Vive l'Empereur ! Leipzig October 14 th -19 th , 1813 Scenarios and specific rules Pratzen Editions 2010 1 Historical summary tolerate no competition and he had very few Marshals with the independent ability he The battle of Leipzig was the largest needed for his plan to work. Davout was in battle of the Napoleonic wars and the largest Hamburg, Soult in southern France, Massena battle in Europe until the First World War retired, Lannes dead. Those in charge of easily ranking as one of the largest battles in whole armies, although good leaders, proved History. Napoleon, on the defensive after the to be overwhelmed by the task; Ney, Oudinot, disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 was MacDonald, Murat, were always beaten. forced to fight this decisive battle which Finally, Napoleon had to abandon his involved five armies and nearly half a million main supply base of Dresden and regroup his men. In the aftermath of the 1812 campaign army in the plain of Leipzig. Always with the many of Napoleon’s allies had deserted him, hope of turning the tide he left behind a lot of his cavalry had been decimated and he was experienced troops: St Cyr and Mouton at forced to field an army mainly made up of Dresden, Rapp at Danzig, and many raw but enthusiastic recruits to face a huge garrisons. allied army of Austrians, Prussians, Russians Leipzig was a huge battle, as the and Swedes numbering around 300,000 battlefield is more than 15 km wide, and a including within the Swedish contingent a very long battle, as the events spread over 6 unit of British Congreve Rockets. The days between October 14 th and October 19 th . Swedish forces were commanded by one of The French eventually gathered around Napoleons former Marshals, Jean Bernadotte 190,000 men, against 350,000. It was a who the French not surprisingly viewed as a succession of ferocious and quite independent traitor but who was to survive the Napoleonic battles. The Allied plan, although inelegant, Wars and found the Swedish Royal family. proved to be successful as the odds allowed The campaign of 1813 started with two battles them to attack everywhere and keep the at Lutzen and then Bautzen but despite French advantage. Even though using the interior victories they were unable to make anything lines, Napoleon was rarely in a position to of their success because they were too weak, take a serious strategic advantage while especially in cavalry. During the summer, an winning almost every of these battles because armistice allowed both armies to recover, but a 1:2 odd could not lead to a decisive victory Austria joined the Allies’ side and tilted the against determined enemies. balance of power. While resuming their fight The first clash occurred in against Napoleon, the Allies applied a new Liebertwollwicz on the 14 th , which turned to strategy; avoid the Emperor and hit his be the greatest cavalry battle in History. lieutenants, a strategy largely dictated by Murat held his ground but lost a lot of good officers having fought before for the other cavalry. On the 15 th , both armies assembled, side, Moreau, Jomini and Bernadotte. The and the main series of battles occurred the Autumn campaign will thereafter look very next day: Mockern, Wachau, Lindenau, different. Although rich in events and Connewitz. The French are engaged on three inconclusive victories like Dresden, sides of the battlefield. By the 18 th , the Allies Napoleon’s lieutenants were repeatedly received 150,000 more troops while the beaten where the Emperor was not: Katzbach, French only received 15,000. The massive Dennewitz, Kulm, Gross-Beeren. More and attacks resumed and more bloody battles are more outnumbered, Napoleon was on the fought; Golitz, Schonfeld, Probstheyda. defensive but needed to attack to regain the On the evening of the 18 th , Napoleon initiative and choose which of the three allied with no reserves and running low on armies he should attack first. His plan ammunition has no choice but to withdraw. although good had a fatal flaw; it would History ends and the legend begins: Saxons require skilled commanders who could act changing side in the middle of the battle (they independently. Napoleon’s autocratic were thereafter easy to blame for the defeat leadership style and massive ego would but this did not change anything to the battle), 2 the bridge on the Elster blowing up too soon are counting on you to point out minor trapping 20,000 men on the other side, Prince discrepancies and bizarre situations. We will Poniatowski drowned in the river the day after regularly update the rules based on your he was made Marshall, ferocious city fights in comments on our website. the city. Overall losses were awful on both Note on the map: Some elements are purely sides. The French lost probably 38,000 killed decorative (isolated trees, trees along the and wounded. The Allies captured 15,000 roads, mill). able-bodied Frenchmen, 21,000 wounded or The slopes separate three levels, from the sick, 325 cannon and 28 eagles, standards or lowest to the highest: light yellow, light colours, and had received the men of the brown + dots, medium brown. When there is deserting Saxony divisions. The Allies a doubt, the sense of the slope symbol suffered approximately 54,000 casualties. indicates what is high and what is low. Schwarzenberg's Bohemian Army lost 34,000, Typically the streams and the villages are low. Blücher's Silesian Army lost 12,000, while The green church in Leipzig is St Thomas, in Bernadotte's Army of North and Bennigsen's memoriam of Johann Sebastian Bach who Army of Poland lost about 4,000 each. worked and died there. The retreat through Germany would not be easy, including a desperate fight at Hanau against former allies, the Bavarians. But this is another story, and we will tell it 1- Oct 14-Liebertwollwicz. one day… On October 14 th , Murat is deployed south of Leipzig and is waiting for the rest of the army SCENARIOS under Napoleon to join him. His orders are to avoid any substantial fight while holding his This battle, long and complex, can be ground. At the same time, the army of sliced both in time and space. We propose 15 Bohemia under Schwartzenberg approaches scenarios simulating the various battles, as the area and set up a “Reconnaissance in well as a master scenario to cover the 6 days Force” of the French army. of fighting. As a learning curve, it is proposed to Maps: Maps 4, 5, 9 and 10 are used. Due to start with scenario 7, Göhlis, then 5, the presence of other corps not involved in Lindenau, then 4, Connewitz, as these are this scenario, no unit can move north of the scenarios with few units, then move to Nieder Holz. scenario 2, Mockern. The art of cavalry is best Length : The game starts at 9:00 and ends at assessed in scenario 1, Liebertwollwicz. the end of the 17:30 turn. This scenario Larger battles will thereafter look easier. therefore lasts 18 turns. The French player set up first. Note on the set-ups : When it is stated "at half The Allied player starts all the turns first. distance of X and Y", draw a line between these two points, spot the hex located in the French setup: middle, and use a two hex range area around - II Corps of Victor between Mark-Kleeberg this hex as a set up zone. and Wachau, included. - V Corps of Lauriston between Wachau and Note on the scenarios data : Typically a Liebertwollwicz, the latter included. scenario needs to be tested 5 times to be - West of the Galgenberg: The V Cavalry robust and flawless. No need to say that we Corps of Pajol, the IV Cavalry Corps of could not do 75 games and 5 campaigns, as Kellerman, and the 1 light division of the I some scenarios are very long. We know that Cavalry Corps (units 216 to 218). all work well, but they may not be perfect. We 3 - IX Corps of Augereau within 3 hexes around supported. The battle ended as a draw late in Zuckelhausen. the day. - The other corps present were not engaged that day. - Murat is stacked with any unit. 2- Oct 16-Mockern. Allied setup: The fight opposing Marmont and Blucher is - The cavalry (only) of the II Prussian Corps one of the most renowned episodes of the of Kleist within 3 hexes around Cröbern. battle. - Russians corps of Gortchakov and Wurtemberg under Wittgenstein and Russian Maps: 1, 2 and 6 are used. cavalry under Pahlen within 3 hexes around Length : The game starts at 11:00 and ends at Gulden Gossa. the end of the 17:30 pm turn. This scenario - 3 hexes around Gross Possnau: the Austrian therefore lasts 14 turns but it includes a IV Corps under Klenau. predeployment as described below. Reinforcements: The French player sets up first. None The Allies player starts all the turns first. Victory: French setup: Curiously, a draw was acceptable for both - VI Corps of Marmont in a triangle between sides as none really wanted to engage Wahren, Lindenthal and Klein Widderitzch seriously. However, if the three villages including these three villages. (Mark-Kleeberg, Wachau and - Dombrowski detachment from the VIII Liebertwollwicz) are still totally held by the Corps (units 167, 168, 173 and 174) are on French, it is a French victory. Otherwise it is the road east of Lindenthal between this an Allied victory. village and the edge. Special rules for this scenario in addition to Allied setup: the rules exposed below None.