July 4, 2023 - Germany
Leipzig - Battle of the Nations Memorial
The main thing I wanted to see in Leipzig was the Monument to the Battle of the Nations which commorates the victory over Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. The battle was large and complex so really all their is to see is this massive monument celebrating the victory over Napoleon. Unlike Jena, this one the Allies, including Prussians, won; hence the big monument.
The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Karl von Schwarzenberg of Austria, decisively defeated the Grande Armée of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Having lost his Grande Armee in the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, Napoleon managed to mobilize another large army which also contained Polish and Italian troops, as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine (mainly Saxony and Württemberg). The battle was the culmination of the German Campaign of 1813 and involved 560,000 soldiers, 2,200 artillery pieces, and 133,000 casualties, making it the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, and the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I.
The battle was a succession of skirmishes and battles stretching over five days. Basically Napoleon, centered on Leipzig, was attacked from the north, west and south. Allied reinforcements came in from the east, surrounding the French. Napoleon was compelled to retreat to the west and return to France while the Sixth Coalition kept up its momentum, dissolving the Confederation of the Rhine and invading France early the next year. Napoleon was forced to abdicate and was exiled to Elba in May 1814.
The 299 foot high Monument to the Battle of the Nations was completed in 1913 according to a design by Bruno Schmitz at a cost of six million German gold marks.
At the front side of the monument, a relief depicts a battle scene. The centre piece of the relief is a sculpture of the Archangel Saint Michael, symbolising the personification of God's support for the German soldiers. Above Michael, an engraving reads "Gott mit uns" ["God with us"]. To either side of the archangel, furies carry the firebrand of war, while two eagles symbolise the "newly won freedom".
On both sides of the relief, lateral staircases with 136 steps lead to the second story and the entrance of the crypt. The staircases are decorated with large heads of Frederick I, reminding of the myth of a sleeping emperor and "as expressions of the people's hopes for better times".
Next to the monument was a nice little museum.
My favorite part of the museum was this huge diorama of the village Probstheida, just southeast of Leipzig, where the bloodiest fighting of the battle occurred on 18 October. The Allies wanted to take the village since it was the key to the positions of Napoleon's troops, The French dispositions at the village, however, were heavily fortified, thanks to the high and thick garden walls that gave excellent protection for the French infantry. The defense was also strengthened with artillery and strong infantry reserves behind the village. A day earlier, the Russians had taken most of the losses incurred during the battle, so it was the Prussians who took the initiative at Probstheida.
The victorious Allied commanders -- Prussian, Austrian, Russian, and Swedish -- meet to celebrate the victory.
A year ago all Europe marched with us; today all Europe marches against us. — Napoleon
When designing the Monument, it was initially planned to create an accompanying complex for ceremonies that would include a court, a stadium and parade grounds. However, only a reflecting pool and two processional avenues were ultimately completed.
Surrounding the monument are oaks, considered to have been a symbol of masculine strength and endurance to the Germanic people of antiquity. The oaks are complemented by evergreens, symbolising feminine fecundity, and they are located in a subordinate position to the oaks.
