“The defeat must be brought to an end”: historian Viktor Bezotosny spoke about the foreign campaign of the Russian army against Napoleon

- The first of January 1813 is considered the key date for the start of the Russian army's foreign campaign against Napoleon?

Why this particular date?

What is the general chronology of the Patriotic War of 1812?

- I think that January 1 was a convenient date for fixing the start of a trip abroad.

Even before January 1, many units crossed the border and were in the territory of East Prussia and the Duchy of Warsaw.

June 24, 1812 is considered the beginning of the Patriotic War.

But people get confused because of different styles.

Then in the Russian Empire it was June 12th. 

In total, over 600 thousand people entered the territory of Russia in 1812, according to various estimates.

The first echelon of the Napoleonic army was 450 thousand people.

Our army numbered 220 thousand.

Due to the numerical inequality, the Russian troops began to retreat. 

But intelligence worked very well and we knew the approximate forces that Napoleon would put forward against Russia.

That is why the tactics of military operations in the depths of the territory were adopted in order to achieve equality of forces.

Such an approximate equality was achieved near the village of Borodino. 

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The end of the campaign is considered to be the manifesto of Alexander I “On bringing Thanksgiving to the Lord God for the liberation of Russia from the enemy invasion”, signed on December 25, 1812.

- What preceded the beginning of the Foreign campaign?

How and when did the turning point in the war occur?

By what forces was this reversal carried out?

- Alexander I after the battle of Borodino (

 - took place on August 26 (according to the old style) 1812 near the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow), the Petersburg plan was approved.

According to this plan, the Russian armies were to deliver flank attacks on the Napoleonic troops.

The main army under the command of Kutuzov was supposed to drive Napoleon out of Russia.

The Third Western Army under the command of Admiral Chichagov was supposed to cut the enemy's communications, push back his flank corps, strike through Minsk and capture the city of Borisov on the Berezina River.

At the same time, Wittgenstein's corps, which covered the Petersburg direction, was supposed to strike the Napoleonic group from the flank and assist the Third Western Army - also stand in the way of the retreat of the French army.

• Peter von Hess.

  Crossing the Berezina (1844)

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• © The Picture Art Collection

In November 1812, Chichagov took the city of Borisov, his troops settled on the Berezina River, where they met the retreating army of Napoleon.

The losses of the Napoleonic army on the Berezina were huge: about 40 thousand people.

It is believed that in the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon lost fewer soldiers and officers.

After the French army crossed the Berezina and headed towards the city of Vilna, Russian frosts hit.

And those who were even able to cross, suffered from frost and hunger.

- The foreign campaign began with the fact that the Russian troops crossed the Neman and began to push the Napoleonic army in the opposite direction?

- The advanced units of the Russian army had already crossed the Neman at that time.

The vanguard units continued to move on without stopping, while the main part of the troops that pursued the French from Moscow to the border stopped to rest. 

There were no more Napoleonic units on the territory of the Russian Empire at that time, but hostilities did not end.

- The foreign campaign of the Russian army ended in Paris.

Was it really strategically necessary to reach the end?

- Yes.

Napoleon understood that Alexander I was his main opponent in Europe and really wanted to make peace with him after the end of 1812.

But Alexander I did not do this, but decided that the rout should be brought to an end, because the uncut forest sprouts very quickly.

And it was only a matter of time before Napoleon came to his senses, gathered an army and again went to Russia. 

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Napoleon left Russia, leaving the remnants of his troops, arrived in Paris and quickly organized the gathering of a new army.

Somewhere in May, he already had about 300 thousand people.

Let this army was still poorly prepared, but already quite combat-ready.

If he had been given more respite, he would not have stopped at the peace agreement reached, if such had been concluded with him.

He always found an excuse to break agreements.

And, knowing the nature of Napoleon, Alexander I decided to go to the end, thereby making the right choice. 

- How long did the foreign campaign against Napoleon last?

- A little over a year.

The Russians could not launch a large-scale offensive in 1813.

Allied troops were needed to liberate Germany from Napoleonic troops.

In the beginning, only Prussia helped us.

And already in May, Sweden and Austria joined the coalition.

Alexander I acted as the organizer of all anti-Napoleonic forces on the continent.

Despite the fact that the main opponent of Napoleon was England, which was constantly at war with France, starting in 1793.

Only in January 1814, the Russian units crossed the border of France and entered its territory. 

- How did events develop in 1814 already on enemy territory? 

- At the beginning of 1814, Napoleon had about 300 thousand people, and the anti-Napoleonic coalition had about 1 million soldiers.

The French emperor tried to divert attention from Paris, but Alexander I made the right decision, throwing the main forces to Paris.

Paris was taken, the capitulation of the city was signed, and Napoleon no longer had any choice.

Under pressure from his marshals, he signed the abdication, and was removed to the island of Elba. 

What forces took Paris?

- Two armies entered Paris: the Selesian army, commanded by the Prussian field marshal Blucher, and the Bohemian army, commanded by the Austrian field marshal Schwarzenberg. 

• Artist G.E.

  Opitz, Cossack bivouac on the Champs Elysees, 1815

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  Jonas/KHARBINE-TAPABOR

— Tour guides like to say that “bistro” establishments appeared in Paris after Russian troops entered the city.

“Most likely it is a beautiful legend.

But I can say that there are words that came into French use after Napoleon's military campaign.

When the French want to say “this is a disaster”, they say: “Berezina!

Berezina!

It left an indelible mark on the minds of contemporaries.

It was a disaster.

Out of more than 600 thousand soldiers, Napoleon withdrew 30-40 thousand people from Russia.

Very few survivors described the terrible events on the Berezina River.

So the word "Berezina" definitely entered the lexicon of the French language.