Leipzig, Battle of

Leipzig, Battle of (also called the “Battle of the Nations”, 16–19 October 1813) A decisive battle in the NAPOLEONIC WARS. It was fought just outside the city of Leipzig in Saxony, by an army under Napoleon of some 185,000 French, Saxon, and other allied German troops, against a force of some 350,000 troops from Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Sweden, under the overall command of SCHWARZENBERG. Napoleon took up a defensive position and at first successfully resisted attacks by Schwarzenberg from the south and BLÜCHER from the north. The next day Russian and Swedish troops arrived, while Napoleon's Saxon troops deserted him. The battle raged for nine hours, but at midnight Napoleon ordered a retreat. This began in an orderly fashion until, early in the afternoon of 19 October, a bridge was mistakenly blown up, stranding the French rear-guard of 30,000 crack troops, who were captured. Following the battle French power east of the Rhine collapsed as more and more German princes deserted Napoleon, who abdicated in 1814.