War of the Sixth Coalition

BelligerentsOriginal coalition

After the Armistice of Pläswitz

After the Battle of Leipzig

After 20 November 1813

After January 1814

France

Commanders and leadersStrength 1813:
568,000
281,000
160,000
87,000
28,000
24,500 1813: 850,000Casualties and losses

Combat casualties: 526,000
(total including disease is much higher)

• 145,000 killed or wounded, 40,000 captured/missing
• 70,000 killed or wounded, 40,000 captured/missing
• 95,000 killed or wounded, 30,000 captured/missing
• 40,000 killed or wounded, 7,000 captured/missing
• 20,000 killed or wounded, 5,000 captured/missing
• 7,000 killed wounded, 1,000 captured/missing
• 10,000 killed or wounded, 10,000 captured/missing
• 3,000 killed or wounded, 1,000 captured/missing
• 1,000 killed or wounded, 1,000 captured/missing

Combat casualties: 610,000
(total including disease is much higher)

• 310,000 killed or wounded, 180,000 captured/missing
• 20,000 killed or wounded, 12,000 captured/missing
• 13,000 killed or wounded, 22,000 captured/missing
• 1,000 killed or wounded
• Rhine Confederation: 18,000 killed or wounded, 30,000 captured/missing
• Other: 3,000 killed or wounded, 2,000 captured

The War of the Sixth Coalition (French: Guerre de la Sixième Coalition; December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (German: Befreiungskriege) saw a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Sardinia, and a number of German states defeat the First French Empire and force Napoleon into exile on Elba. Following the disastrous French invasion of Russia in 1812 in which they had been forced to support France, Prussia and Austria joined Russia, Britain, Sweden, Portugal and Spain against France.

The invasion of Russia cost the French many seasoned soldiers, so Napoleon took action to engage "Marie-Louises", young conscripts who were barely familiar with military affairs; they were called up from October 1813 to 1815. However, the constant warfare weakened the Coalition nations as well. The Russian military was particularly depleted after 1812, and Prussia also suffered a significant downgrade as a result of its losses in 1806–1807; nevertheless, it carried out large-scale reforms to improve the situation in the Prussian Army. Later, having encountered the Prussians in the Battle of Lützen, Napoleon would say: "These animals have learned something."

The war saw battles at Lützen, Bautzen, and Dresden. The even larger Battle of Leipzig was the largest battle fought in Europe until World War II. Despite experiencing a collapse in the army following the invasion of Russia, Napoleon managed to reorganise and stall the coalition, driving them out of Germany and compelling them to accept a truce. With their armies reorganized, the allies drove Napoleon out of Germany in 1813 and invaded France in 1814. Though it had experienced a second collapse after the battle of Leipzig, the French army managed to regroup and Napoleon struck the allies at the Battle of Brienne and the Battle of Saint-Dizier before his defeat at the Battle of La Rothiere, which motivated the coalition to march on Paris as they sensed Napoleon growing weaker. Napoleon then inflicted a series of successive defeats on the allies interrupted only by the (Battle of Laon), beginning with the Six Days' Campaign. After that, Napoleon launched an offensive against the army of Bohemia, driving them past Troyes. Following Marshal Marmont's pushing back of a second attempt by Prussia to march on Paris, Napoleon followed it up with the Battle of Craonne and the Battle of Reims, then driving back the Army of Bohemia until he lost momentum during the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube where he was severely outnumbered. The Allies eventually overcame the French armies, occupied Paris after a stiff battle and forced Napoleon's first abdication in April 1814. Napoleon was exiled and the French monarchy was restored by the allies in the Bourbon Restoration. The Hundred Days began in 1815 when Napoleon escaped from his captivity on Elba and returned to power in France. He was defeated again for the final time at Waterloo, ending the Napoleonic Wars.