Description

This two-volume set is the first comprehensive history of the campaigns that determined control of Germany following Napoleon's catastrophic defeat in Russia. Michael V. Leggiere reveals how, in the spring of 1813, Prussia, the weakest of the Great Powers, led the struggle against Napoleon as a war of national liberation. Using German, French, British, Russian, Austrian and Swedish sources, he provides a panoramic history ranging from the mobilization of the belligerents, strategy and operations to coalition warfare, diplomacy and civil-military relations. He examines the strategy, military operations and battles in Germany from Napoleon's initial campaign which drove the Russo-Prussian army to the banks of the Oder and the verge of defeat to the epic four-day Battle of Nations at Leipzig and Napoleon's retreat to France. This study not only highlights the breakdown of Napoleon's strategy in 1813, but constitutes a fascinating study in coalition warfare, international relations, and civil-military relations.