The British Empire and the Russian Empire initially made up the Sixth Alliance, followed by Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and the kingdoms of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony (from 1813). The Kingdom of Italy, Naples, the Swiss Confederation, the Confederation of the Rhine, the Principality of Warsaw, and Denmark (temporarily) were allies on the French side.
Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 because the Russian Empire, France's ally since the Peace of Tilsit (July 7, 1807), refused to carry out his command to impose the Continental Blockade. This campaign was a colossal disaster and disastrous for France. The nations of mainland Europe, which France had previously vanquished, saw this as an opportunity for retaliation and gradually joined the Anglo-Russian Coalition alongside the insurgents in Spain and Portugal.
The Coalition armies had been restructured, and the Sixth Coalition, having learned from earlier conflicts with France, routed Napoleon's soldiers at the Battle of Leipzig (October 16–19, 1813), forcing them first out of Germany and then into France. King Louis XVIII of France, a member of the Bourbon family, assumed the throne after Emperor Napoleon was forced to resign in 1814.
The battles between France and the Sixth Coalition involved roughly 2.5 million soldiers and resulted in the deaths of about 2 million civilians. (Some have calculated that the Russia Campaign alone cost both sides roughly 1 million lives.) The Battle of Leipzig, one of the most significant conflicts in the history of European warfare prior to World War I, suffered among the greatest losses, along with the conflicts of Smolensk, Borodino, Lützen, and Dresden.
Battle in Russia
In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia to force Tsar Alexander I to comply with France's order for the Continental System. The French army and its allies, consisting of about 650,000 men (270,000 French troops alone), crossed the Neman River on June 23, 1812. Russia declared the Patriotic War, applying the scorched-earth policy (burning it before withdrawing). The two sides fought several battles. On September 14, 1812, the French entered the city of Moscow in ruins because Russia burned the city to the ground before retreating. The cold weather, combined with epidemics and food shortages due to the need to resupply from afar and being intercepted and looted by the Russians, caused many French casualties, forcing Napoleon to retreat.
On their way to retreat, the French were still attacked by Russian troops. In total, the French army lost about 370,000 casualties, plus about 200,000 people were taken prisoner. By November 1812, only about 27,000 troops were able to run back across the Berezina River (Belarus). In these battles, Russia also lost about 400,000 casualties.
Battle in Germany
Prussia saw an opportunity for retaliation after France withdrew from Russia; therefore, she joined the Sixth Coalition. As Napoleon prepared to leave Russia, he assembled the remaining people of his army and added around 200,000 new soldiers (most of whom were untrained and inexperienced) in order to quickly defeat the Sixth Coalition and prevent this coalition from consolidating. The French army crossed the Rhine into Germany to join forces with the older troops still present in that country. Napoleon divided his army into three prongs and crossed the Saale River into Leipzig on April 30, 1813.
On May 2, 1813, the French defeated the Russian-Prussian army at the Battle of Lützen (Sachsen). The two sides held an armistice from June 4 to August 13, 1813, to consolidate their forces. During this time, the Coalition persuaded Austria to join the war with two armies of 300,000 men. In total, the Coalition had about 800,000 troops in Germany and a strategic reserve of about 350,000. Napoleon also gathered 650,000 troops. After the armistice, the Russian-Prussian alliance defeated the French at the Battle of Katzbach (Prussia) on August 26, 1813. On the same day, the French army also clashed with the Russian-Prussian-Austrian coalition at the Battle of Dresden, and the next day, August 27, the French won. After that, the Union army won two battles: Kulm (Bohemia, August 30, 1813) and Dennewitz (Prussia, September 6, 1813).
The Battle of the Iberian Peninsula
On the Iberian peninsula at the time, British commander Arthur Wellesley led the Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish alliance to numerous victories over the French. The Coalition marched north towards the end of May 1813, took Burgos (Spain), and then assaulted the French flanks, forcing Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) into the valley of the Zadorra River. The 65,000-man French army was routed at the Battle of Vitoria (Spain) on June 21, 1813, by 53,000 British, 27,000 Portuguese, and 19,000 Spanish soldiers. The French were chased out of San Sebastian (Basque Country) by Wellesley.
The Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish Army drove the French to the Pyrenees at the beginning of July 1813. The fights between the two sides continued, and although Napoleon abdicated, the Coalition troops continued to chase the French army until they fled to their homeland. This continued until the Battle of Toulouse, the last conflict between France and the Sixth Coalition, which took place on April 10, 1814.
In early July 1813, the Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish Army drove the French to the Pyrenees. The two sides continued to fight a number of battles, and when the French withdrew to their home country, the Coalition troops continued to fight on French soil until the Battle of Toulouse, the last battle between France and the Sixth Coalition (April 10, 1814), after Napoleon had abdicated.
Battle in France
Napoleon had less than 70,000 men left when he returned to France, compared to the Coalition's more than 500,000. However, Napoleon also won several combats on French soil, including four straight during the Sixth Campaign (February 9–14, 1814). On March 9, 1814, Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia signed the Treaty of Chaumont, pledging not to make peace and their determination to overthrow Napoleon. On March 31, 1814, the Allied armies finally achieved victory and entered Paris. French Marshal Marmont betrayed Napoleon and withdrew his troops from Paris.
Consequence
Emperor Napoleon was compelled to sign the Treaty of Fontainebleau, accepting his exile on the Mediterranean island of Elba. On April 11, 1814, in the presence of representatives of Russia, Prussia, Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, Louis XVIII of the Bourbon family became king of France as a result of the Coalition.
Battles between the French and the Sixth Coalition
July 23, 1812: Battle of Saltanovka (Moguilev) (Belarus): France defeated Russia
July 25 - 27, 1812: Battle of Ostrovno (Belarus): France won against Russia
30.7 - 1.8.1812: Battle of Klyastitsy (Belarus): Russia won against France
August 17, 1812: Battle of Smolensk (Russia): France won against Russia
August 17 - 18, 1812: Battle of Polotsk I (Belarus): France defeated Russia strategically
18.08.1812: Battle of Valentino (Russia): inconclusive, Russia withdrew
September 9, 1812: Battle of Borodino (Russia): France won against Russia
October 18, 1812: Battle of Tarutino (Winkowo) (Russia): Russia won against France
October 18 - 20, 1812: Battle of Polotsk II (Belarus): Russia defeated France
October 24, 1812: Battle of Maloyaroslavets (Russia): France defeated Russia tactically
October 31, 1812: Battle of Czasniki (Belarus): Russia won against France
3.11.1812: Battle of Vyazma (Russia): Russia won against France
November 13-14, 1812: Battle of Smolani (Belarus): Russia won against France
November 15 - 18, 1812: Battle of Krasnoi (Russia): Russia won against France
November 26 - 29, 1812: Battle of Berezina (Belarus): Russia won against France
2.5.1813: Battle of Lützen (Germany): France won against Russia-Prussia
2.5.1813: Battle of Halle (Germany): Prussia defeats France
May 20 - 21, 1813: Battle of Bautzen (Germany): France won against Russia-Prussia
June 21, 1813: Battle of Vitoria (Spain): Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish coalition defeats France
7 - 25 July 1813: Battle of San Sebastian I (Spain): France won against Anglo-Portuguese
July 25, 1813: Battle of Maya (Spain): France won against England
July 25, 1813: match of Roncesvalles (Spain): France won against Anglo-Portuguese
July 28 - August 1, 1813: Sorauren match (Spain): England-Portugal-Spain beat France
August 3rd - September 4,1813: Battle of Sebastian II (Spain): Anglo-Portuguese beat France
August 23, 1813: Battle of Grossbeeren (Germany): Prussia-Sweden defeats France
August 26, 1813: Battle of Katzbach (Prussia): Russia-Prussia defeats France
August 26 - August 27, 1813: Battle of Dresden (Germany): France defeated Russia-Prussia-Austria
August 30, 1813: Battle of Kulm (Bohemia): Russia-Austria-Prussia defeats France
August 31, 1813: Battle of San Marcial (Spain): Spain won against France
September 6, 1813: Battle of Dennewitz (Germany): Russia-Prussia defeats France
October 16 - 19, 1813: Battle of Leipzig (Germany): Russia-Prussia-Austria-Sweden-Sachsen defeated France and its Italian-Napoli-Warszawa ally. (Sachsen - former ally - turned against France)
30 - 31.10.1813: Battle of Hanau (Germany): France wins Austria-Bayern
10.11.1813: match of Nivelle (Spain): England-Portugal-Spain beat France
9 - 13.12.1813: Nive match (France): England-Portugal-Spain beat France
December 10, 1813: Battle of Sehested (Germany): Denmark (French side) defeats Russia-Prussia-Sweden
January 29, 1814: Battle of Brienne (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
1.2.1814: Battle of La Rothière (France): Prussia defeats France
8.2.1814: Battle of Mincio (Italy): Austria against France-Italy (no victory or defeat)
February 10, 1814: Battle of Champaubert (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
February 11, 1814: Battle of Montmirail (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
12.2.11814: Battle of Château-Thierry (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
February 14, 1814: Battle of Vauchamps (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
February 17, 1814: Battle of Mormant (France): France defeated Russia-Württemberg
February 18, 1814: Battle of Montereau (France): France defeats Ab-Württemberg
27.2.1814: Bar-sur-Aube match (France): Austria wins France
February 27, 1814: Battle of Orthez (France): Anglo-Portuguese beat France
7.3.1814: Battle of Craonne (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
9 - 10.03.1814: Battle of Laon (France): Russia-Prussia defeats France
March 13, 1814: Battle of Reims (France): France won against Russia-Prussia
March 20 - 21, 1814: Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube (France): Austria won against France
March 25, 1814: Battle of La Fère-Champenoise (France): Russia-Austria-Prussia defeats France
March 30, 1814: Battle of Montmartre (France): Russia-Austria-Prussia defeats France
March 30 - 31, 1814: Battle of Paris (France): Russia-Austria-Prussia defeats France
April 10, 1814: Battle of Toulouse (France): England-Portugal-Spain beat France
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