COMMANDERS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY OF 1812
Military leaders of the Russian army in 1812 [Text]: inform.-bibliogr. allowance / MBUK "CBS"; TsGB im. M. Gorky; comp. N.V. Malyutina. - Bataysk, 2012.

In 2012, a glorious date is celebrated - the 200th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Thanks to the decree of the President Russian Federation dated December 28, 2007 No. 1755 "On the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812", the commemoration of the twelfth year acquired state status.

This significant date is of great importance for the education of patriotism and citizenship. The information and bibliographic manual "Military Leaders of the Russian Army of 1812" is dedicated to the heroes of the Patriotic War, largely thanks to whom Russia managed to win this difficult victory over the enemy.

The manual also contains a calendar of the main events of the war of 1812, statements of great people about the war of 1812, which will help in the design of exhibitions and events, writing essays, etc.

Complements the manual List of literature and scenarios, dedicated to both individual personalities and events, and the war as a whole.

The manual is addressed to high school students, students, leaders children's reading and to everyone who is interested in the topic of the Patriotic War of 1812.
Generals of the twelfth year

You, whose wide overcoats

Reminds me of sails

And whose eyes are like diamonds

A trace was carved on the heart -

Charming dandies

Of past years.

With one fierce will

You took the heart and the rock, -

Kings on every battlefield

And at the ball.

All the peaks were small for you

And soft - the most stale bread,

Oh young generals

Your destinies!

Oh how - I think - could you

With a hand full of rings

And caress the curls of the maidens - and the mane

Your horses.

In one incredible leap

You have lived your short life...

And your curls, your sideburns

It snowed.

Three hundred won - three!

Only the dead did not get up from the ground.

You were children and heroes

You all could.
What is also touching - young,

How is your mad army?..

You golden-haired Fortune

Led like a mother.

You have conquered and loved

Love and sabers point -

And merrily passed

Into non-existence.

M. Tsvetaeva
Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

(1761 -1818)

Barclay de Tolly - Russian commander, field marshal general. Minister of War of the Russian Empire in 1810-1812.

Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly came from the old Scottish noble family, whose ancestors moved to the city of Riga in the 17th century. When Livonia became part of the Russian Empire, immigrants from Scotland quickly became Russified and turned into ordinary Russian nobles, whose ancestral vocation was military service.

Patriotic War of 1812, which began on the night of June 12, Infantry General M.B. Barclay de Tolly met as commander of the largest Russian army, the 1st Western. It consisted of six infantry, two cavalry and one Cossack corps with a total number of almost 130 thousand people with 558 guns, and was located in the area of ​​Rossiena, Vilna, Grodno and covered a 220-kilometer section of the western border of Russia. The 1st Army outnumbered the combined 2nd Western Army and the 3rd Reserve, or Observational, Army of General A.P. Tormasov.

Barclay de Tolly was also subordinate to the neighboring, Bagrationov's 2nd Western Army (up to the appointment of M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the Russian active army). In the conditions of a significant superiority of the Napoleonic army, Barclay de Tolly managed to carry out the withdrawal of two Russian armies to Smolensk, thereby frustrating the plan of the French emperor to defeat them separately. However, the majority of contemporaries condemned such actions of the Russian Minister of War.

The retreat of the Russian troops from the state border and the unwillingness of Barclay de Tolly to give the enemy army a general battle caused dissatisfaction among the general public, and above all in the ranks of the army itself. The authority of the Minister of War fell, and he could no longer claim the supreme command in the outbreak of war. However, his undoubted merit was that he managed to save the Russian army for the Battle of Borodino.

Initially, the 1st Russian Western Army retreated to Drissa in order to take up defense in the fortified camp built there according to the Ful plan. Because of this, the distance between the 1st and 2nd armies increased significantly. In addition, the unsuitability of the camp for defense was obvious. The enemy could bypass him, surround him and force the Russian army to surrender.

The Minister of War ordered his army to leave Drissa and withdraw to join the army of General Bagration in the direction of Polotsk, Vitebsk, Smolensk. Barclay de Tolly near Vitebsk skillfully escaped from the general battle with Napoleon. To protect the St. Petersburg direction, the corps of General Wittgenstein, numbering 23 thousand people, was allocated from the army.

The retreat of the 1st Western Army took place with constant rearguard battles, the most fierce of which took place near the village of Ostrovno. Only after this did Emperor Napoleon realize that he would not succeed in defeating the main enemy forces in the border area and that another plan of war against Russia should be developed.

Two Russian armies united under the walls of ancient Smolensk. On June 20, the 1st Western Army approached the city, the 2nd Army - the next day. The victory won by the Russians in the battle of Smolensk raised the spirits of the retreating. But Smolensk was not prepared for defense, and the forces of the French Grand Army were still significantly superior to those of the Russians. The Minister of War ordered to continue the retreat into the depths of Russia. Avoiding a premature general battle, Barclay de Tolly gradually prepares for the inevitable decisive battles. Not succumbing to persuasion and pressure from the outside, against the imperial will and contrary to the mood of Bagration, he continued to retreat. On the march, he was caught by a message from St. Petersburg that on August 5, General of Infantry M.I. was appointed commander-in-chief of all Russian armies. Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

Only the 1st Western Army remained under the command of the Minister of War. In terms of numbers, it outnumbered Bagration's army, so in the Battle of Borodino, Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov instructed Barclay de Tolly to command the center and right flank of the Russian troops. His army on the day of the battle consisted of three corps: Generals Baggovut, Osterman-Tolstoy and Dokhturov. Everyone who saw Barclay de Tolly on the day of Borodin unanimously noted the fearlessness of the army commander. He appeared in the most dangerous places of the battle in the center of the Russian position. It was even said that he was looking for death. Four horses fell under him. All the adjutants who accompanied him, with the exception of one, were killed or wounded, and the army commander remained unharmed.

On August 26, 1812, the infantry general showed great skill and personal courage in repelling the onslaught of the Napoleonic troops. For services in the Battle of Borodino he was awarded the order St. George 2nd degree.

At the military council in Fili, the commander of the 1st Western Army supported the proposal of M.I. Kutuzov to leave Moscow, although most of the military leaders were against it and wanted a new general battle under the walls of the city. In September 1812, Barclay de Tolly left the active army due to illness and left the post of Minister of War. He did not participate in the expulsion of the French from Russia.

He again returned to the troops only in January 1813, when he was appointed commander of the 3rd Russian Army by the highest order and together with it made a trip to Europe, which the Russian troops, together with the allies, liberated from the French conquerors. After the death of the liberator of the Fatherland, Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, Emperor Alexander I, with the consent of other allied monarchs, appointed General of Infantry M.B. Barclay de Tolly at the head of the combined Russian-Prussian army.

Bagration Petr Ivanovich

(1765 – 1812)

Oh, take me to the fight, you battle-experienced

Enemies perished foreboding cliques, -

Heroic leader, Bagration the great.

(D. Davydov)

General Bagration came from an ancient family of Georgian kings Bagratids, his grandfather, Tsarevich Alexander, moved to Russia in 1757, had the rank of lieutenant colonel. Pyotr Bagration at the age of 17 was appointed by G. Potemkin to the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment.

In August 1811, Peter Ivanovich was appointed commander of the Podolsk army, located from Bialystok to the Austrian border and renamed in March 1812 into the 2nd Western Army. Anticipating a clash between Russia and Napoleon, he presented his plan to Alexander I future war, built on the idea of ​​​​offensive. But the emperor gave preference to the plan of the Minister of War Barclay de Tolly, and the Patriotic War began with the retreat of the 1st and 2nd Western armies and their movement to unite. Napoleon directed the main blow of his troops to the 2nd Western Army of Bagration in order to cut it off from the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly and destroy it. Bagration had to move with great difficulty, making his way through the battles at Mir, Romanovka, Saltanovka. Breaking away from the troops of the French Marshal Davout, he crossed the Dnieper and on July 22, finally, connected with the 1st Army near Smolensk.

Brought up in the Suvorov offensive spirit, Bagration was morally very difficult during the retreat. "It's a shame to wear a uniform," he wrote to the chief of staff of the 1st Army, A. Yermolov. "I don't understand your wise maneuvers. My maneuver is to search and beat!" He was indignant with Barclay: “I can’t do it together with the Minister of War. And the whole main apartment is filled with Germans so that it’s impossible for a Russian to live and there’s no point.” Bagration offered to give Napoleon a general battle near Smolensk, but the retreat continued.

On August 26, the 1st and 2nd armies, under the leadership of Kutuzov, who became commander in chief, entered the battle with the French near Borodino. This day turned out to be fatal in the glorious life of Bagration. His troops were located on the left flank, near the village of Semenovskaya with three earthen fortifications built in front of it - "Bagration Flushes". The left flank was hot. For 6 hours, a fierce, furious battle went on at Semenovskaya, which took place with varying success. The French twice captured the Bagration Flushes, and were twice driven out of there. During the next enemy attack, Prince Peter raised his troops in a counterattack, and at that moment (about 12 noon) he was seriously wounded: a fragment of a grenade crushed his tibia. The commander, taken off his horse, still continued to lead his troops, but after losing consciousness, he was taken out of the battlefield.
Wittgenstein Petr Khristoforovich

(1768 – 1843)

Field Marshal Peter Khristianovich (Ludwig Adolf Peter) Wittgenstein came from a German count family.

By the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Peter Khristianovich was already a lieutenant general and commanded the 1st Infantry Corps, which stood on the right flank of the 1st Army of Barclay de Tolly. After Napoleon crossed the Neman, the corps, like the entire army, avoiding major battles, moved back, participating in the planned withdrawal of the Russian troops. When the decision was made to leave the Drissa fortified camp, Wittgenstein was entrusted with a combat mission of particular importance - to cover the roads leading to the capital, Petersburg. After the 1st army of Barclay de Tolly left Drissa for Vitebsk, Wittgenstein's corps became, in fact, a small independent army that defended the entire north.

Napoleon, sending the main forces after the armies of Barclay de Tolly and Bagration retreating to Smolensk, moved the corps of Marshals Oudinot and MacDonald against Wittgenstein. On June 14, Oudinot occupied Polotsk and launched an offensive on Sebezh and Pskov, to the north in the direction of Riga, MacDonald began to move. The commander of the Russian corps correctly assessed the situation, he abandoned defensive actions along the entire 600 verst road from Dvinsk to St. Petersburg and decided to defeat the French corps separately. In mid-July, he moved towards Oudinot and on Belarusian soil, near Klyastitsy and Yakubovo, entered into a three-day battle with him. The vanguard detachment of General Ya. Kulnev was the first to attack the enemy and succeeded, defeating the forward detachments of Marshal Oudinot, 900 prisoners and a convoy were taken. Pursuing the enemy, Kulnev met the main forces of Oudinot and died, but soon the troops of the French marshal experienced the crushing blow of Wittgenstein and retreated, losing up to two thousand prisoners. During the battle, Peter Khristianovich was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield.

The victory at Klyastitsy - Yakubovo removed fears in St. Petersburg, where preparations for the evacuation were already beginning. Count Wittgenstein was awarded the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree, received the name "Savior of St. Petersburg" and became known throughout Russia. After the defeat of Oudinot, the French corps of MacDonald suspended its advance on Riga, and Napoleon was forced to send the corps of Saint-Cyr to the Dvina, thereby weakening the main army. At the same time, the French emperor gave an order to his three marshals: to stop offensive operations against Wittgenstein and, holding on to the banks of the Dvina, guard the lines of communication of the main army.

Reinforced by the St. Petersburg and Novgorod militias and other reinforcements, Wittgenstein on the day of the Tarutino offensive battle of the Russian army near Moscow (October 6) also moved forward and drove the troops of Saint-Cyr and Oudinot from Polotsk. On October 19, under Chashniki, the troops of the Russian general (up to 30 thousand people) defeated the corps of Oudinot and Victor (about 46 thousand) and occupied Vitebsk on the 26th. Then, fulfilling the plan of Alexander 1 to encircle the Napoleonic army on the Berezina, Wittgenstein moved towards Borisov, approaching Chichagov's 3rd army, which was approaching from the south. However, in a rapidly changing situation, he, like Chichagov, could not correctly calculate his actions, which allowed Napoleon with the main part of the troops to cross the Berezina and continue the retreat, which turned into flight. The failure at the Berezina did not shake the authority of the "savior of St. Petersburg."

Gorchakov Andrey Ivanovich

(1779 – 1855)

After the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, he was appointed to be with the 2nd Western Army. Before the Battle of Borodino, he was entrusted with the command of the troops (N.D. Neverovsky's division, militia and cavalry; about 11 thousand people in total) defending positions near the village of Shevardino. Aug 24 (September 5) attacked by the corps of General I. Poniatowski (about 35 thousand people). Withstood all attacks, and only by midnight did the division of General J. Compan break into the redoubt. After that, on the orders of Kutuzov, he left the position, having won the time necessary for the Russian army to deploy to the Borodino positions. In the Battle of Borodino on August 26 (September 7), he was seriously wounded during a counterattack on the Bagration Flushes. For distinction, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class.

Davydov Denis Vasilievich

(1784 – 1839)

Barbel. With his mind, he was sharp with a pen, like a Frenchman,

But the French are afraid of the saber ...

Like a whirlwind, like a fire, on guns, on wagons,

And at night, like a brownie, the enemy's camp disturbs!

But dear he gives, in his couplets, roses:

Davydov! It's you, poet and partisan!

(from the poem by F. Glinka “Partizan Davydov”)

Lieutenant General, ideologist and leader of the partisan movement, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, Russian poet of the "Pushkin galaxy".

At the beginning of the war of 1812, Davydov was a lieutenant colonel in the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment and was in the vanguard troops of General Vasilchikov. On August 21, 1812, in view of the village of Borodino, where he grew up, where they were already hastily dismantling the parental house for fortifications, five days before the great battle, Denis Vasilyevich proposed to Bagration the idea of ​​​​a partisan detachment. He borrowed this idea from the guerrillas (Spanish partisans). Napoleon could not deal with them until they were united in a regular army. The logic was simple: Napoleon, hoping to defeat Russia in twenty days, took provisions with him. And if you take away carts, fodder and break bridges, then this will create big problems for him. Bagration's order to create a flying partisan detachment was one of his last before the Battle of Borodino, where he was mortally wounded. On the very first night, Davydov's detachment of 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks was ambushed by peasants and Denis almost died. Peasants were bad at details military uniform, which was similar among the French and Russians. Moreover, the officers spoke, as a rule, in French. After that, Davydov put on a peasant's caftan and let go of his beard (in the portrait by A. Orlovsky (1814), Davydov is dressed in the Caucasian fashion: a chekmen, an obviously non-Russian hat, a Circassian checker). With 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks in one of the sorties, he managed to capture 370 Frenchmen, while recapturing 200 Russian prisoners, a cart with cartridges and nine carts with provisions. His detachment, at the expense of the peasants and the liberated prisoners, grew rapidly.

His quick successes convinced Kutuzov of the expediency of guerrilla warfare, and he was not slow to give it a wider development and constantly sent reinforcements. The second time Davydov saw Napoleon was when he and his partisans were in the forest in ambush, and a dormez with Napoleon drove past him. But at that moment he had too little strength to attack Napoleon's guards. Napoleon hated Davydov fiercely and ordered Denis to be shot on the spot during his arrest. For the sake of his capture, he singled out one of his best detachments of two thousand horsemen with eight chief officers and one staff officer. Davydov, who had twice less people, managed to drive the detachment into a trap and capture him along with all the officers.

One of the outstanding exploits of Davydov during this time was the case near Lyakhov, where he, along with other partisans, captured the two thousandth detachment of General Augereau; then, near the town of Kopys, he destroyed the French cavalry depot, scattered the enemy detachment near Belynichi, and, continuing the search to the Neman, occupied Grodno. The awards for the campaign of 1812 to Denis Davydov were the orders of St. Vladimir 3rd degree and St. George 4th degree - “Your Grace! While the Patriotic War was going on, I considered it a sin to think of anything other than the extermination of the enemies of the Fatherland. Now I am abroad, then I humbly ask Your Grace to send me Vladimir of the 3rd degree and George of the 4th class, ”Davydov wrote to Field Marshal M. Kutuzov after crossing the border.

With the crossing of the border, Davydov was seconded to the corps of General Winzingerode, participated in the defeat of the Saxons near Kalisz and, having entered Saxony with an advanced detachment, occupied Dresden. For which he was put under house arrest by General Wintzingerode, since he took the city without permission, without an order. Throughout Europe, Davydov's courage and luck were legendary. When Russian troops entered a city, all the inhabitants went out into the street and asked about him in order to see him.

For the battle when approaching Paris, when five horses were killed under him, but he, along with his Cossacks, nevertheless broke through the hussars of the Jacquinot brigade to the French artillery battery and, having cut down the servants, decided the outcome of the battle - Davydov was given the rank of Major General.
Ermolov Alexey Petrovich

(1777 – 1861)

Praise to the companions - the leaders;

Yermolov, young knight,

You are a military brother, you are the life of the regiments,

And the fear of your thunderbolts.

(V. Zhukovsky)

Infantry General, Artillery General. General Yermolov was one of the most famous and popular people in Russia's first half of XIX in. He achieved this fame by participation in three wars with Napoleon, activities in the management of the Caucasus, statesmanship, independent and noble character.

With the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, Yermolov was appointed chief of staff of the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly. Like the commander of the 2nd Western Army P. Bagration, Alexei Petrovich was weary of the retreat and the Barclay plan, but still humbled his pride "for the good of the fatherland." At the personal request of Alexander 1, he wrote to him about everything that was happening. As chief of staff, he did much to smooth relations between Barclay de Tolly and Bagration and to successfully link up the two armies near Smolensk; was the organizer of the defense of this city, then successfully led the troops in the battle of Lubin, was promoted to lieutenant general. In the battle near Borodino, Yermolov was under the commander-in-chief M. Kutuzov. At the height of the battle, Kutuzov sent him to the left flank, to the 2nd Army, where Bagration was seriously wounded, and Yermolov helped overcome the confusion of the troops there. Seeing that the central battery of Raevsky was taken by the French, he organized a counterattack, repulsed the battery and led its defense until he was shell-shocked by buckshot.
Konovnitsyn Petr Petrovich

(1764 – 1822)

Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, infantry general. He came from an old noble family of Konovnitsyns.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the 3rd division of Konovnitsyn became part of the 1st Western Army of M. Barclay de Tolly. On July 14, at Ostrovna, the division entered into the first battle with the French; replacing the tired corps of General A.I. Osterman, she held back the enemy’s onslaught all day, ensuring the withdrawal of the main forces of the army. On August 5, he defended Smolensk, remaining wounded in the ranks, on August 6 he fought at Lubin. In Smolensk, soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division took the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, which they brought to Moscow and carried it in front of the Russian troops on the day of the Battle of Borodino.

Soon after leaving Vyazma, he was instructed to lead the rearguard of the 1st and 2nd Western armies, and, repelling the attacks of Marshal Murat, being in continuous battles, he ensured the withdrawal of Russian troops to Borodino. Under his command were troops numbering up to 30 thousand people. The composition of the participants in the battles was comparable to the pitched battles of the 18th century. He will receive awards for these fights after Borodino.

On the day of the Battle of Borodino, Konovnitsyn's division took up defensive positions on the old Smolensk road, but when the main direction of Napoleon's attack was revealed - against the Russian left flank, the division was hastily sent to help Bagration. Arriving at the Bagration Flushes at 10 o'clock in the morning, Konovnitsyn knocked out the French with a blow to the bayonets. After Bagration was seriously wounded and carried away from the battlefield, Konovnitsyn led the defense of the left flank. The temporary confusion of the 2nd Army, which lost its commander, led to the loss of flushes, and Petr Petrovich was forced to withdraw troops 300-400 meters back - behind the Semenovsky ravine, where, using the heights, he organized a strong defense. Infantry General Dokhturov, who arrived to lead the 2nd Army, approved all his orders. When repulsing the last attacks of the French, Pyotr Petrovich was twice shell-shocked by cannonballs flying close, his uniform was torn apart by fragments of a shell that showered him, but the general calmly continued the battle. The day after the battle, Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov appointed Konovnitsyn commander of the 3rd Corps (instead of the mortally wounded N. A. Tuchkov). At the military council in Fili, Petr Petrovich voted for a new battle near Moscow. Like most other generals, he took the decision of the commander-in-chief to leave Moscow with pain.

After the retreat from Moscow, Kutuzov appointed Konovnitsyn the duty general of the headquarters of the Russian army. This appointment was not accidental: Mikhail Illarionovich, with a general confusion after the loss of Moscow, needed a balanced and firm person next to him. In addition, honest Konovnitsyn, unlike Bennigsen, who formally held the post of chief of staff, did not intrigue against Kutuzov. Since that time, Pyotr Petrovich became the first speaker at the commander-in-chief, all Kutuzov's combat correspondence with his subordinate military leaders passed through him.

Helping Kutuzov, Konovnitsyn gave all his strength to the restoration and strengthening of the army. In the Tarutinsky camp, he was engaged in the reception and distribution of reinforcements, followed their education and training, slept no more than three or four hours a day. Despite being unwell (before Tarutin he was tormented by a severe fever) and the promise given to Kutuzov: not to risk his life, Pyotr Petrovich took part in the hot Tarutino battle and almost died.

In the position of general on duty, Konovnitsyn was under Kutuzov all the time of the persecution of the Napoleonic army until the occupation of Vilna (Vilnius) by Russian troops. His military activity in 1812 was marked with the Golden Sword "For Courage" with diamonds, orders of St. Vladimir 2nd degree, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. George 2nd class. and the rank of adjutant general.

Kulnev Yakov Petrovich

(1763-1812)

Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Hussar. Major General.

With the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, he was instructed to lead a 5,000-strong cavalry detachment as part of the corps of P. X. Wittgenstein. The corps covered the paths to Petersburg, and Kulnev's detachment was invariably entrusted with the most difficult task - to act in the forefront or rearguard, the first to attack and the last to retreat.

Skillfully acting against the pressing French, Kulnev inflicted a number of tangible defeats on them. On July 18 - 19, near Klyastitsy and Yakubovo, he defeated the vanguard of the French corps of Marshal Oudinot, capturing nine hundred prisoners and a large enemy convoy. On July 20, Kulnev crossed the Drissa, again attacked the French and overturned them. Carried away by the pursuit, he did not notice the approach of the main forces of the French corps, which brought heavy artillery fire on his detachment. Breaking back, Yakov Petrovich closed the retreat of his detachment, and at that moment the enemy core struck him, buckshot tore off both his legs above the knees. Last words dying hero were: "Friends, do not yield to the enemy a single step native land. Victory awaits you!"

So, not having lived just a few days before his forty-nineth birthday, the glorious warrior of the Suvorov school, Yakov Petrovich Kulnev, perished. He was buried at the place of death near the village of Sivoshino. Subsequently, the brothers moved his ashes to their estate Ilzenberg in the Vitebsk province (now the village of Brezgale, Latvia), and a monument was erected at the site of the death of Yakov Petrovich. An excerpt from V.A. Zhukovsky's poem "A Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors" is engraved on its front side:

Where is our Kulnev, the destroyer of forces,

Ferocious flame of battle?

He fell - bowed his head on the shield

And clenched the sword in his hand ...
Platov Matvei Ivanovich

(1751 - 1818)

General of the cavalry. Ataman Platov, the hero of the Don, was born in Starocherkassk into the family of a military foreman, who gave him his initial education and taught him military affairs. With the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, Matvey Ivanovich headed the Cossack Corps, which was part of the 1st Army of Barclay de Tolly, but due to its location covered the withdrawal of the 2nd Western Army of Bagration. Near the town of Mir on June 27-28, Platov's corps defeated 9 regiments of the advancing enemy, bringing the Russian army the first victory in the war of 1812. The Cossacks successfully acted against the avant-garde French detachments near Romanovka, Saltanovka, near Smolensk.

During the difficult period of the retreat, Platov almost had a misfortune. At Semlevo, his rearguard let the French advance, and Barclay de Tolly removed him from command of the rearguard. Barclay believed that the chieftain "overslept" the French because of drunkenness, and besides, he did not like Platov for criticizing him in connection with the continuous retreat. Matvey Ivanovich, who was already leaving for the Don, was returned to the troops by the new commander-in-chief M. Kutuzov (he had known Platov since 1773). In the Battle of Borodino, Platov's ten Cossack regiments fought on the right flank. At one of the critical moments of the battle, they participated in a cavalry raid behind enemy lines, upsetting his ranks.

At the military council in Fili, which decided the fate of Moscow, the brave Don chieftain spoke in favor of a new battle with Napoleon, but the wise Kutuzov took the liberty of ordering a retreat. Platov was the initiator of additional mobilization on the Don, and 22 thousand Cossacks arrived at the Tarutino camp, where the Russian army was gathering forces, at the end of August. Ataman was instructed to lead the newly arrived Cossack regiments. On October 7, the retreat of the French army from Moscow began, and Platov's Cossack cavalry took an active part in pursuing and defeating the enemy along the Smolensk road, conducted successful military operations near Vyazma, Smolensk, Krasny. At the request of Kutuzov, by decree of the tsar of October 29, the leader of the Cossacks was promoted to count.

Raevsky Nikolay Nikolaevich

(1771 – 1829)

Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, cavalry general.

On the night of June 24, 1812, Napoleon's "Great Army" invaded Russia. Raevsky at that moment headed the 7th Infantry Corps of the 2nd Western Army of General P.I. Bagration. From Grodno, the 45,000-strong army of Bagration began a retreat to the east for subsequent connection with the army of M. B. Barclay de Tolly. In order to prevent the connection of the two Russian armies, Napoleon sent the 50,000-strong corps of the "Iron Marshal" Davout to cut through Bagration. On July 21, Davout occupied the city of Mogilev on the Dnieper. Thus, the enemy was ahead of Bagration and ended up to the northeast of the 2nd Russian army. Both sides did not have accurate information about the enemy’s forces, and Bagration, approaching the Dnieper 60 km south of Mogilev, equipped Raevsky’s corps to try to push the French back from the city and get on the direct road to Vitebsk, where the Russian armies were supposed to join.

On the morning of July 23, a fierce battle began near the village of Saltanovka (11 km down the Dnieper from Mogilev). Raevsky's corps fought for ten hours with five divisions of Davout's corps. The battle went on with varying success. Raevsky himself was wounded in the chest by buckshot, but his heroic behavior brought the soldiers out of confusion, and they, rushing forward, put the enemy to flight. According to legend, next to Nikolai Nikolaevich at that moment were the sons: 17-year-old Alexander and 11-year-old Nikolai. However, Raevsky himself later objected that although his sons were with him that morning, they did not go on the attack. However, after the battle of Saltanovka, the name of Raevsky became known to the entire army. He became one of the most beloved soldiers and all the people of the generals. On this day, Raevsky, having endured a fierce battle, managed to withdraw the corps from the battle completely combat-ready. By evening, Davout, believing that the main forces of Bagration should soon come up, ordered the battle to be postponed until the next day. And Bagration, meanwhile, with his army successfully crossed the Dnieper south of Mogilev near Novy Bykhov and quickly marched to Smolensk to join Barclay's army. Davout found out about this only a day later. The news of the salvation of Bagration's army from a seemingly inevitable defeat infuriated Napoleon.

On August 29, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov took command of the Russian army. On September 7, 120 km from Moscow, on the Borodino field, a battle was fought under his leadership, which became the central event of the entire war. The Borodino field was located at the junction of two roads - the old Smolensk and the new Smolensk. In the center of the location of the Russian army, the Kurgan height dominated the area. The 7th Corps of General Raevsky was entrusted to protect it, and it went down in history as the “Raevsky battery”. All day on the eve of the battle, Raevsky's soldiers were building earthen fortifications at Kurgan height. At dawn, a battery of 18 guns was located here. At 5 o'clock in the morning on September 7, the French began shelling the left, less strong, flank of the Russian army, where the Bagrationov flushes were located. At the same time, a stubborn struggle ensued at Kurgan height. The French, concentrating forces to storm the heights, sent two infantry divisions across the Kolocha River. At 09:30, after artillery preparation, the enemy rushed to the attack. And although by this time eight battalions of the 7th Corps were already fighting on the flushes, Raevsky still managed to stop the French advance on the battery. After some time, three French divisions went on the assault. The situation on the battery became critical. In addition, there was a shortage of ammunition. The French broke into the heights, a fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. The situation was saved by the soldiers of the 3rd Ufa Regiment, who arrived in time to help and pushed back the French, led by General A.P. Yermolov. During these two attacks, the French suffered significant losses, three generals were wounded, one was taken prisoner. Meanwhile, Platov's Cossack regiments and Uvarov's cavalry corps hit the French left flank. This suspended the French attacks, and made it possible for Kutuzov to pull up reserves on the left flank and to Raevsky's battery. Seeing the complete exhaustion of Raevsky's corps, Kutuzov led his troops into the second line. The 24th Infantry Division of P. G. Likhachev was sent to defend the battery. The whole second half of the day was a powerful artillery skirmish. The fire of 150 French guns fell upon the battery, the enemy cavalry and infantry simultaneously rushed to storm the height. Both sides suffered huge losses. The wounded General Neverovsky was captured, the French General Auguste Caulaincourt died. Raevsky's battery was nicknamed "the tomb of the French cavalry" by the French. Nevertheless, the numerical superiority of the enemy had an effect: at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the French took possession of the battery. However, after the fall of the battery, the French did not advance further into the center of the Russian army. With the onset of darkness, the battle ceased. The French withdrew to their starting lines, leaving all the Russian positions they occupied at the cost of huge losses, including the Raevsky battery. At the military council in Fili, held on September 13, Raevsky spoke in favor of leaving Moscow. A similar opinion was shared by M. I. Kutuzov. On September 14, the Russian army left Moscow, and on the same day it was occupied by the French. However, a month later, Napoleon was forced to leave the burned city. On October 19, the French army began to retreat towards Kaluga. October 24 major battle near Maloyaroslavets. The 6th Infantry Corps of General D.S. Dokhturov put up stubborn resistance to the enemy, the city changed hands several times. Napoleon brought more and more units into battle, and Kutuzov decided to send Raevsky's corps to help Dokhturov. Reinforcements came in handy, and the enemy was driven back from the city. As a result, Maloyaroslavets remained with the Russian army. The French failed to break through to Kaluga, and were forced to continue their retreat along the Smolensk road, which they had already devastated. Raevsky for actions near Maloyaroslavets was awarded the Order of St. George 3rd degree. The forces of the French, rapidly retreating to the western borders of Russia, were melting every day. In November, during a three-day battle near Krasnoe, Napoleon lost about a third of his army. In this clash, Raevsky's corps actually finished off the remnants of the corps of Marshal Ney, whom he had to deal with more than once during the campaign. Soon after the battle near Krasnoy, Nikolai Nikolayevich was forced to leave the army. The constant overstrain of forces, as well as numerous concussions and injuries, had an effect.
Tormasov Alexander Petrovich

(1752 – 1819)

Count, general of the cavalry. During the Patriotic War of 1812 he commanded the 3rd Western Army on the southern flank.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, Tormasov commanded the 3rd observational army (54 battalions, 76 squadrons, 9 Cossack regiments, 43 thousand in total), designed to contain Austria. First Schwarzenberg was sent against Tormasov, then Renier, with the Saxon corps. On July 1, Tormasov, leaving the Osten-Sacken corps to guard Volyn and to communicate with the Danube army, and Major General Khrushchov (dragoon brigade and 2 Cossack regiments) in Vladimir-Volynsky, to secure the borders from Galicia and the Duchy of Warsaw, himself, with main forces, moved against the flank and rear of the French troops advancing from Brest to Pinsk against Bagration. Corps Rainier was scattered over a large area (Slonim - Pruzhany - Brest - Kobrin - Yanovo - Pinsk). On July 24, part of Tormasov's army captured Brest. On the 27th, a Saxon detachment was defeated and laid down weapons in the battle near Kobrin (General Klengel, 66 officers, 2200 lower ranks, 8 guns); after that Tormasov occupied Pruzhany. This victory was important psychological significance as the first success during the retreat of the Russian armies. For her, Tormasov received on July 28, 1812, the Order of St. George, 2nd class, as a reward.

Rainier, having gathered his troops and joined with Schwarzenberg, attacked Tormasov near Gorodechno. On August 1, Russian troops retreated first to Kobrin, and then to Lutsk, to join the Danube army, which was marching to Russia after the conclusion of the Bucharest peace with the Ottoman Porte.

In September, the armies united and forced Schwarzenberg to hastily retreat to Brest. Soon, command of the united armies passed to Admiral Chichagov, and Tormasov was recalled to the main headquarters, where he was entrusted with the internal command and control of the troops and their organization. Tormasov took part in the battles near Maloyaroslavets, Vyazma, Krasny and with the main army crossed the border of the empire in December 1812. During the Patriotic War of 1812, General A.P. Tormasov became the only cavalier of the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called for distinction in the battle of Krasnoe. When Kutuzov, due to illness, remained in Bunzlau, Tormasov temporarily assumed the main command of the army.
Major events of 1812

August 4-6 (16-18) - Battle of Smolensk, Napoleon's unsuccessful attempt to defeat the main forces of the Russian troops;

September-October - Kutuzov conducts the Tarutinsky march maneuver, forcing the French to leave Moscow and retreat along the Old Smolensk road; deployment of guerrilla warfare;

November-December - the death of the French army;

Poems and quotes about the Patriotic War of 1812

"I will not lay down my arms until not a single enemy warrior remains in my kingdom."

Alexander I

"The New Russia Begins in 1812".

A. I. Herzen

"The destruction of the huge Napoleonic army during the retreat from Moscow served as a signal for a general uprising against French rule in the West."

F. Engels

“We will stand up with our heads for our Motherland.”

M. Yu. Lermontov

“... Everyone burned with zeal. Everyone outdid himself."

A.P. Ermolov, general, participant in the war of 1812

"Well, it was a day! Through the flying smoke

The French moved like clouds ... ".

M. Yu. Lermontov

And we promised to die

And the oath of allegiance was kept

We are in the Borodino battle.

M. Yu. Lermontov

“And prevented the nuclei from flying

A mountain of bloody bodies."

M. Yu. Lermontov

"With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost."

M. I. Kutuzov

"The twelfth year was great era in the life of Russia ... ".

V. G. Belinsky

“The Russian campaign of 1812 placed Russia at the center of the war. The Russian troops formed the main core, around which the Prussians, Austrians and the rest were grouped only later.

F. Engels

“The enemy knew a lot that day,

What does the Russian fight remote mean?

M. Yu. Lermontov

"Guys! Isn't Moscow behind us?

Let's die near Moscow

How our brothers died!”

M. Yu. Lermontov

“Not a holiday, not an accepting gift,

She was preparing a fire

An impatient hero."

A. S. Pushkin

“The earth shook like our breasts;

Mixed in a bunch of horses, people,

And the volleys of a thousand guns

Laugh in a long howl ... "

M. Yu. Lermontov

If I take Kyiv

I will grab Russia by the legs.

If I take control of Petersburg,

I'll take her head.

Having occupied Moscow, I will strike her in the heart.

Napoleon

“In Russia, the bitterness of the people against the invading enemy grew every month ... The desire to defend Russia and punish the impudent and cruel conqueror - these feelings gradually seized the entire people.”

E. V. Tarm, writer.

"The most terrible of all my battles is the one I gave near Moscow."

Napoleon

"The French have shown themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians have acquired the right to be invincible."

Napoleon

The twelfth year is a folk epic, the memory of which will pass into the centuries and will not die as long as the Russian people live.

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin

“This glorious year has passed, but the high-profile deeds and deeds committed in it will not pass and will not fall silent ...”

M. Kutuzov

Raevsky, the glory of our days, Praise! Before the ranks He is the first chest against swords with brave sons.

V. A. Zhukovsky
1812 on the Internet

1812 - Internet project http://www.museum.ru/1812/index.html

Site "Project 1812". The project library contains 45 full-text e-books: memoirs and diaries (A. Yermolov, D. Davydov, N. Durova, F. Glinka, F. Rostopchin, A. Kolencourt, Rustam, K. Mitternich), letters (Alexander I, M.A. Volkova, etc.) , works of art(“Burned Moscow” by G.P. Danilevsky, “Roslavlev or the Russians in 1812” by M.N. Zagoskin, a collection of poems and songs about the Patriotic War of 1812, a number of works by contemporary authors), historical works (Clauzewitz, Stendhal, Tarle, Vernet, etc.). All books are annotated and attached in three formats: html, txt and zip-archive. Editions richly illustrated

Patriotic War of 1812 http://www.patrio.ru/index.htm

This site is dedicated to the Patriotic War of 1812. Here is collected unique information that describes historical events of that time and gives a complete picture of the ongoing actions. For more convenient navigation, the site is divided into several sections, which are located in the left menu, go to chronological order and describe separate historical intervals from the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812 to its completion.

The most detailed battle of Borodino. The chronology of the Battle of Borodino is presented with sufficient frequency and the course of the battle can be traced by the clock.

A separate section is devoted guerrilla war Russian people against the French occupation in the territory Russian Empire. This section provides information on the formation and operation partisan detachments Denis Davydov and other Russian partisans.

In the section on the results of the war of 1812, historical analysis war and considers its significance for further development Russia.

In addition, the site contains biographies of individuals who in one way or another relate to the war of 1812. These are, first of all, outstanding commanders, rulers of the countries participating in the war and their allies, as well as other outstanding personalities. Also on the site you can find excerpts from historical documents of that period, which unambiguously describe historical events and reflect the essence of individual decisions.

1812 through the eyes of contemporaries http://militera.lib.ru/db/1812/pre.html

military literature. Diaries and letters.

Hussars in wars http://www.kulichki.com/gusary/istoriya/polki

1812 in Russian poetry

http://www.museum.ru/1812/Library/poetry/index.html

Collection of poems and songs about the Patriotic War of 1812

Members of the Napoleonic Wars

http://www.hrono.ru/biograf/bio_n/1812menu.php

The participants of the so-called Napoleonic Wars in the index of names given here are the most famous generals and officers who participated in the military conflicts of 1799-1815.

battle of Borodino

http://www.warstar.info/borodino_pruntsov/borodino.htm

The popular essay “Battle of Borodino” contains detailed description Battle of Borodino in 1812:

day of the Battle of Borodino by the hour;

scheme of the battle of Borodino;

heroes of the battle of Borodino.

Moscow buildings restored after the fire of 1812

http://www.protown.ru/russia/city/articles/4630.html

"Premium medal of the participant of the Patriotic War of 1812 as a monument of the era"

http://medalirus.narod.ru/Tools/bartosh_1.htm

The history of the silver medal established in 1813 to reward direct participants in the Patriotic War.

Battle of Borodino in the paintings of artists

http://www.museum.ru/1812/Painting/Borodino

Museum-Reserve "Borodino field"

http://www.borodino.ru

Website of the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve.

Literature:

Alekseev, A. “It is not for nothing that the whole of Russia remembers ...” [Text] / A. Alekseev // Science and Life. - 2010. - No. 9. - P. 81-87.

Alekseev, A. “It is not for nothing that the whole of Russia remembers ...” [Text] / A. Alekseev // Science and Life. - 2010. - No. 10. - P. 90-94.

Bezotosny, V. Vikhor-ataman [Text] / V. Bezotosny // Motherland. - 2004. - No. 5. - P. 43 - 47. - About the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 Platov Matvey Ivanovich.

Bessonov, V. ... Not counting the sharomyzhnikov [Text]: the number of prisoners of war in 1812 in Russia / V. Bessovnov // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 55-59.

Vasilyev, A. The sly figure of the Adventurer [Text]: real and invented losses / A. Vasilyev // Motherland. - 1992. - N 6/7. - S. 68.

Heroes of 1812: collection [Text] / [comp. V. Levchenko]. - M .: Mol. guard, 1987. - 608 p., l. ill. - (The life of wonderful people).

Dementiev, A. "...Fulfilled all duties as the bravest and most worthy general" [Text]: [Dmitry Petrovich Neverovsky (1771-1813)] / Anatoly Dementiev // Science and Life. - 2004. - N9. - S. 114-122.

Durov, V. Awards of 1812 [Text] / V. Durov // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 103-109.

Ermolov, A. Characteristics of the commanders of 1812 [Text] / A. Ermolov // Motherland. - 1994. - N 1. - S. 56-60.

Zemtsov, V. The art of dying correctly [Text]: in the name of what French soldiers went to their deaths / V. Zemtsov // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 26-29.

Ivchenko, L. “The Prince Bagration known to you” [Text] / L. Ivchenko // Motherland. - 1992. - N 6/7. - S. 40-43.

Ivchenko, L. Who moved the hour hand? [Text] / L. Ivchenko // Motherland. - 2002. - No. 8. - P. 40-46: Ill.-Chronology of the great battle on the Borodino field.

Kuharuk, A. Non-round date [Text] / A. Kuharuk // Motherland. - 2002. - No. 8. - P. 134-136: ill. - Opening of the monument on the Borodino field in 1839.

Lobachev, V. Features of the national war. Murat and Miloradovich [Text] / V. Lobachev // Science and religion. - 2002. - N 9. - S. 6-9.

Podmazo, A. The Russian army in June 1812 [Text] / A. Podmazo // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 60-70.

Sapozhnikov, A. "... and was driven through the village of Chertanovka" [Text] / A. Sapozhnikov // Motherland. - 2010. -№ 4. -S. 42-44: ill. - Historical facts about the military battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 on the territory of modern Moscow.

Tretyakova, L. Three days of Borodin [Text] / L. Tretyakova // Around the world. - 2001. - N 8. - S. 26-33.

Chinyakov, M. "Thunderstorm of the twelfth year" [Text]: (on the 190th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812) / M. Chinyakov // OBZH. Fundamentals of life safety. - 2002. - N 6. - S. 39-41.

Sheremetiev, O. "Roll overcoats, gentlemen!" [Text] / O. Sheremetiev // Motherland. - 2006. - No. 6. - P.53-59: ill. - About the appearance of the Russian army from Borodino to Paris.

Sheremetiev, O. Squadron of flying hussars [Text]: world easy cavalry of the reign of Alexander / Oleg Sheremetiev // Motherland. - 2008. - N 5. - S. 71-75.

Shishov, A. “Having rendered immortal merits to Russia” [Text]: full Cavalier of St. George Barclay de Tolly / A. Shishov / / Fundamentals of life safety. - 2005. - N 6. - S. 61-64.

Shishov, A. “Provided new experiences of art and courage” [Text]: Kutuzov is the first Russian full Cavalier of St. George / A. Shishov // Fundamentals of Life Safety. - 2005. - N 5. - S. 51-55.

Shishov, A. Breakthrough through the Balkans [Text]: Field Marshal Ivan Ivanovich Dibich-Zabaikalsky / A. Shishov // Fundamentals of life safety. - 2006. - N 4. - S. 60-64.

Ekshtut, S. A. Nikolai Raevsky [Text] / S.A. Ekshtut // Motherland. - 1994. - No. 3-4.

Scenarios

Bobrova, L.V. Hussars - dashing knights ... [Text]: an evening of honor dedicated to the officers of Russia, the heroes of 1812 / L. V. Bobrova // Read, study, play. -2000. - No. 7. - S. 40-51.

Druzhinina, T.V. "Hero of the twelfth year, indomitable partisan ..." [Text]: literary evening dedicated to D. Davydov. // Read, study, play. - 2004. - No. 4. - P.51-55.

Evdokimova, K.V. The commander and hero of the war of 1812 [Text]: a history lesson dedicated to the life of P. Bagration // Read, study, play. - 2007. - No. 10. - P.75-78.

Zarkhi, S.B. Confession of the heart [Text]: an evening dedicated to the life and work of the poet D. Davydov // Read, study, play. - 2009. - No. 4. - P.13-30.

Zarkhi, S.B. They kept the oath of allegiance [Text]: literary music evening // We read, study, play. - 2007. - No. 6. - P.17-26.

Nevolina, G. Brave guys - mustachioed hussars [Text]: cognizant. quiz game for an adult audience // Scenarios and repertoire. - 2007. - No. 9. - S. 14-27.

Norkina, L. "Cavalry guards, you have gained glory" [Text]: an evening of courage, glory and honor for students in grades 7-11. // Read, study, play. - 2009. - No. 9. - S. 49-55.

Oparina, N. A History Lesson [Text]: Scenario for an Event on the Anniversary of the Victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 // Scripts and Repertoire. - 2005. - No. 2. - P.16-22.

Khlupina E. A. Hussar ballad [Text]: a historical evening for students in grades 7–11 / E. A. Khlupina // Read, study, play. - 2009. - N 6. - S. 92-96. - The event is dedicated to the life of N. A. Durova, the first female officer in Russia.

Museums section publications

Generals of 1812 and their lovely wives

On the anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, we recall the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812, look at their portraits from the Hermitage Military Gallery, and also study what lovely ladies were their life partners. Sofia Bagdasarova reports.

Kutuzovs

Unknown artist. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov in his youth. 1777

George Doe. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov.1829. State Hermitage

Unknown artist. Ekaterina Ilyinichna Golenishcheva-Kutuzova. 1777. GIM

The great commander Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov is painted in full length in Dow's portrait from the Military Gallery. There are few such large canvases in the hall - Emperor Alexander I, his brother Constantine, the Austrian emperor and the Prussian king were awarded such an honor, and only Barclay de Tolly and the British Lord Wellington were among the commanders.

Kutuzov's wife's name was Ekaterina Ilyinichna, nee Bibikova. In paired portraits commissioned in 1777 in honor of the wedding, Kutuzov is hardly recognizable - he is young, he has both eyes. The bride is powdered and rouged in the fashion of the 18th century. AT family life the spouses adhered to the mores of the same frivolous century: Kutuzov drove women of dubious behavior in the convoy, his wife had fun in the capital. This did not prevent them from tenderly loving each other and their five daughters.

Bagrations

George Doe (workshop). Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration. 1st half of the 19th century. State Hermitage

Jean Guerin. Wounding of Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration in the Battle of Borodino. 1816

Jean-Baptiste Isabey. Ekaterina Pavlovna Bagration. 1810s Army Museum, Paris

The famous military leader Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was seriously wounded on the Borodino field: the cannonball crushed his leg. He was taken out of the battle in his arms, but the doctors did not help - after 17 days he died. When, in 1819, the English painter George Dow undertook a huge commission - the creation of the Military Gallery, the appearance fallen heroes, including Bagration, he had to recreate the works of other masters. In this case, engravings and pencil portraits came in handy.

In family life, Bagration was unhappy. Emperor Pavel, wishing him only the best, in 1800 married him to the beautiful, heiress of the Potemkin millions, Ekaterina Pavlovna Skavronskaya. The frivolous blonde left her husband and left for Europe, where she walked in translucent muslin, indecently fitting her figure, spent huge sums and shone in the light. Among her lovers was the Austrian Chancellor Metternich, to whom she gave birth to a daughter. The death of her husband did not affect her lifestyle.

Raevsky

George Doe. Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky. 1st half of the 19th century. State Hermitage

Nikolay Samokish-Sudkovsky. The feat of Raevsky's soldiers near Saltanovka. 1912

Vladimir Borovikovsky. Sofia Alekseevna Raevskaya. 1813. State Museum A.S. Pushkin

Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky, who raised a regiment on the offensive near the village of Saltanovka (according to legend, his two sons, 17 and 11 years old, went into battle next to him), survived the battle. Dow most likely painted it from nature. In general, there are more than 300 portraits in the Military Gallery, and although the English artist "signed" them all, the main array depicting ordinary generals was created by his Russian assistants - Alexander Polyakov and Wilhelm Golike. However, Dow still portrayed the most important generals himself.

Raevsky had a large loving family (Pushkin recalled for a long time his journey through the Crimea with them). He was married to Sofya Alekseevna Konstantinova, the granddaughter of Lomonosov, together with his adored wife, they experienced many misfortunes, including disgrace and an investigation into the Decembrist uprising. Then Raevsky himself and both of his sons were under suspicion, but later their name was cleared. His daughter Maria Volkonskaya followed her husband into exile. Surprisingly, all the Raevsky children inherited a huge great-grandfather Lomonosov's forehead - however, the girls preferred to hide it behind curls.

Tuchkovs

George Doe (workshop). Alexander Alekseevich Tuchkov. 1st half of the 19th century. State Hermitage

Nikolay Matveev. The widow of General Tuchkov on the Borodino field. State Tretyakov Gallery

Unknown artist. Margarita Tuchkova. 1st half of the 19th century. GMZ "Borodino field"

Alexander Alekseevich Tuchkov is one of those who inspired Tsvetaeva to write poetry, which later turned into Nastya's beautiful romance in the film "Say a Word About the Poor Hussar". He died in the Battle of Borodino, and his body was never found. Dow, creating his posthumous portrait, copied a very successful image by Alexander Warneck.

The picture shows how handsome Tuchkov was. His wife Margarita Mikhailovna, nee Naryshkina, adored her husband. When the news of her husband's death was delivered to her, she went to the battlefield - the approximate place of death was known. Margarita searched for Tuchkov for a long time among the mountains of dead bodies, but the search turned out to be fruitless. For a long time after these terrible searches, she was not herself, her relatives feared for her mind. Later, she erected a church on the indicated place, then a convent, of which she became the first abbess, having taken tonsure after new tragedy- Sudden death of a teenager son.

From the Livonian nobles of Scottish origin. Son of an officer. Recorded for service in 1767 as a gefrey-corporal in the Novotroitsk cuirassier regiment. He was brought up at home in the family of his uncle, foreman E. von Vermeulen. He began active service in the ranks of the Pskov Carabinieri Regiment in 1776, in 1778 he was promoted to cornets. From 1783 to 1790 he was an adjutant to a number of generals, from 1794 he commanded a battalion, regiment, brigade, division, army. Was awarded ranks for distinction in battles, participating in Russian-Turkish war 1787-1791, the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790, the Polish campaign of 1794 (received the Order of St. George 4th grade). In 1798 he became colonel and March 2, 1799 - major general. Particularly distinguished himself in the campaign of 1806-1807. against the Napoleonic troops, commanding the rearguard detachments. Fought near Pultusk (awarded the Order of St. George 3rd grade) and Preisisch-Eylau, where he was wounded by a bullet in his right arm above the elbow with bone fragmentation and taken out of the battlefield unconscious. Promoted to general for heroic behavior lieutenants and assigned to command the 6th Division. He again distinguished himself in the war with the Swedes of 1808-1809. For crossing the ice of the Kvarken Strait and occupying the Swedish city of Umeå on March 20, 1809, he was awarded the rank of infantry general and appointed commander in chief of the army in Finland. From January 18, 1810 to August 24, 1812, he served as Minister of War. During this time, he carried out a number of preparatory measures for the war: the construction of engineering structures, the creation of rear bases, the organization of intelligence, the improvement of the divisional and introduction of the corps system, the streamlining of the headquarters service and the reform of management. Under him, new principles for training troops were put into practice - training in marksmanship and actions on rough terrain. In 1812 he commanded 1st Western Army. Correctly assessing the strategic situation, Barclay de Tolly organized the withdrawal of troops. After connecting with 2nd army carried out the general leadership of the troops, continued the retreat, which caused discontent of the army and society. With the arrival of M.I. Kutuzov, he remained commander-in-chief of the 1st Army. In the Battle of Borodino, the center and the right flank obeyed him, during the battle he appeared in the most dangerous areas. His skillful leadership on that day was highly appreciated by Kutuzov, who believed that it was largely due to the firmness of Barclay de Tolly that “the desire of a superior enemy was kept” to the center of the Russian position, and “his courage surpassed all praise.” As a reward he received the Order of St. George 2nd class At the Military Council in Fili, Barclay de Tolly criticized the position chosen by L.L. Bennigsen, and was the first to speak in favor of leaving Moscow. September 21 withdrew from the troops due to illness. In 1813 he commanded 3rd army, and then appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian-Prussian troops. For the battle near Kulm he was awarded the Order of St. George 1st class Participated in the battle of Leipzig and many battles on French soil. In 1814, for the capture of Paris, he received the rank of General field marshal, in 1815 - princely title. After the war he commanded 1st army . Buried at the Beckhoff estate in Estonia.

AT The Patriotic War of 1812 was attended by:

- Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

Bagration Pyotr Ivanovich - Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich - Davydov Denis Vasilyevich

Uvarov Fedor Petrovich -Platov Matvei Ivanovich -Raevsky Nikolai Nikolaevich

Kutuzov (Golenishchev-Kutuzov) Mikhail Illarionovich (1745-1813)

At the beginning of the Patriotic War, Kutuzov was elected head of the St. Petersburg and Moscow militias. On August 8, 1812, Alexander I appointed Kutuzov commander-in-chief of the 1st and 2nd united armies. On August 26, the Battle of Borodino took place. Huge losses in the battle and the lack of reserves forced Kutuzov to retreat to Moscow. At the military council in Fili, he single-handedly made the responsible decision to sacrifice Moscow in order to save the army. After leaving Moscow, Kutuzov made a march maneuver, turning from the old Ryazan road to Kaluga, and stopped in Tarutino. The Tarutinsky camp played a huge role in replenishing and training Russian troops for the upcoming battles with the Napoleonic army. On October 6, 1812, the approaching corps of Napoleonic Marshal Murat was defeated near Tarutin, and on October 12. in a bloody battle, the Russian army near Maloyaroslavets blocked the path to the south of the main forces of Napoleon's army that had come out of Moscow and forced him to retreat along the devastated Old Smolensk road. In subsequent battles near Vyazma (October 22), Red (November 3-6) and during the crossing of Napoleonic troops across the river. Berezina (November 14-16), the French army suffered significant losses.

December 12, 1812 Napoleonic troops were expelled from Russia. Jan 1 1813 the Russian army under the command of Kutuzov crossed the border. During. January-March 1813 the Russian army was successfully moving forward, freeing the Polish and Prussian cities from the French troops. On February 26, Berlin was liberated.

Kutuzov died in the German town of Bunzlau. He was buried in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Bagration Petr Ivanovich

During the war of 1812, Bagration received a major appointment - the commander of the 2nd Army. Under the command were two infantry and one cavalry corps - a total of about 50 thousand people and 180 guns. The army occupied a front of about 100 kilometers, between the Neman

and Bug. The 1st Army was commanded by Barclay de Tolly, with whom Bagration did not get along very well. When Napoleon's troops crossed the Russian border, Bagration had 6 divisions, against which the enemy sent eleven. Bagration was ordered to retreat to join Barclay de Tolly in Minsk. June 29 Bagration moved to Minsk. Napoleon decided to exterminate Bagration's army or take him prisoner. A 50,000-strong French army moved against Bagration. Bagration got into pincers, it was necessary to escape. Skillfully maneuvering, Bagration left Napoleon's pincers. The French generals later justified themselves to Napoleon for a long time, and Pyotr Ivanovich wrote to Yermolov these days: “Forcibly

got out of hell! Fools let me out, now I'm going to Mogilev;

maybe I'll put them in pincers". It was crazy to go to Minsk without food bases, through forests and swamps. And Bagration changes direction, but Napoleon was not going to let Bagration go. The enemy followed. In these difficult days, Bagration did not lose his presence of mind, he again changes direction and leads troops to Smolensk, where on August 15 he joined the army of Barclay.

On August 16, Napoleon approached Smolensk. Smolensk was abandoned after a heroic battle under its walls. Napoleon sent Junot's corps in order to disrupt the formation of the Russian armies. Junot made a big mistake by letting the troops rest.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich (1761-1818)

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Barclay de Tolly served as Minister of War of Russia. He actually commanded the Russian army during the most difficult period of the war - at the moment of retreat from the western borders to Moscow. This operation required exceptional leadership skills, endurance and composure. Barclay de Tolly coped with his task brilliantly. He maintained the integrity and combat readiness of the army. But not everyone understood the need to retreat. Hot heads demanded an immediate battle, calling Barclay de Tolly a coward. It was completely unfair.

Barclay proved his courage on the battlefield, when the Battle of Borodino thundered. The 1st Army, which he commanded, occupied positions on the central and right sectors of the front. After stubborn battles with the army of Bagration, the French threw their main forces to the central front. Here the Russian soldiers saw the fearlessness of their commander. All the time the battle was going on, Barclay de Tolly was at the forefront, in close proximity to the enemy, on horseback. Bullets whistled, shells burst, showering the commander with clods of earth. But the general did not try to take cover. After another explosion, he brushed off his uniform and continued to command the battle.

An honest and dedicated officer, Barclay never looked for an easy career. He fell in love with the Russian army and devoted his whole life to it. He more than once looked death in the eye and was not inferior to the French marshals either in courage, or in stamina, or in the art of leading troops into battle.

Uvarov Fedor

Petrovich

AT Patriotic War of 1812 joined the commander of the 1st reserve cavalry corps, which was part of the 1st Western Army of General Barclay de Tolly M.B. Troops of General Uvarov F.P. participated in one of the first battles at Ostrovno, near the Lithuanian city of Vilkomir, and in the battle of Smolensk. In the battle near the Kolotsky Monastery, Uvarov supported the rearguard of General Konovnitsyn P.P.

AT Battle of Borodino Uvarov's corps: 6 regiments and a horse artillery company, was part of the right wing of the Russian army. Corps Uvarov F.P. together with the Cossack corps Platov M.I. by order of Kutuzov M.I. was sent to bypass the left flank Napoleonic army.

Napoleon attacked the center of the Russian position and the left flank. The attack of Uvarov and Platov caused confusion in parts of the left French flank, the enemy was forced to retreat. But Uvarov received an order from Barclay de Tolly to return, so he did not continue the pursuit of the enemy.

Perhaps the inconsistency of the actions of the command had an effect, but, nevertheless, the attack of Uvarov and Platov made Napoleon lose two hours in inactivity, and during this time our left flank was strengthened. Kutuzov was not satisfied with the results of the attack, and Uvarov and Platov were not presented for awards for the Borodino battle.

During the retreat of the Russian army to Moscow, the corps of Uvarov F.P. was in the rearguard and on August 29 at the village of Krymskoye decisively attacked the French cavalry, after which the French retreated. At the council in Fili, he spoke out against the abandonment of Moscow by the Russian army and in favor of a new decisive battle. He participated in the battles near Vyazma and Krasny, thanks to the brilliant attacks of his cavalry, the French were forced to retreat.

Platov Matvey

Ivanovich

hero Patriotic War of 1812, cavalry general, chieftain of the Don Cossacks, count was born on August 6, 1753 in the village of Staro-Cherkasskaya in the family of a poor but honored military foreman Ivan Fedorovich Platov. At the age of 13, he entered the military service as a constable. Cossack troops. Matvey had no special military education - he could only read and write.

Start Patriotic War almost 60-year-old ataman of the Don Cossacks met near the border, not far from the city of Grodno. Platov's flying corps included 14 Cossack regiments. The cavalry corps was part of Bagration's 2nd Western Army.

Platov's troops M.I. were in the rearguard of the army and were supposed to cover the flanks, preventing the encirclement of retreating units, holding back the enemy's offensive. The Cossacks attacked enemy carts, exterminated the troops of the enemy's vanguard, while acting swiftly, quickly disappearing, confusing the French.

At a critical moment Battle of Borodino, by order of Kutuzov, 9 Cossack regiments of ataman Platov and light cavalry of General Uvarov,

having crossed the Kolocha River, they quietly made their way behind enemy lines, hit his carts and captured some of them, causing a great commotion in the enemy camp.

Having inspired the French that they were attacked by significant Russian forces, Platov and Uvarov forced them to suspend the offensive for two whole hours. Which gave the Russians time to bring in reinforcements and put up reserve artillery.

In addition, they contributed to Napoleon's decision to abandon the introduction of the guard into battle.

At the famous council in Fili, General Platov, with his characteristic decisiveness, advocated giving Napoleon near Moscow pitched battle. However, the commander-in-chief took a different

decision, and the Cossacks of Matvey Ivanovich Platov were the last two days later

Napoleon I Bonaparte

Emperor of France in 1804-1815, great French commander and statesman who laid the foundations of the modern French state. Napoleone Bonaparte (as his name was pronounced until about 1800) his professional military service began in 1785 with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery; advanced during the French Revolution, reaching the rank of brigade under the Directory (after the capture of Toulon on December 17, 1793, the appointment took place on January 14, 1794), and then the divisional general and the post of commander of the rear military forces (after the defeat of the rebellion of 13 Vendemière, 1795), and then the commander of the Italian army (the appointment took place on February 23, 1796). The crisis of power in Paris reached its climax by 1799, when Bonaparte was with troops in Egypt. The corrupt Directory was unable to secure the gains of the revolution. In Italy, the Russian-Austrian troops under the command of Field Marshal A.V. Suvorov liquidated all the acquisitions of Napoleon, and even there was a threat of their invasion of France. Under these conditions, the popular general, who returned from Egypt, with the help of Joseph Fouche, relying on the army loyal to him, dispersed the representative bodies and the Directory and proclaimed the regime of the consulate (November 9, 1799). Under the new constitution, legislative power was divided between State Council, the Tribunate, the Legislative Corps and the Senate, which made her helpless and clumsy. The executive power, on the contrary, was gathered into one fist of the first consul, that is, Bonaparte. The second and third consuls had only advisory votes. The constitution was approved by the people in a plebiscite (about 3 million votes against 1.5 thousand) (1800). Later, Napoleon passed a decree on the lifetime of his powers (1802) through the Senate, and then proclaimed himself emperor of the French (1804). Contrary to popular belief, Napoleon was not a dwarf, his height was 169 cm, above the average height of a French grenadier.

Louis Nicolas Davout

Duke of Auerstedt, Prince of Eckmuhl (fr. duc d "Auerstaedt, prince d" Eckmühl), Marshal of France. He had the nickname "iron marshal". The only marshal of Napoleon who did not lose a single battle. Born in the Burgundian town of Anna in a noble family, he was the eldest of the children of the cavalry lieutenant Jean-Francois d'Avu.

Raised in Brienne military school along with Napoleon. True to family tradition, in 1788 he entered the service in the cavalry regiment, where his grandfather, father and uncle had previously served. He commanded a battalion under the command of Dumouriez, participated in the campaigns of 1793-1795.

During the Egyptian expedition, he contributed a lot to the victory at Aboukir.

In 1805, Davout was already a marshal and took an outstanding part both in the Ulm operation and in the battle of Austerlitz. In the last battle, it was the corps of Marshal Davout who withstood the main blow of the Russian troops, practically ensuring the victory in the battle for the Great Army.

In 1806, leading a corps of 26 thousand people, Davout inflicted a crushing defeat twice strongest army Duke of Brunswick at Auerstedt, for which he received the ducal title.

In 1809, he contributed to the defeat of the Austrians at Eckmuhl and Wagram, for which he received the princely title.

In 1812, Davout was wounded in the Battle of Borodino.

In 1813, after the battle of Leipzig, he locked himself in Hamburg and surrendered it only after the deposition of Napoleon.

During the first restoration, Davout remained out of work. He turned out to be the only Napoleonic marshal who did not renounce the exile. Upon the return of Napoleon from the island of Elba, he was appointed minister of war and commanded troops near Paris.

Nicolas Charles Oudinot

(1767 — 1847)

He served in the royal army, but soon left it. The revolution made him a soldier again. In 1794 he was already a general.

As chief of staff, Massena became famous for the defense of Genoa (1800).

In the campaigns of 1805-1807 he commanded a grenadier corps; participated in the battles of Ostroleka, Danzig and Friedland. In 1809 he was at the head of the 2nd Army Corps; for the battle of Wagram he received a marshal's baton, and shortly thereafter the title of duke.

In 1812, at the head of the 2nd Army Corps, Oudinot fought with Russian general Count P. H. Wittgenstein; On August 17, seriously wounded in the first battle near Polotsk, he surrendered command to Guvion Saint-Cyr, from whom he took him back 2 months later. During the crossing of the Berezina, he helped Napoleon escape, but he himself was seriously wounded. Having not yet recovered from his wounds, he took command of the 12th Army Corps, fought near Bautzen and was defeated at Lukau on June 4, 1813.

After the armistice, Oudinot was given command of the army, which was intended to operate against the capital of Prussia. Defeated on August 23 at Grosbeeren, he was placed under the command of Marshal Ney and, together with the latter, was again defeated at Dennewitz (September 6). In 1814 he fought at Bar-sur-Aube, then defended Paris against Schwarzenberg and covered the retreat of the emperor.

Arriving at Fontainebleau with Napoleon, Oudinot persuaded him to abdicate and, when the Bourbons were restored, joined them. He did not take any part in the events of the Hundred Days (1815). In 1823 he commanded a corps during the Spanish expedition; after the July Revolution he joined Louis Philippe.

Michelle Ney

Michel Ney was born on 10 January 1769 in the predominantly German-speaking French enclave of Saarlouis. He became the second son of the cooper Pierre Ney (1738-1826) and Margaret Grevelinger. After graduating from college, he worked as a clerk at a notary, then as a supervisor at a foundry.

In 1788 he joined a hussar regiment as a private, participated in revolutionary wars ah France, was wounded at the siege of Mainz.

In August 1796 he became a brigadier general in the cavalry. April 17, 1797 Ney in the battle of Neuwied was captured by the Austrians and in May of the same year he returned to the army as a result of an exchange for an Austrian general.

In March 1799 he was promoted to divisional general. Later that year, sent to reinforce Massena in Switzerland, he was severely wounded in the thigh and hand near Winterthur.

In 1800 he distinguished himself at Hohenlinden. After the Peace of Luneville, Bonaparte appointed him inspector general of the cavalry. In 1802, Ney was ambassador to Switzerland, where he held a peace treaty and mediation acts on February 19, 1803.

In the Russian campaign of 1812 he commanded a corps and received the title of Prince of Moscow for the Battle of Borodino. After the occupation of Moscow, Bogorodsk occupied, and its sidings reached the Dubna River.

During the retreat from Russia, after the battle of Vyazma, he stood at the head of the rearguard, replacing the corps of Marshal Davout. After the retreat of the main forces Grand Army from Smolensk he covered her retreat and ordered the preparation of the fortifications of Smolensk for undermining. Delaying his retreat, he was cut off from Napoleon by Russian troops under the command of Miloradovich; he tried to break through, but, having suffered heavy losses, could not carry out his intention, selected the best parts of the corps, numbering about 3 thousand soldiers, and with them crossed the Dnieper to the north, near the village of Syrokorene, abandoning most of his troops (including all artillery), which capitulated the next day. At Syrokorye, Ney's troops crossed the Dnieper along thin ice; boards were thrown into areas of open water. A significant part of the soldiers drowned while crossing the river, so that when Ney joined the main forces at Orsha, only about 500 people remained in his detachment. With iron severity he maintained discipline, and when crossing the Berezina he saved the remnants of the army. During the retreat of the remnants of the Great Army, he led the defense of Vilna and Kovno.

During the retreat from Russia, he became the hero of a famous incident. On December 15, 1812, in Gumbinnen, a tramp in torn clothes, matted hair, a beard covering his face, entered a restaurant where French senior officers were dining, dirty, scary, and before they could throw him onto the pavement, raising his hand, loudly declared : "Take your time! Don't you recognize me, gentlemen? I am the rearguard of the "great army". I am Michelle Ney!”

Prince Eugene Rose (Eugene) de Beauharnais

Viceroy of Italy, divisional general. Stepson of Napoleon. The only son of Napoleon's first wife, Josephine Beauharnais. His father, Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais, was a general in the revolutionary army. During the Terror, he was undeservedly accused of treason and executed.

Eugene became the de facto ruler of Italy (Napoleon himself held the title of king) when he was only 24 years old. But he managed to rule the country quite firmly: he enacted the Civil Code, reorganized the army, equipped the country with canals, fortifications and schools, and managed to earn the love and respect of his people.

In 1805, Eugene received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Iron Crown and the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Hubert of Bavaria. On December 23, 1805, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the corps blockading Venice, on January 3, 1806, commander-in-chief of the Italian army, and on January 12, 1806, governor-general of Venice.

The coronation ceremony of the Viceroy of Italy, prepared by Count Louis-Philippe Segur, took place in Milan Cathedral on May 26, 1805. Green and white were chosen for the coronation robes. In the portraits, the artists A. Appiani and F. Gerard captured these luxurious robes. The combination of elegant cut and virtuoso work suggests that the costume was made in the workshop of the court embroiderer Pico, who carried out orders for the production of the coronation costumes of Napoleon I, using models proposed by the artist Jean-Baptiste Isabey and approved by the Emperor himself. The cloak is embroidered with the stars of the Legion of Honor and the Iron Crown. (The small coronation costume is exhibited in the State Hermitage Museum. It came to Russia as a family heirloom along with a collection of weapons brought by the youngest son of Eugene Beauharnais - Maximilian, Duke of Leuchtenberg, husband of the daughter of Emperor Nicholas I Maria Nikolaevna).

After the first abdication of Napoleon, Eugene Beauharnais was seriously considered by Alexander I as a candidate for the French throne. For the renunciation of his Italian possessions, he received 5,000,000 francs, which he transferred to his father-in-law, King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, for which he was “pardoned” and granted the titles of Landgrave of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstet (according to other sources, he bought them in 1817).

Having given his word not to support Napoleon anymore, he did not take part (unlike his sister Hortense) in his restoration during the Hundred Days, and in June 1815 he was awarded the title of peer of France by Louis XVIII.

Until his death, he lived in his Bavarian lands and did not take an active part in European affairs.

Jozef Poniatowski

Polish prince and general, marshal of France, nephew of the King of the Commonwealth Stanislav August Poniatowski. Initially served in the Austrian army. Since 1789, he was engaged in the organization of the Polish army, and during the Russian-Polish war of 1792 he was the commander of the Polish army corps operating in Ukraine. He distinguished himself in the battle of Zelentsy - the first victorious battle of the Polish army since the time of Jan Sobieski. The victory gave rise to the establishment of the Virtuti Militari Order. The first recipients were Józef Poniatowski and Tadeusz Kościuszko.

After the defeat of Poland in the war with Russia, he emigrated, then returned to his homeland again and served under the command of Kosciuszko during the Polish uprising of 1794. After the suppression of the uprising, he remained for some time in Warsaw. His estates were confiscated. Refusing to take a seat in Russian army, received an order to leave Poland and went to Vienna.

Paul I returned the estates to Poniatowski and tried to recruit him into the Russian service. In 1798, Poniatowski came to St. Petersburg for his uncle's funeral and stayed for several months to settle property and inheritance matters. From St. Petersburg he went to Warsaw, by that time occupied by Prussia.

In the autumn of 1806, when the Prussian troops were preparing to leave Warsaw, Poniatowski accepted the offer of King Friedrich Wilhelm III to head the city militia.

With the arrival of Murat's troops, after negotiations with him, Poniatowski went to the service of Napoleon. In 1807 he participated in the organization of the provisional government and became Minister of War of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.

In 1809 he defeated the Austrian troops who invaded the Duchy of Warsaw.

Participated in Napoleon's campaign against Russia in 1812, commanding the Polish corps.

In 1813, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Leipzig and, the only foreigner in the service of the emperor, received the title of Marshal of France. However, after 3 days, covering the retreat of the French army from Leipzig, he was wounded and drowned in the Weisse-Elster River. His ashes were transferred to Warsaw in 1814, and in 1819 to Wawel.

On the island of St. Helena, Napoleon said that he considered Poniatowski born for the throne: “The real king of Poland was Poniatowski, he had all the titles and all the talents for this ... He was a noble and brave man, a man of honor. If I had succeeded in the Russian campaign, I would have made him king of the Poles.

A memorial plate in memory of Poniatowski is installed on the monument to the Battle of the Nations. A monument to Poniatowski was erected in Warsaw (sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen). Among the sculptures that adorn the facade of the Louvre, there is a statue of Poniatowski.

Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr

He entered the service during the revolution, in 1794 he already had the rank of divisional general; participated with honors in the revolutionary wars; in 1804 he was appointed French ambassador to the Madrid court.

In 1808, during the war on the Iberian Peninsula, he commanded a corps, but was deprived of command for indecision during the siege of Girona.

In the Russian campaign of 1812, Saint-Cyr commanded the 6th corps (Bavarian troops) and was promoted to the rank of marshal for actions against Wittgenstein. In 1813, he formed the 14th Corps, with which he was left in Dresden, when Napoleon himself with the main army retreated from the Elbe. Having learned about the outcome of the battle near Leipzig, Saint-Cyr tried to connect with the troops of Davout, who occupied Hamburg, but this attempt failed, and he was forced to surrender.

From 1817 to 1819 he was Minister of War of France. He had a high education and remarkable strategic abilities. He was buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery.

Jean Louis Ebenezer Renier

Born January 14, 1771 in Lausanne in the family of a famous doctor. His father wanted to make an architect out of him, and therefore Renier devoted his studies to mathematical sciences; to improve them, he went to Paris in 1792.

Fascinated by the revolutionary spirit then prevailing in France, Renier decided to enter military service as a simple gunner and participated in a campaign in Champagne, after which Dumouriez appointed him to the general staff. The excellent abilities and service of the young Rainier in the rank of Adjutant General of Pichegru in Belgium and during the conquest of Holland delivered him in 1795 the rank of brigadier general. In 1798 he was given command of a division in the army sent to Egypt. During the capture of Malta, he commanded the army landed on the island of Gozzo and was severely shell-shocked on this occasion. His division distinguished itself at Shebreiss, in the battle of the Pyramids and in the pursuit of Ibrahim Bey to Cairo. After the capture of this city, Rainier was entrusted with the command of the province of Karki. In the Syrian expedition, his division was the vanguard; On February 9 she stormed El Arish, on February 13 she captured a large transport of supplies sent there from Saint-Champ d'Acre, and thereby facilitated the provision of food to the main French army, which arrived at El Arish two days after this successful deed.

In the campaign of 1809 against Austria, Renier distinguished himself in the battle of Wagram, then arrived in Vienna and was made, instead of Marshal Bernadotte, the head of the Saxon corps, located in Hungary.

Then he was sent to Spain, where in 1810 he commanded the 2nd corps of the Portuguese army, under the leadership of Massena. He participated in the battle of Busaco on October 27 and in the movement to Torres Vedras, and in 1811, during the retreat of Massena to Spain, he followed separately from the rest of the troops. After many rather successful cases with the enemy, exceeding his strength, especially on April 3 at Sabugal, Renier's corps again connected with the main army, and at Fuentes de Onoro, on May 5, fought with excellent courage, but without success. After the battle, Renier went to meet the Almeida garrison, who had made their way through the British, and brought him out of a very dangerous situation.

When Massena left the main command of the army in Spain, Renier, in order not to obey the junior general, without the permission of Napoleon, retired to France, which, however, did not have unpleasant consequences for him.

Napoleon called him into the army assembled against Russia, and appointed him head of the 7th Corps, which consisted of 20,000 Saxon troops and the French division of Durutt. The purpose of this corps in the campaign of 1812 was to hold on the extreme right wing, in Lithuania and Volhynia, the offensive operations of the Russian 3rd Western Army under the command of General Tormasov.

Immediately after the opening of hostilities, on July 15, the Saxon Klengel brigade was taken prisoner at Kobrin; Rainier tried to come to the aid of Klengel with a forced march, but he was too late and retreated to Slonim. This prompted Napoleon to reinforce the Saxons with the Austrians and to subordinate Rainier to the command of Prince Schwarzenberg. Both of them defeated Tormasov at Gorodechno and moved to the Styra River; but when in September the arrival of Admiral Chichagov strengthened the Russian army to 60,000 men, the Austrian-Saxon corps had to withdraw beyond the Bug.

At the end of October, Chichagov, with half of his troops, went to the Berezina, pursued by Schwarzenberg; General Osten-Saken, having taken command of the Russian army that remained in Volyn, stopped the Austrians with a bold attack on the Renier corps at Volkovisk, and although he was defeated, by depriving Napoleon of the assistance of numerous and fresh troops, he contributed a lot to the complete defeat of the French.

Claude Victor Perrin

Marshal of France (1807), Duke de Belluno (1808-1841). For an unclear reason, he is known not as Marshal Perrin, but as Marshal Victor.

Son of a notary. He entered the service at the age of 15, becoming a drummer in the Grenoble Artillery Regiment in 1781. In October, he became a volunteer of the 3rd battalion of the Drôme department.

He quickly made a career in the Republican army, having gone from a non-commissioned officer (beginning in 1792) to a brigadier general (assigned on December 20, 1793).

Participated in the capture of Toulon (1793), where he met Napoleon (then still only a captain).

During the Italian campaign of 1796-1797, he captured Ancona.

In 1797 he was awarded the rank of divisional general.

In subsequent wars, he contributed to victories at Montebello (1800), Marengo, Jena and Friedland. For this last battle, Perrin received a marshal's baton.

In 1800-1804 he was appointed commander of the troops of the Batavian Republic. Then in the diplomatic service - the French ambassador to Denmark.

In 1806, again in the army, he was appointed chief of staff of the 5th corps. Besieged Danzig.

In 1808, acting in Spain, he won victories at Ucles and Medellin.

In 1812 he participated in a campaign in Russia.

In 1813 he distinguished himself in the battles of Dresden, Leipzig and Hanau.

In the campaign of 1814 he was seriously wounded.

Due to the delay in the battle of Montreaux, he was removed from the command of the corps by Napoleon and replaced by Gerard.

After the Peace of Paris, Perrin went over to the side of the Bourbons.

During the so-called Hundred Days, he followed Louis XVIII to Ghent, and on his return from there he was made a peer of France.

In 1821 he received the post of Minister of War, but left this post at the beginning of the Spanish campaign (1823) and followed the Duke of Angoulême to Spain.

After his death, the memoirs Extraits des mémoires inédits du duc de Bellune (Par., 1836) were published.

Dominique Joseph Rene Vandam

French divisional general, participant in the Napoleonic wars. He was a brutal soldier, known for robbery and insubordination. Napoleon once said of him “If I lost Vandam, I don’t know what I would give to get him back; but if I had two, I would be forced to order one to be shot.”

By the start of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, he was a brigadier general. Soon he was convicted by the tribunal for robberies and removed from office. Having recovered, he fought at Stockach on March 25, 1799, but due to disagreement with General Moreau, he was sent to the occupying troops in Holland.

In the Battle of Austerlitz, he commanded a division that broke through the center of the Allied position and captured the Pracen Heights.

In the campaign of 1809 he fought at Abensberg, Landshut, Eckmuhl and Wagram, where he was wounded.

At the beginning of the campaign in Russia in 1812, Vandam was appointed deputy commander of the 8th Westphalian Corps, Jerome Bonaparte. However, since the inexperienced Jerome Bonaparte commanded a group of corps operating against Bagration, Vandamme turned out to be the actual commander of the corps. However, at the very beginning of the campaign in Grodno, Vandam was removed from command of the corps by Jerome due to sharp disagreements.

In 1813, Vandam was finally appointed corps commander, but near Kulm, Vandam's corps was surrounded by the allies and captured. When Vandam was introduced to Alexander I, in response to accusations of robberies and requisitions, he replied: “At least they cannot accuse me of killing my father” (a hint at the murder of Paul I).

During the Hundred Days, he commanded the 3rd Corps under the command of Pear. Participated in the Battle of Wavre.

After the restoration of Louis XVIII, Vandamme fled to America, but in 1819 he was allowed to return.

Etienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald

Descended from a Scottish Jacobite family who moved to France after the Glorious Revolution.

Distinguished himself in the battle of Jemappe (November 6, 1792); in 1798 he commanded the French troops in Rome and the Church area; in 1799, having lost the battle on the Trebbia River (see Suvorov's Italian campaign), he was recalled to Paris.

In 1800 and 1801, Macdonald commanded in Switzerland and Grisons, from where he ousted the Austrians.

For several years he was under the disgrace of Napoleon, due to the zeal with which he defended his former colleague, General Moreau. Only in 1809 he was again called to serve in Italy, where he commanded a corps. For the battle of Wagram he was granted a marshal.

In the wars of 1810, 1811 (in Spain), 1812-1814. he also took an outstanding part.

During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he commanded the X Prussian-French Corps, which covered the left flank of the Great Army. Having occupied Courland, MacDonald spent the entire campaign near Riga and joined the remnants of the Napoleonic army during its retreat.

After Napoleon's abdication, he was created a peer of France; during the Hundred Days, he retired to his estates so as not to violate the oath and not to oppose Napoleon.

After the second occupation of Paris by the allied forces, MacDonald was entrusted with a heavy task - to disband the Napoleonic army that had retreated beyond the Loire.

Pierre Francois Charles Augereau

He received a very poor education. At the age of 17, he entered the French royal army as a soldier, then served in the armies of Prussia, Saxony, and Naples. In 1792 he joined the battalion of volunteers of the French revolutionary army. He distinguished himself in the suppression of the counter-revolutionary uprising in the Vendée.

In June 1793 he received the rank of captain of the 11th Hussars. In the same year he received the ranks of lieutenant colonel and colonel. And on December 23, 1793, he was immediately promoted to divisional generals.

During the Italian campaign of 1796-97, Augereau especially distinguished himself in the battles of Loano, Montenotte, Millesimo, Lodi, Castiglione, Arcola, successfully commanding a division.

For example, at Arcola, he led a column and won an almost lost battle. At the battle of Castiglion, according to Stendhal, Pierre Augereau "was a great commander, which never happened to him again."

In 1797, he led the troops in Paris and, at the direction of the Directory, on September 4, crushed the royalist rebellion. From September 23, 1797 - commander of the Sambro-Meuse and Rhine-Moselle armies. In 1799, being a member of the Council of Five Hundred, Augereau at first opposed the plans of Bonaparte, but soon got along with him and was appointed commander of the Batavian army (since September 28, 1799) in Holland, in which position he remained until 1803. Invaded southern Germany, but achieved no results. He actively opposed the signing of the concordat between France and the Pope, saying: “A beautiful ceremony. It is only a pity that one hundred thousand killed were not present at it in order to prevent such ceremonies from taking place. After that, he was ordered to retire to his estate La Usse. August 29, 1803 appointed commander of the Bayonne military camp. May 19, 1804 received the title of Marshal of the Empire.

Participated in the campaigns of 1805, 1806 and 1807. On May 30, 1805, he headed the 7th Corps, which provided the right flank of the Great Army. In November of the same year, he overtook the troops of General Elachich, who had broken through from Ulm, and forced him to surrender at Feldkirch. During the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (February 7-8, 1807), Augereau's corps went astray and entered the Russian artillery, suffered huge losses and was actually defeated. And the marshal himself was wounded.

In February 1809, by his second marriage (his first wife Gabriela Grasch died in 1806), he married Adelaide Augustine Bourlon de Chavange (1789-1869), nicknamed "The Beautiful Castiglione". On March 30, 1809, he was appointed commander of the 8th Corps of the Great Army in Germany, but on June 1 he was transferred to Spain to the post of commander of the 7th Corps. From February 8, 1810 - commander of the Catalan army. His actions in Spain were not marked by anything outstanding, and after a series of failures, Augereau was replaced by Marshal MacDonald.

Augereau stood out among the generals of the Grand Army with bribery and the desire for personal enrichment. Already during the campaign in Russia on July 4, 1812, Augereau was appointed commander of the 11th Corps, which was located in Prussia and served as the nearest reserve of the Great Army. The corps did not participate in hostilities in Russia, and Augereau never left Berlin. After the flight of Napoleon's army from Russia, Augereau, who barely escaped from Berlin, received the 9th Corps on June 18, 1813. Participated in the battle of Leipzig, but did not show any activity. On January 5, 1814, he led the Rhone army, assembled from units that came to hand in the south of France, led its actions in the battle of Saint-Georges. He was entrusted with the defense of Lyon; unable to withstand the attacks of the enemy, Augereau surrendered the city on March 21. “The name of the winner at Castillon may remain dear to France, but she rejected the memory of the Lyon traitor,” wrote Napoleon.

The slowness of Augereau affected the fact that the French troops could not take Geneva. After that, Augereau withdrew his troops to the south and retired from active operations. In 1814, he was one of the first to go over to the side of the Bourbons, sending a declaration to the troops on April 16, welcoming the restoration of the Bourbons. On June 6, 1814, he became governor of the 19th military district. During the Hundred Days, he unsuccessfully tried to earn the trust of Napoleon, but faced an extremely cold attitude towards himself, was called "the main culprit in the loss of the 1814 campaign" and on April 10, 1815 was excluded from the list of marshals of France. After the 2nd Restoration, he did not receive any posts and on December 12, 1815 he was dismissed, although the peer title was retained for him. Died of "chest dropsy". In 1854 he was reburied at the Pere Lachaise cemetery (Paris).

Edouard Adolf Casimir Mortier

Entered service in 1791. In 1804 he was made a marshal. Until 1811, Mortier commanded a corps in the Iberian Peninsula, and in 1812 he was entrusted with command of the young guard. Upon the occupation of Moscow, he was appointed its governor, and after the French left from there, he blew up part of the Kremlin walls on the orders of Napoleon.

In 1814, Mortier, commanding the Imperial Guard, participated in the defense and surrender of Paris.

After the fall of the Empire, Mortier was appointed a peer of France, but in 1815 he went over to the side of Napoleon, for which, and most importantly, for declaring the sentence against Marshal Ney illegal, he was deprived of his peerage by the Second Restoration (it was returned to him in 1819).

In 1830-1832 Mortier was ambassador to the Russian court; in 1834 he was appointed minister of war and prime minister (he lost his last post shortly before his death); in 1835, he was killed by the "infernal machine" during Fieschi's attempt on the life of King Louis Philippe.

Joachim Murat

Napoleonic Marshal, Grand Duke of Berga in 1806-1808, King of the Kingdom of Naples in 1808-1815.

He was married to Napoleon's sister. For military successes and outstanding courage, Napoleon rewarded Murat in 1808 with the Neapolitan crown. In December 1812, Murat was appointed commander-in-chief of the French troops in Germany by Napoleon, but arbitrarily left the post at the beginning of 1813. In the campaign of 1813, Murat took part in a number of battles as a marshal of Napoleon, after the defeat in the battle of Leipzig he returned to his kingdom in southern Italy, and then in January 1814 went over to the side of Napoleon's opponents. During Napoleon's triumphant return to power in 1815, Murat wanted to return to Napoleon as an ally, but the emperor refused his services. This attempt cost Murat the crown. In the autumn of 1815, according to investigators, he tried to regain the Kingdom of Naples by force, was arrested by the authorities of Naples and shot.

Napoleon about Murat: "There was no more decisive, fearless and brilliant cavalry commander." "He was mine right hand, but, left to himself, he lost all his energy. In the face of the enemy, Murat surpassed everyone in the world in courage, in the field he was a real knight, in the office - a braggart without mind and determination.

Napoleon seized power in France as first consul while still retaining nominal co-rulers.

On January 20, 1800, Murat became related to Napoleon, taking his 18-year-old sister Caroline as his wife.

In 1804 he served as governor of Paris.

Since August 1805, he was commander of Napoleon's reserve cavalry, an operational unit within the Grand Army, designed to deliver concentrated cavalry strikes.

In September 1805, Austria, in alliance with Russia, launched a campaign against Napoleon, in the first battles of which it suffered a series of defeats. Murat distinguished himself by the daring capture of the only intact bridge across the Danube in Vienna. He personally convinced the Austrian general guarding the bridge about the beginning of a truce, then with a surprise attack he prevented the Austrians from blowing up the bridge, thanks to which the French troops crossed to the left bank of the Danube in mid-November 1805 and found themselves on the line of retreat of Kutuzov's army. However, Murat himself fell for the trick of the Russian commander, who managed to convince the marshal of the conclusion of peace. While Murat was checking the message of the Russians, only one day was enough for Kutuzov to withdraw his army from the trap. Later, the Russian army was defeated in the battle of Austerlitz. However, after this serious defeat, Russia refused to sign the peace.

On March 15, 1806, Napoleon awarded Murat the title of Grand Duke of the German Principality of Berg and Cleve, located on the border with the Netherlands.

In October 1806, a new war began between Napoleon and Prussia and Russia.

In the battle of Preussisch-Eylau on February 8, 1807, Murat showed himself to be a brave massive attack on Russian positions at the head of 8 thousand horsemen (“attack of 80 squadrons”), however, the battle was the first in which Napoleon did not win a decisive victory.

After the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit in July 1807, Murat returned to Paris, and not to his duchy, which he clearly neglected. Then, in order to secure peace, he was awarded by Alexander I the highest Russian order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

In the spring of 1808, Murat, at the head of an army of 80,000, was sent to Spain. On March 23, he occupied Madrid, in which an uprising broke out on May 2 against the French occupying troops, up to 700 French died. Murat resolutely suppressed the uprising in the capital, dispersing the rebels with buckshot and cavalry. He established a military tribunal under the command of General Pear, by the evening of May 2, 120 captured Spaniards were shot, after which Murat stopped the execution of sentences. A week later, Napoleon castling: his brother Joseph Bonaparte resigned the title of Neapolitan king for the crown of Spain, and Joseph was replaced by Murat.

Marie Victor Nicolas de Latour-Maubourg de Fay

On January 12, 1800, Colonel Latour-Maubourg was sent to Egypt with a message to the commander of the French expeditionary army, General J.-B. Kleber. Participated in the battle of Aboukir and in the battle of Cairo. From March 22, 1800 - brigade commander in Eastern army, from July 22 - temporarily acted as commander of the 22nd Cavalry Chasseur Regiment. He distinguished himself in the battle of Alexandria. March 13, 1801 was seriously wounded by a fragment of an exploding shell. For a long time he was treated for a wound. In July 1802 he was approved as regiment commander.

In 1805, Colonel L.-Maubur was sent to Germany. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Austerlitz and on December 24, 1805 was promoted to brigadier general.

On December 31, 1806, in connection with the appointment of Lassalle as commander of a light cavalry division, he took command of his famous "Infernal Brigade" (Fr. Brigade Infernale). From June 1807 he commanded the 1st Dragoon Division under Marshal I. Murat. He distinguished himself in the battle of Heilsberg, was seriously wounded in the battle of Friedland (June 14, 1807). October 14, 1807 he left for treatment in France. On August 5, 1808, he returned to his division and in November of the same year, at the head of it, went to Spain in order to take part in the Spanish-Portuguese campaign of Napoleon. He participated in the following cases of this campaign: the battle of Medellin, the battle of Talavera, the battle of Ocaña, the battle of Badajoz, the battle of Gebor, the battle of Albuera, the battle of Campomayor. In May 1811, he replaced Marshal Mortier as commander of the 5th Corps of the Spanish Army. He won the battle of Elvas on June 23, 1811. Since July, the commander of the cavalry division in Andalusia with Marshal Soult. November 5, 1811 led the entire reserve cavalry of Andalusia. On January 9, 1812, Brigadier General Latour-Maubourg was appointed commander of the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps, but after 3 weeks he was replaced by General E. Grouchy. From February 7, 1812, he commanded the 2nd Cavalry Division, and from March 24, the 4th Cavalry Corps.

As commander of the 4th Cavalry Corps, Divisional General Latour-Maubourg took part in the Russian campaign of 1812. At the start of the campaign, his corps had 8,000 men. On June 30, 1812, his corps moved to the Russian bank of the Neman near Grodno. Latour-Maubourg, commanding Napoleon's cavalry vanguard, was one of the first generals of the Grande Armée to face the enemy in this campaign. Its units clashed with the Cossacks in the battle near the town of Mir and the battle near Romanov. Until the beginning of August 1812, Latour-Maubourg pursued Bagration in order not to allow his army to join the army of Barclay de Tolly. At that time, he carried out cavalry raids deep into Russian territory and reached Bobruisk. In the middle of the Battle of Borodino, together with the cavalry of E. Grusha, he entered into a fierce battle with the Russian cavalry corps of F.K.