Download or read book The French Invasion of Russia and the Battle of Leipzig written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-08 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the fighting written by soldiers and generals *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was not a man made for peacetime. By 1812, he had succeeded in subduing most of his enemies - though in Spain, the British continued to be a perpetual thorn in his flank that drained the Empire of money and troops - but his relationship with Russia, never more than one of mutual suspicion at best, had now grown downright hostile. At the heart of it, aside from the obvious mistrust that two huge superpowers intent on dividing up Europe felt for one another, was Napoleon's Continental blockade. Russia had initially agreed to uphold the blockade in the Treaty of Tilsit, but they had since taken to ignoring it altogether. Napoleon wanted an excuse to teach Russia a lesson, and in early 1812 his spies gave him just that: a preliminary plan for the invasion and annexation of Poland, then under French control. Napoleon wasted no time attempting to defuse the situation. He increased his Grande Armee to 450,000 fighting men and prepared it for invasion. On July 23rd, 1812, he launched his army across the border, despite the protestations of many of his Marshals. The Russian Campaign had begun, and it would turn out to be Napoleon's biggest blunder. Russia's great strategic depth already had a habit of swallowing armies, a fact many would-be conquerors learned the hard way. Napoleon, exceptional though he was in so many regards, proved that even military genius can do little in the face of the Russian winter and the resilience of its people. Napoleon's Russian adventure gutted his veteran army, depriving him of the majority of his finest and most loyal soldiers. Those who remained formed the hard core of his new armies, but the Russian fiasco damaged their health and embittered their previously unquestioning loyalty. Napoleon raised vast new armies, but circumstances compelled him to fill the ranks with raw recruits, whose fighting skills did not equal their undoubted bravery and whose dedication to the Napoleonic cause was shaky, and in many cases due solely to coercion. The tough, experienced, faithful veteran found himself outnumbered by unwilling, sketchily trained amateurs. These factors set the stage for the second setback, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, romantically but accurately dubbed the "Battle of the Nations," proved the decisive encounter of the War of the Sixth Coalition and essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward. All the belligerents showed awareness that the European conflict's climax was at hand: "There was keen determination in Prussia to exact revenge for the humiliation visited by Napoleon, but enthusiasm for armed struggle that would bring the eviction of the French found enthusiastic response throughout the German states. [...] To minimize his army's exposure and purchase time to rebuild, Napoleon might have stood on the defensive, but he followed his standard strategy of deciding the campaign with a bold advance to achieve decisive victory in one stroke." (Tucker, 2011, 302). The resultant collision was the single largest field action of the Napoleonic Wars, dwarfing Waterloo in size, complexity, and overall importance. The Battle of Leipzig was probably the combat which involved the highest concentration of men on a single extended battlefield on the planet up to that point in history, and would not be exceeded until the vast struggles of the First World War almost precisely a century later. The French Invasion of Russia and the Battle of Leipzig details the background leading up to the campaign, the fighting, and the aftermath of France's catastrophic defeat. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Battle of Leipzig like never before.

Download or read book The Battle of Leipzig written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-03-25 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents Though Napoleon Bonaparte's unquenchable thirst for military adventurism eventually cost him both his throne and his freedom during the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the French Emperor was not easily defeated even when most of Europe's nations united against him. Two military setbacks on a scale unprecedented in history until then were required before the high tide of Napoleon's success began to ebb towards the final denouement of the Hundred Days and the famous battle of Waterloo. The incredible losses inflicted on Napoleon's Grand Armee by the ill-fated invasion of Russia in 1812 constituted the first setback to switch the Corsican's life journey from the road of success to that of defeat and exile. A huge, veteran, highly experienced force, the French Army of Napoleon perished on the rain-soaked tracks and sun-seared plains of Russia. Napoleon eventually committed over 400,000 men to his Russian project, but at the end of a relatively brief campaign, only about 40,000 men returned alive to Germany, and the Russians took some 100,000 prisoner and largely absorbed them into the Russian military or population. The remainder died, principally from starvation but also through enemy action and the bitter cold of early winter. The failed Russian invasion set the stage for the second defeat at Leipzig, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, romantically but accurately dubbed the "Battle of the Nations," proved the decisive encounter of the War of the Sixth Coalition and essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward. All the belligerents showed awareness that the European conflict's climax was at hand: "There was keen determination in Prussia to exact revenge for the humiliation visited by Napoleon, but enthusiasm for armed struggle that would bring the eviction of the French found enthusiastic response throughout the German states. [...] To minimize his army's exposure and purchase time to rebuild, Napoleon might have stood on the defensive, but he followed his standard strategy of deciding the campaign with a bold advance to achieve decisive victory in one stroke." (Tucker, 2011, 302). The resultant collision was the single largest field action of the Napoleonic Wars, dwarfing Waterloo in size, complexity, and overall importance. The Battle of Leipzig was probably the combat which involved the highest concentration of men on a single extended battlefield on the planet up to that point in history, and would not be exceeded until the vast struggles of the First World War almost precisely a century later. Its outcome permanently settled what might be called the Napoleonic question, though it could not undo the massive changes Napoleon's conquests brought to the European continent. The old Europe of feudal nobility, absolute monarchs, strong clerical power, and relatively slow technical progress soon gave way to the potent dynamism, enormous new mental horizons, and fresh possibilities of the modern age. The Battle of Leipzig: The History and Legacy of the Biggest Battle of the Napoleonic Wars details the background leading up to the campaign, the fighting, and the aftermath of France's catastrophic defeat. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Battle of Leipzig like never before, in no time at all.

Download or read book Napoleon at Leipzig written by George Nafziger and published by Helion. This book was released on 2021-03-15 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leipzig dashed the dreams of a French Empire when the armies of Prussia, Russia, Austria and Sweden converged on Napoleon and his Grande Armée. It was the greatest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, so decisive it would be called "the battle of the Nations". Smaller countries like Poland and Saxony seemed to be submerged in the titanic struggle and the battle shaped Europe for more than a century. "Napoleon at Leipzig" not only covers this pivotal battle, but also the manoeuvres that led up to it and the retreat that followed. At Hanau, the Bavarians learned to their dismay the Napoleon was still the master of the battlefield. The book includes the campaigns of Marshal Davout in the north, and the fate of the besieged French fortresses. From glittering field marshals to ragged cossacks, in massive battles or small skirmishes, we see the dramatic campaign unfold. George Nafziger's intensive research into the 1813 campaign shows how the finest general of all time was brought to bay. The greatest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, and the campaign that led up to it, is thoroughly studied for the first time in English in "Napoleon at Leipzig". This edition includes a new set of images and newly-commissioned color maps.

Download or read book Napoleon Bonapartes Most Decisive Land Battles written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-14 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the battles *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading For those questioning why generals continued using tactics from the Napoleonic Era even as technology changed the battlefield, the Battle of Austerlitz may provide the best answer. Napoleon is regarded as one of history's greatest generals, and Austerlitz was his greatest victory. In 1805, Britain, Austria, and Russia allied together to form the Third Coalition against the French, and the Third Coalition's forces consisted of armies from Austria and Russia, with Britain providing naval support as well as its financial powers. The Battle of Austerlitz was a tactical masterpiece that saw Napoleon actually invite an attack on his army by the bigger Coalition army, and over the course of about 9 hours, the French successfully defended their right flank while counterattacking in the center and splitting the Russo-Austrian army in two, allowing the French to hit the flank of the advancing left wing of the enemy. The result was a decisive victory that virtually annihilated the Third Coalition's army and made Napoleon the master of the European continent. By 1812, he had succeeded in subduing most of his enemies - though in Spain, the British continued to be a perpetual thorn in his flank that drained the Empire of money and troops - but his relationship with Russia, never more than one of mutual suspicion at best, had now grown downright hostile. On July 23rd, 1812, he launched his army across the border, despite the protestations of many of his Marshals. The Russian Campaign had begun, and it would turn out to be Napoleon's biggest blunder. Russia's great strategic depth already had a habit of swallowing armies, a fact many would-be conquerors learned the hard way. Napoleon, exceptional though he was in so many regards, proved that even military genius can do little in the face of the Russian winter and the resilience of its people. By the time the Grande Armee had reached the Berezina, it had been decimated: of the over 450,000 fighting men that had invaded Russia that autumn, less than 40,000 remained. These factors set the stage for the second setback, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, romantically but accurately dubbed the "Battle of the Nations," proved the decisive encounter of the War of the Sixth Coalition and essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward. The resultant collision was the single largest field action of the Napoleonic Wars, dwarfing Waterloo in size, complexity, and overall importance. The Battle of Leipzig was probably the combat which involved the highest concentration of men on a single extended battlefield on the planet up to that point in history, and would not be exceeded until the vast struggles of the First World War almost precisely a century later. Waterloo is the most famous battle in modern history if not all of history, and appropriately so. Gathering an army of 100,000 men, Napoleon marched into what is now Belgium, intent on driving his force between the advancing British army under the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian forces under Marshal Blucher. It was the kind of daring strategy that only Napoleon could pull off, as he had at places like Jena and Austerlitz. At Waterloo, however, it would end disastrously, as Napoleon's armies were unable to dislodge Wellington and unable to keep the Prussians from linking up with the British. The battle would end with the French suffering nearly 60% casualties, the end of Napoleon's reign, and the restructuring of the European map. Simply put, the next 200 years of European history can be traced back to the result of the battle that day in 1815.

Download or read book Napoleon at Leipzig written by George F. Nafziger and published by Military History Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Battle of Nations 1813 Leipzig dashed the dreams of a French Empire when the armies of Prussia, Russia, Austria, and Sweden converged on Napoleon and his Grande Armee. It was the greatest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, so decisive it would be called the Battle of Nations. Smaller countries like Poland and Saxony seemed to be submerged in the titanic struggle, and the battle shaped Europe for more than a century. Napoleon at Leipzig not only covers this pivotal battle, but also the maneuvers that led up to it and the retreat that followed. At Hanau, the Bavarians learned to their dismay that Napoleon was still the master of the battlefield. The book includes the campaigns of Marshal Davout in the north, and the fate of the besieged French fortresses. From glittering field marshals to ragged Cossacks, in massive battles or small skirmishes, we see the dramatic campaign unfold. George Nafziger's intensive research into the 1813 campaign shows how the finest general of all time was bought to bay. The greatest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, and the campaign that led up to it, is thoroughly studied for the first time in English in Napoleon at Leipzig."

Download or read book Russia Against Napoleon written by Dominic Lieven and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2009-10-01 with total page 952 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A compulsive page-turner ... a triumph of brilliant storytelling ... an instant classic that is an awesome, remarkable and exuberant achievement' Simon Sebag Montefiore Winner of the Wolfson History Prize and shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize In the summer of 1812 Napoleon, the master of Europe, marched into Russia with the largest army ever assembled, confident that he would sweep everything before him. Yet less than two years later his empire lay in ruins, and Russia had triumphed. This is the first history to explore in depth Russia's crucial role in the Napoleonic Wars, re-creating the epic battle between two empires as never before. Dominic Lieven writes with great panache and insight to describe from the Russians' viewpoint how they went from retreat, defeat and the burning of Moscow to becoming the new liberators of Europe; the consequences of which could not have been more important. Ultimately this book shows, memorably and brilliantly, Russia embarking on its strange, central role in Europe's existence, as both threat and protector - a role that continues, in all its complexity, into our own lifetimes.

Download or read book Leipzig 1813 written by Peter Hofschröer and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leipzig, the greatest clash of arms before the First World War, was the truly decisive engagement of the Napoleonic Wars --- half a million men in five armies settled the fate of Germany, and subsequently that of Europe.

Download or read book The Battle of Leipzig written by Gilles Boué and published by Men and Battles. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Around Leipzig between 14-19 October 1813, 500,000 men would battle on what remains the greatest battlefield of the Napoleonic wars. Napoleon would fight to keep his grip on Germany and beyond his empire. The Russians, the crowned winners of the unthinkable victory of their 1812 winter campaign, the Prussians, and their vehemence against France, the Austrians, wanting to erase fifteen years of defeats, all unite against the last Grand Army. Napoleon succeeded at the feat of rebuilding a credible army on the ruins of 1812; the young recruits would march to the canon surrounded by survivors of the Berezina or the remote sierras of Spain. The spring campaign has cast doubt on the coalition, however, the battles lost by the allies did not define their defeat. From the depths of Russia, Prussia, and Central Europe, ran hundreds of thousands of troops in the plains of Saxony. And it is here, on the several dozen square miles of battlefield that the fate of the First Empire will be played out.

Download or read book Napoleon s Invasion of Russia written by George Nafziger and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 2009-05-06 with total page 705 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An impressive source book on the conflict, high on information and data.”—Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research September 7, 1812, is by itself one of the most cataclysmic days in the history of war: 74,000 casualties at the Battle of Borodino. And this was well before the invention of weaspons of mass destruction like machine guns or breech-loading rifles. In this detailed study of one of the most fascinating military campaigns in history, George Nazfiger includes a clear exposition on the power structure in Europe at the time leading up to Napoleon’s fateful decision to attempt what turned out to be impossible: the conquest of Russia. Also featured are complete orders of battle and detailed descriptions of the opposing forces.

Download or read book 1812 Napoleon s Fatal March on Moscow written by Adam Zamoyski and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2012-11-29 with total page 677 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adam Zamoyski’s bestselling account of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and his catastrophic retreat from Moscow, events that had a profound effect on European history.

Download or read book Borodino 1812 written by Philip Haythornthwaite and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A highly illustrated account of the battle of Borodino, the most crucial action in Napoleon's 1812 campaign in Russia. The battle of Borodino was one of the greatest encounters in European history, and one of the largest and most sanguinary in the Napoleonic Wars. Following the breakdown of relations between Russia and France, Napoleon assembled a vast Grande Armée drawn from the many states within the French sphere of influence. They crossed the river Neimen and entered Russian territory in June 1812 with the aim of inflicting a sharp defeat on the Tsar's forces and bringing the Russians back into line. In a bloody battle of head-on attacks and desperate counter-attacks in the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812, both sides lost about a third of their men, with the Russians forced to withdraw and abandon Moscow to the French. However, the Grande Armée was harassed by Russian troops all the way back and was destroyed by the retreat. The greatest army Napoleon had ever commanded was reduced to a shadow of frozen, starving fugitives. This title covers the events of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 in its entirety, with the set-piece battle of Borodino proving the focal point of the book.

Download or read book Narrative of the Most Remarkable Events which Occurred in and Near Leipzig Immediately Before During and Subsequent To the Sanguinary Series of Engagements Between the Allied Armies and the French from the 14th to the 19th October 1813 written by and published by . This book was released on 1814 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Napoleon s Invasion of Russia written by Theodore Ayrault Dodge and published by Ravenio Books. This book was released on 2008-05-03 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A great historian examines Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia in 1812. This classic includes the following chapters: I. The Invasion of Russia (1811 to June, 1812) II. Smolensk and Valutino (August, 1812) III. Borodino (September 1-7, 1812) IV. Moscow (Sep 8 to Oct 19, 1812) V. Maloyaroslavez (Oct 19 to Nov 14, 1812) VI. The Beresina (Nov 15, 1812, to Jan 31, 1813)

Download or read book The Leipzig Campaign 1813 written by Colonel Frederic Natusch Maude, C.B., late R.E. and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09-07 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the destruction of Napoleon’s huge armies of 1812 in the wintry wastes of European Russia, his hegemony of Europe was teetering on the abyss. He set about re-establishing his dominance with his vast abilities of organisation, combing depots and previous drafts and deserters for further manpower, and juggling his resources from the draining war in Spain, to create a new Grande Armée. His enemies were not idle: the Russians pushed the remaining French units back from successive river lines into Eastern Prussia, freeing that power from the yoke of French dominance. The Prussians in their turn activated reservists and reformed their army from the restrictions of the treaty following the disasters of 1806. The Austrians in the south itched to revenge themselves against the French and stood waiting for an opportune time to intervene. Napoleon carried out his campaigning in the manner of old, attempting to use the superior mobility of the French to bring the main enemy army to battle and destroy them therefore ensuring peace; however, hamstrung by his lack of cavalry, he might beat his opponents but could not destroy them. His sub-ordinate generals, who could not match him for strategy or his ability to get the best out of the raw troops, were beaten when away from their master. As the net closes on Napoleon, he finds himself at Leipzig, at the Battle of Nations, and so to fight the defining battle of his first reign. The Special Campaigns series was written in the early years of the turn of the twentieth century to provide detailed assessments of the historic campaigns of the past for the benefit of the officers of the British Army. They were all written by surviving or recently retired officers of the Army who shared their wealth of experience and insight to a new generation, each officer having had a specialist area of expertise. Colonel Maude was an authority on the campaigns of Napoleon, and wrote three volumes for the series. Author – Colonel Frederic Natusch Maude, C.B., late R.E. (1854–1933)

Download or read book Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany written by Michael V. Leggiere and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-04-16 with total page 903 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first comprehensive history of the Fall Campaign that determined control of Central Europe following Napoleon's catastrophic defeat in Russia.

Download or read book The First Total War written by David Avrom Bell and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2007 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author maintains that modern attitudes toward total war were conceived during the Napoleonic era; and argues that all the elements of total war were evident including conscription, unconditional surrender, disregard for basic rules of war, mobilization of civilians, and guerrilla warfare.

Download or read book The Napoleonic Wars A Very Short Introduction written by Mike Rapport and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-01-31 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Napoleonic Wars have an important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societies in a variety of ways. In many European countries they provided the stimulus for radical social and political change - particularly in Spain, Germany, and Italy - and are frequently viewed in these places as the starting point of their modern histories. In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Rapport provides a brief outline of the wars, introducing the tactics, strategies, and weaponry of the time. Presented in three parts, he considers the origins and course of the wars, the ways and means in which it was fought, and the social and political legacy it has left to the world today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.