Leipzig 1813: Saxon Defectors and the Corporal Who Blew the Elster Bridge

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

In October 1813 more than half a million soldiers converged on Leipzig for the Battle of the Nations, the largest clash of the Napoleonic Wars. After losing his veteran army in Russia, Napoleon had rebuilt with young conscripts, while the Sixth Coalition of Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden and Britain followed the Trachenberg Plan of the Swedish crown prince Charles John, formerly Marshal Bernadotte: avoid Napoleon himself and beat his marshals, as at Grossbeeren and Dennewitz. Pushed back on Leipzig, Napoleon tried to use interior lines with about 198,000 men against roughly 380,000.

On 16 October a grand battery of 150 guns opened the allied center, but Murat's 10,000 cavalry, packed in dense columns, broke against Russian Guard squares. On the 17th Napoleon released the captured Austrian general Merveldt with a peace offer that went unanswered. On the 18th Probstheida became a nine-hour meat grinder, Saxon and Württemberg troops changed sides mid-battle, and Captain Richard Bogue's Congreve rockets spread panic. Napoleon ordered a retreat across the Elster over a single stone bridge.

An estimated 400,000 cannonballs were fired over the course of the battle.
About 5,400 Saxons near Paunsdorf turned their guns on the French, who at first thought they were charging.
The order to destroy the bridge passed from General Dulauloy to Colonel Montfort to an unnamed corporal, who lit the fuse while it was packed with troops.
Some 30,000 French were trapped, and Prince Józef Poniatowski, made a Marshal hours earlier, drowned in the river.
Casualties reached 80,000 to 110,000, and locals were still finding remains a year later.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(16184)

The Art of Adult Friendship: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore how our understanding of friendship changes as we grow old...

9 Marras 18min

Summer Explained: The Science, History, and Traditions of the Warmest Season

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore summer, the season most closely associated with sunshine, ...

7 Marras 18min

Sir Patrick Stewart: From Shakespeare to Star Trek, the Life and Legacy of a Legend

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaim...

7 Marras 49min

Larry David: The Genius of Social Awkwardness, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and career of Larry David, the comedian, writer, ...

6 Marras 38min

Why Australian Shepherds Aren't From Australia

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the history of the Australian Shepherd, an intelligent, en...

5 Marras 45min

Labrador Retriever: From Newfoundland Fishing Dogs to Modern-Day Heroes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the remarkable history of the Labrador Retriever, one of t...

4 Marras 53min

Discovering Ireland: A Journey Through History, Culture, and the Wild Atlantic Way

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore Ireland through the philosophy of slow travel: go slower, ...

3 Marras 48min

Willie Hutch: An Overnight I'll Be There Lyric and The Mack's Soundtrack

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!William McKinley Hutchins was born in Los Angeles in December 1944 and raised in Dallas, where h...

2 Marras 21min