Patriotic War of 1812: reasons, move, results

The war in 1812 was very saturated with events, so it requires special attention.

Content

The Patriotic War, taking place in 1812, is rightfully called the heroic page of the past of Russia. The parties to the conflict were the French and Russian empires. The war was unleashed by the French emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte. It lasted six months, starting on June 12 (24), 1812 and ending on December 14 (26), 1812.

The fighting unfolded in the territories of the Russian power.

The goals of France in relation to Russia

The main goals of the French military campaign against Russia were:

Continental blockade of the UK.
The reunification of Polish lands in order to revive the sovereign state of Poland. Napoleon planned to include Ukrainian and Belarusian lands belonging to the Russian Empire in its composition.
A military agreement with the defeated Russia in order to implement future joint trips to India.

Events before the war

The events that led to the invasion of Napoleon to the lands of the Russian Empire can be briefly described as follows:

The main enemy for the French Empire after the events of 1807 was the UK. After the capture of the French colonies in the territories of America and India, the French lost a lot of trade opportunities. The only effective weapon in the fight against Great Britain was a continental blockade actively supported by other European powers. This would make it possible to economically strangle the main enemy of the French empire.
After the Russian army was defeated by Friedland, Alexander I in 1807 signed the Tilsite world with Emperor Bonaparte. According to this agreement, Russia was obliged to participate in the continental blockage of the island Britain. It should be noted that this agreement was not beneficial to the Russian Empire either economically or politically.

First of all, Russian merchants and landowners suffered from the terms of the contract. This could not but affect the financial situation of the power in general. Russian paper money began to be depreciated, and the cost of the ruble to fall. The Russian nobility considered the treaty humiliating and shameful for the state.
The Tsarist Russia government did not want to break off relations with Great Britain, since it was the main trading partner of the country. Russia was opened in 1810 by free trade with neutral states, which, in nature, acted as intermediaries in trade with the British. In addition, customs tariffs were increased, which mainly affected wines and luxury items imported from France. All this caused indignation among the government of the French Empire.
At the same time, Napoleon twice offered marriage to each other and representatives of the Russian reigning house. This marriage was necessary for Bonaparte for the legitimacy of its own ascent to the throne. After all, he was not a hereditary monarch. The French emperor was refused various pretexts to the monarchical house of Russia. Relations between the two states worsened more and more.

In 1811, Russian troops were pulled to the borders of the Warsaw Duchy in order to prevent the restoration of Poland's independence. The French regarded this fact as a direct military threat regarding the duchy, whose hopes were in every possible way supported by the emperor of France for the reconstruction of an independent state.
In violation of the conditions of the Tilsite world, Bonaparte continued to capture the lands of Prussia. The Russian emperor demanded the withdrawal of the French military forces from there. However, France was not fulfilled.

Diplomatic relations of France and Russia with other countries

Already at the end of 1810, a military clash between the two empires seemed inevitable. Both countries have launched large -scale intelligence work.

In addition, the parties actively interacted with other states at the diplomatic level:

In December 1811, an agreement was concluded between the French and Austrian empires. The allies agreed that Austria provides military assistance to France in the form of a 30,000th army. France in exchange after its victory over Russia pledged to compensate for the losses incurred by the Austrians during a military campaign.
In February 1812, Napoleon concludes Agreement with Prussia, promising her in exchange for military assistance in the form of supply and army units, landed lands from Russia.

In the spring of 1812, the Austrians in secret negotiations made it clear to Russian diplomats that they would not be zealous in helping the French troops.
At about the same time, Russia and France made proposals to the government Sweden about land in exchange for military assistance. Having examined the conditions of both parties, Sweden decided to provide support for Russia and entered into a union agreement with it.
In the spring of 1812, the Russian government signed a peace treaty with Turkey.
And in July 1812, Russia and Great Britain signed the Erebrian world, which restored friendly and trade relations between the two states. In addition, this agreement provided for in the event of a war with the third powers and the provision of military assistance. The British fought against the Napoleonic army in Spain.
In the same month, Spain became Spain in the war in the war against France.

Invasion in Russia

Napoleon Bonaparte on a military campaign against the Russian state gathered an army of about 500 thousand people. This army was multinational. There were no more than half of the French in it. According to researchers, such a national variegated was a certain drawback of the military forces of France.

Despite this, Napoleon’s army was distinguished by undeniable virtues:

Large number.
Powerful technical and material support.
The experience of the military.
The faith of the soldier in their own invincibility.

While Russia suffered from a lack of its own capacities for the technical support of the entire army. Despite the high quality of weapons, many Russian soldiers used the guns of Austrian or English production.

In addition, the Russian army weakened the embezzlement and theft of various military ranks.

The invasion of the French army was strategically thought out:

Through the Neman River, which separated the lands of Prussia and Russia, on the night of June 12 (24), 1812, the French military began to cross the Russian territory. They entered the fortress of the town of Kovno. Within 4 days, more than 200 thousand soldiers crossed the territory of Lithuania, which was part of the Russian Empire.
Near the village of Barbarishki The first combat battle of the parties occurred.
The capture of the French Lithuanian lands continued. Four days after the outbreak of war, the enemy captured Vilna. Two days after the capture of the city, Alexander I was invited to Bonaparte to withdraw the army from the Russian territory and conclude a settlement agreement. The French emperor refused. Lithuania was occupied.

The French army was promoted in three directions:

North - To St. Petersburg through Riga.
South - On Lutsk.
Central - towards Moscow.

The Russian army made up three divisions:

1st Army -The command of Barclay de Tolly.
2nd Army - The command of Bagration.
3rd Army - The command of Tormasov.

The military corps were greatly scattered among themselves, which significantly complicated the position of the Russian army. In the northern direction, the Russian troops had to retreat. Polotsk was occupied by the French.

Emperor Bonaparte hoped to end the war with Russia quickly, limiting himself to border battles. He did not expect the retreat of the Russian troops deep into the country. This was a complete surprise for him, which was the reason for some confusion and delay.

At the beginning of the military campaign, the 1st and 2nd Russian armies made several unsuccessful attempts to unite so that the scattered corps would not be defeated by the enemy. It was possible to do this only on August 3.

A small pause has come in hostilities. Both sides after long marks restored strength.

But already 5 (17) August The battle of Smolensk took place. The French forces totaled 180 thousand people.

The commander of Barclay de Tolly initially opposed an unnecessary battle. However, at that time there was no single command in the Russian army. Under the pressure of others, the military leader had to agree to the battle. After stubborn battles in the morning of the next day, Russian forces were withdrawn from the burned city in order to avoid a big battle, doomed to defeat.

The French under the command of Marshal Neu persecuted the retreating Russian units. Refusing, the Russian army moved towards Moscow.

Command by the Russian army

The Russian emperor Alexander I, who understood after Austerlitz, which did not correspond to the role of the commander, could not take a strategically correct position. His indecision to take on the official command of the military forces harmed the Russian army, constraining the actions of the military leaders. After the king was convinced to go to the capital, the actions of the Russian divisions became more decisive.

Leaving the army near Polotsk, Emperor Alexander did not appoint a single commander in chief. For this reason, the command of the Russian army was distinguished by the lack of a unified government. In addition, after the retreat in Smolensk, the relations of Barclay de Tolly and Bagration stretched more than the same. This situation led to the uncertain command and the losses of the Russian army. At a meeting of the Extraordinary Committee, Mikhail Kutuzov was approved by the Commander -in -Chief.

Battle of Borodino

By the end of August, Russian military units retreated to the village of Borodino. Kutuzov was forced to decide on a battle for political and moral reasons.

The positions of the Russian army seemed quite successful, since on the one hand they were protected by the Koloch River, and on the other, earthen fortifications.

August 26 (September 7) The largest battle of the Patriotic War took place. In fact, the French warriors attacked Russian fortifications. The number of military forces of the two empires was approximately equal (more than 120 thousand on each side).
However, the Russian army suffered from a lack of weapons. There was simply nothing to arm militias. Therefore, they were used for auxiliary actions. The bloody battle lasted about 12 hours. Both sides fought fiercely. The losses of both sides were huge - up to 40 thousand Frenchmen and up to 45 thousand Russians.
The French with varying success shifted Russian positions. Wanting to save the army, Kutuzov gave an order to retreat.
The forces of the Russians went to Mozhaisk.

Delivery of Moscow

Kutuzov avoided major battles with the enemy, giving his army the opportunity to accumulate strength. At the military council, after long disputes and thoughts, the commander in chief decided to leave Moscow in order to save the Russian army.

Napoleon Bonaparte Moscow was busy without fighting September 14th. And at night the city swept the flame. The fire raged for 4 days and destroyed more than half of the Moscow buildings.

Historians do not give a single answer, which caused Moscow fires. Possible reasons are called:

The rash random actions of the French themselves.
Organized arson by Moscow Governor-General Rastopchin.
Events of Russian scouts.

Occupying Moscow, the French emperor three times offered to the Russian king to conclude the world. However, there was no answer from the Russian king.

Meanwhile, the dense ring of militias and partisans surrounded the captured Moscow.

Russian people against the French army

An important role in the military events of that time was played by the folk confrontation of Russia to the Napoleonic army:

Flying partisan detachments created by the Russian command with the aim of military events in the rear of the enemy and undermining his communications.
Detachments of serfs. It should be noted that in the first months of the war, people were in different ways of the French.
Among the serfs, the rumor was even spread that the French emperor wants to free peasants, endowing them with land.
Therefore, at that time, there were frequent cases of attacks by the detachments of peasants on Russian military units. However, violence and robbery from the French soldiers led to the partisan movement.
The militia detachments formed from the nobles and serfs, according to the July manifesto of the Russian emperor. During the military campaign, about 400 thousand militias were involved.

Smolensk battle became the beginning of the Russian popular resistance of the Napoleonic army. On the path of the French, settlements were set on fire by residents who, if possible, left. In addition, the peasants refused to supply the food of the French military.

The offensive of the Russian army

After the Russians, combat events unfolded as follows:

Kutuzov’s army advanced to Kaluga, threatening the French rear.
Napoleon prepared a retreat to the south to organize wintering, since it was impossible to survive the winter in ruined Moscow.
In early October, near the village of Tarutino, the Russian units defeated the damper of the French. After this battle, the combat initiative passes to the Kutuzov army.
In the middle of the month, the French army began to move from Moscow to Smolensk through Kaluga. There they stumbled upon fortified Russian positions. After the battle of Maloyaroslawan, the forces of the French army were significantly inferior to Russian.
The Russian units did not allow the Napoleonic army to break through into Ukrainian territory and forced the enemy to move along the Smolensk ruined road.
On the path of its following, the retreating French army was attacked by partisan and Cossack detachments.
Having reached Smolensk in November, Napoleon’s soldiers hoped to relax and replenish food supplies. However, they stumbled upon an active peasant resistance. In addition, thinned troops suffered from the actions of the united partisan detachments. In mid -November, the French left Smolensk.

17 (29) November The Bonaparte pursued by the Russian units began crossing the Berezina River. Attacked by the Russian military corps, Napoleon lost more than 20 thousand soldiers in the battle at the crossing.
The army of France moved to Vilna, joining in the process its military units, which acted in other directions. The strokeing frosts finally undermined the moral and physical condition of the soldiers weakened by the hunger.
In early December, Bonaparte went to France to recruit a new army.
Kutuzov’s army continued the offensive and forced the French to leave Vilna.
Having moved across the Neman River, the remnants of the French army, a little more than one and a half thousand, crossed the Duchy of Warsaw, following the territory of Prussia.
December 25th The Russian emperor approved the manifesto of the end of the war with the French.
Since the beginning of 1813, military operations have been unfolding already in Germany and France.
In October of this year, a battle under Leipzig took place, where the army of France was finally defeated.
In the spring of 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte from the throne occurred.

The results of the war in 1812

In the war of 1812, the army of the Russian Empire completely defeated the French army.

According to the calculations of historians, the loss of the army of the French Empire amounted to more than 550 thousand people. Russia has lost more than 200 thousand.

According to researchers, the causes of the defeat of the Napoleonic army were:

The unpreparedness of French soldiers to the climatic conditions of Russia.
Weak preparation of the French for conducting combat events in large territories.
Civil uprising.
The destruction of the food supply system due to the lack of discipline in French forage teams, as well as the disobedience of the Russian peasantry. These factors led to the hunger and the insecurity of Bonaparte's army.
The talent of Russian commanders.

The victory of the Russians in the Patriotic War had the most important political and historical consequences:

The defeat of the French army contributed to the high international authority of tsarist Russia, which had had a huge impact on European states after the war. Unfortunately, the strengthening of the external political positions of tsarist Russia had practically no positive impact on the socio-economic situation within the country.
The Patriotic War was the first event in the history of the Russian power, when different layers of society rallied against the enemy. Military events aroused the unprecedented rise of popular self -awareness and patriotism.
The warriors of the militia, having passed the lands of Europe during the battles, saw the abolition of serfdom in other powers. In Russia, serfdom was not canceled. The new folk thinking led to the subsequent uprisings of the peasantry and the opposition formation among the nobles.

Historians directly connect the uprising of the Decembrists of 1825 years with the victory of Russia in the war against the French.