All language subtitles for 1812. Napoleonic Wars in Russia. Episode 1. Documentary Film. Russian History. (inglés)

Samoylov! Hurry up!

In the morning of 12 June, 1812,

the regiments of the world’s mightiest army were crossing

the Neman River over the three bridges.

The infantry was using one of them,

the cavalry another and the artillery the third one.

The French and the Poles, the Italians and the Austrians,

the Prussians and the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Dutch

and the representatives of numerous German principalities…

“The army of twelve tongues”, as the Russians called it…

Led by Napoleon, Emperor of the French,

the great army invaded the realms of the Russian Empire.

BORODINO, 1812

On 25 March, 1811, the French astronomer Honoré Flaugergues

discovered a comet in space that was speeding towards the Earth.

A large comet designated as C/1811 F1

visible to the naked eye for 290 days

stroke terror into the hearts of the nations of the Earth.

It was said to be a messenger of terrible disasters, destructions and catastrophes.

In the memory of the Russian people it forever remained as “The Comet of 1812”.

France. 1799.

Paris greets General Bonaparte, hero of Italian and Egyptian campaigns,

with shouts of approval.

Less than in a month the 30 year old commander, popular with the soldiers,

supported by the plotters and army, disbanded the Directory,

the higher body of the executive power in France,

and proclaimed himself First Consul of France.

And Emperor in 5 years.

An ambitious dictator Napoleon pursued a tough internal policy,

and Napoleon the military leader was successful

in conquering new territories for France.

Europe had been almost entirely conquered by Napoleon by 1809.

Only Britain that still retained its world’s economic leadership

despite the declared embargo remained unconquered.

A narrow ribbon of the English Channel and Napoleon’s sea defeats

kept Napoleon from direct military strikes on the island.

He planned to crush Britain by stripping it of its colonies, India in the first place.

One of the routs leading to South Asia lied across Russia.

Was this the reason behind the French Campaign against Russia though?

There was no formal declaration of war.

Napoleon was concealing his intentions even from the Senate of France,

and the emperor’s appeal was read to the soldiers

on the eve of the river crossing only.

“… To put an end to Russia’s prideful influence

that it has been exercising on European affairs for 50 years.”

Napoleon viewed Russia to be one of the strongest enemies

and was taking thorough preparations to war on it.

Following the Napoleon’s order, great number of spies was sent to Russia

to gather information about the Russian army and future theater of war.

Attempts were made to wreck Russia’s economy from inside

by distributing counterfeit money bills.

Being aware that the army would have to travel a very long way to get to Russia,

stores of food and ammunition were built along the expected routes of French troops.

Ordnance depots and food stores had been placed

along the Vistula River from Warsaw to Danzig.

The largest of them was located in Danzig.

In contained the 50-day reserve of food

for 400,000 men and 50,000 horses by January 1812.

General Aleksey A. Arakcheyev who became Minister of Land Forces of Russia

in 1808 was in charge for the reorganization of the Russian Army.

The changes he initiated concerned the manning

and training of the combatant staff,

establishment of the recruitment depot, the post of Duty General and many other things.

But the most fruitful his effort was in the reorganization of the artillery.

Michael A. Barclay de Tolly was appointed Minister of War of Russia in January 1810.

Your Excellency, His Majesty Emperor will receive you in five minutes.

By that time the Russian Army was one of the most progressive

in its organizational structure and armament in the world.

Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly. Field Marshal. Minister of War of Russia.

At the beginning of the war he commanded the 1st Army of the West.

He implemented the tactical plan of retreat and preserving of the Russian Army.

He was constantly present at the frontline during the Battle of Borodino.

He supported Kutuzov’s plan to surrender Moscow.

Was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Russo-Prussian Army

during the expedition to Western Europe.

Your High Excellency! You may come in!

In April 1810 Barclay de Tolly for the first time in the world’s history

initiated the creation of a service of military agents (later called attachés)

attached to Russian embassies in foreign countries.

A modest post of Advisor in Finance for the Russian Embassy in Paris

was embraced by Karl Nesselrode.

He actually served as a mediator between Alexander I and Talleyrand

who was Foreign Minister of France at that time

and who became informant for the Russian court.

Cipher messages containing the French diplomatic correspondence

and signed by “Dancer”

were regularly put on the table in front of the Russian Emperor.

Alexander was aware of Napoleon’s plans

to involve Sweden, Austria, Prussia and Turkey

into a “crusade” against Russia.

Sweden. Russia signed the Treaty of Peace

with Sweden on 24 March, 1812.

Austria and Prussia.

Occupied by the French, they were Napoleon’s Allies.

But Alexander managed to get their promises

not to engage against Russia in case of Russo-French war.

Turkey. It had been at war with Russia since 1806.

Napoleon expected that considerable forces of the Russian Army

would be concentrated somewhere at the Danube River.

But the successful operations near Rousse and Slobozia commanded by General Kutuzov

decided the outcome of the Russo-Turkish war.

Turkey entered concluded the Treaty of Bucharest a month

before the French invasion of Russia in 1812.

When giving the order to cross the Neman River, Napoleon was yet unaware

that his plans of Russia’s diplomatic isolation failed.

Blinded with his dominion over Europe, he believed in the power of the Grandee Armée

and relied on the information saying

that the conditions for the invasion of Russia were quite favorable.

A part of the Russian Army was still in Bessarabia.

Several divisions were deployed in annexed Finland.

Considerable forces were pulled back to the Caucasus

where Persia was preparing to invade of Russia.

Three of the Russian armies not exceeding 220,000 of manpower

were deployed at the western Russian border.

614,000 Napoleon’s soldiers were facing them.

In total, the French Army amounted over 800,000

of soldiers of various nations.

Hold! No passage any further!

The French were overcautious to conceal their preparations.

Soldiers and officers were prohibited to even come close to the Neman.

Napoleon himself kept secrecy too.

The morning before crossing the river he put on a Polish uniform overcoat

and went to the crossing site, accompanied by his suite.

On his way back to the camp, the emperor had an unpleasant incident

that was interpreted as a bad sign in the troops.

Careful!

– Are you all right, Sire? – Damned hare!

It would be much wiser not to cross the Neman.

This fall is a bad sign.

It’s nothing but a hare, by hear Louis.

Nothing but a hare.

The French engineers built up the bridges over the Neman that night;

and the French soldiers become crossing the river

to the next bank in the morning of 12 June.

Napoleon craved for immediate battle with the Russian Army.

Surprise and superiority in numbers would have won a guaranteed victory for him

in both the first battle and the campaign as a whole.

The Russian Army cannot just withdraw from Lithuania

and give up Poland without a fight:

it cannot do this because it would defame itself

in the eyes of the Poles in such a case.

The morning of 12 June treated Napoleon with the first disappointment.

Sire, the Russian Army cannot be seen anywhere in the vicinity.

General!

Your Excellency!

Madam. Speak.

The Russian Emperor was enjoying a ball

when a Cossack messenger reported of Napoleon’s Army’s invasion.

Being informed of the beginning of the new war,

Alexander ordered his adjutants to keep the news in secret.

He started giving instructions only late that night

when he came back to his apartment.

“…To invade of Russia without a declaration of war…

I shall make peace only when the last enemy’s soldier leaves my land.”

Alexander I. A grandson of Catherine II, senior son of Emperor Paul I.

Catherine considered his grandson to be more gifted than Pavel;

so she wanted Alexander to succeed to the throne.

Alexander and his brother Konstantin received a Spartan upbringing:

they slept in hard beds, got up early in the morning and ate simple food.

Alexander came to power as a result of a palace revolution ended

in the murder of Paul I by the plotters.

The emperor counted himself republican and was known as humanist and natural diplomat.

Having left an appeal to the army,

the Russian Emperor left Vilna the next evening, on July 13.

… The blood of the Slavs famous for their victories runs in your veins!

… Soldiers! You defend your Faith, your Motherland, and your Freedom!

May God come upon the beginner!

Alexander, nevertheless, took the last effort to stop the war.

A. Balashov, Adjutant General and Minister of Police,

was sent to Napoleon with a message.

Alexander Dmitriyevich Balashov (1770-1837) General of the Infantry, Minister of Police

Accompanied Alexander I during the whole military campaign of 1812.

Took active part in the organization of the People’s Militia.

He participated in the meeting of the Council of War held on 5th August, 1812,

where Count Kutuzov was appointed Commander-in-Chief.

Balashov proposed that the French troops should withdraw to the Neman

and the parties should start negotiating there.

Alexander’s mocking at me.

Does he think that I’ve marched into Vilna to have trade negotiations?

The sword has been drawn.

I have come to end up with the colossus of the northern barbarians once and for all.

What shall I say to the Emperor?

Tell me, which way to Moscow is the shortest?

There are many ways leading to Moscow.

Charles XII of Sweden, for instance chose the way through Poltava.

The Napoleon’s army was approaching Moscow. The army that didn’t know defeats.

The army of a strong discipline and high morale.

The army led by talented military leaders of the time.

Damn you, Samoylov! I told these bags go to fire, and those ones to the cart!

– Hurry up! – Aye, sir!

– Don’t mix it! – Aye, sir!

– Who knows? No one says. – Where are we going?

Retreating. For sure. See how the Cossacks are grabbing? Wiping clean!

The Russian Army was leaving Vilna.

Everything of potential, even slightest,

value for the enemy was taken away from the city.

What couldn’t be taken away was burnt down.

The main body of the French Army marched into Vilna that very evening.

The Polish nobles met the French as liberators.

Colors were flying.

The city dwellers presented Napoleon with the key to the city.

But despite this, plunder of the civil population started in 3 days already.

Every army of the world practiced collecting food from the civil population.

Special military teams were supposed to pay money

to the civilians or issue notices of receipt.

But any piece of paper was worthless during war.

Peasants didn’t wish to share their stock

either with their own army, or with the enemy’s.

Hunger forced French soldiers to come to the houses of the locals

and take away or steal food on the march.

The command of both Russian and French armies

took severe measures to oppose the plunder.

The courts of the French Army sentenced a soldier to execution

by shooting for the armed robbery and manhandling.

10 years of penal servitude was the price for a theft from a household

and 6 years from one’s fellow-soldiers.

And the deeper the French army was moving inland in Russia

the harder it was to maintain discipline.

The losses of manpower in some French divisions made up 30%

during the first 40 days of the march due to hunger and desertion.

Henry! Hurry up!

Italian, Polish and Wurttemberg divisions lost from 40% to 50%

of manpower even before they fired a shot.

On the sound of trumpets in the mornings the squadrons

and regiments resumed their endless marching.

Marching west. Towards far, unknown and mysterious Moscow.

The first reconnaissance information about the size of the French army

caused a slight confusion at the Russian Headquarters.

Knowing Napoleon’s love to overstate his power,

Alexander refused to believe the reports of the scouts.

But the straits the Russian armies were in were obvious.

The 1st Army of the West under Barclay de Tolly was deployed in Lithuania.

12 Russian divisions were facing 17 French ones headed by Napoleon himself

and General Eugene de Beauharnais.

The 2nd Army of the West commanded by General of the Infantry P. Bagration

was covering Belorussia.

11 French divisions under General Jérôme Bonaparte

and Marshal Davout were thrown against his 6 divisions.

The 3rd Army of the West under General of the Cavalry A.

Tormasov was deployed in Volhynia.

The Austrian corps under Gen. Schwarzenberg.

Cut off by the Polesia marshes, Tormasov’s forces were unable

to join the 1st and 2nd Armies in a short time.

The Army of the Danube under Admiral P. Chichagov was deployed in Moldavia.

A treaty of peace has already been signed between the Ottoman Empire and Russia,

so Chichagov was ready to move forward

to help the rest of the forces at any moment.

Thus, the Russian forces were scattered for about 800 kilometers

along the western border.

Fighting the outpowering enemy’s army at the border was pointless.

A pre-war plan by Alexander I envisaged that the 1st Army of Barclay de Tolly

was supposed to withdraw to North Belorussia, to the Drissa Camp.

The Drissa Camp was an earthen fort on the left bank of the Western Dvina River

build after the design of German military theorist Gen. K. Phull.

The 1st Army supported by the 2nd Army on the flanks

and in the enemy’s rear was supposed to take a general engagement here.

The camp was inspected by General L. von Bennigsen.

What he saw depressed him.

The fort was very bad. An inconvenient location

and weak fortifications might become a fatal trap for the Russian troops.

Generals insisted on the retreat towards Smolensk

in order to unite the forces of the two armies near the city.

The 1st and 2nd Russian Armies received the order to retreat towards Vitebsk.

A special corps of 24,000 manpower under Gen. P.Wittgenstein was assigned to protect

the roads leading to Pskov and Saint Petersburg.

Presence of Alexander I, his brother, ministers, advisers

and the tsar’s suite at the General Staff Headquarter caused

certain confusion in the actions of the General Staff.

Barclay de Tolly had to ask the emperor and his surrounding

for an approval of each of his orders.

The General Staff was immersing into the spirit of court intrigues

and opposition of various parties.

State Secretary Alexander Shishkov supported

by Minister of Police Alexander Balashov

and member of the State Council Aleksey Arakcheyev intervened in this situation.

On 6 July the 1st Army arrived in Polotsk

where the emperor decided to leave the troops for Moscow.

But when the tsar departed the question arose:

who would be the Commander-in-Chief — Barclay de Tolly or Bagration?

Piotr Ivanovich Bagration. General of the Infantry.

Began his military service at the rank of sergeant when he was 17.

Generalissimo Suvorov’s favorite disciple.

Became famous at the battle of Schöngrabern in 1805

when he blunted an attack of a 30,000 French corps

with a detachment of 6,000 soldiers only.

Commanded the 2nd Army of the West during the French invasion of Russia.

Was severely wounded at the Battle of Borodino and died 17 days later.

Alexander I made his choice.

Well, my dear,

I entrust my army to you.

And remember one thing: it is the only one that I have.

Barclay de Tolly was the one who was appointed

the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian 1st Army.

Bagration became his subordinate from now on.

Moscow met the Russian Emperor with enthusiasm.

Manifestos by Alexander I addressed to the Russian people and Muscovites

on summoning the people’s militia caused great patriotic inspiration.

Formations of people’s militia were being created in 16 Russian provinces,

with Cossack regiments in Ukraine, and along the Don and Ural Rivers.

With permission of their landlords, peasants were willing to war

in hope to obtain freedom.

Only Moscow Province undertook to equip and provide 80,000 militiamen.

Private citizens were forming, providing with clothes

and arming entire battalions and squadrons on their own account.

The nobles were enrolling in the army.

Services with prayers about salvation of Russia were being held in churches

Metropolitan Plato gave the wonderworking icon of Sergius of Radonezh to the emperor,

which Alexander passed to the Moscow militia.

What is it there, Samoylov?

Samoylov! What is it?!

– It’s vodka, Your Honor! – Vodka?

– Yes, sir. What shall I do with it? – Your Honor!!!

- What? - The French!!!

– How far? – In a mile!

– Damn… – What shall I do with the vodka?

Leave it.

Let them drink it to our health! Come on!

Leave the chicken! Hurry up, Samoylov, be quick!

Napoleon’s army marched into the Belorussian land

but saw only deserted villages and towns on its advance.

Their residents left together with the retreating Russian Army

or for the woods.

Cossack Detachments set to fire houses, granaries and administration buildings.

The French could capture no wounded

or cart that dropped behind during the retreat of the Russian Army.

Only several weeks of the expedition passed,

but there were already hundreds of the sick,

stragglers, missing and deserters on the list in the French Army.

Long marches and absence of forage exhausted the horses.

It was not before long that the first battles

Napoleon so much expected took place.

Daring and determination of the Russians ready to die

in the last ditch amazed experienced French soldiers and officers.

Line of Battle was a tactics widely spread in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Napoleon’s army successfully used the tactics of column attacks.

The infantry was armed with flint guns weighing from 4 to 5.5 kg.

The gun cartridge was a paper —

made roll containing a gunpowder charge and a musket ball in it.

It took about 20-30 sec. for a soldier

to recharge the gun during action.

On tearing off one of its ends with his teeth,

a soldier poured some powder on the flintlock pan,

then poured out the remnants of the powder into the gun’s barrel,

then stuffed the musket-ball and the wad in with the ramrod.

After that, he was ready to aim and pull the trigger.

The shot range was 140-200 m.

The accuracy of the shot was low and depended on wind,

amount and quality of powder, and a number of other factors.

Three-rank formation was used in both French and Russian Armies.

The linear battle pattern was used to ensure maximum firepower of the troops.

The more soldiers firing

there were the higher probability of hitting the target was.

The combatants were gradually approaching each other during a fight.

At the distance of the gun shot the commandeered ordered to open fire.

After several volleys, one of the battling sides either changed to retreat

or to bayonet attack on the enemy.

With this, the arrangement didn’t go to running,

but only speeded up its pace, with their bayonets pointed forward.

The dense, quickly moving line bristling with the bayonets

produced a stunning impression on the enemy.

On 12th July the French advance cavalry units came into engagement

with the rearguard of the Russian 4th Infantry Corps under Gen.

Ostermann-Tolstoy that was covering

the retreat of the army commanded by Barclay de Tolly.

Your Excellency, the enemy is five miles away.

Alexander Ivanovich Ostermann-Tolstoy. General of the Infantry.

He never accepted the conclusion of the Treaties of Tilsit with Napoleon.

He unexpectedly resigned.

Came back to the military before the beginning of the French invasion

of Russia and assumed command of the 4th Infantry Corps.

That night a French cavalry detachment met soldiers

who were walking ahead of them a few miles away from the town of Beshenkovichi.

The French hussars took them for the French and peacefully followed them.

Suddenly, the unidentified soldiers opened fire.

It proved to be a Russian rearguard that received an order

to arrest the enemy’s advance. Fighting, the troops approached Ostrovno.

The next day Marshall Murat, commander of the French cavalry, arrived

and ordered to begin the artillery bombardment of the Russian positions.

The 4h Russian Corps was suffering great losses

as it covered the retreat of the 1st Army solo.

Your order, Your Excellency? What shall we do?

It was that very moment that Ostermann gave his famous order:

Nothing. Just stand and die.

The French forces started outflanking the Russians

from the right by the evening, so Ostermann withdrew.

The next day at dawn his regiments were joined

by the division under Gen. P. Konovnitsin.

Piotr Petrovich Konovnitsin. General of the Infantry.

A man of extraordinary courage and exceptional kindness.

He permitted his soldiers to take civilians

who wished to leave with the army to the transport when retreating.

After the Battle of Borodino he was commanded the 3rd Infantry Corps,

and later served as a Duty General at Kutuzov’s Headquarters.

Minister of War of the Russian Empire since 1815.

Konovnitsin’s infantry was attacked

by the units of Beauharnais and Murat on both sides.

Keep’em away! Take aim! Fire!!

Hold on! Close up! Stand high!

The Russian forces took three counterattacks.

Beauharnais’s Croatian Battalion was obliterated.

The French were somewhat confused, but they kept on with their assault.

The French started outflanking Konovnitsin’s positions by 3.00 p.m.

The general gave the order to retreat to avoid encirclement.

Murat’s forces were so much drained that he didn’t pursue the Russians.

However, Napoleon who arrived upon the spot

gave the order to start pursuing the enemy immediately.

The emperor understood that Konovnitsin’s task was only to cover the retreat

of Barclay de Tolly who hastened to unite with Batration’s forces.

The Russian infantrymen were withdrawing till late at night,

continuously shooting back.

Barclay de Tolly has already deployed his units near Vitebsk,

waiting for the Bagration’s army to arrive.

But ordeals fell to the lot of Bagration and his soldiers.

Aiming to crush the Russian armies before they could unite,

Napoleon threw two of his corps to intercept the 2nd Russian Army.

The right wing of the French army was led by Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother.

According to the French estimation, he arrayed no less then 90,000 soldiers

against Russians’ 45,000.

Batration’s forces were threatened with encirclement, but they managed to escape.

On 28 June Bagration crushed the Jerome’s vanguard

and started moving towards Minsk,

unaware that the city had already been taken by Marshal Davout.

The road leading north was closed for Bagration now.

Louis-Nicolas d'Avout (Davout). Marshal of France.

Napoleon’s schoolmate at the military school.

One of the most talented French military leaders.

He himself led an assault of an infantry regiment at the Battle of Borodino

and was contused.

Leading a corps in 1814, he protected Hamburg

even after he learned of the emperor’s abdication.

But the French failed to encircle Bagration.

Napoleon’s lightheaded brother stayed for a 4-day rest in Grodno,

and despite his force continued the assault,

the 2nd Russian Army managed to escape.

From Bagration’s letter to A. Yermolov:

“I hardly broke out of hell. The fools let me go.”

Bagration was advancing towards Mogilev.

His army had to cross the Dnieper, approach Vitebsk

and unite there with the forces of Barclay de Tolly.

And again Davout forestalled.

Marshal’s corps took Mogilev and the village of Saltanovka,

blocking Bagraition’s advance.

Only battle reconnaissance gave the information on the enemy’s composition

and force needed to determine the further Russian army’s advance.

Your Excellency! The French!

Nikolay Nikolayevich, the enemy’s force is unknown.

But if there are only advance units there,

you will overthrow them.

If not, you will bind them in engagement.

This will allow me to cross the Dnieper.

God bless you.

Nikolay Nikolayevich Rayevsky. General of the Cavalry.

Participated in actions against the Turks, Poles and Swedes.

Commanded the 7th Infantry Corps.

Displayed outstanding courage in the battles of Saltanovka,

Smolensk and Borodino.

The Davout’s force numbered 12,000 of manpower against 15,000 of Rayevsky’s.

The French deployed their artillery in a closed and dissected area.

The Russians, in their turn, would have to cross a deep ravine

in front of the enemy’s position.

In the morning of 11 July Rayevsky moved forward.

He ordered that the division under Gen. I. Paskevich

outflank the French through the woods.

Having taken the village of Fatovo by assault,

the Russian battalions were unexpectedly attacked by the French.

For various reasons Rayevsky’s offensive

with the main forces began later then Paskevich began his actions.

The Smolensk Infantry Regiment was met with heavy gunfire by the enemy.

Rayevsky led the attack personally,

but his forces could only thrust back the French behind the brook.

Rayevsky learnt from the prisoners that the Davout main forces are ahead of him.

The road to Vitebsk was blocked. Bargation sent a courier to Barcklay.

He informed that he was constrained to move to Smolensk

where he hoped to unite with the 1st Army.

Davout expected that all Russian force would come down on him the next day

and urgently fortified his positions.

However, the Bagration’s forces crossed the Dnieper near Bykhov

that night and evaded the pursuit.

Davout realized that he had mistaken two days later,

so he ran off in pursuit of the Russians.

But it was too late: Bagration’s army was already approaching Smolensk.

When Napoleon learned that his brother let Bagration slip, he flew into rage.

“All fruit of my maneuvering and an excellent opportunity

a war can ever give have been missed

because of this strange disregard of basic rules of war.”

Offended Jerome pointedly left his post and went to Kassel.

Late at night on 14 June

the French approached Vitebsk occupied by the 1st army.

Craving for victory, Napoleon was drawing up forces to the city.

It was incredibly hot, the troops raising clouds of dust.

The veterans of the Grande Armée recollected Egypt and deserts of Syria.

There was lack of water. Advance units bottomed all wells,

so only turbid slush remained for the following regiments to drink.

Soldiers grew weak. The horses were dying in numbers.

Napoleon was trying to guess Barclay’s plans.

Would he fight at last?

Meanwhile, Barklay de Tolly was waiting for the 2nd Army to come.

Instead, Bagration’s messenger Prince Menshikov arrived the next morning.

Your Excelency, the 2nd Army is moving towards Smolensk.

I was pointless to begin the battle under these circumstances.

Napoleon was examining the positions

and drawing up his forces to Vitebsk all day long on 15 July.

Murat continuously stayed at the front line.

Fires could be seen in the Russian camp.

It was heard that the Russians were preparing for battle.

From Napoleon’s message to Murat:

We launch the attack at 5 o’clock in the morning.

How left? Were to?

How can 100,000 men leave the camp on the quiet and vanish into thin air?

One of the adjutants stumbled upon a Russian soldier

sleeping peacefully near a bush. But he didn’t say anything.

Where have the Russians go to? Petersburg or Moscow?

The emperor instructed to be extremely careful when approaching the Russian camp.

A dead silence reigned in the camp.

The French needed to understand what had happened and what they should do.

Did Barclay de Tolly decide to combat

or the Russians were retreating enticing the French further to inland Russia.

The French moved to Vitebsk. There was not a soul in its streets.

I intend to end the campaign here, in Vitebsk.

I will bring up the reserve and will wait for Alexander’s peace proposals.

It was in Vitebsk where Napoleon learned about the conclusion of the peace treaty

between Turkey and Russia. More shocking information came soon.

Sire… Gereral Reynier has been defeated.

Napoleon’s allies — the Austrian corps under Gen. Schwarzenberg

and the Saxon corps under Gen Reynier

were covering the flanks of the Napoleon’s army

from the actions of the 3rd Russian Army of Gen. Tormasov.

Carrying out a Barclay de Tolly’s order, Tormasov attacked the flank

and the rear of the French forces that were driving toward the Prince Bargation’s army.

Alexander Petrovich Tormasov. General of the Cavalry.

A participant of the Russo-Turkish war.

Was forced to retire during the reign of Pavel I,

but was summoned back to the military a year later.

Kutuzov’s right hand.

Participated in the Battles of Maloyaroslavets, Vyazma and Krasnoye.

Was appointed Member of the State Council

and Governor General of Moscow after the end of the war.

Having taken Brest, Tormasov’s divisions attacked the garrison

of Gen. Reynier at Kobrin.

The Saxons laid down arms after a severe fight.

On learning of the defeat of his garrison,

Reynier retreated to Slonim and asked Napoleon for help.

Schwarzenbeg’s corps will go to aid Reynier.

I will lead my troops to Smolensk.

I do not think it is right, Sire.

Even French generals opposed such a plan.

They claimed that the Russian tactics of withdrawal inland

could mean only one thing for the French army — a catastrophe.

They were talking of losses of horses, insufficient food supply, scorched villages

and immense distances the soldiers had to cover under heat and lack of water.

I made my generals too rich.

They think of pleasure,

of hunting and touring around Paris in their luxurious carriages!

They are already sick of war!

Sire!

We do not understand either the goal of this war or need in it.

This war is not popular among the soldiers and it is doomed to failure.

We should make a peace.

Now and immediately.

Alexander is too powerful.

He will not accept the olive branch without trying his power in battle.

If necessary, I will cover the distance to Moscow,

this holy city, in search of battle and I will win this battle.

The emperor led his army towards Smolensk.

As the French would say:

“Napoleon could be defeated by Napoleon only.”

BORODINO, 1812

Written by: Valeriy Babich, Yaroslav Tinchenko.

Directed by: Pavel Tupik

Director of photography: Dmitry Kiptuly Music by: Boris Kukoba

Narrators: Sergey Chonishvili, Yevgeny Sinchukov

Script editor: Liudmila Avdeyeva Production manager: Ilona Serdobolskaya

Producers: Valery Babich, Vlad Ryashin, Sergey Titinkov, Konstantin Ernst

Produced by: Star Media LLC & Babich-Design on commission by Channel One Russia OJSC

© Star Media Pro LLC, 2012