The Battle of Leipzig, fought from October 16–19, 1813, was one of the largest battles of the Napoleonic Wars and a major defeat for Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon’s French army and its allies faced a much larger coalition of Russian, Prussian, Austrian, and Swedish forces near Leipzig, Germany. After several days of intense fighting, Napoleon’s army was overwhelmed and forced to retreat westward across the Rhine. The defeat ended French dominance over much of Germany, encouraged other German states to abandon Napoleon, and marked a major turning point that ultimately led to his abdication in 1814.