Battel of Leipzig

The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, took place in Leipzig, Saxony, from October 16 to 19, 1813. The Grande Armée of French Emperor Napoleon I was soundly defeated by the coalition forces of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, under the command of Tsar Alexander I and Karl von Schwarzenberg. Polish and Italian soldiers were also included in Napoleon's army, along with Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine. The battle, which was the finale of the German Campaign of 1813, involved 560,000 soldiers, 2,200 pieces of artillery, 400,000 rounds of artillery fire, and 133,000 wounded. It was the biggest combat in Europe before World War I.

Napoleon was forced to return to France after being soundly defeated once more, and the Sixth Coalition maintained its momentum by dissolving the Confederation of the Rhine and invading France early the following year. In May 1814, Napoleon was forced to resign and was banished to Elba.

The Union of Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Sweden won the Battle of Leipzig with a resounding victory, bringing about the fall of the French Empire and compelling Napoleon to abdicate for the first time. This was his most painful loss against foes he had previously easily conquered, and it was also the heaviest loss, entirely shattering his reputation, compared to the Battle of Waterloo. From this point on, Prussia and Russia assumed the position of the former great power that was France. The liberation of the southern states from the French and the subsequent start of Germany's process of national reunification gave the triumph significant significance to the German people.