Last week we covered the Armistice of Pläswitz (1813). This brief pause in hostilities barely lasted three months and saw France's (now) not-quite-so-fearless (anymore) Emperor Napoleon throw a rather ignoble mantrum (that's las crise de colère when you do it in French) during the armistice negotiations, losing one of his few remaining continental allies. Again, I have to ask, Dear Readers, does this remind you of anyone?
The Austrians were only really allied with the French under sufferance and looking for just about any excuse to break away. Accordingly, they came out in open opposition to Napoleon in August and joined with the Allies against him.
The Armistice was officially over:
When hostilities resumed in August 1813, Napoleon regained the initiative at the Battle of Dresden on August 26–27, where he inflicted a severe defeat on the Allied forces, despite being heavily outnumbered.
Commanding 135,000 troops, Napoleon, turned the Allies’ left flank and pinned it against the Weißeritz River, isolating three divisions of Austrian troops. In the ensuing chaos, Marshal Murat’s cavalry decimated the Austrians, capturing 15 standards and forcing the surrender of 13,000 men.
Although Napoleon’s forces suffered only 10,000 casualties compared to the Allies’ 40,000, the French were unable to fully exploit their victory due to adverse weather conditions and the Allies’ successful retreat. Did he learn his lesson in Russia, then? Seems not.
While Napoleon achieved tactical success at Dresden, his forces faced multiple defeats elsewhere. On August 23, Marshal Oudinot’s attempt to capture Berlin was thwarted by Bernadotte’s Army of the North at the Battle of Großbeeren.
Three days later on August 26, Blücher’s Prussian forces inflicted a crushing defeat on Marshal MacDonald’s army at the Battle of Katzbach. During this engagement, heavy rains and communication breakdowns led to the isolation of MacDonald’s corps, which suffered heavy casualties as the Prussians overwhelmed them, forcing many French soldiers into the Katzbach River, where thousands of French troops drowned.
What else could go wrong?
A lot, as it turns out.
August 29–30: Napoleon’s difficulties were compounded by the defeat of one of his corps at the Battle of Kulm, further weakening his forces.
September 6: Another serious blow came when Marshal Ney was defeated by Bernadotte’s forces at the Battle of Dennewitz.
This second failure to capture Berlin cost the French 50 cannons and 10,000 men, with further losses during the subsequent retreat. The French losses at Dennewitz also had significant political consequences, as many of Napoleon’s German allies began to defect.
Bavaria declared neutrality and initiated negotiations with the Allies, while Saxon and Westphalian troops deserted the French in increasing numbers. No one loves a tyrant - and when you're losing, they won't even pretend to care.
By October 1813, Napoleon, weakened by attrition and desertion, withdrew his remaining forces to Leipzig. There, at the Battle of Leipzig (16–19 October 1813), also known as the Battle of Nations, his 191,000-strong army faced a combined Allied force of over 430,000 men.
After four days of intense fighting, Napoleon was defeated and forced into a retreat. During the withdrawal, a crucial bridge was prematurely destroyed, resulting in the capture of 30,000 French soldiers.
The Battle of Hanau and the Frankfurt Peace Proposals:
As Napoleon retreated westward, he managed to defeat a Bavarian army at the Battle of Hanau on October 30–31, 1813, before withdrawing into France. The Allies offered peace terms at Frankfurt in November 1813. The proposal was generous, allowing Napoleon to remain as Emperor but reduce France to its "natural frontiers" of the Rhine, the Alps, and the Pyrenees.
Napoleon, still confident in his ability to turn the tide, hesitated too long, and by December, the Allies withdrew their offer (these days a shrink might say he denied he lost the wars, don't you think?)
When Napoleon attempted to reopen negotiations in 1814, the Allies’ terms were less kind. They required France to return to its pre-Revolutionary borders (i.e. return pretty much all the territories the French empire had absorbed since the 1787 French Revolution.
When you're losing & won't admit it:
The spring of 1813 marked a turning point in Napoleon's struggle to maintain his empire, and Europe's resistance to tyranny.
Although Napoleon achieved several tactical victories, his inability to decisively defeat the Allies, combined with his strategic miscalculations and the loss of several key allies, ultimately weakened his position.
The end of 1813:
By the end of 1813, Napoleon’s dominion over Europe was crumbling. The Allied coalition forces prepared for their final invasion of France - and we're nearly in the middle of one of my books...
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