#Napoleon#Hanau 1813. After his defeat in Leipzig, the rest of Napoleon‘s troops tried to reach Frankfurt am Main. For those who escaped the murderous onslaught and reached the fields behind the river Elster, it wasn’t the end. The retreating French forces were under
attack and involved in smaller skirmishes. Behind the Saale the skirmishes became harmless for bigger detachments. The allied forces didn‘ t follow Napoleon in a speed to become a threat for the Emperor. The grand armee was able to resupply on its way to Hanau in towns like
Erfurt, Gotha and Fulda. From there Napoleon’s army retreated through the valley of the Kinzig, a small river flowing into the river Main. The French pillaged their way through the dell. From Schlüchtern, where they took a rest, to Hanau is a range of 56km. The valley is formed
by thousands of years of flooding. It’s impossible to predict the floodings, which can lock the whole valley. In autumn the meadows are wet and swampy on the frontier between Spessart and Vogelsberg. The street from Leipzig to Frankfurt was one of the main trading roads through
Germany. It was possession of Hesse-Kassel, but along the Bavarian border, which had joined the 6th coalition. It was easy to bring light and small detachments through the woods near to the retreating French troops.
The Valley of the Kinzig.
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The end Leipzig 1813. French casualties: 75 000, Allied casualties: 51 000. Napoleon’s ambitions on German soil ended. But his army wasn’t beaten yet. The houses of the people of Leipzig stayed untouched in the early days of the
battle. On the 18th and 19th of Octobre, 1/5
those which were not in flames, were pillaged by the French. One platoon after another went through the flats and plundered, what they could carry. The allied forces did the same and did not behave like liberators. The Russian
soldiers were described as the most skillful 2/5
units in looting houses and prisoners. We have very exact sources, which describe how the looting went on. About sexual abuse we have nearly no informations. But the absolute lack of this informations tell more, that there was
kept silence to protect the reputation of the 3/5
#OTD 1813. Großgörschen. Lutzen. 06:00PM. The emperor has come. Along the road to Markranstädt: The eastern allied flank is in peril. From southeast two French divisions arrive and march on to Starsiedel to engage the western allied flank. On the left French 1/6
flank at Kleingörschen Russian troops approach led by Eugene of Württemberg. Behind him Konovizin’s Grenadiers, who march eastwards to defend Württemberg’s back, blocking MacDonald’s troops and Latour-Maubourg’s cavalry. At the slopes eastwards between Rahna and 2/6
Kaja Napoleon positions a huge battery out of 80 guns. The fire is devastating. In the villages cracking whips are heard accompanied by shouts of pain and the dry cracking and snapping sound of breaking bones. The Prussians bring guns in the villages to answer the 3/6
#OTD 1813. Großgörschen. Lutzen. In front of the village Großgörschen Souham‘s division out of Ney‘s Korps has lined up. French reconnaissance had failed totally. The news come late. The French are not aware, that nearly the whole Silesian army is about to challenge the 1/6
old enemy. At 11:00 o’clock the allied deployment, partly covered by a hill and the sun in the back, is complete for the charge. From 800m 4 batteries open fire on 3 French battalions. The infantry withstands the shelling without a move. The officers of the Grande 2/6
Armee understimated the new Prussian spirit. Line infantry and Landwehr are high motivated. Blucher rises in his saddle. “Vorwärts”. Trumpet signals from the whole line. Then forward. Klüx’s brigade takes them in the front outnumbers them. The French infantry cannot 3/6
#battleofthenations#napoleon#leipzig 1813. The gates are still manned. The coalition forces did not await such a fast retreat of the French lines. No axe or gun is with the first units, who reach the wall. They shall take the gates, but can only press themselves 1/6
against the city walls. Rifle and musket fire from all directions. Many detachments cannot move. The defenders beat holes in the wall and use them as loop holes. At the Grimma’s gate the Königsberg Landwehr battalion from Bülows Corps breaks the thin wall and storms the 2/6
barricades behind the gate. The French units retreat, draw back and go in fire formation. They fire on the gap. The Prussians step over comrades’ dead bodies. The French cannot hold and flee through the small lanes. Before the Landwehr advances, the order comes: 3/6
#battleofthenations#OTD#napoleon#leipzig 1813. The Germans in French uniforms from the Rhine and Mayence (Mainz) are in the heavy fights to hold Göhren in the south. Murat arrives. “Mes enfant, il ne faut pas quitter ce village là, autrement nous sommes perdu.” They 1/4
have to hold to secure the retreat. Despite the brave defence they are overrun. All the blood from the days before was for nothing. From Liebertklolkwitz and from the 17th the wounded were placed in nearly all houses there. When they leave the town, the homes are all in 2/4
flames. The comrades are left behind and die in the fire. MacDonald’s headquarter falls. J.J. Röhrig from the Rhine comes across a house. It is full of cuirassiers. The limbs are shot off or cut off by sword strikes. “They took off the leg of an officer. He sat on a bench, 3/4
#battleofthenations#OTD#napoleon#leipzig 1813. The army of the north is here. They increase the push. Napoleon resits at the tobacco mill. On all fronts the carnage goes on. 1 000 men die per hour. The northern flank withers. In south Probstheida is in flames. 1/5
Landwehr is pushing in and are thrown out again. The guns which were conquered minutes before are lost again. Without shelter, the returned French artillery squads fire one canister shot after another and rip the bodies of the Landwehr. They are wiped out. The church 2/5
and the big farmhouse, in which the French wounded found a cosy an safe place, are ablaze. In some quiet seconds the soldiers hear the dying cries. The noise of the battle is merciful for the fighters. The wounded cannot get out. They escaped the guns but died in the flames.3/5