BATTLE OF NATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 4

BATTLE OF NATIONS.

$ : LEIPZIG—IBI3. THE CENTENARY THIS WEEK. [I)y Gvho.] This week marks tlio centenary of the battlo of Leipzig which formed tlio culmination of a murderous campaign waged by Napoleon in Silesia against tho lielcl armies of Prussia, Russia, Austria, Sweden, and (after they deserted) the Saxons. In Germany the engagement is known as Volkersehlact —tho battle of tho nations, and is regarded as tho chief direct step loading to the downfall of tho Emperor. Tho battle stands out from other military operations in two ways:—(l) Until tho battle of Mukden in 1905 it was tho largest battle, as far as numbers engaged wero concerned, in the history of tho world. (2) It marked tho first time that Napoleon had been defeated in a general action of any consequence. What the Snow Did. The chronology and antecedents of the Volkorschlacht may bo given as follows:—In 181!2 Napoleon had embarked oil the terrible Russian campaign, while, at tho same timo operations of war in the Spanish peninsula wore being maintained by tho Duko of Wellington against the French anny of occupation.' Tho Spanish campaign, 'however, wa3 always'regarded by tho Emperor as something in tho nature of a side-line, and his best troops were usually kopt out of Spain for operations in Central and Northern Europe. These troops wero drilled pn what ip sometimos known as Mesnil Uurand'e system—tho system of attack in double company columns, advancing rapidly over the fire-swept zone at deploying intervals, and only coming out of column into lino for tho final charge, when, in tho judgment of tho company, and regimental commanders, the right moment had arrived to deploy. This system was irresistible as long as it lasted but it is manifest that, to give it its full efficiency, it required educated and experienced men as officers of regiments, .and these moil liatl been supplied by'tho French Revolution from tho educated classes who, finding no other outlet in life, had perforce to join tho army Such officers oould not easily be replaced in the event of casualty, and this point is seldom (if ever) noted in British history. Theso books merely contemplate tlio retreat from , Moscow as a loss of half-a-million of men, but fail to note that the invasion of Russia, as far as the French were concerned, meant a great deal more than more loss of life. It meant tho entire obliteration of Mesnil Durand's system of attack, since the typo of officer who alone could make that system a success liad now perished in Russia. Thenceforward all French assaults had to bo delivered in columns of brigades and divisions, and'sometimes even in columns of ariny corps. On-theso huge targets tho artillery of other armies naturally had a very telling effect. Battles Leading up to Lolpzlg. . After tho retreat from Russia, the Prussians wero the first to see howgreat a change had been wrought. They had been Napoleon's allies in tho llussian campaign, but tliey now turned against him. Napoleon had moantiino, by further drawing on tho armies engaged against tho Duko of Wellington in Spain and summoning to tho colours great levies of half-drilled conscripts, had mustered an army which varied at different stages of. tho, campaign'from 180,000 r.'iho figures, however, are only approximate,, for most of the French. regimental rosters wero lost in tho campaign. , Most of tho army corps woro commanded by well known marshals —Ney, Marmont, Victor M. St. Cyr, Macdonnld, Oudinot, while leaders like Murqt and. Latour Mabourg led tlio cavalry. Tho divisional 'generate wero Slso fairly good, hut tho inferior commanders poor, captains having been promoted to colonels and' brigadiers, and corporals to captains. The big campaign oponed with tho Battlo of Lutzen, in which an attempt was made to cut the French Army iit two aa it was inarching in columns of route in the direction or Leipzig. This was frustrated by a swift counter-stroke by Napoleon, who afterwards followed up tho allies and turned thom out of a liugo entrenched camp at Bautzen. After an armistice, Austria joined the Allies, but Napoleon (again leading in person) heat them in a two-days' batt.'o at Dresden. Two Moan-Souletl Men. During these operations, however, tho word had been passed round, among the Allies by two ex-French generals— Jomini and Moreau—always to avoid a battlo where there was reason to suspect that Napoleon was accompanying tlio troops ill person, but always to bring ono on in cases whoro it was known that only 0110 of tlio marshals was. in superior direction. Of this policy the defeats of Marshals Oudinot and Ney atDennowitz and Grossbeeren, of Macdonald at tho and of Vandannme at Culmwore tho direct results. Seeing that it was apparently futile to entrust the marshals to manoeuvre such raw troops as independent armies, the Einporor resolved to draw in his long line (holding the Elbe River and extending from as far north as Berlin to the Austrian frontier in tho south), and then to accept in person tho general battlo which the \Allies seomed willing to deliver. "Bloodiest In History." Tiio conflict was of the severest description, and lasted from October IG-19, 1813. Tho. attack of the Prussians at Mockern (north of Leipzig) 011 tho corps of Marmont and other troops, including Key's left-wing, is thought by some historians to constitute tlio bloodiest affair in tho annals of history. Tlie attack on Schonfeld, Probstheida, and other points of tho French centre 011 tho culminating day woro almost equally sanguinary. It is worthy of note (though seldom noted iu history) that tho French, being heavily outnumbered, were necessarily on the defensive" all the time, and had thus to be formed in lino. TJig normal French line was formed three deen, but tlio vast perimeter of the attack was so great that Napoleon was reduced to forming his troops two deep only— a dangerous change to make iu tho midst of a world-shaking battlo. Hie French, at tho end of the fighting, wore thrown back in great, disorder over the Elster and rapidly foil back'towards France. 1 Tho Emperor's Health. Ono of tho points which will always be of interest in connection with this campaign is the state of Napoleon's health which had steadily failed for two or throe years. 011 tho second day of tho battlo of Dresden ho had violent bleeding % froni tho mouth, and ho became more "and more obsessed with what are termed "fixed ideas." If ho chose to conceive that- a certain number of tho enemy wore ill a certain place no reconnaissance report could change that conviction. At tho /battle of Leipzig his temper was so violent that the Chief of the General Staff (Marshall Berthier) was afraid to remind him that it would be desirable to havo certain bridges over rivers t-iat intersected the battlefield thrown to facilitate the ready passage of the t.rm.v if retreat should bo necessary. When a rearward movement did become obligatory only a sinplc stone bridge at Lindonau was available.' The time to blow it up was left to the discretion of a mere corporal of engineers, an 1 he 1 lit his fuse when fully 50,000 Freuen — I mostly men belonging to Noy's, Macdonald's, and Poniatowski's' commandswere 011 the wrong side of the Elster. Fow of thorn escaped' capture or death.