What clever man has ever needed to commit a crime? Crime is the last resort of political half-wits.
— Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-
Category Archives: Russian Campaign
Russia 1812
In June 1812, Napoleon crossed the Nieman River and led his vast Grand Armee of approx 600,000 men into Russia. His army was made up of soldiers from the many nations now under his control and was known as the … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Timeline Details, Russian Campaign
Tagged alexander, battle of borodino, battlefield, borodino, crops, grand armee, moscow, napoleon, nieman river, ragged army, retreats, russia, russian army, russian winter, russians, scorched earth policy, smolensk, summer campaign, vilna
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Coup d’Etat Attempt – Oct 1812
It was on the horrible withdrawal from Russia that Napoleon received word that General Malet with a group of conspirators had succeeded in the preliminaries of a coup d’etat overturning the empire, and substituting a provisional government. They had carried out … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Timeline Details, Other Private & Affairs of State, Russian Campaign
Tagged 1812, agitator, augustin, campaign, cohort, coup, coup d etat, death of napoleon, emperor, etat, group of conspirators, heir, hesitation, hulin, imperial government, king of rome, laborde, malet, military police officer, napoleon, paris, prefect, preliminaries, provisional government, public sentiment, russia
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Battle of Berezina
The Battle of Berezina (or Beresina) took place November 26–29, 1812 between the French army of Napoleon, withdrawing after his invasion of Russia and crossing the Berezina (near Borisov, Belarus), and the Russian armies under Mikhail Kutuzov, Peter Wittgenstein and … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Timeline Details, Russian Campaign
Tagged 1812, beresina, berezina, bonaparte, campaign, combatants, french army, french soldiers, grande armée, heavy losses, initial advance, invasion of russia, jean baptiste, marshal, mikhail kutuzov, napoleon, numerical strength, pontoon bridge, reinforcements, russia, russian armies, waterway, west bank, wittgenstein
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Moscow 1812
One week after winning a bloody victory over the Russian army at the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grande Armée enters the city of Moscow, only to find the population evacuated and the Russian army retreated again. Moscow was the … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Timeline Details, Russian Campaign
Tagged 1812, battle of borodino, borodino, calamity, campaign, czar, dismay, entourage, firestorm, french soldiers, governor general, grande armée, hundreds of years, kremlin, military policeman, moscow, napoleon, napoleon bonaparte, outskirts, russia, russian army, russians
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Battle of Borodino
“Soldiers! Here is the battle which you have so long desired! Henceforth the victory depends upon you; it is necessary for us. It will give you abundance, good winter quarters, and a speedy return to your country! Behave as you … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Timeline Details, Russian Campaign
Tagged 1812, austerlitz, battle of borodino, borodino, campaign, cannons, commander general, davout, french napoleon, friedland, frontal assaults, grande armée, kutuzov, mikhail kutusov, napoleon, posterity, ravine, redoubt, russia, smolensk, speedy return, vitebsk, winter quarters
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