Battles of Napoleon Bonaparte. Periodization of the Napoleonic Wars

January 3rd, 2018, 09:22 pm

1. The Battle of Toulon (1793, the republicans pacify the royalist uprising, and Toulon is still considered an impregnable fortress), Napoleon's first battle, his first victory, although not so great in comparison with many of the following, but one that allowed him to turn to attention in Paris and at the age of 24 to receive the rank of brigadier general. He wrote about his successes in war department General Dutil himself, telling about the role of Bonaparte in the correct placement of guns, and how skillfully he conducted the siege, and about the victorious cannonade.

2. The Italian campaign (1796) - it was thanks to her that the name of Napoleon thundered throughout Europe. Suvorov himself commented: "It's time to calm the fellow!" Bonaparte was appointed commander-in-chief not even in connection with special merit- it's just that no one was particularly eager for this position. Although they understood the importance of the invasion of Northern Italy, this deliberate sabotage could make the Viennese court distract from German war by crushing their forces. Why didn't you rush? Yes, simply because the state of the French army at that time was more than deplorable - the soldiers were starving, walking in rags, stealing from each other. Everything that Paris highlighted was successfully plundered by higher officials. For example, one battalion refused to change its deployment due to ... lack of boots. All the more praise for Napoleon - he managed, without delaying the battle, to establish discipline and ensure a decent supply of the army. Italian battles, - "6 victories in 6 days" - historians call one big battle.
3. Egyptian campaign (1798) - Bonaparte dreamed of conquering Egypt to be like Alexander the Great. The Directory did not see a particular need for this measure, and the army was not yet fully subordinate to the commander-in-chief, although he could be quite confident in the absolute loyalty of the battalions participating with him in the Italian campaign. Dreaming of exploits in the land of the pharaohs, he was able to win over the great diplomat Talleyrand to his side, and together they convinced the Directory to finance the campaign. Those, on reflection, decided not to object: the habits of the Corsican, who did not behave like a modest officer, made them hope that Napoleon would not return. However, he returned, having previously installed the French as chiefs of garrisons in each of the cities and villages of Egypt.

4. Battle of Austerlitz (1805) - the decisive battle in the first Austrian campaign (Russian-Austro-French war). 73 K people Napoleon against 86 thousand people. Kutuzov was victorious thanks to the new military system of France. The emperor showed military cunning: starting secret negotiations with Austria for peace, he spread false rumors about the weakness of his own army. As a result, Alexander I did not listen to the cautious Kutuzov and took advantage of the advice of the Austrian general Weyrother, launching an offensive without full-fledged preliminary reconnaissance. For which he paid.

5. Battle of Friedland (1807, the decisive battle during the Russian-Prussian-French war) - Napoleon practically managed to defeat the Russian army, but the competent maneuvers of General Bagration helped the troops retreat to the Pregel River away from Friedland. Nevertheless, Alexander I had to conclude the Treaty of Tilsit, which was beneficial only to the French.

6. Battle of Wagram (1809, second Austrian campaign) - the decisive battle of Napoleon with the Austrians under the command of Archduke Charles. Connoisseurs of strategy and tactics should pay attention to how skillfully the crossing of a huge army across the Danube was organized, as well as to the use of a ramming battle formation. The result of the battle was the Schönbrunn Peace.

On August 2-3, 1796, a battle of the French and Austrian armies takes place in Lonato. In this battle, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrians and they asked for peace. General Bonaparte signed the peace himself. We decided to talk about five battles of Napoleon, which brought him glory.

Siege of Toulon

The word "Toulon" has come to mean metaphorically the moment of a brilliant start to the career of an unknown young military leader. After all, it was from this moment that Napoleon Bonaparte began his career.

In May 1793, Toulon, where many disaffected royalists (supporters of the monarchical form state power) rebelled against the Convention (the legislature during the Great French revolution). A republican army was sent to pacify him under the command of General Karto. Seeing no opportunity to resist this army and fearing the revenge of the Convention, the Toulon royalists surrendered themselves to the protection of Great Britain. Up to 19 thousand English and Spanish troops arrived in Toulon, so that with the royalists who were there, the garrison increased to 25 thousand.

In the very first avant-garde battle, Major Dommarten, the chief of the siege artillery of the Republicans, was seriously wounded, and in return the Convention sent a young captain Napoleon Bonaparte, who here laid the foundation for his glory. The assault plan drawn up by him ended in success. On the night of December 17, the most important port of Malbuque was taken by storm. As a result of this, the Anglo-Spanish squadron had to wean anchor and go to the open sea. On December 18, Toulon, left without defenders, surrendered. But as a punishment he was plundered and burned.

It is noteworthy that Napoleon was at the head of the attacking troops and was wounded. The French Republic awarded him the rank of general. He was then only 24 years old.

Italian campaign

It was a campaign of French revolutionary troops in Italian lands led by Napoleon Bonaparte. It was then that, for the first time, his military leader's genius manifested itself in all its splendor. It represents the most important episode of the 1796-1797 war, which, in turn, is the final act of France's 5-year struggle against the coalition of European powers. Militarily, it is an example of strategic art.

General Bonaparte propose to the government a plan for the conquest of Italy. He was given an army. She found herself in the most miserable financial situation - naked, hungry and inexperienced. With an imperious hand, he eliminated all abuses, appointed new leaders, collected the necessary money and food supplies, and immediately gained the confidence and loyalty of the soldiers by this. He based his operational plan on the speed of action and on the concentration of forces against enemies who adhered to the cordon system (the location of troops, for the purpose of defense, in small detachments, in all those points through which an enemy offensive can be expected) and disproportionately stretched out their troops. The Italians enthusiastically greeted the army, which carried the ideals of freedom, equality and delivered from Austrian rule.

The first battle took place at the village of Montenotto, and the French army won it. Other major battles with the Austrian army also ended in victory. French troops took Venice and Rome. Unable to resist them, the Austrians requested peace, which General Bonaparte signed on his own.

Battle of Marengo

This is the final battle of Bonaparte's second Italian campaign in 1800, which took place on June 14 between Austria and France, and as a result of which the Austrian army in Italy was forced to surrender and leave Italy.

At dawn on June 14, 40 thousand Austrians with numerous artillery crossed the 2 bridges over the Bormida River and energetically attacked the French, who were standing open. In the morning Bonaparte learned that the Austrian army had crossed the river and was going to Marengo. He hastened with small reserves to the battlefield where his 28,000-strong army was fighting. The Austrians dealt a serious blow to the French. The French staunchly defended themselves against superior forces, but were already exhausted when Bonaparte arrived at 10 o'clock in the morning with Monier's division and the consular guard.

However, the French had to retreat under the onslaught of Austrian troops. The Austrians carelessly pursued the French, almost curled up in marching columns, which cost them defeat. They were greeted with grape-shot fire, the infantry pounced in front, and the heavy cavalry struck at the flanks. Panic broke out in the ranks of the Austrians, and by 17 o'clock the army rushed in panic to the Bormida River. In the crush that began, the Austrians barely managed to get to the other side of the river and flee. About 2 thousand people surrendered.

The next day, June 15, envoys came to Napoleon's headquarters with a proposal for an armistice. Napoleon agreed not to hinder the departure of the Austrians from Northern Italy. The Austrian monarch Melas signed the Alexandrian Convention, according to which he was allowed to go to Austria, and he surrendered Lombardy, Piedmont and Genoa with all the fortresses to the French.

Battle of Austerlitz

On December 2, 1805, the decisive battle of the Napoleonic army against the armies of the third anti-Napoleonic coalition took place. It went down in history as "the battle of the three emperors", since the armies of the emperors of Austrian Franz II and Russian Alexander I fought against the army of Emperor Napoleon I.

The allied army numbered about 85 thousand people (60 thousand Russian army, 25 thousand Austrian army with 278 guns) under the general command of General M. I. Kutuzov. Napoleon's army numbered 73.5 thousand people. By demonstrating superior forces, Napoleon feared to frighten the allies. In addition, foreseeing the development of events, he believed that these forces would be enough to win. On the night of December 2, 1805, the allied forces prepared for battle.

Napoleon was aware that the actual command of the allied army did not belong to Kutuzov, but to Alexander, who was inclined to accept the plans of the Austrian generals. The allied army that launched the offensive fell into a trap set by Napoleon. He guessed that the Austrian command would seek to cut him off from the road to Vienna and from the Danube, in order to surround or drive him north into the mountains. Therefore, he concentrated his troops in the center, against the Prazen Heights, making the Austrian command the appearance of the possibility of quickly encircling his army, and at the same time preparing his troops for a swift strike at the center of the allies. The small center of the Russian army, consisting of one guard (3500 people), offering heroic resistance to the French troops and turning them to flight with counterattacks, had no other choice but to retreat under the onslaught of the main forces of the French army.

After the occupation of the Prazen Heights, Napoleon directed the blow of the main forces to the left wing of the Allies, which was covered from the front and rear. Only then the commander of the left wing of the allies F. Buxgewden, seeing the general picture of the battle, began to retreat. Part of his troops were thrown back to the ponds and were forced to retreat along frozen ice... Napoleon, noticing this movement, ordered to hit the ice with cannonballs. The right wing of the allied army under the command of Bagration, who clearly and calmly controlled his troops, offering stiff resistance, was also forced to retreat. Emperors Alexander and Franz fled from the battlefield long before the end of the battle. Alexander was trembling and crying, losing his composure. His flight continued in the following days. The wounded Kutuzov barely escaped captivity.

Battle of Jena

On October 14, 1806, a battle took place between the Great Army of the French Emperor Napoleon I and the Prussian troops on the territory of Prussia near the village of Jena.

After the crushing defeat of the anti-French coalition in the Battle of the Three Emperors, Napoleon redrawn the map of Central Europe beyond recognition in six months. In the summer of 1806, 15 principalities of South and Central Germany were united by Napoleon into the Confederation of Rhine (a union of German monarchies that seceded from the Holy Roman Empire, concluded under pressure from Napoleon I in 1806 in Paris), which was de facto under the protectorate of the Emperor. Prussia, experiencing strong excitement and discontent over the creation of the Rhine Union, which threatened the integrity of Prussia itself, presented an ultimatum to Napoleon. They demanded to clear from French troops Germanic lands to the Rhine. They demanded a response from Paris no later than October 8th. Otherwise, the war will start.

6 october Great army received an order to advance quickly to the borders of Prussia. On the same day, Napoleon sent a message to the Senate, in which he announced that France was starting military operations against Prussia. Napoleon opposed the Prussian army, according to various estimates, from 130,000 to 195,000 people.

On the evening of October 13, Napoleon's main forces approached Jena and occupied it. At a distance of direct visibility from the French, the campfires of the Prussian bonfires were visible - this was the army of Prince Hohenlohe. The emperor decided to attack the enemy with the first rays of the sun, which he informed his generals. Upon learning that the French had occupied Jena, Prince Hohenlohe, nevertheless, was not aware that he was facing the main forces of the enemy, led by Napoleon himself. Believing that in front of him only part of the enemy's forces, the prince decided on a defensive battle in the morning of the next day. It is not known why the preparation of the Prussians for battle was so poor, but it must be admitted that Hohenlohe did not consider it necessary to make even a minimum of preparations. At the same time, Napoleon thought that the main forces of the Prussian army were in front of him, and therefore he was well prepared for the upcoming battle.

October 14, 1806 became a black day for all of Prussia. The army of King Frederick, which was supposed to easily cope with the army of the "leader of the sansculottes", was defeated in one day, practically ceasing to exist as an organized military formation.

In the thousands of years of human history, there have been a great many brilliant commanders and a huge number of major battles. Most of these battles have survived in chronology only by the name of the area where they took place. Others, on a larger scale, had, in addition, a sonorous name. The Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 refers to just such. Among all the battles of the era of the Napoleonic wars, this one is the largest in terms of the number of participating countries in it. It was near Leipzig that the next coalition of European powers made a new desperate attempt to stop the victorious march of the French army across the continent.

Background and preconditions for the creation of the 6th coalition

The star of the talented commander, originally from the island of Corsica, lit up brightly during the French Revolution. It was the events in the country, as well as the intervention of the European powers that greatly facilitated the rapid advancement of Napoleon's career. Confident victories on the battlefield made him so popular among the citizens that he unabashedly used his influence to interfere in the internal affairs of the country. Its role in making decisions on government issues increased. The tenure of the first consul was short-lived, and it did not correspond to his ambitions. As a result, in 1804 he declared France an empire and himself an emperor.

This state of affairs initially aroused apprehension and anxiety among neighboring countries. Even during the Great French Revolution, anti-French coalitions were formed. Basically, the initiators of their formation were 3 states - England, Austria and Russia. Each of the member countries of the alliance pursued its own goals. The first 2 coalitions organized before Napoleon's coronation fought with varying success. If during the period of the first coalition, success accompanied the French army under the leadership of their future emperor, then during the existence of the second coalition of European empires, the scales tipped in favor of the alliance. The main merit in the victories belonged to the Russian army under the leadership of the eminent commander A.V. Suvorov. The Italian campaign ended with a confident victory over the French. The Swiss campaign was less successful. The British and Austrians attributed the successes of the Russians to themselves, supplementing them with territorial acquisitions. Such a thankless act caused discord between the allies. The Russian Emperor Paul I responded to such an ugly gesture with a peace agreement with France and began to make plans against yesterday's partners. However, Alexander I, who succeeded him on the throne in 1801, returned Russia to the anti-French camp.

The III coalition began to form some time after the coronation of Napoleon and the declaration of France as an empire. Sweden and the Kingdom of Naples joined the union. The members of the alliance were extremely concerned about the aggressive plans of the emperor of France. Therefore, this coalition was defensive in nature. There was no talk of any territorial acquisitions in the course of hostilities. The main emphasis was placed on the defense of their own borders. From 1805 to 1815, the confrontations with France were of a completely different nature, turning from anti-French to Napoleonic wars.

Unfortunately, the Third Coalition failed to achieve this goal. Austria was particularly hard hit. In October 1805, the French defeated the Austrians at Ulm, and a month later Napoleon solemnly entered Vienna. In early December, the "Battle of the Three Emperors" took place at Austerlitz, which ended in the defeat of the Russian-Austrian army, which outnumbered the rival. The Austrian Emperor Franz I personally arrived at Napoleon's headquarters to discuss the peace agreement signed in Pressburg. Austria recognized the French conquests and was forced to pay an indemnity. He also had to give up the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Under the patronage of Napoleon, the Rhine Union of German States was created. Only Prussia refused to obey and went over to the side of the coalition. Thus, the almost thousand-year existence of the formal empire came to an end. The consolation of the Allies was the defeat of the Franco-Spanish fleet by the British at Cape Trafalgar in October 1805. Napoleon had to say goodbye to the idea of capturing England.

The V coalition was actually a confrontation between France against Austria, which had returned to service, which was assisted by England. However, the war between the parties lasted no more than six months (from April to October 1809). The outcome of the confrontation was decided already in the summer of 1809 at the Battle of Wagram, which ended in the defeat of the Austrians, a further retreat, and then the signing of the Schönbrunn Agreement.

Thus, none of the coalitions was able to achieve success in the battles against Napoleon's army. Each time, the emperor of France made tactically correct decisions and prevailed over the enemy. England was the only rival to prevent Bonaparte's rule. It seemed that the French army was invincible. However, this myth was destroyed in 1812. Russia, not agreeing with the blockade of England, began to follow the terms of the Tilsit peace less and less. The relationship between The Russian Empire and France gradually cooled down until they escalated into a war. The Austrians and Prussians took the side of the French army and were promised some territorial gains if the campaign was successful. Napoleon's march with almost half a million army began in June 1812. Having lost most of his soldiers in the Battle of Borodino, he began a hasty retreat back home. Bonaparte's trip to Russia ended in a complete fiasco. Almost all of his huge army was killed both in battles with the enemy and in a hasty retreat, trying to achieve partisan units... The myth of the invincibility of the French army was dispelled.

Preparing the parties for war. VI coalition

Russia's success in the war with France instilled confidence in its allies in the final victory over Bonaparte. Alexander I was not going to rest on his laurels. Expelling the enemy from the territory of his state was not enough for him. He intended to fight until the complete defeat of the opponent on his territory. The Russian emperor wanted to lead the Sixth Coalition in a new war.

Napoleon Bonaparte also did not sit idle. Reaching Paris with a handful left over from his large army, in the second half of December 1812, he literally immediately issued a decree on general mobilization. The number of conscripts gathered from all over the empire was equal to 140 thousand people, another 100 thousand were transferred from the National Guard to the regular army. Several thousand soldiers returned from Spain. Thus, the total number of the new army amounted to almost 300 thousand people. Part of the newly assembled armada was sent by the Emperor of France to his stepson Eugene Beauharnais in April 1813 to contain the united Russian-Prussian army at the Elbe. The war of the Sixth Coalition with Napoleon was already inevitable.

As for the Prussians, King Frederick William III did not originally intend to go to war against France. But the change in the decision was facilitated by the advance of the Russian army in East Prussia and the friendly offer of Alexander I to join the struggle against the common enemy. The chance to get even with the French for past defeats could not be missed. Frederick Wilhelm III went to Silesia, where by the end of January 1813 he managed to muster more than a hundred thousand soldiers.

Meanwhile, having occupied Poland, the Russian army under the command of the hero of the Battle of Borodino Kutuzov went to Kapish, where in mid-February it defeated a small Saxon army led by Rainier. It was here that the Russian camp was later settled, and at the end of the month an agreement was signed with the Prussians on cooperation. And at the end of March, Frederick William III officially declared war on France. Berlin and Dresden were liberated by mid-March. All of central Germany was occupied by the Russian-Prussian army. In early April, the Allies captured Leipzig.

However, the successes ended there. The new commander of the Russian army, General Wittgenstein, acted extremely unconvincingly. In early May, Napoleon's army went on the offensive and won the general battle at Lützen. Dresden and all of Saxony were again occupied by the French. At the end of the month, another major battle took place at Bautzen, in which the French army again celebrated Victoria. However, both victories were given to Napoleon at the cost of losses that were 2 times higher than the losses of the allies. The new commander of the Russian army, Barclay de Tolly, unlike his predecessor, did not seek to engage the enemy in battle, preferring a retreat alternated with minor skirmishes. This tactic has borne fruit. Exhausted by the constant movements and losses of the French army, a pause was required. Moreover, cases of desertion have become more frequent. In early June, the parties in Poischwitz signed a short-term truce. This treaty played into the hands of the allies. By mid-June, Sweden had joined the coalition, and England promised financial assistance. Austria initially acted as a mediator in the upcoming peace negotiations. However, Napoleon was not going to lose, and even more so to share the occupied territories. Therefore, Emperor Franz II accepted the Trachenberg plan of the allies. On August 12, Austria entered the coalition camp. The end of August passed with varying success of the parties, but Napoleon's army thinned significantly both from losses in battles and from illness and desertion. September passed calmly, no major battles were observed. Both camps were pulling up reserves and preparing for the decisive battle.

The alignment of forces before the battle

In early October, the Russians unexpectedly attacked and seized Westphalia, where Napoleon's younger brother Jerome was king. Bavaria, taking advantage of the opportunity, went over to the Allied camp. The situation has escalated. Major battle seemed inevitable.

By the beginning of the battle of the VI, the coalition, according to various sources, was able to assemble, together with numerous reserves, an army of almost a million. This whole huge armada was divided into several armies:

Bohemian was led by Schwarzenber.
The Silesian was commanded by Blucher.
The heir to the Swedish throne, Bernadotte, was at the head of the Northern Army.
The Polish army was led by Bennigsen.

On the plain near Leipzig, about 300 thousand people gathered with 1400 guns. Prince Schwarzenberg was appointed commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, who carried out the orders of the three monarchs. They planned to ring and destroy Napoleon's army. The army of the Emperor of France and its allies was 1.5 times inferior in number and 2 times in firepower to the opponent. Some of the German states of the Rhineland, Poles and Danes acted as part of his army. Bonaparte planned to give battle to the Bohemian and Silesian armies even before the rest of the units arrived. The fate of Europe was to be decided in Leipzig.

The first day of the battle

In the early morning of October 16, 1813, the opponents met on a plain near the city. This day is considered the official date of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig. At 7 o'clock, the coalition forces were the first to attack. Their target was the village of Wachau. However, the divisions of Napoleon in this direction managed to push the opponent back. Meanwhile, part of the Bohemian army made an attempt to cross to the opposite bank of the Place River in order to attack the left wing of the French army, but was thrown back by heavy artillery fire. Until noon, the parties could not advance even a meter. Napoleon in the afternoon prepared a plan to break through the weakened center of the coalition army. Carefully camouflaged French artillery (160 guns), led by A. Drouot, opened heavy fire on the enemy's most vulnerable zone. By 15 o'clock in the afternoon, the infantry and cavalry under the leadership of Murat entered the battle. They were opposed by the Prussian-Russian army under the command of the Prince of Württemberg, which had already been weakened by the artillery of General Drouot. The French cavalry, with the help of infantry, easily broke through the center of the allied army. The road to the camp of the three monarchs was open, only a miserable 800 meters remained. Napoleon was preparing to celebrate the victory. However, the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig could not end so easily and quickly. Russian Emperor Alexander I expected such a move from the enemy and therefore in important point ordered to cut across the French the Russian-Prussian reserve forces of Sukhozanet and Raevsky, as well as Kleist's detachment. From his camp on the hill near Tonberg, Napoleon watched the battle and, realizing that the coalition had practically taken away his victory, sent cavalry and infantry to that very hot spot. Bonaparte was going to decide the outcome of the battle before the arrival of the reserve armies of Bernadotte and Bennigsen. But the Austrians threw their forces to meet his help. Then Napoleon sent his reserve to his ally - the Polish prince Poniatowski, who was pressed by the division of the Austrian Merveld. As a result, the latter were thrown back, and the Austrian general was taken prisoner. At the same time, on the opposite edge, Blucher fought with the 24,000-strong army of Marshal Marmont. But the real courage was shown by the Prussians led by Horn. To the drum roll, they went into a bayonet battle against the French and threw them back. Only the villages of Mekern and Wiederich were seized several times by one or the other side. The first day of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig ended in a combat draw with heavy losses both for the coalition (about 40 thousand people) and for Napoleon's army (about 30 thousand soldiers and officers). Towards the morning of the next day, the reserve armies of Bernadotte and Bennigsen arrived. Only 15,000 people joined the emperor of France. The numerical superiority of 2 times gave the allies an advantage for further attacks.

Second day

No battles took place on 17 October. The parties were busy healing the wounds and burying the dead. Napoleon understood that with the arrival of the coalition reserves, it would be almost impossible to win the battle. Using inaction in the enemy camp, he asked Merveld, whom he had captured, to return to the allies and convey that Bonaparte was ready to conclude an armistice. The captured general left on an assignment. However, Napoleon did not wait for an answer. And this meant only one thing - the battle is inevitable.

Day three. The turning point in the battle

Even at night, the Emperor of France gave orders to pull up all the army units closer to the city. In the early morning of October 18, coalition forces launched an attack. Despite the obvious superiority in manpower and artillery, the French army skillfully held back the enemy's onslaught. The battles were literally for every meter. Strategic important points moved to one or the other. At the left wing of Napoleon's army, the Russian division of Langeron fought, trying to capture the village of Shelfeld. The first two attempts were unsuccessful. However, for the third time, the count led his forces into a bayonet battle and, with great difficulty, captured the stronghold, but Marmont's reserves again threw the enemy back. An equally fierce battle was fought near the village of Probstade (Probstgate), where the center of the French army was located. By noon, the forces of Kleist and Gorchakov entered the village and began to storm the houses where the enemies were located. Napoleon decided to use his main trump card - the famous Old Guard, which he personally led into battle. The opponent was thrown back. The French launched an attack on the Austrians. The ranks of the coalition forces began to burst at the seams. However, at the decisive moment, something unexpected happened that changed the entire course of the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig. The Saxons in full force betrayed Napoleon, turned around and opened fire on the French. This act gave an advantage to the allies. It was getting harder and harder for Bonaparte to hold the position of the army. The Emperor of France knew that he could not withstand another powerful attack. At night, the French began to retreat. The army began crossing the Elster River.

Day four. Final victory

On the morning of October 19, the coalition forces saw that the rival had cleared the plain and was hastily retreating. The allies began an assault on the city, in which the units of Poniatowski and MacDonald were located, covering the withdrawal of Napoleon's army. Only by noon did they manage to capture the city, knocking out the enemy from there. In the confusion, someone accidentally set fire to the bridge over Elster, through which all the French forces had not yet managed to cross. Almost 30,000 people remained on this side of the river. Panic began, the soldiers stopped listening to the commanders and tried to cross the river by swimming. Others died from enemy bullets. Poniatowski's attempt to rally the remaining forces failed. Twice wounded, he rushed with his horse into the river, where he accepted his death. The French soldiers remaining on the coast and in the city were destroyed by the enemy. The Battle of the Nations at Leipzig ended in a landslide victory.

The meaning of the battle for the parties

Briefly, the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig can be interpreted as greatest event the first half of the 19th century. For the first time in the long history of the Napoleonic wars, a turning point has come in favor of the Allies. After all, the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 is the first major victory over the enemy and, in fact, revenge for the shameful defeat at Austerlitz in 1805. Now with regard to the losses of the parties. The results of the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig can be considered disappointing. The Allies lost 60,000 people killed, Napoleon - 65,000. The cost of defeating the French was high, but these sacrifices were not in vain.

Post-battle events

Napoleon was given a rather offensive slap in the face at the Battle of Leipzig. Returning to Paris in November 1813, he rallied his strength and decided to hunt down and destroy the enemy armies one by one. The 25,000-strong army remained in the capital under the command of Marshals Marmont and Mortier. The emperor himself, with almost 100,000 troops, went to Germany and then to Spain. Until March 1814, he managed to win several impressive victories and even persuade the coalition forces to sign a peace agreement, but then they did a completely different way. Leaving Napoleon to fight with his minor units far from France, the Allies sent an army of 100,000 to Paris. At the end of March, they defeated the troops of Marshals Marmont and Mortier and took control of the capital of the country. Bonaparte returned too late. On March 30, Napoleon signed a decree abdicating power, and then he was exiled to Elba. True, he did not stay there long ...

The Battle of the Nations in the Memory of Descendants

The Battle of Leipzig was a fateful event in the 19th century and, naturally, was not forgotten by future generations. So, in 1913, a national monument to the Battle of the Nations was built near Leipzig. The Russians living in the city also did not forget about the descendants who participated in the battle. In memory of them, an Orthodox memorial church was consecrated. Also, in honor of the centenary of the victory, coins with a memorable date were minted.

Napoleon leads the battle

The Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815) - an era in the history of Europe, when France, which embarked on the capitalist path of development, tried to impose the principles of freedom, equality, brotherhood, with which its people made their Great Revolution, to the surrounding states.

The soul of this big deal, its driving force was a French commander, a politician who eventually became emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. That is why the numerous European wars of the early nineteenth century are called Napoleonic

“Bonaparte is short, not very slender: his body is too long. Hair is dark brown, eyes are gray-blue; complexion, at first, with youthful thinness, yellow, and then, with age, white, matte, without any blush. Its features are beautiful, reminiscent of antique medals. A slightly flat mouth becomes pleasant when he smiles; the chin is a little short. The lower jaw is heavy and square. The legs and arms are graceful, he is proud of them. The eyes, usually dull, give the face, when it is calm, a melancholic, pensive expression; when he is angry, his gaze becomes suddenly stern and threatening. The smile suits him very much, makes him suddenly very kind and young; it is difficult for him then to resist, so he all prettier and transforms "(from the memoirs of Madame Remus, a lady at the court of Josephine)

Biography of Napoleon. Briefly

1769, August 15 - born in Corsica
1779, May-1785, October - training at the military schools of Brienne and Paris.
1789-1795 - in one way or another, participation in the events of the Great French Revolution
1795, June 13 - appointment as general of the Western Army
1795, October 5 - by order of the Convention, dispersed the royalist coup.
1795, October 26 - appointment as general of the Internal Army.
1796, March 9 - marriage to Josephine Beauharnais.
1796-1797 - Italian company
1798-1799 - Egyptian company
1799, November 9-10 - coup d'état. Napoleon becomes consul along with Sieyes and Roger-Ducos
1802, August 2 - Consulate for life is presented to Napoleon
1804, May 16 - proclaimed emperor of the French
1807, January 1 - the proclamation of the continental blockade of Great Britain
1809, December 15 - divorce from Josephine
1810, April 2 - Marriage to Maria Louise
1812, June 24 - the beginning of the war with Russia
1814, March 30-31 - the army of the anti-French coalition entered Paris
1814, April 4-6 - Napoleon's abdication from power
1814, May 4 - Napoleon on the island of Elba.
1815, February 26 - Napoleon left Elba
1815, March 1 - Napoleon's landing in France
1815, March 20 - Napoleon's army entered Paris in triumph
1815, June 18 - Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
1815, June 22 - second abdication
1815, October 16 - Napoleon imprisoned on Saint Helena
1821, May 5 - Napoleon's death

Napoleon is considered by unanimous experts to be the greatest military genius in world history.(academician Tarle)

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon waged wars not so much with individual states as with alliances of states. There were seven unions or coalitions in total.
First coalition (1791-1797): Austria and Prussia. The war of this coalition with France is not included in the list of Napoleonic wars.

Second Coalition (1798-1802): Russia, England, Austria, Turkey, the Kingdom of Naples, several German principalities, Sweden. The main battles took place in the regions of Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Holland.
—

1799, April 27 - at the Adda River, the victory of the Russian-Austrian troops under the command of Suvorov over the French army under the command of J. V. Moreau
1799, June 17 - at the Trebbia River in Italy, the victory of the Russian-Austrian troops of Suvorov over the French army of MacDonald
1799, August 15 - at Novi (Italy), the victory of the Russian-Austrian troops of Suvorov over the French army of Joubert
1799, September 25-26 - at Zurich, the defeat of the coalition forces by the French under the command of Massena
1800, June 14 - at Marengo, Napoleon's French army defeated the Austrians
1800, December 3 - Moreau's French army defeated the Austrians at Hohenlinden

1801, February 9 - Peace of Luneville between France and Austria
1801, October 8 - peace treaty in Paris between France and Russia
1802, March 25 - Peace of Amiens between France, Spain and the Batavian Republic on the one hand and England on the other

—
France took control of the left bank of the Rhine. The Cisalpine (in Northern Italy), Batavian (Holland) and Helvetic (Switzerland) republics are recognized as independent

Third Coalition (1805-1806): England, Russia, Austria, Sweden. The main fighting took place on land in Austria, Bavaria and at sea
—

1805, October 19 - Napoleon's victory over the Austrians at Ulm
1805, October 21 - Defeat of the Franco-Spanish fleet by the British at Trafalgar
1805, December 2 - Napoleon's victory over Austerlitz over the Russian-Austrian army ("Battle of the Three Emperors")

1805, December 26 - Peace of Presburg (Pressburg - present-day Bratislava) between France and Austria

—
Austria ceded to Napoleon the Venetian region, Istria (a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea) and Dalmatia (today it mainly belongs to Croatia) and recognized all French conquests in Italy, and also lost its possessions west of Carinthia (today a federal land within Austria)

Fourth Coalition (1806-1807): Russia, Prussia, England. The main events took place in Poland and East Prussia
—

1806, October 14 - Napoleon's victory at Jena over the Prussian army
1806, 12 October Napoleon occupied Berlin
1806, December - entry into the war of the Russian army
1806, December 24-26 - battles at Charnovo, Golymin, Pultusk, which ended in a draw
1807, February 7-8 (New Style) - Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau
1807, June 14 - Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Friedland

1807, June 25 - Peace of Tilsit between Russia and France

—
Russia recognized all the conquests of France and promised to join the continental blockade of England

Napoleon's Pyrenees Wars: Napoleon's attempt to conquer the countries of the Iberian Peninsula.
From October 17, 1807 to April 14, 1814, then dying out, then resuming with new ferocity, hostilities continued. Napoleonic marshals with the Spanish-Portuguese-Angian forces. France did not manage to completely subjugate Spain and Portugal on the one hand because the theater of war was on the periphery of Europe, on the other, because of the opposition to the occupation of the peoples of these countries.

Fifth Coalition (April 9 - October 14, 1809): Austria, England. France acted in an alliance with Poland, Bavaria, Russia. the main events took place in Central Europe
—

1809, April 19-22 - victorious for the French Teugen-Hausen, Abensberg, Landshut, Eckmühl battles in Bavaria.
The Austrian army suffered one setback after another, and the allies in Italy, Dalmatia, Tyrol, Northern Germany, Poland and Holland did not do well.

1809, 12 July - an armistice was concluded between Austria and France
1809, October 14 - Peace of Schönbrunn between France and Austria

—
Austria lost access to the Adriatic Sea. France - Istria with Trieste. Western Galicia passed to the Duchy of Warsaw, Tyrol and the Salzburg region received Bavaria, Russia - the Tarnopol district (as compensation for its participation in the war on the side of France)

Sixth Coalition (1813-1814): Russia, Prussia, England, Austria and Sweden, and after the defeat of Napoleon in the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig in October 1813, the German states of Württemberg and Bavaria joined the coalition. Spain, Portugal and England fought independently with Napoleon on the Iberian Peninsula

The main events of the war of the sixth coalition with Napoleon took place in Central Europe
—

1813 - Battle of Lützen. The allies retreated, but in the rear the battle was presented as victorious.
1813, October 16-19 - Napoleon's defeat by allied forces in the battle of Leipzig (Battle of the Nations)
1813, October 30-31 - the battle at Hanau, in which the Austro-Bavarian corps unsuccessfully tried to block the path of retreat of the French army, defeated in the Battle of the Nations
1814, January 29 - the victorious battle for Napoleon at Brienne with the Russian-Prussian-Austrian forces
1814, February 10-14 - victorious battles for Napoleon at Champaubert, Montmiral, Chateau-Thierry, Voshan, in which the Russians and Austrians lost 16,000 people
1814, March 9 - a successful battle for the coalition army at the city of Laon (northern France), in which Napoleon was still able to save the army
1814, March 20-21 - the battle of Napoleon and the Main Army of the Allies on the Aube River (center of France), in which the coalition army threw off a small army of Napoleon and went to Paris, which they entered on March 31

1814, May 30 - The Paris Peace Treaty, which put an end to Napoleon's war with the countries of the sixth coalition

—
France returned to the borders that existed on January 1, 1792, and most of the colonial possessions that it had lost during the Napoleonic Wars were returned to it. Monarchy was re-established in the country

Seventh Coalition (1815): Russia, Sweden, England, Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal. The main events of Napoleon's war with the countries of the seventh coalition took place in France and Belgium.
—

1815, on March 1, Napoleon, who fled from the island, landed in France
1815, March 20 Napoleon occupied Paris without resistance
How the headlines of French newspapers changed as Napoleon approached the capital of France:
"The Corsican monster has landed in the Bay of Juan", "The man-eater goes to the Route", "The usurper has entered Grenoble", "Bonaparte has occupied Lyon", "Napoleon is approaching Fontainebleau", "His imperial majesty enters Paris, faithful to him "
1815, March 13 England, Austria, Prussia and Russia outlawed Napoleon, March 25 formed the Seventh Coalition against him.
1815, mid-June - Napoleon's army entered Belgium
1815, June 16, the French defeated the British at Quatre Bras and the Prussians at Linyi
1815, June 18 - Napoleon's defeat

Outcome of the Napoleonic Wars

“The defeat of feudal-absolutist Europe by Napoleon had a positive, progressive historical meaning... Napoleon dealt such irreparable blows to feudalism, from which he could never recover, and this is the progressive meaning of the historical epic of the Napoleonic wars "(academician E. V. Tarle)

Battle of Waterloo ( locality in Belgium, 20 kilometers south of Brussels) - the decisive battle on June 18, 1815 between the army of Napoleon I and the Anglo-Dutch-Prussian troops during the "Hundred Days" period (the time of the secondary reign of Napoleon I from March 20 to June 22, 1815 after his flight from the island of Elba).

With the defeat in the war of 1812 against Russia, a period of disintegration began. Napoleonic Empire... The entry of troops of the anti-French coalition in Paris in 1814 forced Napoleon I to abdicate. As a result, he was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean, but seized power again in March 1815.

The hastily created 7th anti-French coalition of European states, which included not only the victorious powers, but also other states participating in the Vienna Congress of 1814-1815, came out against the restored Napoleonic empire.

The coalition troops consisted of the following armies: Anglo-Dutch (106 thousand people under the command of Field Marshal Arthur Wellington), Lower Rhine Prussian (251 thousand people under the command of Field Marshal Gebhard Blucher), Middle Rhine (168 thousand people under the command of General Field Marshal de Michael Barley ), Upper Rhine (254 thousand people under the command of Field Marshal Karel Schwarzenberg), two auxiliary Austro-Piedmont armies (about 80 thousand people). They were concentrated along the lines of Belgium, Middle Rhine, Haute Rhine, Piedmont along the French border and were intended to attack Paris. Napoleon I, having 200 thousand troops and 150 thousand national guards, decided to seize the initiative from the allies and break them up in parts. The main forces of the French army were moved to Belgium and on June 16, in the battle of Linyi, they inflicted a partial defeat on the Lower Rhine army, forcing it to retreat. Napoleon ordered the corps of Marshal Emmanuel Pears (33 thousand people) to pursue her. However, Gruschi acted indecisively and failed to prevent the Lower Rhine army from maneuvering and participating in the decisive battle.

By June 17, the main forces of the French troops (72 thousand people, 243 guns) were concentrated in the area of Belle-Alliance, Rossomme, Planchnois. But Napoleon, hoping that Pears would localize the Prussian troops, was in no hurry to attack Wellington's army, which took up defensive positions south of Waterloo along the line of heights on the road to Brussels. Wellington sheltered the troops from French artillery fire behind the hillsides.

The battle began on June 18 at 11 o'clock. Napoleon decided to strike the main blow on the left flank of Wellington in order to prevent him from joining with the Prussian army. The French corps of Honore Reil was originally supposed to conduct only demonstrative actions against the right flank of Wellington's army. However, the resistance of the enemy troops at the Ugumon castle disrupted Napoleon's plans. Reil gradually drew his entire corps into battle, but did not achieve success until the end of the day. The attack on the left flank of Wellington's army, launched at about 14:00 by four divisions of the corps of Count d "Erlon, each of which was built in deep columns from deployed battalions, also did not reach the goal, since with such a formation, insignificant forces were simultaneously involved in the attack, and the attackers carried huge losses from enemy artillery and rifle fire French artillery fire was ineffective because it was located too far from the attacking columns.

In the afternoon, the vanguard of Blücher's Prussian army entered the Fishermon area. Napoleon was forced to throw against the Prussian troops the 10-thousandth corps of Count Lobau, and then part of the guard. At the same time, he changed the direction of the main attack, concentrating his main efforts against the center of Wellington's army. However, here, too, the repeated attacks of the French troops were unsuccessful. Heavy cavalry, led by Marshal Michel Ney, twice broke into the position of Wellington's army, but, not supported in time by the infantry, rolled back. The last attempt of Napoleon to break through the center of the enemy, throwing his reserve here - 10 battalions of the Old Guard, was also unsuccessful. The balance of forces at this time was already in favor of the coalition forces - with the approach of three Prussian corps (Friedrich von Bülow, Georg von Pirch and Hans Joachim von Zieten), they had 130 thousand people.

At 20 o'clock the main forces of the Anglo-Dutch army went on the offensive from the front, and the Prussian troops struck on the right flank of the French. Napoleon's troops wavered and began to withdraw. The retreat turned into a flight.

In the battle of Waterloo, the French lost 32 thousand people and all the artillery, the allies - 23 thousand people. Napoleon fled to Paris, where on June 22 he abdicated the throne for the second time. He was later exiled to Saint Helena.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

(Additional