Historical society enthusiasts in the role of French Imperial Guard fighting under Napoleon arrive to re-enact The Battle of Nations on its 200th anniversary on October 20, 2013 near Leipzig, Germany. Over 6,200 actors from 26 countries are participating in the massive re-enactment of the battle that originally pitted 600,000 Austrian, Prussian, Russian and Swedish forces against Napoleon's army near Leipzig in 1813. napoleon's defeat forced him to retreat toward France and sealed the end of his Central European military expansion.