This volume opens with the second Saxon campaign of eighteen thirteen, detailing Napoleon's strategic maneuvers against the coalition forces. Sloane recounts the allied preparations, the cross-purposes of the commanders, and the severe conditions of the French army, exhausted and burdened by waning zeal.
The narrative follows the desperate struggle through the defensive battles of Dresden, the disasters of Grossbeeren, the Katzbach, and Kulm, and the ultimate concentration at Leipsic. The author analyzes the psychological development and decline of Napoleon as a strategist, noting how political schemes frequently overruled military considerations during this critical period.
The retreat from Germany is described in vivid detail, highlighting the hardships, disease, and the tragic disaster at the Elster bridge. Sloane then portrays the wonder-year of eighteen fourteen, detailing the brilliant tactics used by Napoleon in defense of France against vastly superior forces.
The work covers the diplomatic maneuvers, the failure of the congress of Châtillon, and the desperate struggle of exhaustion. The narrative reaches its climax with the fall of Paris, the first abdication, and Napoleon's brief reign as Emperor of Elba.
The final chapters chronicle the dramatic return during the hundred days, the campaign of Waterloo, the final surrender, and the somber years of exile at St. Helena. Sloane concludes with an assessment of Napoleon as soldier, statesman, and despot, and examines his enduring place in history.
