. In addition to weapons and uniforms, numerous other items of equipment, pictures and memorabilia can be viewed in the rooms. There are also personal items belonging to Marshal Poniatowski, who drowned in Leipzig. A highlight of the FORUM is a 15 square meter diorama with over 3.000 fully sculpted figures. It shows a precisely reconstructed village from the Leipzig area during the attack by Russian-Prussian troops on October 18, 1813.
A total of 50 Apelsteine commemorate the Battle of Leipzig in and around Leipzig - sandstone memorial stones that were erected at the most important locations of the Battle of Leipzig. The initiator was the writer Theodor Apel. The stones, which represent the positions of the coalition troops, have a pointed head with the letter "V" for "allies". The Apelsteine with a round head and the letter "N" represent the positions of the Napoleonic troops. Inscriptions on the stones show the name and date of the respective battle as well as the name of the commander on the side facing the battlefield. The troop designation and army strength are on the other side. Up to Apelstein No. 42, they also follow the order that the even numbers represent the allies and the odd numbers represent the Napoleonic groups. Since sandstone is a fairly perishable material, the original stones were later replaced by more weatherproof material.
The Quandt tobacco mill is also one of the important places of remembrance. Napoleon retreated there on October 18, 1813 and set up his command post. Today, the Napoleon Stone is located at this spot, not far from the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. The gate in front of the former tobacco mill, the Windmill Gate, is the last remaining city gate in Leipzig.
Another city gate stood in the opposite direction. At that time, the Ranstädter Gate was located on what is now Richard Wagner Square. The name comes from the towns of Markranstädt and Altranstädt, which can be reached from there. Since the Middle Ages, Leipzig was surrounded by walls of varying heights, between which there was a walkable Zwinger. There were drawbridges and bastions in front of it at four points. The Moritzbastei is one of these that has survived to this day.
But other nations also have memorials for their fallen soldiers in Leipzig. The Russian Memorial Church of St. Alexej on Phillip-Rosenthal-Strasse commemorates the 22.000 fallen Russian soldiers. The architect was the sacral architect Vladimir Alexandrovich Pokrowski, whose preparatory work was continued and completed by the Weidenbach & Tschammer architectural firm. The foundation stone was laid on December 28, 1912. The memorial church was inaugurated on October 17, 1913. Built in the Novgorod style with a 16-sided tent roof, the church also contains a small library and a church museum. Today, around 300 members of various nations belong to this parish.
Furthermore, an entire street in Leipzig is dedicated to the Battle of the Nations: the Straße des 18. Oktober. There is also a memorial plaque on Prager Straße at the house number 145 - the former home of Clemens Thieme. His grave is now on the eastern edge of the South Cemetery.
Memorials in the Leipzig Region
The Leipzig region also has a number of historical sites, including the Dölitz gatehouse. The former manor house is one of the few original sites from the time of the Battle of the Nations that have been preserved. Since 1959, the premises have housed a "Permanent Exhibition of Cultural and Historical Tin Figures" with a diorama of the southern battlefield of October 18, 1813. Changing dioramas on the city and cultural history are also shown, as well as special exhibitions. Since 2014, the gatehouse has been operated by the association "Anniversary of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig 1813 eV".
Another gatehouse is in Markkleeberg. Today's regional museum was in the midst of the fighting on October 16th for the bridge crossing on the old Pleiße. A 20 square meter diorama shows the southern battlefield with 5.500 tin figures. There is also a Biedermeier room that shows the middle-class living situation of the time as well as numerous weapons, uniform parts, graphics, paintings and finds from the battlefield. The house suffered major damage during the Battle of the Nations - parts were used as firewood for bivouacs. The Markkleeberg castle grounds are considered the southernmost point of the front.
The second oldest house in Leipzig - after the Schiller House - is the Körner House in Großzschocher, built in 1735. After the attack on the Lützow Free Corps near Kitzen, it served as a hiding place for the poet and freedom fighter Theodor Körner. He was only able to escape the attack by the French and the Rheinbünden, seriously wounded, and found shelter in what was then the estate gardener's house.
If you want to experience the Battle of the Nations again in a more peaceful form, Liebertwolkwitz is the place to be. Every year, the association "Anniversary of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig 1813" meets there in uniforms from that time and recreates the events of the war - not as a blunt imitation, but as a peaceful discourse between the nations. Around 6.000 participants and 35.000 visitors from all over the world come to this spectacle every year.
The Memorial Museum of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig 1813 shows the events of the Battle of the Nations and the Battle of the Cavalry near Liebertwolkwitz on October 14.10.1813, XNUMX. Visitors can also see a billeting scene that shows the suffering of the population at that time. The "Wall House" presents historical artillery in a technical way. The house itself was also damaged in the Battle of the Nations.
Due to the large number of wounded in the battle, large field hospitals were necessary. An exhibition on the treatment options and war surgery at the time can be found in the Seifertshain Medical and Hospital Museum near Großpösna. There, too, tin figure dioramas reflect the situation on the battlefield. The museum also contains numerous battlefield finds - including a complete skeleton of a dead horse with the fatal bullet in its chest.
In such a large battle, it is essential to be able to observe the events closely. At that time, the Monarch Hill near Pegau was the perfect place to scout out the surrounding area. On May 2, 1813, the Alliance observed the battle against Napoleon from there between Werben and Großgörschen. The Pegau chronicler Friedrich August Fissel described the events in his eyewitness accounts. After the battle, Napoleon also spent the night in the house of the merchant Richter on Pegau's church square.
Today's Auenhain lake park is also located on the site of the southern battlefield. A memorial plaque now commemorates Joachim Murat, King of Naples, Marshal of France and brother-in-law of Napoleon, who set up his headquarters there. There are numerous monuments and apple stones around today's lake park. Not far from there, on the road from Wachau to Liebertwolkwitz, you will also find the Galgenberg monument - Napoleon's former command post. Today, a small plaque with a Bible verse from the Book of Job (38/11) commemorates that time: "This far you shall come, and no further": Napoleon never went any further south.