Sgt_Rock
Member
As I noted the calendar, 16 October came and went and not much was said about Leipzig anywhere online. Yes, the usual reenactment comments, pictures, etc. But no notice of new books, new games, etc.
Yet, if this was June 18th there would be a multitude of articles on what I term a battle that should be considered merely an asterisk on the list of battles.
The Battle of Leipzig was the largest European battle until the First World War eclipsed it. Never again would so many men fight in the colorful uniforms which made the Napoleonic period so popular to painters. Never again would so many well known commanders be condensed into one place. So many emperors or kings be eyewitness to a battle.
And yet what it is about the Battle of Leipzig that seems to bring with it an incredible lack of material in English? I can count on one hand the amount of books that truly deal in detail with the battle. Why are not new materials written of the battle. Surely a two volume set could be written that would take into account the myriad of action and thinking that went behind the movements and decisions which sent over 500k men into battle?
One thought is that since the English have primarily been the movers behind English language books on the Napoleonic Wars that Waterloo would naturally be far more popular. I suppose that if an American had to choose between the Bulge and Market-Garden to write about that Bulge would be a bit more popular. But certainly there must be more to it.
Another thought is that since the English can gain access to English language source material that this makes the task that much easier. However, most if not all of the English authors have foreign language skills or access to those who do.
In my mind, the Battle of Leipzig was the true end of the Napoleonic Wars. Had Napoleon merely avoided combat, let the various units that were trying to fall back on Leipzig on the 16th be left to the Allied advance guard, that he would have had some additional 180,000 men, seasoned, to initially defend France, adding in another 150k men or more that were already called up and ready to fight.
Would not that Allies work been that much harder? Would they have been able to hold the coalition together until the Spring when they honestly could have continued the war? Or would Austria have bailed out due to the fact that Germany had been liberated?
While I understand that there are more items to be considered and after having worked on the 1814 game I learned that there was more afoot in the Allied camp than just the Austrians dragging their feet, I also have come to realize that Napoleon with a stronger army on the Brie Plateau or down along the approaches which the Austrians would have to take, would have made for a much stronger defense. Could he have held off the combined Allied army? And what of Wellington coming up from the southeast?
Wargamers would find an interesting scenario - what if Napoleon had gotten back from Germany a much stronger army?
I propose to put together some scenarios and possible an entire campaign that will take this into account given time. The 1814 game really energized me to discount Waterloo as the deciding factor of the wars. In fact, they were probably over by the time the bridge at Leipzig was accidentally blown on the 19th!
Yet, if this was June 18th there would be a multitude of articles on what I term a battle that should be considered merely an asterisk on the list of battles.
The Battle of Leipzig was the largest European battle until the First World War eclipsed it. Never again would so many men fight in the colorful uniforms which made the Napoleonic period so popular to painters. Never again would so many well known commanders be condensed into one place. So many emperors or kings be eyewitness to a battle.
And yet what it is about the Battle of Leipzig that seems to bring with it an incredible lack of material in English? I can count on one hand the amount of books that truly deal in detail with the battle. Why are not new materials written of the battle. Surely a two volume set could be written that would take into account the myriad of action and thinking that went behind the movements and decisions which sent over 500k men into battle?
One thought is that since the English have primarily been the movers behind English language books on the Napoleonic Wars that Waterloo would naturally be far more popular. I suppose that if an American had to choose between the Bulge and Market-Garden to write about that Bulge would be a bit more popular. But certainly there must be more to it.
Another thought is that since the English can gain access to English language source material that this makes the task that much easier. However, most if not all of the English authors have foreign language skills or access to those who do.
In my mind, the Battle of Leipzig was the true end of the Napoleonic Wars. Had Napoleon merely avoided combat, let the various units that were trying to fall back on Leipzig on the 16th be left to the Allied advance guard, that he would have had some additional 180,000 men, seasoned, to initially defend France, adding in another 150k men or more that were already called up and ready to fight.
Would not that Allies work been that much harder? Would they have been able to hold the coalition together until the Spring when they honestly could have continued the war? Or would Austria have bailed out due to the fact that Germany had been liberated?
While I understand that there are more items to be considered and after having worked on the 1814 game I learned that there was more afoot in the Allied camp than just the Austrians dragging their feet, I also have come to realize that Napoleon with a stronger army on the Brie Plateau or down along the approaches which the Austrians would have to take, would have made for a much stronger defense. Could he have held off the combined Allied army? And what of Wellington coming up from the southeast?
Wargamers would find an interesting scenario - what if Napoleon had gotten back from Germany a much stronger army?
I propose to put together some scenarios and possible an entire campaign that will take this into account given time. The 1814 game really energized me to discount Waterloo as the deciding factor of the wars. In fact, they were probably over by the time the bridge at Leipzig was accidentally blown on the 19th!
