On this day in 1813 the armies of the Sixth Coalition engaged Napoleon at Leipzig. The ensuing four‐day battle, sometimes referred to as the Battle of the Nations, would prove to be one of Napoleon’s worst defeats, and was the largest battle on European soil before World War I.

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  3. For all intent and purposes, the battle of Leipzig **was** Napoléon decisive defeat, bar none.

    This was the event that permanently sealed the fate of the French empire’s hold over Europe (and thus of the empire altogether).

    Before this battle, there was still some tenuous hope that the empire might retain some form of shaky control over western and central Europe, but after, it had become clear that the empire was to collapse.

    Napoleon’s brief return to power in 1815, in comparison, was almost mundane; at this point, France was way too weakened and alone to stand a chance against united Europe powers.

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