Ok, so we were a bit slow on the uptake with this one - but better late than never!

Last month, Russian news broadcaster 'The Voice of Russia' decided to feature an impromptu interview with Peter Hofschroer about the battle of Leipzig in 1813. This was the battle that militarily sealed the fate of Napoleon's ambitions to conquer Europe - called the 'Battle of Nations' because virtually every combatant country in Europe turned up to have a crack.

An unprepared Peter deftly answers a series of pertinent questions about the historical background and significance of the battle. Anyone who has read Leipzig 1813 will not be surprised by Peter's impressively comprehensive knowledge and erudite expression of it. Especially interesting, in my opinion, were the questions about potential parallels drawn between the Napoleonic Wars and today's conflicts. Though I think it is a bit of a stretch to compare the unification of the EU to the empire that Napoleon tried to build. Thankfully Peter sets the record straight on that one.

The overall tone of the interview is relaxed and friendly, and at the end when the Russian anchor concedes that she is having trouble pronouncing Peter's surname, he responds with a lovely anecdote about its' Germanic origin by way of how his mother and father met. I won't spoil it for you, take a look at the Full interview and transcript.

To further bolster your knowledge of the battle, if you haven't done so already, pop over and have a look at this