Editing Leopold I of Belgium (section)

===Military career===
====Russian Imperial army====
In 1796, Leopold's older sister, [[Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld]], married [[Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia]], making the [[House of Romanov]] her house by marriage.{{sfn|Huberty|1976|p=484}} The following year, at just six years old, Leopold received an honorary Russian military title in the [[Izmaylovsky Regiment|''Izmaylovsky'' Regiment]], part of the [[Imperial Guard (Russia)|Imperial Guard]], in the [[Imperial Russian Army]]: the rank of captain on 7 May 1797 and subsequently [[colonel]] on 11 September 1798. Leopold also began to specialise in the Russian language.{{sfn|Kirchen|1998|p=57}} On 19 March 1801, he was transferred to the Imperial Guard Cavalry Regiment, when six years later, aged twelve, he received a promotion to the rank of [[major general]].{{sfn|Monarchie website}}

In 1805, at fourteen years old, Leopold accompanied his older brother, [[Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Ernest, Hereditary Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], to Moravia, where the headquarters of [[Alexander I, Emperor of Russia]] were located, however Leopold nor Ernest partook in combat.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=20}} Following the [[Battle of Austerlitz]], during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], French troops occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg in 1806.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=21}} Leopold and his father, Francis, took refuge in Saalfeld, however Francis died on 9 December 1806, six days before the [[Treaty of Poznan]] signed the Duchy to the [[Confederation of the Rhine]], thus abolishing the Duchy's sovereignty.{{sfn|Bronne|1947|p=16}} When [[Napoleon]] learned that Ernest had previously fought against the French, he removed the Duchy from the Confederation, before seizing the properties of Leopold's family.{{sfn|Puraye|1973|p=23}} Leopold and his mother were confined to a section of one of the confiscated castles and were not let out. During this time, Leopold wrote to his sister, [[Princess Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld]]: "The poor country of Cobourg is terribly penalized; It must pay 981,000 francs; it's huge. Our coffers and our estates, in short all our income, were confiscated by the Emperor Napoleon. No appanage can be paid."{{sfn|Puraye|1973|p=37|}} After intervention by the Russian Emperor, Napoleon declared the Duchy to be part of the Confederation of the Rhine once more by adding it to the [[Treaty of Tilsit]]. Ernest as the new reigning Duke was allowed to return to Coburg in July 1807.{{sfn|Bronne|1947|p=17}}

[[File:Entrevue Erfurt by Nicolas Grosse.jpg|right|thumb|Napoleon and Alexander I depicted at the Congress of Erfurt]]
Leopold soon went to Paris where he became part of the Imperial Court of Napoleon. Napoleon's wife, [[Joséphine de Beauharnais]], took a protective attitude of Leopold, who met Napoleon in October 1808.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=24}} According to historian [[Carlo Bronne]], Napoloen was in awe of Leopold and briefly considered making him his [[aide-de-camp]].<ref>{{Cite book|author-link=Carlo Bronne |last=Bronne |first=Carlo|title=The Youth of Leopold I; Leopold I the Founder|location=Brussels|year=1981|page=18}}</ref> In Spring 1808, Leopold contracted [[typhoid fever]] and when he recovered, he shortly became [[regent]] of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld when Ernest visited Russia.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=27}}{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=28}} Napoleon later offered Leopold the position of adjutant, but he refused and instead went to Russia to take up a military career in the Imperial Russian cavalry, which then later went to war with France. Leopold accompanied Emperor Alexander I in September 1808 and represented his home Duchy at the [[Congress of Erfurt]], where Napoleon failed to strengthen Franco-Russian relations while the Duchy's interests were ignored. He wrote to Alexander I for assistance, leading to Napoleon demanding that he resign from the Russian army.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|pp=27-28}}

====Napoleonic battles====
In Autumn 1810, Leopold was asked by Ernest to find financial aid for the Duchy, which was lacking soldiers and had been badly affected by war and its previous occupation.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|pp=30-31}}{{sfn |Kirchen|1998|p=48}} Leopold met with Napoleon, who refused to aid the Duchy, but offered that Leopold join the French army. Leopold strongly refused, as did Joséphine.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=32}} In May 1811, Leopold went to [[Munich]] and although he was unsuccessful in securing funding, he managed to persuade [[Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria]] to return small territories that Bavaria had previously annexed from the Duchy. Leopold was hailed in the media for this achievement.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=33}} Following his visit to Munich, Leopold travelled to [[Vienna]], then to various Italian cities during the winter.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=36}} He wrote: "The years of 1810 and 1811 were quite calm. I was disappointed to find myself forbidden from serving in Russia by Napoleon who held my brother responsible, because he knew that otherwise he would not have been able to prevent me."{{sfn|Kirchen|1998|pp=46-47}} In March 1813, Leopold was finally allowed to rejoin the Russian Imperial army.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=37}}

During 1813, Leopold was an active member of the Russian army and participated in the liberation of German states from Napoleonic France. On 28 February 1813, after the signing of the [[Treaty of Kalisz (1813)|Treaty of Kalisz]], Leopold said to Emperor Alexander, "I was the first German Prince who joined the liberating army".{{sfn|Kirchen|1998|p=55}} Leopold participated in multiple conflicts against French troops, including the [[Battle of Lützen (1813)|Battle of Lützen]], [[Battle of Bautzen (1813)|Battle of Bautzen]] and [[Battle of Leipzig]]. He worked closely with his brother-in-law, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia, during this time. On 26 August 1813, Leopold helped [[Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1788–1857)|Duke Eugen of Württemberg]] escape his occupiers. Three days later, Leopold was nearly captured by French forces.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Marina |last=Peltzer|title=The Career of Leopold, Prince of Saxe-Coburg in the Russian Army|publisher=Edition of Letters and Documents from the USSR Government Archives<!--|work=Bulletin of the Royal Commission of History-->|year=1967|pages=72–73}}</ref> Later, on 29 and 30 August 1813, Leopold fought in the [[Battle of Kulm]] as the head of his ''[[cuirassier]]'' division. The battle was a French loss, and Leopold was decorated for his participation with the [[Cross of St. George (Russia)|Cross of St. George]], the [[Order of St. Andrew]], the [[Order of Alexander Nevsky]], the [[Order of Saint Anna]] and the [[Kulm Cross]]. Additionally, he was promoted to Major General in the Russian Army.{{sfn|Kirchen|1998|p=61}}

Leopold and Konstantin Pavlovich were unsuccessful in reuniting with Leopold's sister, Julianne, in [[Bern]] in January 1814. Leopold entered France with the Russian army on 30 January.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=41}} On 1 February, he participated in the [[Battle of Brienne]], which resulted in the occupation of [[Troyes]]. Additionally, during the [[Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube]], Leopold commanded the right wing on the army, with France successfully defeated, before Paris was marched on four days later.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=42}} On 31 March, Leopold too entered Paris, [[Battle of Paris (1814)|as Napoleon fell]], to which Leopold commented: "This is the extent to which prudence has humiliated this tyrant, to the horror of all those who would want to follow his example."{{sfn|Puraye|1973|p=37}} Leopold and Ernest represented the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at the [[Congress of Vienna]]. The Kingdom of Prussia, which Leopold and the Russian Imperial army had fought alongside, was opposed to any gains made by the Duchy, which had been against the annexation of Saxony, an ally of France.{{sfn|Defrance|2004|p=52}} During the Congress, Leopold held audience with [[Archduke John of Austria]] and Chancellor [[Klemens von Metternich]].{{sfn|Kirchen|1998|p=113}} When Napoleon returned from exile in March 1815, Leopold commanded a Russian cavalry brigade as a [[lieutenant general]], aged 25, on the outskirts of France, as Napoleon lost the [[Battle of Waterloo]].{{sfn|Monarchie website}}