The Napoleonic Age, the year 1813 and the battle of nations
Markkleeberg, Borna, Pegau, Rochlitz, Rötha, Wurzen, Düben, Delitzsch, Halle, Großgörschen, Weißenfels, Naumburg, Freyburg - a range of places could be mentioned, which were affected by the campaigns of the year 1813. Ravaged, plundered or destroyed by combat operations - the image of those villages dominated the scenery. The countenance of sick and wounded people was omnipresent. Many cities had to endure ongoing quartering.
All troops were concentrated around Leipzig in October 1813. Uniforms, gun powder and bonfires at the bivouacs marked Leipzig as well as the surrounding villages and towns. The combat around Liebertwolkwitz at the 14th October was the prologue of the great dying. The "Battle of the nations" at Leipzig started just two days later. These combats between 16th and 19th October 1813 made it in the history books under this term.
500,000 soldiers faced each other in one of the biggest and sanguinary battles of world history on the fields around Leipzig. Up to 2,000 canons and a multitude of guns sent their deadly load. The outcome of these determined led combats was horrific: legions of wounded soldiers lay, whining and groaning, crying and struggling with death, in Leipzig and on surrounding fields. At the end, every 5th lost his live. In addition were thousands of civilians carried off by epidemics after the battle. It took months till every victim was buried.
Napoleon was defeated by the alliance of Prussia, Russia, Austria, Sweden and England in the battle of the nations. But he lost more than just a battle. He experienced military losses - he couldn't compensate. The "Rheinbund" dissolved definitely. The kingdom of Saxony, allied with Napoleon till the end, was defeated as well and lost half of its territory and population through the resolutions of the "Wiener Kongress" at 1815. To Napoleon, his defeat meant the end of his leadership over Europe.
Napoleon Bonaparte I. - emperor of France since 1804 - held the fates of Europe in his hands for more than a decade. After the massive defeat in Waterloo (18th June 1815), he was sent to the Island of Saint Helena to his final banishment. Therewith ended - already before Napoleons death on 5th May 1821 - an important period of numerous political, scientifically and military developments. Besides the progressive ideas of the French Revolution, like the code civil - base for the today's German Code Civil - and the Egypt campaign, which brought a wave of enthusiasm and scientific curiosity for the orient, the Napoleonic age brought predominantly war with all its terror. Hundreds of battles, combats and skirmishes meant to the soldiers and civilians death a million fold and this also in and around Leipzig.
written by: Michél Kothe
translated by: Katja Nitzsche