Facts related to the Patriotic War of 1812. The main “architect” of the victory was not Kutuzov, but Barclay de Tolly

Preface What do we know about the Patriotic War of 1812? The image of this war in the mass consciousness is stuck somewhere halfway from the ordinary scenes of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" for the film "Hussar Ballad" directed by E. Ryazanov. Every year we open history books that give us a dry chronology of events. In this presentation, I decided to look at these events from the other side. We bring to your attention 10 little known facts about the Great Patriotic War of 1812 What do we know about the Patriotic War of 1812? The image of this war in the mass consciousness is stuck somewhere halfway from the ordinary scenes of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" for the film "Hussar Ballad" directed by E. Ryazanov. Every year we open history books that give us a dry chronology of events. In this presentation, I decided to look at these events from the other side. Your attention is presented to 10 little-known facts about the Great Patriotic War of 1812

1 fact. During the war of 1812, a mass of Russian officers perished for no reason at all. In the dark, soldiers from the common people oriented themselves towards French speech, and some Russian officers did not really know a language other than French, and spoke French cleanly and competently. During the war of 1812, a mass of Russian officers perished for no reason at all. In the dark, soldiers from the common people were guided by French speech, and some Russian officers did not really know any other language (except French), and spoke French clearly and competently.

2 fact Our Colonel Yermolov, the future hero of the war of 1812, received the rank of general in a very interesting way. He spoke so impudently with his colleagues, who were higher than his rank, that they begged for him a general's rank. Still, listening to such nasty things from the general is not so insulting. Our colonel Yermolov, the future hero of the war of 1812, received the rank of general in a very interesting way. He spoke so impudently with his colleagues, who were higher than his rank, that they begged for him a general's rank. Still, listening to such nasty things from the general is not so insulting.

3 fact One of the most effective units in the Russian army 200 years ago was the camel cavalry, which our opponents did not like very much. Firstly, camels are large, and secondly, they spit unpleasantly. It's a shame they had to be abolished. One of the most effective units in the Russian army 200 years ago was the camel cavalry, which our opponents did not like very much. Firstly, camels are large, and secondly, they spit unpleasantly. It's a shame they had to be abolished.

4 fact Due to the fact that Napoleon broke the class order in the army, officers were admitted big number persons of "non-noble" origin, who, in order to break out into people, had to constantly study, the level of training of French officers was noticeably higher than Russians. Due to the fact that Napoleon broke the class order in the army, a large number of persons of "ignoble" origin were admitted to the officers, who had to constantly study in order to break into people, the level of training of French officers was noticeably higher than Russians.

5 fact A soldier in the war was like a pack horse. Each carried a gun (4.5 kg), a cleaver (2.5 kg), as well as a stuffed satchel and pouches, an overcoat, a flask, and food rations. The total weight of ammunition and weapons reached 45 kg. At the same time, the transition of troops in combat conditions ranged from 20 to 50 km per day. A soldier in war was like a pack horse. Each carried a gun (4.5 kg), a cleaver (2.5 kg), as well as a stuffed satchel and pouches, an overcoat, a flask, and food rations. The total weight of ammunition and weapons reached 45 kg. At the same time, the transition of troops in combat conditions ranged from 20 to 50 km per day.

6 fact At the beginning of the war, Emperor Alexander I constantly interfered in the plans of the generals with absurd proposals, but soon the harm of his stay with the army became so obvious that in early July the closest confidants of the king (A. S. Shishkov, A. A. Arakcheev and A. D. Balashov) convinced him to leave under the pretext of the need to be present in the capital to prepare reserves. At the beginning of the war, Emperor Alexander I constantly interfered in the plans of the generals with absurd proposals, but soon the harm of his stay with the army became so obvious that in early July the closest confidants of the tsar (A. S. Shishkov, A. A. Arakcheev and A. D. Balashov) convinced him to leave under the pretext of the need to be present in the capital to prepare reserves.

7 fact During the war, Napoleon tried to reconcile with Alexander I at least 4 times, but he did not even honor his "colleague on the throne" with an answer. During the war, Napoleon tried to reconcile with Alexander I at least 4 times, but he did not even honor his "colleague on the throne" with an answer.

Fact 8 In Russian archives and pre-revolutionary literature, the war of 1812 is often called the "invasion of the twelve languages", since Napoleon increased his army at the expense of the troops of the occupied states. In Russian archives and pre-revolutionary literature, the war of 1812 is often referred to as the “invasion of the twelve languages,” since Napoleon increased his army at the expense of the troops of the occupied states.

9 fact. Kutuzov overslept the battle far from the front line. And the disposition itself, even the troops on the field, was placed by the chief of staff, Colonel Karl Fedorovich Toll, by no means the commander in chief. But the most important thing, the worst thing, was that during the battle anyone commanded, but not Kutuzov. This fact is confirmed by the monograph. Kutuzov overslept the battle far from the front line. And the disposition itself, even the troops on the field, was placed by the chief of staff, Colonel Karl Fedorovich Toll, by no means the commander in chief. But the most important thing, the worst thing, was that during the battle anyone commanded, but not Kutuzov. This fact is confirmed by the monograph.
10 fact And the last: the war of 1812 is also called the Great Patriotic War, because the French were braved from the Russian lands by all the people. And the last thing: the war of 1812 is also called the Great Patriotic War, because the French were braved from the Russian lands by all the people.

In conclusion, I would like to turn to the statement of Churchill, who said that history begins in 200 years, and before that it is journalism, interpretation and other things. Just in our 2012 story world history enriched with new great battles, as well as new historical names. In conclusion, I would like to turn to the statement of Churchill, who said that history begins in 200 years, and before that it is journalism, interpretation and other things. Just in our 2012 history, world history was enriched with new great battles, as well as new historical names.

Sources of information:) A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Description of the Patriotic War of 1812, St. Petersburg X 1) A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Description of the Patriotic War of 1812, St. Petersburg X Sirotkin V.G. Patriotic War of 1812: A book for high school students high school. – M.: Enlightenment. Sirotkin V.G. Patriotic War of 1812: A book for high school students. – M.: Enlightenment

205 years ago, on September 7, 1812, the bloodiest one-day battle took place - the Battle of Borodino, which became the main clash between the Russian and French armies during Napoleon's campaign in Eastern Europe, which ended for him with a grand defeat.

Failures for France began even before the start of the war

To conquer Russia, Napoleon formed the Grand Army, which included 15 infantry and cavalry corps, as well as the Old and Young Guards. The total number of troops exceeded half a million people, of which the French made up about half, the rest of the soldiers and officers were from other European countries.

But for complete confidence in the victory, Bonaparte wanted to attract other allies - the Swedes and Turks, who traditionally did not burn with love for Russia. However, two unpleasant surprises awaited him here.

On April 5, 1812, Sweden and Russia signed an alliance treaty in St. Petersburg, in which they guaranteed each other the integrity of their possessions and pledged to act against France.

Napoleon at Austerlitz. Francois Gerard. 1810

This anti-French document was largely due to the fact that the head of the country was the former Napoleonic Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, who later became the Swedish King Karl Johan XIV, who could not stand Bonaparte, for which he was dismissed from military service in 1810.

The Ottomans did not justify their hopes either. On May 28, 1812, a peace treaty was signed in Bucharest between Turkey and Russia, which ended the war between the two countries, in which Russian troops under the command of General Mikhail Kutuzov won a number of brilliant victories. According to the pact, Turkey withdrew from the alliance with France and ceded a number of territories to the victors.

As a result, on the eve of the invasion great army Russia has significantly improved the strategic situation for itself, reliably securing its left and right flanks.

Simultaneously with Moscow, Napoleon tried to take St. Petersburg, but he was defeated there

The French emperor is credited with the words: “If I take Kyiv, I will take Russia by the legs. If I take possession of Petersburg, I will take her by the head. But if I enter Moscow, I will strike Russia in the very heart.

In fact, such an experienced strategist as Bonaparte was not going to be content with occupying only the capital, which was, albeit a vivid symbol of Russia, but by no means the center of power of the enemy. Unlike St. Petersburg, where Alexander I and his court were located, important decisions were made.

Napoleon sent three of his corps to the Petersburg direction, commanded by three experienced marshals: the 10th, under the leadership of Jacques MacDonald, which included about 32 thousand Prussians, Germans and Poles, the 2nd, consisting of 35 thousand French, Swiss and Croats Nicolas Oudinot and the 6th, numbering 25 thousand Bavarians Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr.

Petersburg was covered by the 25,000th corps of General Peter Wittgenstein, who was detached from the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly for this purpose at the beginning of the war.

Despite the small number of his troops, the energetic Peter Khristianovich took advantage of the inconsistency in the actions of his enemies and smashed them one by one - in the battles near Klyastitsy on July 31 and near Polotsk on August 17. Moreover, in the last battle he was wounded by a bullet in the head, but did not leave command.

At the same time, Wittgenstein not only saved the northern capital and pulled back significant enemy forces, but also won his victories at a time when the main forces of the Russian army continued their strategic retreat towards Moscow. The impression of his actions in Russian society, where they almost resigned themselves to the idea of ​​defeat in the war, was enormous.

The first partisan was not Denis Davydov

The notes of the hero of 1812, the famous poet and dashing hussar, tell how on September 2, five days before the general battle near the ancestral village of Borodino, where he spent his childhood and where sappers were already erecting fortifications, Denis Vasilyevich proposed to General Pyotr Bagration the idea of ​​his own partisan detachment.

The plan was approved by Kutuzov and immediately after the battle for the Shevardinsky Redoubt, on September 5, Davydov's detachment, consisting of 50 hussars and 80 Don Cossacks, separated from the army and went on a raid on the rear of the French army. After the first victories, Denis Vasilievich received further reinforcements and, until December, smashed the enemy troops, taking a total of 3,560 soldiers and 43 officers prisoner.

However, the laurels of the first partisan belong to General Ferdinand Winzingerode, a German in the Russian service. His Special Cavalry Detachment of 1300 people was created at the end of July by order of Barclay de Tolly, and by the time Davydov was just going to join the partisans, he managed to accomplish many glorious deeds. For example, during the daring attack of Vitebsk, 800 prisoners were taken.

Wintzingerode, sent by Alexander I in the autumn of 1812 to negotiate with Napoleon in Moscow, narrowly escaped death after the French emperor decided to shoot him as his former subject. Only the intervention of the Russian monarch saved the general from reprisal, and he was released from captivity when following the western borders of the Cossacks from the partisan detachment of Alexander Chernyshev.

At the same time, it should be noted that Wintzingerode and Davydov were, in fact, not partisan leaders, but commanders of army sabotage detachments, who, after raids into the enemy rear, continued their service in the ranks of regular troops.

The main "architect" of the victory was not Kutuzov, but Barclay de Tolly

Coming from a German family, an offshoot of the old Scottish Barclay family, whose father served in the Russian army, General Mikhail Barclay de Tolly told Alexander I back in 1807 how, in his opinion, he should fight Napoleon if he swooped into Russia .

Since 1810, he became Minister of War and in this post he made every effort to modernize the army. He introduced a corps system, which made command and control more flexible, under him the size of the armed forces was increased, reserves and food supplies were prepared in advance, and fortresses were built.

Mikhail Bogdanovich drew up two versions of the plan for the war with Bonaparte - offensive and defensive. The second provided for the tactics of "scorched earth" and retreat deep into their territory in order to disperse and exhaust the forces of a superior enemy, led by a formidable commander who did not know defeat.

During the Patriotic War, the general commanded the 1st Western Army, at the head of which, leading rearguard battles with the enemy, sought to unite with the 2nd Western Army of General Pyotr Bagration and prevent Napoleon from defeating our troops one by one. After both commanders united in Smolensk on August 3, Barclay de Tolly, who led the combined forces, continued the strategic retreat.

This cost him his post, because in the army and society he was suspected of treason, and Bagration openly reproached him for being non-Russian. Obeying a loud murmur, Alexander I appointed General Mikhail Kutuzov as commander of the Russian army on August 29. But… the retreat did not stop. Mikhail Illarionovich understood perfectly well that the enemy was still too strong.

During the Battle of Borodino, which was given by Kutuzov for the sake of concessions to public opinion, Barclay actually led the actions of the Russian army. On that day, five horses were killed and wounded under him, but the general appeared in the necessary places of the battle, giving the necessary orders, while Kutuzov, in view of his advanced age and obesity, remained in one place all the time of the battle - near the village of Gorki.

Seeing such selflessness, the troops subordinated to Barclay changed their attitude towards the “German” to enthusiastic, and the mortally wounded Bagration ordered him to convey “that the fate of the army and its salvation depend on him.”

It is no coincidence that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, reflecting in "Eugene Onegin" on what saved Russia, named only one person among the reasons:

"Thunderstorm of the twelfth year

It has come - who helped us here?

The frenzy of the people

Barclay, winter or Russian God?

General Winter was equally harsh on both the French and the Russians.

By the way, about winter. One of the reasons for the defeat of Napoleon's "Great Army" in Russia is often called frosts, which pulled out almost more people from the combat ranks of soldiers and officers than they died on the battlefields. There are many heartbreaking memories of this by officers and generals of the Great Army.

However, the then Minister of the Russian Police, General Alexander Balashov, testified in his report that along the entire road from Moscow to the western borders, special brigades buried 403,707 human bodies, of which about half belonged to the Russian army and the civilian population.

Troops pursuing the enemy in French-ravaged terrain experienced almost the same hardships as the enemy, including lack of food, uniforms and fuel.

As British General Robert Wilson, who was in the Russian army in 1812, wrote, “the soldiers had no shelter for night bivouacs on icy snow. Falling asleep for more than half an hour meant almost certain death. Therefore, officers and lower ranks succeeded each other in these snatches of sleep and by force raised those who fell asleep, who often fought off their wakers.

Napoleonic troops fled not so much from the cold as from Russian bayonets and sabers.

In December 1812, Napoleon abandoned his army retreating from Russia and fled to Paris under the protection of two hundred selected guards. December 14, 1812 is considered the day of the end of the Patriotic War. It was during these days that Napoleon uttered one of his legendary aphorisms “from the great to the ridiculous - only one step, and let posterity judge him ...” Today about interesting facts Russian-French war.

Napoleon twice wooed Russian princesses

Napoleon, as you know, did not receive the title of monarch by inheritance. At one time, he had a fixed idea - to marry a representative of some monarchical house, which would allow him to legitimize his coronation. In 1808, he wooed Grand Duchess Catherine, sister of Alexander I, but was refused. He was informed that the princess was engaged to the Prince of Saxe-Coburg.

In 1810, persistent Napoleon tried again. This time, the object of his desire was the Grand Duchess Anna, who at that time was 14 years old. But Napoleon was again refused. Of course, these events did not become the reasons for starting the war, but the Russian-French "friendship" was significantly "damaged".

Napoleon Bonaparte tried to enlist in the Russian army

It is known that Napoleon was an excellent mathematician and even discovered a way to construct a square with one ruler with two serifs. He was very fond of opera, but at the same time he never distributed applause and did not allow others to do it.

Back in 1788, Lieutenant Napoleon wanted to enlist in the Russian army. But just a month before Napoleon filed a petition, Russia issued a decree that foreigners, entering the Russian service, lose one rank. The careerist-Napoleon, of course, did not agree to this.

The French, advancing on Russia, used a map with errors

Barclay de Tolly's military intelligence worked just fine. It is known for certain that Napoleon in 1812, without suspecting anything, used a copy of the "stolist" map of Russia, which was obtained by French intelligence in St. Petersburg before the start of the war. But, advancing on Moscow, the French ran into a problem - errors were deliberately introduced into the map.

The murder of a Russian officer by his own soldiers was a common thing in the war of 1812

Ordinary soldiers, when recognizing "friends - foes", were primarily guided by speech, especially if a person was approaching in the dark and from afar. Russian officers preferred to communicate in French rather than in Russian. For this reason, educated Russian officers died at the hands of their own.

The words "sharomyzhnik" and "bistro" come from 1812

In the autumn of 1812, the soldiers of the invincible Napoleonic army, exhausted by the cold and partisans, turned from "brave conquerors of Europe" and hungry ragamuffins. They no longer demanded, as a few months ago, but asked the Russian peasants to eat. At the same time, they addressed "her ami" ("dear friend"). Peasants in French were not strong and the French soldiers began to be called "sharomyzhnik".

When the Russian army entered Paris with a return visit, so to speak, after the Napoleonic army was ingloriously expelled from Moscow, the Russian soldiers in Parisian restaurants behaved without much ceremony, did not bother to respect the interiors and loudly demanded vodka with a snack , accompanying the requirements with the words “Quickly! Fast!". A certain enterprising Frenchman, trying to avoid the ruin of his institution, came up with the idea of ​​meeting Russian soldiers at the entrance with a tray, on which there was immediately a “drink and a snack”. This institution laid the foundation for a new type of restaurant business - "bistro", and the word has taken root in France.

Kutuzov wore a black armband only a few times

Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, who led the Russian army in the war against Napoleon, received 2 head wounds one after another. Moreover, each medicine of that time was regarded as fatal. The bullet passed twice from the left temple of Kutuzov to the right. " Death rushed through his head!”Derzhavin spoke about Kutuzov. Ordinary soldiers spoke of him only as the chosen one of heaven. This is understandable: the bullets of smooth-bore pistols and guns of the end of the 18th smashed the skull to smithereens.

Terrible wounds, although they spoiled the vision of the great commander, but until the end of his days he saw well with his right eye and could read. Field Marshal Kutuzov put on an eye patch only a few times in his life - as a rule, on marches when dust rose. There is not one lifetime image of Kutuzov with a bandage. The commander was put on in 1944 by the creators of the film "Kutuzov".

Most French prisoners of war stayed in Russia

The Patriotic War of 1812 was the first massive infusion of foreign blood after the Mongol-Tatar invasion. At the beginning of 1813, the number of French prisoners of war in Russia was 200 thousand people, and most of them remained to live in Russia. Many captured Russian nobles sluggish to their service. Of course, they were not suitable for work in the field, and teachers, tutors and heads of serf theaters turned out to be excellent from them.

100 years after the war, all its living participants were gathered

In 1912, on the 100th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812, the government Russian Empire decided to search for living participants and eyewitnesses of the war. In the Tobolsk region, they found Pavel Yakovlevich Tolstoguzov, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, who at that time was 117 years old.

The Patriotic War of 1812 is the record holder for the number of studies devoted to it

The Patriotic War of 1812 until 1917 was in the lead among others historical events by the number of studies devoted to it. More than 15 thousand articles and books have been written about this war. In memory of the victory over Napoleon's army, many memorials and monuments have been erected, the most famous of which are the Palace Square ensemble with the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

In the Military Gallery in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, in the city, there are 332 portraits of Russian generals who participated in the Patriotic War of 1812. Most of them belong to the brush of the British George Doe.

1. In the photo, eyewitnesses and participants in the war of 1812. They were found for the celebration of the anniversary in 1912.

2. Due to the fact that Napoleon broke the class order in the army, a large number of persons of "non-noble" origin were admitted to the officers, who had to constantly study in order to break into people, the level of training of French officers was noticeably higher than Russians.

3. In the autumn of 1812, the invincible Napoleonic army, exhausted by the cold and partisans, retreated from Russia. The brave "conquerors of Europe" turned into frozen and hungry ragamuffins. Now they did not demand, but humbly asked the Russian peasants for something to eat, addressing them “cher ami” (“love friends”). peasants, in foreign languages not strong, they called the French beggars - "sharomyzhniks." Not the last role in these metamorphoses was played, apparently, by the Russian words “to fumble” and “mykat.

4. In 1812, four empires fought with Russia at once: Catholic - France and Austria and Islamic - Ottoman Turkey and Iran. The Turkish and Persian Wars began long before 1812 and continued on their own.

5. At the beginning of the war, Emperor Alexander I constantly interfered in the plans of the generals with absurd proposals, but soon the harm of his stay with the army became so obvious that in early July the closest confidants of the king (A. S. Shishkov, A. A. Arakcheev and A. D. Balashov) convinced him to leave under the pretext of the need to be present in the capital to prepare reserves.

6. During the Patriotic War of 1812, there were frequent cases of killing and wounding of officers of the Russian army by their own soldiers, especially in the evening and at night, because of the habit of officers to speak French among themselves.

7. Not all French made it to France. Many of those taken prisoner were employed by the Russian nobles. Of course, they were not suitable for suffering, but how tutors, teachers and leaders of serf theaters came in handy. They examined the peasants sent to the casting and, if they did not see any talent in the applicant, they waved their hand and said “Chantra pas” (“not fit for singing”). The further history of this word, I think, is clear.

8. Since the peasants were not always able to provide " humanitarian aid» former occupiers, they often included horse meat in their diet, including the fallen. In French, “horse” is cheval (hence, by the way, the well-known word “chevalier” - knight, rider). However, the Russians, who did not see a special chivalry in eating horses, christened the miserable Frenchmen with the word "trash", in the sense of "rags". So this word came into our everyday life.

9. funny case from the life of an organizer partisan movement 1812 Denis Davydov In early 1807, Davydov was appointed adjutant to General P. I. Bagration. At one time, Davydov in one of his poems joked about Bagration's long nose and therefore was a little afraid of the first meeting with him. Bagration, seeing Denis, said to the officers present: "Here is the one who made fun of my nose." To which Davydov, not at a loss, replied that he wrote about his nose only out of envy, since he himself practically does not have it. Bagration liked the joke. And he often, when they reported to him that the enemy was “on the nose,” asked again: “On whose nose? If on mine, then you can still dine, and if on Denisov, then on the horses!

10. Never after the Mongol-Tatar invasion did Russia experience such a massive infusion of foreign blood as in the Patriotic War of 1812. By the beginning of 1813, the number of prisoners in Russia amounted to more than 200 thousand people, most of whom remained to live in Russia.

11. The valiant Russian soldiers, having victoriously entered Paris in 1814, so to speak, with a return visit of the Napoleonic army (which had ingloriously left the occupied Moscow at one time), did not behave too ceremoniously in the restaurants there, demanding without fail and loudly vodka with a snack: "Fast! Fast!" and without bothering yourself careful attitude to the existing furniture and inventory. And there was an enterprising person who, in order to avoid ruining the restaurant property, thought of arranging a meeting for the Russian winners right at the entrance, and not just with a bow, but with a tray on which “drink and eat” had already been prepared. The Russian army then returned home, and the word took root and laid the foundation for a new direction in the restaurant business - the bistro.

On June 24, 1812, from the birth of Christ, Napoleon with his army crossed the border of our state, which was the only one in Europe that prevented him from becoming "the ruler of the world." He wished to "crush" Russia. What came out of this idea, we remember very well from history textbooks. In this article, we want to recall some of the most interesting moments related to the Patriotic War of 1812.

As you know, Napoleon did not receive the title of monarch by inheritance. For some time, the fixed idea for him was the desire to marry a representative of no matter what, but always a great monarchical house. Thus, he could confirm the legitimacy of his coronation. In 1808, he wooed the sister of Alexander I, Grand Duchess Catherine, and was refused: allegedly, Catherine was already engaged to the Prince of Saxe-Coburg. Two years later, persistent Napoleon tries again - now the 14-year-old Grand Duchess Anna becomes the object. And again refusal! Of course, these events were not the only reasons for the start of the war, but the fact that they significantly “wetted” the Russian-French “friendship” is a fact.

Due to the fact that Napoleon broke the class order in the army, a large number of persons of “ignoble” origin were admitted to the officers, who had to constantly study in order to break out into people, the level of training of French officers was noticeably higher than Russians.

In 1812, four empires fought with Russia at once: Catholic - France and Austria, and Islamic - Ottoman Turkey and Iran. The Turkish and Persian Wars began long before 1812 and continued on their own.

And the Cossack was mishandled ... Napoleon thoroughly studied the country that he was going to "trample". Beginning in 1810, artists, travelers, monks, merchants frequented Russia - the vast majority of them sought out, sniffed out, recorded, in general, created a complete picture of the country, which was soon to fall at the feet of the emperor. The French were forced to inform, who served in Russian families - doctors, tutors, teachers, servants. Polish intelligence officers were also active, as well as the Prussians, officially friendly to Russia, whose St. Petersburg embassy had their own informers. However, Russia also did not doze off. For example, she secretly agreed with the Austrians that they would not be too zealous for the good of Napoleon and would not go deeper into the territory of Russia. Twice a month, a “State Report” was delivered from France to St. Petersburg, which contained detailed description throughout the French army, told about changes in its numbers and new appointments.

Indecision. Based on the secret reports of 1812, modern historians concluded that Napoleon planned to quickly complete the work he had begun. Victory in the battle on the border - and the issue is resolved: Alexander I is already in a hurry to accept his conditions. However, the retreat of the Russian army deep into the country mixed up all the cards - Napoleon was taken by surprise and, it seems, even confused. He stayed in Vilna for 18 days - he had never noticed such indecision before. Meanwhile, back in May 1811, Alexander I wrote: “There is an immense space for us ... The Frenchman is brave, but long hardships and a bad climate tire and discourage him. Our climate and our winter will fight for us.” The Russian emperor knew what he was talking about.

At the beginning of the war, Emperor Alexander I constantly interfered in the plans of the generals with absurd proposals, but soon the harm of his stay with the army became so obvious that in early July the closest confidants of the tsar (A. S. Shishkov, A. A. Arakcheev and A. D. Balashov) convinced him to leave under the pretext of the need to be present in the capital to prepare reserves.

Here's "mon ami" for you. The killing or wounding of a Russian officer by his own soldiers was a common thing in this war. And all because when recognizing “friend or foe”, ordinary soldiers were guided by speech, especially if the object was approaching from afar and in the dark. As you know, Russian officers preferred to communicate in French, rather than in Russian, which is familiar to the peasant's ear. So the educated officers put their heads in vain.

Horse meat for dinner, horse meat for lunch. As you know, after the Battle of Borodino, the Military Council of the Russian army gathered in the house of the Filevsky peasant Frolov, where Kutuzov decided to retreat through Moscow along the Ryazan road. As those closest to him recalled, after the advice, Kutuzov hardly slept, walked from corner to corner for a long time and uttered his famous threat: “Well, I’ll bring the damned French ... They will eat horse meat from me.” The French really soon began to eat horse meat, and they did not disdain even carrion. “Horse” in French sounds like “cheval”, from which the famous “chevalier” appeared in Russian. However, the Russian peasants were not delighted with the gastronomic preferences of the invaders, and called the French the word "trash", which was also mixed with the meaning of "rags".

Three attempts Napoleon at least three times during the campaign tried to "persuade" the Russian emperor to make peace. He became especially active during his stay in Moscow. So, on September 18, through Major General Ivan Tutolmin, he conveyed that he still honors Alexander and wants to make peace with him. Two days later, Napoleon sends a letter to the Russian emperor, which is transmitted by Herzen's father Ivan Yakovlev. Alexander ignores both the report and the letter, as well as the message of October 4, when Napoleon sends Loriston to Kutuzov in Tarutino with an offer of peace. He writes: "I need peace ... I need it absolutely at all costs, save only honor." Kutuzov meets with Lauriston the next day, after which he sends Prince Volkonsky to the Tsar with a report on Napoleon's proposal. However, Alexander leaves this message unanswered.

Sharomyzhniki and chantrap. The invincible Napoleonic army, exhausted by the cold and partisans, retreated. It did not take too long for the "wonderful" metamorphoses to take place: the brave "conquerors of Europe" turned into hungry and cold ragamuffins. Now they no longer demanded from the Russian peasants, but humbly and ingratiatingly asked for something for their stomachs. Here and there sounded "cher ami" ("Dear friend!"). Not understanding, but compassionate peasants called the French beggars consonantly - "sharomyzhnik". However, it seems that the verbs “mykat” and “fumbling” played an important role here. But the appearance of another word in our language is connected with the story of the prisoners who were tried to "attach" as tutors, teachers or directors of serf theaters. When during the casting the Frenchman did not show any special talents, they said “Chantra pas” about him.

A funny incident from the life of the organizer of the partisan movement in 1812, Denis Davydov. In early 1807, Davydov was appointed adjutant to General P.I. Bagration. At one time, Davydov in one of his poems joked about Bagration's long nose and therefore was a little afraid of the first meeting with him. Bagration, seeing Denis, said to the officers present: "Here is the one who made fun of my nose." To which Davydov, not at a loss, replied that he wrote about his nose only out of envy, since he himself practically does not have it. Bagration liked the joke. And he often, when they reported to him that the enemy was “on the nose,” asked again: “On whose nose? If on mine, then you can still dine, and if on Denisov, then on the horses!

Never after the Mongol-Tatar invasion did Russia experience such a massive infusion of foreign blood as in the Patriotic War of 1812. By the beginning of 1813, the number of prisoners in Russia amounted to more than 200 thousand people, most of whom remained to live in Russia.

The valiant Russian warriors, victoriously entering Paris in 1814, so to speak, with a return visit of the Napoleonic army (which had ingloriously left the occupied Moscow at one time), did not behave too ceremoniously in the restaurants there, demanding without fail and loudly vodka with a snack: “Quickly ! Fast!" and without bothering to take care of the existing furniture and inventory. And there was an enterprising person who, in order to avoid ruining the restaurant property, thought of arranging a meeting for the Russian winners right at the entrance, and not just with a bow, but with a tray on which “drink and eat” had already been prepared. The Russian army then returned home, and the word took root and laid the foundation for a new direction in the restaurant business - the bistro.