Russia Triumphs over Napoleon

In Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace the French Invasion of Russia of 1812 – known in Russian history as the Patriotic War of 1812 – is depicted as a great Russian victory won by the genius and perseverance of Tsar Alexander II and his generals. Writes the author Dominic Lieven “One key reason why Russia defeated Napoleon was that her top leaders out-thought him.” With a strategy of deep retreat, the Russians purposely pulled the Napoleonic forces of the Grande Armée into the heart of Russia. The French were then overextended and the Russians with their huge armies, fueled by massive conscription of serfs, the harassing Cossacks and the cavalry – not to mention the Russian winter – overcame Napoleon’s Grand Armée. Over 600,000 men under Napoleon’s command crossed the Nieman River on June 24, 1812 to invade Russian territory. When the Armée retreated, only perhaps 10,000 crossed back.


But, men, guns, horses and snow don’t tell the entire tale – typhus decimated the Grande Armée. Read the terrifying, graphic details of the role this disease played in Stephan Talty’s The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army. Was it the famous Russian weather, the Cossacks, the battles, or the horrible epidemic that killed thousands of Napoleon’s soldiers and turned the tide against the French? This is a military history and a page turner. The Russian Campaign played a pivotal part not only in the history of the Napoleonic Wars, but in Russia culture as well. Imagine a classical pops concert without the Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and then, there are the paintings!

This May in Moscow, the State Historical Museum has opened an exhibition "The Year 1812 in the paintings by Vasily Vereshchagin." Anticipating the upcoming 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Museum has organized an exhibition of twenty paintings covering the Battle of Borodino through the retreat of Napoleon from Russia painted by the famous Russian painter of war, Vasily Vereshchagin. The "1812" series on Napoleon's Russian campaign may have been inspired by Tolstoy’s great novel War and Peace. Take a look at Vereshchagin’s Napoleon Near Moscow, Waiting for a Boyar Deputation.
(Photo from Wikipedia)


A fascinating look at the fate of the Grande Armée as it made its death-march retreat out of Russia can be found on the BBC Archaeology in –depth site Napoleon's Lost Army: The Soldiers Who Fell. Remains of thousands of Napoleonic soldiers who perished from disease, starvation, and exposure were uncovered in a mass grave accidentally opened up in 2002 outside Vilnius, Lithuania. In the 19th century, Lithuania was a Russian province on the corridor between Berlin and Moscow, where European and Russian armies have clashed for centuries.





(Photo: French Army Flight Through Vilnius Town Hall in 1812)

For historical fiction, there is The Retreat by Patrick Rambaud. This second installment in Rambaud’s Napoleonic trilogy, vividly chronicles the French Armee’s disasterous 1812 Russian Campaign. The novel opens with the imperial army at the gates of Moscow (does Moscow really have gates?) anticipating a rich city to plunder and the impending capitulation of the Tsar. However, Napoleon finds the city deserted of not only people, but food. Due to the scorched earth tactics of the Russian army, the French are now seriously overextended. A month after entering Moscow, Napoleon decides to retreat out of Russia. By the way -- if you are totally fascinated by Napoleon, you might also want to start with Rambaud’s first volume in his Napoleonic trilogy, The Battle, which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt and the Grand Prix Roman de l'Académie Française.

- Karen S.