In the long drama of the Napoleonic Wars, the War of the Sixth Coalition, spanning from 1812 to 1814, was the grand crescendo which heralded the beginning of the end for Napoleon Bonaparte's dreams of a Europe united under French dominance.

As the embers of the Fifth Coalition cooled, the stage for a new conflict was being set. Napoleon, in his hubris, had looked eastward and embarked on the ill-fated Russian campaign of 1812. Marching into the vast Russian expanse with over 600,000 men, the Grand Armée sought Moscow as its prize. Yet, the Russians, led by the sagacious Kutuzov, employed a scorched earth policy, retreating and denying battle until Borodino, a pyrrhic victory for Napoleon. Moscow was taken, but it was a hollow conquest, as the city was set aflame, and the ruthless Russian winter closed in. The Grand Armée was decimated in the retreat, with only a fraction of the original force making it back.

Britain, the indomitable island nation, had long been the backbone of resistance against Napoleon. With the Continent's powers reeling from successive defeats, Britain's role was twofold: financial support to allies and wielding the might of the Royal Navy to impose a maritime blockade, the Continental System's antithesis. Britain's main protagonist in this war was Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. An astute and meticulous commander, he had been securing British interests in the Iberian Peninsula, stymieing French ambitions in Spain and Portugal.

The catastrophic Russian campaign was the turning point. Europe sensed vulnerability in the French juggernaut. In 1813, a grand coalition was formed – Britain, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden. Austria, initially neutral, would join later. Together, they moved against a France overstretched and under-resourced.

Battles raged across the continent. In Spain, Wellington won a decisive victory at Vitoria in June 1813, forcing the French to retreat. This success was instrumental, for it ensured that a whole French army was engaged in the Iberian Peninsula, unable to reinforce the eastern front.

In Germany, the large-scale Battle of Leipzig, or the "Battle of the Nations" in October 1813, was the centrepiece. Napoleon, ever the master tactician, was pitted against a coalition force almost double his size. Over four days, Europe's fate hung in balance. In the end, Napoleon was compelled to retreat. It was the most significant defeat he had suffered, signalling that his dominance was waning.

1814 saw the coalition forces advance into France. Battles at La Rothière, Montmirail, and others demonstrated Napoleon's military genius, but they were mere rearguard actions. By March, Paris was taken.

On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, the man who had been the master of Europe, abdicated the throne. He was exiled to Elba, though his spirit remained unbroken, setting the stage for the drama of the Hundred Days.

The Sixth Coalition's war was a testament to the collective will of European powers, steadfast in their determination to check French expansionism. Britain, with its immense naval power and the brilliance of commanders like Wellington, played a pivotal role. It was not merely a war of strategy and battles; it was a struggle for the very soul of Europe. The Congress of Vienna, which followed, sought to ensure a lasting peace—a balance of power, a repudiation of the ambitions of one against the many.