Only experts now remember the battle on the Vozha River. Meanwhile, it was there that the first major victory over the Tatars was won. This began the collapse of the Horde dominion over the Russian lands.
The Battle of Kulikovo, in which the troops of Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich defeated the Golden Horde army of Mamai, is known to everyone, and the anniversary of this fateful battle for Russia is widely celebrated throughout the country. But the Battle of Kulikovo was not the first armed clash between Russians and Tatars, in which the once invincible tumens of the steppe cavalry were defeated and put to flight. Shortly before the battle on Nepryadva, a battle took place on the Vozha River. There, Russian regiments under the command of the same Prince Dmitry Ivanovich defeated the troops of the Horde Murza Begich. We can say that the battle on the Vozha became the dress rehearsal of the Battle of Kulikovo.
Drunk Lessons
After the death of Khan Berdibek in 1359, the descendants of Genghis Khan fought for the right to become the supreme ruler of the Golden Horde. The right to power was contested by two dozen applicants for the khan's throne. In the end, the temnik Mamai became the actual ruler. True, he was not a Chingizid, and therefore he could not sit on the throne himself. But he married the daughter of the ruling khan and occupied a very high position at the court of Berdibek.
Having come to power and settled the internal affairs in his state, Mamai decided to engage in foreign policy. He demanded that the territories vassal to him resume the payment of tribute in full. But the times of Batu have passed, and many Russian principalities refused to pay tribute to the Golden Horde.
In 1374 in Nizhny Novgorod the locals revolted. The ambassadors of Mamai and one and a half thousand Tatars who accompanied them were killed. A plague epidemic was raging in the Horde at that time, so a punitive expedition to Nizhny Novgorod was undertaken only in 1377. The Tatar army was commanded by Khan Arab Shah. The army of the Moscow prince came to the aid of the people of Nizhny Novgorod. But the commander of the united army, Prince Ivan Dmitrievich, the son of Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod, was young and had no combat experience.
Having not met the enemy, the Russian army, as they would say now, relaxed. It camped on the left bank of the Pyana River, a hundred miles from Nizhny Novgorod. Both princes and ordinary warriors began to take their service lightly. They indulged in drunkenness, revelry, guard duty practically did not rush. 
But the Tatars were not an enemy to be trifled with. The Arab Shah managed to quietly approach the Russian camp and, dividing his army into five detachments, suddenly attacked. The destruction was complete. Part of the Russian soldiers died under the Tatar sabers, part drowned in the Pyan River during a stampede. Among the dead was the Nizhny Novgorod prince.
The defeat at Pyan was a good lesson for the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich.
The following year, Mamai decided to make a new punitive raid on Russia. This time he was going to punish the main obstinate - the prince of Moscow. Modern historians cannot accurately determine the number of warring parties. One can only assume that there were about 4-5 tumens (that is, up to 50 thousand sabers) of Tatars, Russians - somewhat less. Opponents met face to face on the Vozha River, the right tributary of the Oka, not far from Ryazan. The troops of Prince Dmitry covered the ford, and the Tatars did not dare to cross to the other side for a long time.
Standing on the Vozha lasted several days. Perhaps the Tatars were waiting for reinforcements, or perhaps they simply did not dare to cross the river under a hail of arrows and immediately engage in battle.
Remembering what happened a year ago on the Pyan River, the Russian governors did not allow their soldiers to relax and lose their vigilance. The entire left bank of the Vozhzha was patrolled by horse patrols, which regularly reported on all enemy movements.
In the end, the Tatars, lacking food and fodder (their horses ate all the grass in the area), decided to start a battle. They counted on the fact that the Russians, who had suffered constant defeats from the Horde cavalry for almost a hundred and fifty years, would not withstand its massive blow this time either. But they forgot that during this time the Horde became not the same, and Russia learned something.
Face to face
Already in the evening of August 11, 1378, the Tatar army, having quickly overcome the ford, attacked the Russian regiments lined up for battle. The tactics of the steppes have not changed since the time of Batu Khan. Mounted archers fired at the dense ranks of the enemy from a distance, and then a crushing blow from the heavily armed Horde cavalry was dealt from the flanks. But this time the battle did not go the way the Tatars wanted.
The Russian army for the battle was built as follows. On the left flank stood the regiment of Prince Danila Pronsky. On the right - a regiment of okolnichi (the second rank after the boyar in the court hierarchy) of the Moscow prince Timofey Velyaminov. The place in the center was occupied by a regiment under the command of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich himself. The Russians withstood the first onslaught of the Tatar cavalry, after which they launched a counterattack. The Tatars did not expect this from them.
Thanks to the effect of surprise, the Moscow heavily armed horsemen (“forged army”) easily crushed the Tatar cavalry. In addition, during the counterattack, all the commanders of the Tatar army were killed. Murza Begich himself and his temniki were killed. Here is how it is written about this in the Moscow chronicle: "The names of their murdered princes: Khazibey, Koverga, Karabuluk, Kostrov, Begichka."
Left without commanders, the Tatar army lost control and was demoralized. Unable to withstand the spear blow of the Russian "forged rati", the Tatars mixed up, and then ran. Unfortunately, it was already getting dark, and in the absence of visibility, the Russian commanders did not dare to start pursuing the enemy. “And when the evening came, and the sun went down, and the light grew dim, and night fell, and it became dark, it was impossible to chase them across the river. And the next day in the morning there was heavy fog. And the Tatars, as they ran in the evening, continued to run all night. The great prince that day, only in the pre-dinner time, went after them, chasing them, and they had already fled far ... ”- wrote the Moscow chronicler. 
During the battle, the Tatars suffered huge losses. Most of the troops were cut down in a cavalry slash and drowned in Vozh during a stampede. The moral shock of the Tatars from the fleeting but bloody battle was so strong that in fear they threw a convoy with all their property and huge herds of horses into the steppes. Only the miserable remnants of the army of Murza Begich reached the Horde.
The Fruits of Victory
Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich won his first victory. The importance of what happened was not only that the territory of the Ryazan and Moscow principalities was saved from ruin. The battle on the banks of the Vozha was the first victory of the Russian army over a large detachment of the Golden Horde. It was here that the myth of the invincibility of the Tatars was dispelled. The Russian princes, who had hesitated before, deciding whether to join the anti-Horde coalition that Prince Dmitry Ivanovich was creating, or to humbly pay tribute to Mamai, now firmly decided to oppose the Golden Horde. And on the Kulikovo field in the battle, Mamai met the united army of almost all Russian principalities.
It is interesting that it was this battle, forgotten by many, that Karl Marx especially noted in his notes. "This is the first proper battle against the Mongols won by the Russians," he wrote.
From the point of view of tactics, the battle on the Vozha demonstrated the vulnerability of the Tatar cavalry, which could not withstand a staunch defense and decisive retaliatory strikes. In addition, the defeat of the Tatars in this battle was a serious diplomatic defeat for Mamai. He began to lose his authority in the Horde. Many khans and murzas began to think about how they could go over to Mamai's rival, Khan Tokhtamysh, who, by the way, was a Chingizid and enjoyed the support of the powerful Central Asian ruler Timur. So Mamai's days were numbered.
Alexander Trofimov
136 years ago, on January 10, 1878, Russian troops and Bulgarian militias defeated the 30,000-strong Turkish army of Vesil Pasha near Shipka. In six days of fighting on the Shipka Pass, our troops lost up to 3350 people, that is, in fact, the entire original garrison, but the Turks - about 12 thousand people. And the war ended with the victory of Russia and the liberation of Bulgaria. However, this is not the only victory of the Russian army, which she won over a numerically superior enemy.
1. July 15, 1240 took place, probably known to every Russian schoolchild Neva battle, however, not many people know that the Novgorod army was half the size of the Swedish one. There were about 1,200 Russian warriors who attacked the crusaders, and about four thousand infantry and knights were Swedes. Therefore, before the battle, Alexander Nevsky inspired the squad with a speech, the phrase of which has survived to this day and has become winged: "Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth! We will not be afraid of many soldiers, as God is with us." As you know, the Swedes were defeated and fled, their leader, the son-in-law of the Swedish king Jarl Birger, was wounded in a duel by the Russian prince.
2. Battle of Molodi. July 29 - August 2, 1572, Russian warriors destroyed the Tatar-Turkish-Nogai horde marching on Moscow. More than 120 thousand Crimeans and Janissaries under the general command of Devlet Giray intended to conquer the Moscow kingdom. 50 miles from Moscow they were met by 25 thousand archers, Don Cossacks and German mercenaries, led by the best Russian commanders: Princes Mikhail Vorotynsky (head of the border guards), Ivan Sheremetev and oprichny governor Dmitry Khvorostinin. During the four-day battle of Molodi, more than 110 thousand Tatars and Turkish infantrymen were destroyed. The son, grandson and son-in-law of Devlet Giray were killed under Russian sabers. This battle has no analogues in the history of military art: the Russians did not block the enemy’s path to the capital, but threatened him from the rear with a battle even before approaching it, dragged him into a meat grinder, were able to hold out and deplete his strength, and then at the right time inflicted a decisive hit. The military power of the old enemy was undermined, and he was no longer able to restore his former strength. Yes, scattered nomads complicated life on the outskirts for a long time, but there were no more trips for slaves deep into Russia.
3. Azov seat. On June 7, 1641, the Turkish-Tatar troops, under the command of an experienced commander of the Silistrian governor Hussein Pasha, surrounded Azov from all sides, which was held by the Cossacks. The fortress was besieged by 200-250 thousand cavalry, infantry, sailors and foreign mercenaries. They were opposed by about eight thousand Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks. The besieged repulsed several bloody and multi-day assaults. On September 26, having lost about 30 thousand people, the Turkish army retreated. The trophies of the Azov seat - the gates of the fortress, two gates and the yoke of the city trade scales - are currently stored near the bell tower of the military Resurrection Cathedral in the village of Starocherkasskaya, Rostov Region.
4. Battle of the Kalalah River. On April 3, 1774, two Cossack regiments, totaling about a thousand people, defeated the approximately 25,000-strong Tatar horde of the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray. The Don Cossacks, commanded by 23-year-old Matvey Platov, entrenched themselves on the top of the hill and repulsed several enemy assaults. When the Cossacks ran out of cartridges, in the rear of the Tatar army, another detachment of Russian troops - a squadron of Akhtyr hussars and a Cossack regiment of Colonel Uvarov. “Tens of thousands of people, undoubtedly brave, suddenly trembled and, having mixed up like a timid herd, turned into an unstoppable flight. Panic began - that terrible panic that unconsciously seizes the masses and subordinates them to the animal instinct of self-salvation alone. This was the finale, after which the entire Tatar crowd fled in different directions and it was no longer possible to collect it, "- this is how Academician Potto described the battle. Now, at the site of the battle in the Krasnogvardeisky district of the Stavropol Territory, a worship cross has been erected.
5. Battle of Shengraben. On November 3, 1805, a 6,000-strong detachment under the command of Bagration fought off the attacks of a 30,000-strong French army for eight hours. The Russian detachment not only withstood, having lost 2000 people, but also retreated in perfect order to the main parts of the army. The commander of the Russian corps, Mikhail Kutuzov, wrote to Emperor Alexander I: "Bagration joined the army, bringing with him prisoners: one colonel, two officers, fifty privates and one French banner." The small Russian detachment, which showed courage and heroism, included the Chernigov Dragoon Regiment, which for this battle received the St. George standard with the inscription "Five against thirty", which became the motto of the regiment for many years.
6. Battle of Klyastitsy. On July 18-20, 1812, Russian troops under the command of Lieutenant General Peter Wittgenstein defeated the superior French forces of Marshal Oudinot and stopped the enemy's advance on the capital of the empire - Petersburg. This was the first major victory for the Russian army in the war of 1812. Of the 28 thousand people, Marshal Oudinot lost 10 thousand killed and wounded, three thousand French were captured. Russian troops out of 17 thousand people lost about 4 thousand soldiers and officers. The corps of Marshal Oudinot retreated beyond the Western Dvina, thus, the French offensive on the capital of the Russian Empire failed. Lieutenant General Wittgenstein was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree. The Russian emperor called him the savior of the capital. From the citizens, the Russian commander received the honorary title of defender of Petrov City, which was first heard in a song ending with the following words: "Praise, praise to you, hero! That the city of Petrov is saved by you!"
7. Battle of Elisavetpol. On September 13, 1826, Field Marshal Paskevich, having 10 thousand infantry and cavalry, defeated the 35 thousandth Persian army, which also outnumbered the Russians twice in terms of the number of guns. The Persians lost about 1,100 captured and over 2,000 killed. The losses of the Russian troops amounted to 46 killed and 249 wounded. Paskevich was marked with a golden sword adorned with diamonds, with the inscription: "For the defeat of the Persians at Elisavetpol."
8. Battle of Sarikamysh. December 9, 1914 - January 4, 1915, Russian troops stopped the advance of several Turkish armies under the command of Enver Pasha to the Caucasus. After bloody battles, only about 10 thousand people survived from the 90,000-strong Turkish group, the rest were killed or captured. The losses of the Russian troops of General Nikolai Yudenich, who before the start of the battle numbered 63 thousand people, amounted to 30,000 killed and wounded.
After successful reconnaissance of the enemy’s plans, Dmitry, a tributary of the Oka, managed to block the ford (a shallow place in a river or stream, along which you can cross them on foot), along which the Tatars were going to make a crossing, and take a comfortable fighting position on a hill. The onslaught of the Tatar cavalry was repulsed, and the Russians, who fought in a semicircular formation, launched a counteroffensive. The Horde began to retreat in disorder; many of them drowned in the river. Further pursuit and complete defeat of the retreating managed to avoid thanks to the onset of darkness. The next morning there was heavy fog, and only after it dissipated, the Russian army crossed the river and captured the convoy abandoned by the Horde. This battle was the first serious victory of the troops of North-Eastern Russia over a large army of the Golden Horde, and after 2 years the decisive Battle of Kulikovo took place.
In 1969, the public first met 11-year-old Michael Jackson.
In one of the clubs in Beverly Hills, Diana Ross introduced the Jackson 5 to the audience for the first time. Of course, the most compelling impression on three and a half hundred guests was made by an 11-year-old boy named Michael. Although this was far from being the first stage appearance, it can still be considered the starting point in a professional career. 
In 1973, Central Television began showing the cult multi-part feature film "Seventeen Moments of Spring"
The plot of the film Seventeen Moments of Spring takes place during the seventeen days of the last spring of World War II. More precisely, from February 13 to March 24, 1945.
The protagonist of the film Seventeen Moments of Spring is the Soviet intelligence officer Maxim Maksimovich Isaev, who works in the central apparatus of the SD under the name of Standartenführer Max Otto von Stirlitz, who, shortly before the surrender of Germany, penetrates the circles of the top leadership of the Reich. His task is to obtain information about the negotiations behind the back of the USSR regarding a truce between Germany and the allied countries: the United States and Great Britain.
Stirlitz learns about the conduct of these negotiations in Bern by proxies of the head of the SS Himmler. On duty in the SD in Schellenberg's apparatus, he controls this process, while pursuing his own goals - to prevent at all costs what could threaten his homeland.
The task before Stirlitz is serious. It becomes more complicated after the death of his radio operator Erwin Keene and the exposure of the Gestapo of Erwin's wife, the radio operator Kat. Left without contact with the leadership from the USSR, Stirlitz resorts to the help of two Germans opposed to the Nazi regime.
To transfer information to the Center, Stirlitz uses Professor Pleischner, however, he fails in Bern because of his carelessness and voluntarily passes away so as not to betray his friend. Great help in obtaining information about the reliability of the negotiations and their content, Stirlitz is provided by pastor Schlag, whom he transfers to Switzerland.
Meanwhile, the identity of Stirlitz raises suspicions among the leadership of the Gestapo. There are serious grounds to bring charges against him in connection with Russian radio operators, in addition, other cases are being investigated in which Stirlitz acted not in the interests of Germany. His case, life and work are subjected to a thorough covert scrutiny by Muller's people. The situation is heating up.
Stirlitz needs the support of other influential people in the SS. He takes advantage of the hidden confrontation between the highest ranks of the Reich, each of which, one way or another, pursues its own personal goals and tries to benefit for itself, realizing that the end of the Nazi regime is near. Stirlitz comes into contact with Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, who is informed about the negotiations between Himmler's people and the Americans.
Contact with Bormann, to a certain extent, helps Stirlitz withstand the onslaught of suspicion from the head of the Gestapo Muller, who received strong evidence that Stirlitz was a Soviet resident. The psychological duel between Müller and Stirlitz in the basement of the Gestapo is one of the most tense moments in the film. Stirlitz's position is very precarious, he is on the verge of failure, but, having put together all his experience, intelligence, logic, endurance, he nevertheless convinces Muller of his innocence.
Now Muller, considering Stirlitz to be Bormann's man, is even trying to get closer to him, counting on participation in the division of the party's gold, to which the Reichsleiter is related.
Stirlitz manages to take the radio operator Kate, her newborn son and the daughter of a deceased German soldier, who provided Kate with great help, to Switzerland.
Not an easy way, but still Stirlitz manages to implement a plan to disrupt the negotiations. He seeks an urgent summons of Himmler's representative, General Wolff, from Bern.
Stirlitz sends Kat from Switzerland with the children to their homeland. He himself meets with a contact, from whom he learns about the successful completion of his assignment and about his presentation to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. However, it is too early to celebrate the victory - he returns to Berlin to continue his mission.
After Napoleon's troops crossed the Russian border on June 24 (12 O.S.), 1812, the two main Russian armies under the command of Pyotr Bagration and Mikhail Barclay de Tolly retreated, hoping to unite with each other. The third, smallest reserve army of Alexander Tormasov at that time covered the southwestern and Kiev directions. From the side of the enemy, the Austrian corps of General Karl Schwarzenberg and the Saxon corps of General Jean Renier acted there at that time. However, Napoleon underestimated the strength and combat capability of Tormasov's army, and therefore ordered the Austrians to join forces with their main advancing army, and the Saxons Renier to act against Tormasov's units, gaining a foothold in cities on the border of Belarus and Ukraine.
On July 23 (11), the Saxons occupied Brest, on the same day the Saxon brigade under the command of General Klengel, numbering about 5,000 people, entered Kobrin. Meanwhile, Tormasov's troops, who had received orders to attack the enemy back in June, had to first liberate Brest and then go to Kobrin. On July 24 (12), taking advantage of the weakening of the enemy due to the withdrawal of the Austrians, the Russians took Brest, the next day - Pinsk, and then moved on to Kobrin.
On July 27 (15), units of the Russian army in the amount of up to 15 thousand people, with more than 100 guns, approached the city from two sides. The attack was started by the cavalry, the blow of which was aimed at luring the enemy out of Kobrin to the open area, where it was possible to take advantage of the numerical superiority and defeat the Saxons. But they are densely occupied in city buildings. Then Tormasov ordered to bypass the city and block all roads leading out of it. Soon the Saxons were completely surrounded, and their attempt to destroy the Russian barrier on one of the roads ended in failure. As the general later testified, the enemy repeatedly tried to escape from Kobrin, but each time was thrown back, suffering heavy losses. Moreover, one of the Russian regiments, pursuing the retreating Saxons, broke into the city right behind them. Stubborn street fighting ensued.
The city buildings, which consisted mainly of wooden buildings, served as poor protection for the defenders. Russian artillery made it impossible to hide behind wooden walls, the city was on fire (during the fire, the vast majority of buildings burned down: 548 houses, only about 80 remained). Soon a general assault began, the Saxons began to surrender. The last to lay down their arms were the soldiers who sat behind the walls of the local monastery.
As a result of the battle, which lasted 9 hours, over 2000 enemy soldiers, several colonels, more than 60 officers and the brigade commander, General Klengel, were captured; 8 guns were captured. At the same time, 2000 Saxons were killed. Russian troops lost 77 people killed and 181 wounded.
Although in the military sense the Kobrin victory was of a local nature, its moral and political significance was very great. The most important thing was that this was the first victory of Russian troops over the soldiers of Napoleon's "invincible" army since the beginning of World War II. Emperor Alexander I highly appreciated the victory of Tormasov. He awarded the general with the highest gratitude and the Order of St. George 2nd degree, other officers who led the troops in that battle also received orders and sabers with the inscription "For Courage".
The history of the great victories of the Russian army and navy
1. Great victories of the Russian army.
2. Great victories of the Russian fleet.
The victories won by the Russian army and navy in numerous wars, battles and battles for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland are still a matter of national pride, on which many generations of Russian soldiers continue to be brought up.
Undoubtedly, the main battle that determined the outcome of the Northern War (1700-1721), which was fateful for Russia, was the Battle of Poltava.
In the spring of 1709, an acute shortage of food and fodder forced the Swedish king Charles XII to turn to Poltava region, which had not yet been devastated by the war. In April, the Swedish army, which by this time had more than 35 thousand people, concentrated in the Poltava region. However, the Swedes failed to take Poltava on the move, and then repeated assaults. The garrison of Poltava, numbering 4 thousand soldiers and 2.5 thousand armed residents of the city, led by commandant Colonel A.S. Kelin heroically defended for almost two months. Having lost more than 6 thousand killed, the Swedes were never able to capture Poltava. The courage of the defenders of the city weakened the forces of the enemy, made it possible to gain time and concentrate the main forces of the Russian army for a pitched battle.
In June 1709, the troops of Field Marshals B.P. were concentrated near Poltava. Sheremeteva, A.D. Menshikov and the Cossack regiments of Hetman Skoropadsky. On June 4, Peter I arrived at the camp of Russian troops. His plan was to wear down the enemy at the forefront, and then defeat him in an open field battle.
At the first stage of the battle, the battles went for the advanced position. Faced with Russian forces, the Swedish generals were confused. The fire of the Russian artillery met them with cannonballs and buckshot at the maximum distance, which deprived Karl's troops of an important trump card - a sudden blow.
At 3 o'clock the Russian and Swedish cavalry began a battle at the redoubts. By 5 o'clock the Swedish cavalry was overturned, but the infantry following it captured the first two unfinished redoubts. Alexander Menshikov asked for reinforcements, but Peter I, adhering to the plan of the battle, ordered him to retreat behind the line of redoubts. At the sixth hour, the Swedes, advancing behind the retreating Russian cavalry, fell on their right flank under cross rifle and cannon fire from the Russian fortified camp, suffered heavy losses and retreated in a panic to the forest near the village of Malye Budishchi. At the same time, the right-flank Swedish columns of Generals Ross and Schlippenbach, cut off from the main forces during the battles for the redoubts, were destroyed by Menshikov's cavalry in the Poltava forest by order of Peter.
At the second stage of the battle, the battle of the main forces unfolded. At about 6 o'clock in the morning, Peter I built an army in front of the camp in 2 lines, placing B.P. Sheremetev, and on the flanks the cavalry of R.Kh. Bowra and A.D. Menshikov. Artillery Feldzeugmeister General Ya.V. Bruce turned ahead along the entire front.
Anticipating the approach of the decisive moment, Peter I once again traveled around the regiments, and the troops listened to his oral order: “Warriors! The time has come to decide the fate of the Fatherland! Do not think that you are fighting for Peter: you are fighting for the state handed to Peter by God, for the Fatherland, for the Orthodox faith and the Church. And about Peter, know that life is not expensive for him: Russia would be glorious and prosperous!
At 9 o'clock the first line of battle order of the Russian troops began to advance. Charles ordered the Swedes to move forward. Approaching the Swedes for a cannon shot, the Russian troops stopped and opened artillery fire. Despite heavy losses, the Swedes advanced to the range of rifle fire. After a gunfight, both armies began a hand-to-hand bayonet fight.
In a fierce hand-to-hand fight, the Swedes pushed the center of the first line of the Russians. But Peter I, who was watching the course of the battle, personally led the counterattack of the Novgorod battalion and threw the Swedes back to their original positions. Soon the Russian infantry of the first line began to push the enemy, and the cavalry to cover his flanks. By 11 o'clock the Swedes could not withstand the onslaught, faltered, began to retreat. Under the blow of the Russian troops, the retreat turned into a stampede. The Poltava battle ended with the defeat of the Swedish army. Charles XII with the traitor Mazepa fled to Turkish possessions, having managed to cross with a small detachment to the right bank of the Dnieper.
The remnants of the Swedish troops retreated to the settlement of Perevolochna, where on June 30 they were overtaken by a detachment of A.D. Menshikov and surrendered without a fight.
Peter I achieved victory, in his words, "with light labor and little bloodshed." In the Battle of Poltava, the Swedes lost 9334 people killed. In total, Russian troops captured more than 18.5 thousand people, captured 264 banners, 32 guns and the convoy of the Swedes. The losses of the Russian troops amounted to 1345 people killed and 3290 people wounded.
The Poltava battle occupies a special place in the history of Russian military art. The Russian army in the battle of Poltava showed high fighting qualities and tactical superiority over the enemy. For the first time, redoubts were used on the battlefield. In the battle, bayonet hand-to-hand combat played an important role; the Russian army for the first time used the bayonet as an active offensive weapon.
The redoubts allowed the Russian cavalry to fight in close cooperation with their garrisons and, relying on them, rush into swift attacks.
In the Battle of Poltava, Peter I showed himself to be a brilliant commander - he skillfully applied a deliberate defense with a subsequent transition to a counteroffensive. The choice of terrain and the correct plan for the battle, the organization of a forward position with redoubts and a three-hour battle on them, the depth of the battle order of the troops, the presence of a second line of battalions and the allocation of a significant reserve, the division of the main enemy forces into parts and their defeat separately, the organization of the pursuit - all this testified to the departure of the Russian army from the stereotyped linear tactics and made it possible to create a stable defense, increasing efforts during the offensive. The skillful use of cavalry, artillery and terrain features largely predetermined success in the battle of Poltava.
According to the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 N9 32-Ф3 “On the days of military glory and memorable dates of Russia”, July 10 is annually celebrated in the Russian Federation as the Victory Day of the Russian army under the command of Peter I over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava (1709).
Of particular importance during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. had the capture of Ishmael - the citadel of Turkish rule on the Danube.
In November 1790, Russian troops began the siege of Izmail. Two attempts to take the fortress ended in failure. And then the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal G.A. Potemkin entrusted the capture of the impregnable fortress to A.V. Suvorov. Intensified preparations for the assault began.
In an effort to avoid bloodshed, Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Ishmael about the surrender of the fortress, to which the answer was: “Rather the sky will fall to the ground and the Danube will flow upward than Ishmael will surrender.” After the Turks refused to surrender on December 10 (21), 1790, Russian field and naval artillery of almost 500 guns fired on the fortress during the day, destroying the most important objects.
On December 24, 1790, Russian troops moved in nine columns from different sides to storm the fortress. The river flotilla approached the shore and, under the cover of artillery fire, landed troops. Until 8 o'clock in the morning there was a battle for the capture of the rampart and bastions. After the capture of the most important fortifications, bloody street battles ensued. By 4 pm, the fierce resistance of the Turks was broken, and the Russian troops occupied the fortress. During the assault on Izmail, the column of General M.I. Kutuzova, who took the Kiliya Gates. For his skillful leadership of the battle and personal courage, Alexander Suvorov appointed him commandant of the city.
The enemy lost 26,000 killed and 9,000 captured. 265 guns, 42 ships, 345 banners were captured.
It is noteworthy that Ishmael was taken by an army that was inferior in number to the garrison of the fortress. The case is extremely rare in the history of military art.
The assault on the fortress of Izmail marked an important stage in the development of military art and was an outstanding example of an accelerated attack on fortresses by coordinated actions of ground forces and a river flotilla, as a result of which the army of a numerically superior enemy was destroyed. The success of the assault was ensured by the surprise of actions, the thoroughness and secrecy of the preparation of troops, the simultaneous strike of all columns and close interaction between them.
All the advantages of an open assault on fortresses were revealed in comparison with the then prevailing views in Western Europe on the serf war and the methods of mastering them by means of a long siege. Very instructive was the preparation of troops for the assault - the training of troops in conditions close to a combat situation, during which Suvorov ensured that each soldier "understood his maneuver" and was confident in himself and in the common victory. In the assault on Izmail, artillery and the well-established interaction of ground forces with the flotilla, as well as between groups and columns, were effectively used. The struggle for Ishmael was also an example of skillful street fighting.
December 24 - Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov (1790) - is the Day of military glory of Russia.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, the battle of Borodino was the most important.
The battle of Borodino was preceded by the battle of Shevardino (August 24, 1812), in which Russian troops under the command of A.N. Gorchakov was heroically repelled by superior enemy forces all day long. This battle gave the Russians the opportunity to buy time to complete work on the position at Borodino, made it possible to clarify the grouping of enemy forces and determine the direction of his main attack. By the end of the day, Gorchakov's troops retreated to the main position. During August 25, both sides made final preparations for battle.
The battle of Borodino began early in the morning on August 26 with artillery cannonade from both sides and the French attack on the village of Borodino. Guards chasseurs covering him with a fight retreated across the Kolocha River. At about 6 o'clock, Napoleon struck at the Semenov (Bagration) fleches with the forces of Davout's corps. After two unsuccessful attacks, he increased the power of the blow, reinforcing Davout's troops with Murat's cavalry, the corps of Ney and Junot. Bagration was forced to bring into battle his entire reserve and Konovnitsyn's division from the Tuchkov corps, previously advanced by Kutuzov to the Utitsa region. In the face of the threat of defeating the left wing of the Russian troops, Kutuzov ordered the transfer of an infantry corps and part of the forces of two more corps with 100 guns here. The third flush attack started at 8 o'clock did not bring success to the enemy.
At the same time, Poniatowski's corps, having captured the village of Utitsa, tried to reach the rear of Bagration's troops. He managed, at the cost of great efforts, to capture the Utitsky Kurgan - the main position of the Russians on the Old Smolensk road. But Tuchkov’s troops, together with the infantry division from Baggovut’s corps that came to the rescue, with a bayonet attack led by their commander, recaptured the mound and frustrated all further enemy attempts to reach the rear of the troops of the 2nd Army. In this attack, Tuchkov was mortally wounded, Baggovut replaced him. Together with the regular troops, the warriors of the Moscow and Smolensk militias took the most active part in the battles on the Old Smolensk road.
By 12 o'clock, having spent four more unsuccessful attacks on the flushes from 9 to 11 o'clock, Napoleon concentrated 45 thousand people and 400 guns against Bagration's troops. Only after the eighth attack, at the cost of huge losses, did the French take possession of the Semyonov flushes. In one of the counterattacks, Bagration was mortally wounded. Believing that the left wing of the Russian troops was pretty upset, Napoleon shifted his main efforts against their center, concentrating 35 thousand people and about 300 guns to attack Raevsky's batteries.
At this critical moment, Kutuzov sent the corps of Uvarov and Platov around the left flank of the French army. The unexpected blow of the Russian cavalry forced the enemy to stop attacks against the troops of the 2nd Army and postpone the decisive attack of the Raevsky battery for two hours. During this time, Kutuzov regrouped his forces, strengthening the center and left wing of the Russian troops. At 14:00, the French launched a third attack on Raevsky's battery. By 4 p.m., having suffered huge losses, the enemy captured it, but could not break through the center of the Russian troops.
By 6 p.m., Russian troops retreated to a new position, which ran from the village of Gorki to the Old Smolensk road, 1-2 km east of Semenovsky and Utitsa. At this position, the Russian army was ready to repel enemy attacks, as at the beginning of the battle. Realizing that without the introduction of fresh forces, further attacks would not be successful, Napoleon withdrew the troops to their original positions at nightfall. To bring into battle the last reserve - the old and young guards - he did not dare. Kutuzov, not being able to make up for the losses and in order to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, gave the order on the night of August 27 to begin a retreat to Moscow.
During the battle of Borodino, Napoleon's army lost more than 50 thousand people killed and wounded, including 47 generals; the Russian army - over 44 thousand (29 generals). Being on the island of St. Helena, Napoleon said: “Of all my battles, the most terrible was the one I fought near Moscow. The French showed themselves worthy of victory in it, and the Russians gained the glory of being invincible.
September 8 - Day of the Borodino battle of the Russian army under the command of M.I. Kutuzov with the French army (1812) - is the Day of military glory of Russia.
A bright page in the naval history of Russia is the victory of the young Russian fleet in the battle of Cape Gangut on July 27, 1714 over the Swedish fleet.
The Gangut peninsula, surrounded by shoals and small islands, was connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Having received a report about the blockade of the Russian fleet and having familiarized himself with the situation, Tsar Peter I made an original decision - to begin the construction of a wooden flooring - a "re-deployment" in the narrowest part of the isthmus 2.5 km long. Along this route, it was supposed to drag part of the light ships to the skerry area north of Gangut. These ships, going behind enemy lines, were supposed to divert part of the forces of the Swedish fleet, cause them confusion and thereby facilitate the breakthrough of the main forces of the rowing fleet past Gangut.
Having learned about the construction of the "report", the Swedish Admiral Vatrang sent to Rilaksfjord, to the place of the alleged launching of Russian ships into the water, a detachment (1 frigate, 9 rowing ships) under the command of Rear Admiral N. Erenskiöld with the task of destroying them. Another detachment, numbering 14 ships, under the command of Vice Admiral Lillier, was sent to Tverminna on the day of the attack by the Russian rowing fleet. Taking advantage of the division of the Swedish fleet and a serious weakening of its position at Cape Gangut, as well as the onset of calm, which deprived the Swedish sailing ships of maneuverability, on July 26 (August 6), the ships of the Russian rowing fleet launched an offensive.
Early in the morning of July 27, the vanguard of the Russian rowing fleet of 20 ships under the command of Captain-Commander M.Kh. Zmaevich began a rapid breakthrough, bypassing the ships of the Swedish squadron in such a way that he was always out of reach of her artillery. The daring actions of the Russian rowing fleet caught the Swedes by surprise. In addition to everything, bypassing the Gangut peninsula, Zmaevich's detachment met and fired at the detachment of Shautbenakht (admiral rank) Taube (1 frigate, 5 galleys, 6 skherbots), which was going to join the main forces of the Swedish fleet. On the same day, he blocked the forces of Rear Admiral N. Ehrenskiöld in the skerries of Rilaksfjord with galleys. Following the ships of the Zmaevich detachment, a guard detachment of 15 Russian ships under the command of Brigadier Lefort passed by the motionless Swedish ships.
In order to prevent the breakthrough of the rest of the Russian ships, Admiral Vatrang, using a weak southeast wind, pulled his ships away from the coast and placed them at the site of the breakthrough of the Russian avant-garde, building in two lines. In the evening, it was calm again. Taking advantage of this, the main forces of the Russian rowing fleet - 64 ships under the command of Apraksin - on the morning of July 27, following the coastal fairway, broke through at Cape Gangut and joined their forces. The Swedes tried to prevent the Russians from breaking through, but even towing their battleships with boats, they did not succeed.
The final stage of the Gangut battle was the battle of Russian rowing ships with the Ehrenskiöld detachment blocked by them. Swedish ships were armed with 116 guns, but they could only use about 60 guns at a time to repel an attack. Before the battle, the Swedes positioned their ships in the narrowest part of the fjord. Stronger ships - a frigate and galleys - were built in the first line, and skerry boats in the second. The flanks rested on the shallows, and the Russian ships could not get around them. Due to the small width of the fjord, the Russians were unable to deploy the entire rowing fleet and deployed in three lines (vanguard, corps de battalion and rear guard).
Since the position occupied by the Swedish fleet was limited to the coasts of the Padvaland Peninsula and Lakkiser Island and did not allow the Russian fleet to take advantage of its numerical superiority in ships, Peter ordered the advance guard, consisting of 23 ships with a crew of 3450 people, divided into three groups to attack the enemy. A detached detachment under the command of Peter took up a position half a mile from the Swedes. Ehrenskiöld refused the offer to surrender and took up a combat position, in the center of which was the flagship 18-gun frigate "Elephant". Then the ships of the Russian rowing fleet attacked the Swedes. The complexity of such an attack for the Russians was that the Swedes had multiple superiority in artillery and high-sided ships, which were difficult to board. The Russians found themselves under crossfire from enemy ships located in the first and second lines.
The battle began at exactly 2 pm on July 27 (August 7) with a frontal attack by Russian ships. However, both the first and the second attacks, despite the courage and stubbornness of the Russian sailors, were repulsed by enemy crossfire.
Convinced of the futility of frontal attacks, Peter decided to change the direction of the attack. The third attack was aimed at the flanks of the enemy, which reduced the effectiveness of his artillery fire. Now the fire of the Swedes began to hit their own ships. Going for rapprochement, the Russians fired artillery and rifles. Having fallen on board with the end galleys of the Swedes, they captured them one by one. The Swedes defended their ships with great stamina, but they were unable to withstand the onslaught. Peter noted that “it is truly impossible to describe the courage of the Russian troops, both initial and ordinary, since the boarding is so severely repaired that several soldiers were torn apart from enemy cannons not by cannonballs and grapeshot, but by the spirit of gunpowder from cannons.”
Unable to withstand the Russian attacks, the Swedish ships were forced one by one to lower their flags and surrender. The most stubborn resistance was put up by the frigate "Elephant", but he was also captured. During a three-hour intense battle, Russian sailors captured all 10 Swedish ships, along with the commander, Rear Admiral Ehrenskiöld. The losses of the Swedes amounted to 361 people killed, 350 wounded, the rest of the team members were taken prisoner. The Russians lost one galley, which ran aground during the breakthrough, 124 people were killed, 342 were wounded.
The naval battle at Cape Gangut is a glorious page in the history of the Russian fleet. It is one of the largest battles at sea and is considered a turning point in the course of the war at sea. This was the first naval victory over the then strongest Swedish fleet, which until then had not known defeat. She raised the spirit of the troops, showing that the Swedes can be defeated not only on land, but also at sea. Peter I highly appreciated the victory at Gangut, equating it to Poltava. In honor of the victory, a special medal was established and a church of St. Panteleimon was built in St. Petersburg. Peter I received the rank of Vice Admiral. According to the prominent Russian military historian A 3. Myshlaevsky, “Russia has rightfully begun to take its place among the maritime powers. Drawing a parallel, we can say that Gangut was for the fleet what Lesnaya was for the land army.
The victory of the Russian fleet in the battle of Gangut was due to the correct choice of the direction of the main attack, the skillful use of the advantages of the rowing fleet in the fight against the linear sailing fleet of the Swedes in the skerry fairway, well-organized reconnaissance and the interaction of the sailing and rowing fleets during the deployment of forces, skillful organization of the interaction of the forces of the fleet and ground forces, flexible response to changes in the tactical situation, skillful use of the meteorological conditions of the theater of operations to organize a breakthrough for the rowing fleet in calm weather, the use of military cunning (demonstratively dragging rowing vessels across the isthmus to the rear of the enemy), a variety of ways to strike in battle (strike from the front, girth of the flanks). In addition, the decisiveness of the actions of the command and the high morale and combat qualities of Russian soldiers, sailors and officers allowed the Russian fleet to defeat part of the forces of the Swedish fleet with the general superiority of enemy forces.
According to the Federal Law "On the Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia" dated March 13, 1995, August 9 is annually celebrated in the Russian Federation as the Day of the first naval victory in Russian history of the Russian fleet under the command of Peter I over the Swedes at Cape Gangut (1714).
In the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. the Russian ground forces were successfully assisted by the Black Sea Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov. One of the most important events of this war was the victory of the Russian squadron over the Turks at Cape Tendra on August 28 (September 8), 1790.
Squadron of Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakova (10 battleships, 6 frigates, a bombardment ship, 20 auxiliary vessels, about 830 guns) on the morning of August 28 discovered a Turkish squadron (14 battleships, 8 frigates, 23 auxiliary vessels, about 1400 guns) off Cape Tendra under the command of Admiral Hussein. Despite the superiority in forces, the Turks tried to evade the battle, but Ushakov swiftly attacked the enemy, intending to cut off the rearguard ships. Having overtaken the enemy, the Russian squadron opened fire from a short distance. After a fierce two-hour battle, the Turkish squadron, trying to avoid complete defeat, fled under the cover of darkness. At dawn on August 29, Fedor Ushakov continued the pursuit of the enemy, who was leaving for the Bosphorus.
As a result of the battle, the battleship "Meleki Bahri" and 3 small ships were captured, the best Turkish ship "Kapudaniye" was blown up, a 74-gun ship of the line and several small ships were sunk. The total losses of the Turks amounted to over 2 thousand people. 733 people were taken prisoner. The Russians lost 21 killed and 25 wounded.
Russian officers and sailors demonstrated courage and high combat skills. The victory was especially bright because it was won over the enemy, who had a numerical superiority, besides, his ships had higher seaworthiness and were better armed.
The victory at Tendra broke the blockade of the Danube Flotilla and created favorable conditions for the joint offensive operations of the Russian army and fleet on the Danube.
The order written by Field Marshal Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky said: “The famous victory won by Her Imperial Majesty's Black Sea forces led by Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov, on the 29th day of last August over the Turkish fleet, which is completely defeated, serves to the special honor and glory of the Black Sea fleet. May this memorable incident be included in the journals of the Black Sea Admiralty Board to the everlasting memory of the brave fleet of the Black Sea exploits. For the victory at Tendra F.F. Ushakov was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree.
September 11 - Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of F.F. Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra (1790) - is the Day of Russia's military glory.
The naval battle of Sinop took place at the very beginning of the Crimean War. It was the last major battle of sailing ships and the first to use bomb guns (i.e. firing explosive shells).
The Turkish squadron (a total of 500 guns) under the command of Osman Pasha and the English adviser A. Slade, en route from Istanbul to the Sukhum-Kape (Sukhumi) and Poti region for landing, took refuge from the storm in the Sinop Bay under the protection of strong coastal batteries (38 guns ). On November 8, she was discovered and blocked by the squadron of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimov (3 battleships, a frigate, a total of 296 guns, including 76 bombing guns). On November 18 (30), 1853, Nakhimov decided to attack the Turkish squadron in the bay, since at sea it could be reinforced by the Anglo-French squadron.
Having broken through the strong barrage of Turkish ships and coastal batteries, the Russian ships entered the bay in two wake columns and, anchoring, opened a crushing fire with one side (312 guns) from a distance of 300 - 350 m.
During the battle, which lasted 2.5 hours, all Turkish ships and coastal batteries were destroyed. The Turks lost about 4 thousand people killed and wounded. About 200 people, the commanders of two ships and Osman Pasha were taken prisoner. The English adviser A. Slade, in the midst of the battle, shamefully fled on the 20-gun steamer Taif. The squadron of Peter Nakhimov did not lose a single ship.
In the order for the squadron P.S. Nakhimov wrote: "I want to personally congratulate the commanders, officers and teams on the victory, thank them for their noble assistance to my assumptions and announce that with such subordinates I will proudly meet with any enemy European fleet."
A brilliant victory was achieved thanks to the high naval skills of P.S. Nakhimov, the decisive actions of the ship commanders, to whom he gave the initiative, as well as the unparalleled heroism and excellent combat skills of Russian officers and sailors. The right choice of P.S. Nakhimov's method of using forces nullified the advantages of the enemy. In the battle of Sinop, for the first time, the high effectiveness of bomb artillery was proved.
The victory in the battle of Sinop showed the superiority of Russian naval art over English and Turkish. As a result, the plan for the landing of Turkish troops in the Caucasus was thwarted and dominance was won in the Black Sea. The combat experience of Sinop had a huge impact on the subsequent development of the fleets of all states.
December 1 - Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of P.S. Nakhimov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop (1853) - is the Day of Russia's military glory.
In preparation for the lesson, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the materials on this topic published on the pages of the Orientir magazine in previous years, as well as other recommended literature. In the course of its conduct, the story should be accompanied by a display of battle and battle schemes, a demonstration of fragments of documentary, educational and feature films showing the great victories won by the Russian army in a particular battle or battle.
In the opening remarks, noting the importance of the topic, it should be emphasized that the military history of Russia is a vivid chronicle of the selfless struggle of our people, which covered the Russian army with unfading military glory in the battles for the integrity and independence of their native land. It should be noted that victories in battles and battles are inextricably linked with achievements in tactics and strategy of a particular time, military leadership art of Russian generals, naval commanders and military leaders.
When considering educational issues, it is necessary to sort out in chronological order the history of the great victories of the Russian army and navy, accompanying the story with examples of the feat, courage and heroism of Russian soldiers in a particular battle, battle, while emphasizing that in honor of especially significant victories in Russia Days of military glory of Russia.
At the end of the lesson, it is necessary to draw brief conclusions, answer questions from the audience, give recommendations on preparing for the next lesson and studying literature.
1. Samosvat D., Kurshev A. The history of the great victories of the Russian army and navy / / Landmark. -2011. - No. 5.
2. Military-historical atlas of Russia. IX - XX centuries. - M., 2006.
3. World history of wars. - Minsk: Harvest, 2004.
4. Amon G. Sea memorable dates. - M., 1987.
Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry SAMOSVAT
