1812 is one of the most important periods in the history of Russia, the Patriotic War with the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The reasons for this war was the desire of Napoleon for world domination. Russia's failure to comply with the continental blockade with England, established back in 1807 by the Tilsit peace treaty, did not suit Napoleon and provoked the start of a war with Russia. The French army outnumbered the Russian almost twice. To protect the country from capture, the Russian army was divided into three parts, each of which defended its direction: Petersburg direction - part of the army led by M.B. Barclay de Tolly, Moscow direction - under the leadership of P.I. Bagration, Kiev direction - under the leadership of A.P. Tormasov.

The first actions were taken by the French: Napoleon sent troops across the Neman River. The closest to the crossing was Barclay de Tolly, but, nevertheless, his part of the army was still too far away - at a distance of 100 kilometers they did not meet each other.

Emperor Alexander I found out about the war only in the evening. The Napoleonic army moved rapidly due to the fact that carts were not used. The soldiers took with them everything they needed, and the rest was acquired by plundering the villages they encountered.

Barclay de Tolly was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army. They decided to retreat, to avoid a general battle, to give only rearguard battles with the French for attrition. The goal was to worsen the position of the French army, reduce their troops and cause a shortage of food and ammunition. The armies of Barclay and Bagration converged near Smolensk, a battle was fought on August 4-6, shortly after which the Russian army was forced to leave Smolensk and retreat.

Napoleon tried to start peace negotiations, but Alexander I ignored this proposal.

Dissatisfaction with the retreat tactics of Barclay de Tolly only grew, so on August 8, 1812, M.I. was appointed commander-in-chief. Kutuzov. Despite this, Kutuzov continued the tactics of retreat, but he soon decided on a pitched battle. A suitable place was the Borodino field. On August 24, a battle was fought at the Shevardinsky redoubt, and on August 26, the Battle of Borodino itself. In this battle on Bagration's flashes, special artillery fortifications, Bagration died from a wound in the leg. As a result, the troops returned to their original positions, but both the French and Russian armies suffered more losses (58 thousand and 20 thousand people, respectively).

On September 1, a council took place in Fili, during which Kutuzov ordered the army to retreat and leave Moscow. On September 2, Napoleon freely entered the abandoned city. Kutuzov himself went to the Kaluga road and deployed the army to the south-west near the village of Tarutino, which went down in history under the name Tarutinsky maneuver. Napoleon's desire to attack St. Petersburg was interrupted by the onset of cold weather, for which the French soldiers were not ready, food shortages due to a fire in Moscow, as well as the excellent work of the Russian partisan detachments. On October 7, the French left Moscow, and on October 12, the planned battle of Maloyaroslavets took place, which forced Napoleon to retreat from Russia. The Russian army turned the war into a liberation war. The final battle on the territory of Russia was given on November 14-16 on the Berezina River. On November 23, Napoleon fled to Paris. On December 25, 1812, Alexander I issued a manifesto on the end of the Patriotic War.

In general, this period can be assessed in two ways. On the one hand, the Russian army suffered heavy losses, many cities were destroyed, and one of the central cities of Russia - Moscow - was almost completely destroyed by fire. But on the other hand, Russia not only expelled Napoleon from its territories, but also almost completely depleted his army and military supplies, which in the future helped the Russian army in further foreign campaigns. Russia defeated the French army, which was a problem not only for our state, but for the whole of Europe as a whole, which also suffered from the aggressive plans of Bonaparte.

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On the European continent at the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries. in connection with the claims of the French emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte to European and world domination, anti-French coalitions are formed, in which Russia takes an active part. The military failures of the coalition forces near Austerlitz (1805), near Friedland (1807) forced Emperor Alexander I to join the Peace of Tilsit and the continental blockade of England.

The Patriotic War of 1812 is the largest event in Russian and world history. Its emergence was caused by the desire of Napoleon to achieve world domination.

Reasons for the war:

- Violation by Russia of the terms of the Tilsit peace treaty on the continental blockade of England.

- The desire of France to dismember Russia, to turn it into a market for raw materials and labor.

Russia was the main obstacle on Napoleon's path to world domination.

- The transformation of the Duchy of Warsaw into a springboard for an attack on Russia.

- Refusal to Napoleon Bonaparte when he asked for the hand of the sister of Alexander I.

In the brewing military conflict, both sides hatched conquest plans. However, in general, for the Russian people, the war was of a liberating, domestic character. It was attended not only by the regular army, but also by the broad masses of the people.

balance of power

Napoleon raised a significant army (well-armed and trained troops, hardened in previous wars). They were led by a galaxy of brilliant marshals and generals: Davout, Berthier, M. Ney, I. Murat, and others. The weak point of the army was its motley national composition.

Since 1810 Russia has been preparing for war. She managed to create modern armed forces for that time, powerful artillery, which, as it turned out during the war, was superior to the French. The troops were led by talented military leaders - M. I. Kutuzov, M. B. Barclay de Tolly, P. I. Bagration, A. P. Ermolov, N. N. Raevsky, M. A. Miloradovich and others. military experience and personal courage. The advantage of the Russian army was determined by the patriotic enthusiasm of all segments of the population, large human resources, food and fodder supplies.

The disadvantage can be considered that the Russian troops on the western border were divided into three armies: the 1st - under the command of M. B. Barclay de Tolly - covered the St. Petersburg direction, the 2nd - led by P. I. Bagration - defended the center of Russia, the 3rd - General A.P. Tormasov - was located in the southern direction.

Side Plans

Napoleon: capture a significant part of Russian territory up to Moscow and sign a new treaty with Alexander to subjugate Russia; prevent the dispersed Russian forces from uniting and decide the outcome of the war in one or more border battles.

Alexander I: not to make any compromises with Napoleon, to transfer military operations to the territory of Western Europe; in case of defeat, withdraw to Siberia (up to Kamchatka) in order to continue the struggle from there. Russia had several strategic military plans. The balance of forces forced the Russian command to choose an active defense strategy, that is, a retreat with rearguard battles deep into Russian territory.

Main events

June 12, 1812 - French troops crossed the Neman and invaded the territory of Russia.

June - July - the 1st and 2nd Russian armies retreated, fought stubborn rearguard battles with individual units of the French, exhausting and weakening the enemy, inflicting significant losses on him. The two main tasks faced by the Russian troops were to eliminate disunity (not to allow themselves to be defeated one by one) and to establish unity of command in the army.

July 22 - The 1st and 2nd armies joined near Smolensk (Napoleon's original plan was thwarted).

August 8 - Alexander I appointed M.I. Kutuzov Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army. This meant the solution of the second problem. M. I. Kutuzov took command of the combined Russian forces on 17 August. He did not change the tactics of the retreat.

August 26 - Battle of Borodino. Napoleon adhered to offensive tactics. He intended to break through the defenses of the Russian army on the flanks, surround it and finally defeat it. The capture of Russian fortifications did not mean the victory of Napoleon. Losses on both sides were huge. Borodino was a moral and political victory for the Russians: the combat potential of the Russian army was preserved, while that of Napoleon's was significantly weakened. After Borodino, Russian troops began to retreat to Moscow.

September 1 - A military council of the Russian command was held in the village of Fili. M. I. Kutuzov, contrary to the general opinion of the generals, decided to leave Moscow. The French army entered it on September 2, 1812. M. I. Kutuzov, withdrawing troops from Moscow, carried out an original plan - the Tarutinsky march maneuver. The occupation of Moscow did not benefit Napoleon. Abandoned by the inhabitants (an unprecedented event in history), it blazed in the flames of fires, there was no food or other supplies. The French army was completely demoralized and turned into a bunch of robbers and marauders. Its decomposition was so strong that Napoleon had only two options - either immediately make peace, or start a retreat. But all the peace proposals of the French emperor were unconditionally rejected by M.I. Kutuzov and Alexander I.

October 7 - The French left Moscow, hoping to defeat the Russians and break into the unravaged southern regions.

October 12 - a bloody battle took place near the city of Maloyaroslavets (the parties did not achieve a decisive victory), but the French were forced to retreat along the Smolensk road they had devastated. The retreat of the French army accelerated the unfolding partisan movement and the offensive actions of the Russian troops. The partisan movement was attended by: people's (peasant) partisan detachments (A. N. Seslavin, G. M. Kurin, E. V. Chetvertakov, V. Kozhina); specially organized army partisan detachments (“flying detachments”) led by regular officers (D. Davydov, A. Figner, A. Benkendorf). On the basis of the Manifesto of Alexander I of July 6 and 18, 1812, the creation of a people's militia began to provide strategic reserves and organize a rebuff to the French. The largest number of militias was created in the Moscow and St. Petersburg provinces.

At the final stage of the war, M. I. Kutuzov chose the tactics of parallel pursuit. Serious damage was inflicted on the French near Krasny in early November, when more than half of the 50,000 men of the retreating army were taken prisoner or fell in battle.

November 14-16 - battle at the crossing of the river. Berezina completed the defeat of the French army. Napoleon abandoned her and secretly left for Paris. The order of M. I. Kutuzov for the army on December 21 and the Tsar's Manifesto on December 25, 1812 marked the end of the Patriotic War.

Sources of victory in the war of 1812:

- the national liberation nature of the war;

— patriotism of the peoples of Russia;

- the heroism of the Russian army, the Russian people;

- military art of commanders.

Meaning of the Patriotic War:

a) awakened a sense of national self-consciousness of the Russian people and caused a patriotic upsurge in the country;

b) the victory over the French was the first step in the liberation of the countries of Europe from Napoleonic rule;

c) gave impetus to the creation of outstanding works of literature and art;

d) caused a desire to modernize the country, which ultimately led to the Decembrist uprising in 1825.

However, the war caused significant damage to the Russian economy, which was estimated at 1 billion rubles, about 2 million people died; many western regions of the country were devastated. All this had a huge negative impact on the further internal development of Russia.

Foreign campaigns of the Russian army in 1813-1814.

January 1813 - the Russian army crossed the western border and cleared the Polish lands of the French.

February - March 1813 - the liberation of Prussia from Napoleon.

April - May 1813 - the death of M. I. Kutuzov, the defeat of the allied forces from Napoleon at Lutzen, the truce with France.

June - September 1813 - the formation of the 5th anti-French coalition (Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, England), the resumption of hostilities.

The Congress of Vienna (September 1814 - June 1815) made the main decisions: France was deprived of its conquests, the Duchy of Warsaw was divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria. On September 14, 1815, on the initiative of Alexander I, the Holy Alliance was created (Russia, Austria, Prussia). Goal: maintaining the European borders established by the Congress of Vienna, fighting the revolutionary movement.

Goals and objectives:

• Expanding students' knowledge about the war of 1812
• The ability to independently find answers to questions on the topic, using additional literature, reference material and Internet resources.
• Creation of conditions for the education of patriotism and national pride in the Russian army and its victory in the war.

Equipment: a stand with books, a map “Patriotic War of 1812”, portraits of participants in the war of 1812, task cards.

Game conditions: 6 teams of 5-6 people are created from students in grades 9-11. A month before the game, teams receive questions to prepare for the exam and a list of references.

• Get acquainted with the work of V.A. Zhukovsky “A Singer in the Camp of Russian Soldiers”, remember what poetic description the poet gave to the participants in the war, find a brief biographical note about them.
• Find information about the participation of residents of the Arkhangelsk province and regiments formed in the north in the war of 1812.
• To get acquainted with works of art (architectural monuments) dedicated to the war of 1812.
• Examine the map “Patriotic War of 1812”, find additional information about the hostilities that took place near cities, rivers.
• Learn about the military units that participated in the war.

During the game, students draw out tickets with questions, time is given for preparation, after the answer of one of the team members, the commission sets a grade. It is possible to use 2 hints: one - from the source, the second - from the fans. At the end of the game, a certificate of passing the exam is issued.

Game progress

Introduction: The Patriotic War of 1812 left a memory of itself in the minds of Russian society in the past and present, and caused an unforgettable upsurge among the Russian people. In 2012 we celebrate 200 years of the victory of the Russian army over Napoleon. Today we will recall some facts from the events of that time.

Teacher: V.A. Zhukovsky - poet, educator of the future Emperor Alexander II, in 1812 joined the militia. In the camp near Tarutino, he wrote the poem "The Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors", which brought him great fame. In a thousand lists, the poems were distributed throughout the army and Russia.

1st task: Heroes of the war of 1812 in the work of V.A. Zhukovsky. Insert in the missing places the name of the war veteran and give a brief biographical note about him.

Ticket number 1.

“... the glory of our days,
Praise! in front of the rows
He is the first, chest against swords,
With brave sons.

Ticket number 2.

“Praise, our Vihor-ataman
Leader of the unharmed…..
Your enchanted lasso
Thunderstorm for adversaries.
An eagle rustles through the clouds,
You roam the field like a wolf,
You fly with fear behind enemy lines,
You whistle in their ears with misfortune.”

Ticket number 3.

And you... and you,…….?
Here are friends of prayer,
In vain their weeping... he is in the coffin,
Prey of a fierce battle.
Still squads hope in it;
Everything thinks: he will rise from his bed;
And timidly whispers the enemy with the enemy:
“Alas for us! will blow up soon."
And he ... forever closed his eyes,
dispute resolver,
He soared into the realm of the brave,
To you, Father Suvorov.

Ticket number 4.

Praise be to you, our cheerful leader,
Gray hair hero!
Like a young warrior, whirlwind and rain
And he shares the labor with us.
Oh how with a wounded brow
Before formation, he is beautiful!
And how cold he was before the enemy
And what a terrible enemy!
O wonder! the eagle pierced
Above him are the skies of the plains ...
The mighty leader bowed his head;
Hooray! squads shout

Ticket number 5.

Our ... .. an old man in the camp of enemies
Walks in the darkness of the night;
Like a shadow crept around the tents,
All ripened fast eyes ....
And the camp is still in deep sleep,
The bright day did not look through -
And he, a knight, is on a horse
Already burst out with a squad.

Ticket number 6.

Where is ... ours, the destroyer of forces,
Ferocious flame of battle?
He fell - bowed his head on the shield
And clutched the sword in his hand.
Where fate gave him life
There the scolding struck him down;
Where was his cradle
This is where his grave is today.

Teacher: In 1812, the Russian people, young and old, rose up against the invasion of Napoleon. And although the Arkhangelsk province was not included in the number of regions in which the people's militia was created or trained, it sent 3,393 recruits to the army in the field "without wages and in a timely manner." Our region and the provincial city provided significant material assistance to the Motherland.

2nd task: Historical local history (see the answer in Appendix 1).

1. In what year were the Arkhangelsk and Dvina regiments that participated in the war of 1812 formed?

2. The Arkhangelsk and Dvinsk regiments defended the fortifications on the left flank of the Borodino field. What were these fortifications called?

3. In August 1812, the people of Arkhangelsk saw Napoleon's army soldiers in their city. As whom?

4. In all the major battles of 1812, as well as in foreign campaigns and the capture of Paris, an Arkhangelsk citizen was awarded a silver medal in memory of 1812. What was his name?

5. Who commanded the Dvinsky regiment? What do you know about this commander?

6. How much money did the population of the Arkhangelsk province collect to fight against Napoleon? What kind of assistance did the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk render to the population of devastated areas?

Teacher: Retreating and then advancing along the roads of Russia, from the border to Moscow and back, the Russian army covered itself with glory, repulsing the enemy.

3rd task: Historical geography. A fragment of a map with settlements and rivers plotted on it is given. What events from the War of 1812 are associated with these places? (see answer Appendix 1)

Teacher: Russian regiments formed in different cities of the country distinguished themselves on the battlefields.

4th task: Russian regiments. Read an excerpt from a work of art. What type of troops are we talking about? Find in the picture the uniform of a warrior of this kind of troops.

Ticket number 1. “The troops retreated from Vilna for various complex state and political reasons. For the hussars of the Pavlograd regiment, this whole retreat campaign at the best time of summer with sufficient food was the simplest and most fun thing. /War and Peace. LN Tolstoy / What famous hussars during the war of 1812 can you name?

Ticket number 2. “The Lancers set off, oscillating with peak weathercocks, and at a trot went downhill to the French cavalry, which appeared under the mountain to the left” / War and Peace. L.N. Tolstoy /

Ticket number 3. “The enemy continued to advance, the huntsmen crossed the bridge, but before they had time to destroy it, the French arrows crossed the bridge and rushed to the battery that was shelling it.” / Terrible cloud. CM. Makarova/

Ticket No. 4. “It seemed to Kutuzov as if he saw how the French were rapidly rushing to Shevardino and occupying the redoubt, but our grenadiers were coming up, they were going to a mortal battle, in front of them was a priest in vestments with a cross in his hands. / Terrible cloud S.M. Makarova /

Ticket No. 5. “But Bagration regrouped the troops, reinforced the 27th division of Neverovsky with 8 battalions from Raevsky, threw the cuirassier of 2 divisions into battle, and by 9 o’clock in the morning recaptured the flashes from the French.” / Patriotic War of 1812. V.G.Sirotkin/

Ticket #6. Only the dragoons could not resist and galloped away without an order, for the same they were cut down by the French, and the Poles ... ”/ Terrible Cloud S.M. Makarova /

Ticket #7. /War and Peace. L.N. Tolstoy /

Teacher: In many cities of Russia, on the sites of past battles and in the capital cities, the feat of our people in works of art (architecture, sculpture, painting) was noted.

5th task: The War of 1812 in works of art. Name the architectural monument created in memory of the war of 1812. Specify the author, year of creation, location and other interesting facts about it. (see answer Appendix 1)

Teacher: We conclude the exam by correcting errors in historical documents.

6th task: errors in the document. (see answer Appendix 1)

1. From the travel diary of the French writer Germaine de Stael (1812): “The general who commanded the Russian army, Barclay de Toli… born in Russia, was of quite Slavic origin, and this is enough not to prevent him from leading the Russians to victory…”

2. Napoleon's ambassador to Russia on the state of affairs at the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812: “This campaign, which was brilliantly conducted from the Neman to Vilna and from Vilna to Vitebsk, already cost the army more than two won battles and gave it the most necessary resources and food supplies…”

3. Demid Kurolesin on Napoleon’s mistake in 1812: “I won’t discover America when I say that if Napoleon, having crossed the Russian border, announced the abolition of serfdom, then the guerrilla war of the peasants would have unfolded not against the French, but against the Russian landowners ”

4. L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”: “On the third day after Kutuzov’s report, a landowner from Moscow arrived in St. Petersburg, and the news of the surrender of Moscow to the French spread throughout the city. It was terrible! What was the position of the sovereign! Kutuzov was a traitor, and Prince Vasily said that nothing else could be expected from a blind and depraved old man. The opinion of what circles of St. Petersburg did Prince Vasily express? Is it fair and why?

5. Demid Kurolesin: “Under Borodino, Kutuzov arranged his army in such a way that the French were defeated. Napoleon did not manage to position his troops so successfully. By evening, Kutuzov won and retreated.

6. The French about the results of the Battle of Borodino: “He (Napoleon) smiled, however, at the prospect of entering Moscow, and this success completed everything ... Everyone noticed that the emperor was cheerful and pleased ...”

Conclusion: Our exam is over. All of you have shown your knowledge of the history of the Patriotic War of 1812. The time has come for the issuance of a certificate of passing the exam. (Annex 2)

Bibliography:

1. Arkhangelsk 1584–1984 Fragments of history, ed. G.G.Frumenkova. Arkhangelsk, Northwestern book publishing house, 1984
2. Great Soviet Encyclopedia, editor-in-chief Prokhorov A.M., 3rd edition, v.18 article “Patriotic War of 1812” p.611 M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1974
3. Borodino panorama. Guide. Moscow worker 1979
4. V.A. Zhukovsky“A singer in the camp of Russian soldiers” any publication.
5. CM. Makarov. Terrible cloud. M. Sovremennik 1994
6. V.G. Sirotkin."Patriotic War of 1812". M., Enlightenment 1988
7. L.N. Tolstoy. War and Peace. Any edition.
8. http://www.museum.ru/
9. http://ru.wikipedia.org/
10. http://voyna1812.ucoz.ru/

This historical period includes the time of the Patriotic War, which played a big role in the further development of the Russian state. At that time, the Russian emperor was Alexander the First, who, after the victory over Napoleon, will be called the Blessed by the people. The invasion of the Napoleonic army began with its crossing of the Neman River on June 12, 1812. The free advance of the French troops continued until they entered the city of Smolensk. In Smolensk, two Russian armies under the command of Bagration and Barclay de Tolly managed to unite. The latter advocated luring the enemy deep into the country, with which Bagration categorically disagreed and openly called him a traitor. After a two-week defensive battle for Smolensk, the Russian army was forced to continue its retreat to Moscow.

In August, M. I. Kutuzov was appointed the new commander-in-chief of the Russian army, who at the end of August was forced to give a general battle near the village of Borodino. It is believed that the battle is won by the one who leaves the battlefield behind, that is, we can assume that the French won the battle of Borodino. But the Russian army won strategically: they managed to save the army and inflict significant damage on the enemy. In September, a council of generals was held in Fili, at which the main question was discussed - to surrender Moscow or not. Kutuzov uttered his famous words that Russia was not lost with the loss of Moscow, but with the loss of the Russian army, the country would be lost. It was decided to continue the retreat. Napoleon freely occupied Moscow, however, the city was almost completely empty, and then it was completely engulfed in fire.

Napoleon repeatedly tried to make peace, but recent events showed Alexander that the war could be concluded with a treaty beneficial to Russia. In the fall, Kutuzov carried out the famous Tarutinsky maneuver, the purpose of which was to cover the food-rich southern cities, such as Tula and Kaluga. In the village of Tarutino, the Russian army managed to rest and replenish its strength. With the imminent onset of winter, the Napoleonic army had to retreat along the devastated Smolensk road. They could not get out on the other road - the Northern and Southern Russian armies interfered. Napoleon's great army was practically annihilated. Also a huge role in the victory over Napoleon was played by numerous partisan detachments led by Kozhina, Kurin, Davydov, Shubin and others. With the victory over Napoleon, the authority of Russia in the international arena increased, and the national self-consciousness of Russians increased significantly.

Effective preparation for the exam (all subjects) -

On June 12, 1812, more than 400,000-strong Napoleon's army crossed the Neman and invaded Russia. The Patriotic War of 1812 began. It was the result of the events that had gripped Europe since the end of the 18th century. They were determined by the confrontation between Napoleonic France, striving for world domination, and the anti-Napoleonic coalition, which at different times included England, Austria, Prussia, and Russia. In 1807, Alexander I and Napoleon signed the Treaty of Tilsit, according to which Russia joined the continental blockade, pledging to interrupt trade relations with England. Participation in the continental blockade was contrary to the economic interests of Russia and caused discontent among the nobility and merchants. As for Napoleon, he understood that a successful war against Russia would allow him not only to deal with England, but also to achieve his main goal - domination in Europe and in the world.

The strategic plan of the French emperor was to defeat the Russian armies one by one in a series of border battles, to capture Moscow, to force Alexander I to capitulate and thereby withdraw Russia from the war.

The Russian command began the development of a general plan of military operations in 1810. Three armies were concentrated on the western borders of Russia: the 1st Army under the command of M. B. Barclay de Tolly covered the St. Petersburg direction; The 2nd Army under the command of P.I. Bagration stood in the Moscow direction; The 3rd Army under the command of A.P. Tormasov - in Kiev (total number of 214 thousand soldiers). The idea was to avoid a general battle, retreat and force Napoleon to stretch the rear, move away from warehouses and bases. Having weakened the "great army", the Russian command then planned to go on the counteroffensive. It should be noted that this plan was approved only in the spring of 1812 and did not have full support (in particular, it was opposed by a number of influential generals who were of the opinion that it was necessary to give Napoleon a battle near the border). The events of the first month and a half developed according to a scenario close to the strategic plan of the Russian command. Napoleon was rapidly advancing deep into Russia, the 1st and 2nd armies under the command of Barclay de Tolly and Bagration, maneuvering and confusing the enemy, retreated. On June 22, both armies joined at Smolensk. Here the first major battle was fought. Napoleon, who suffered significant losses, managed to take the city. On August 6, Barclay de Tolly ordered the retreat to continue. Napoleon's proposal to conclude peace, made from Smolensk, was rejected by Alexander I. In the meantime, irritation was growing in Russian society, there was talk of treason. In the army, a conflict grew between Barclay de Tolly and Bagration, who called for stopping the retreat and giving Napoleon a general battle. In this situation, Alexander I went to meet the demands of society and appointed General M. I. Kutuzov, an ally of A. V. Suvorov, an experienced commander, as commander-in-chief. This appointment reflected the most important circumstance, which was becoming more and more obvious: the war with Napoleon was acquiring a nationwide, domestic character.

Kutuzov made a difficult decision. The retreat was stopped, the army began preparations for a general battle. It took place on August 26 (September 7), 110 km from Moscow near the village of Borodino. The battle continued throughout the day. The forces were approximately equal, as were the losses (approximately 44 thousand soldiers were lost by the Russians, about 60 thousand by the French). Almost 80 Russian and French generals were killed, Bagration was mortally wounded. By evening, both commanders announced victory, the next morning the battle was to be resumed, but Kutuzov, having received information about the losses, ordered to retreat.

Who won at Borodino? Leaving aside the military aspects (neither Kutuzov nor Napoleon achieved their goals), we note: the Russian army won a moral and political victory. As General A.P. Yermolov wrote, "the French army was crushed against the Russian army." This is a very accurate definition: the French lost confidence in the final outcome of the war, became nervous, began to lose strategic initiative.

Kutuzov understood this better than others. On September 1, at a military council in Fili, he made a decision that shocked many to leave Moscow without a fight. Napoleon entered an empty, abandoned huge city. On the same day, a fire broke out, burning three-quarters of the ancient capital. Napoleon was literally locked in ancient Moscow. Around her, the flames of a guerrilla war blazed, which arose spontaneously (the names of the peasants V. Kozhina, G. Kurin, etc. entered the history), but then headed by regular army officers (D. Davydov, A. Figner). The "club of the people's war" (L. N. Tolstoy) hit the French hard. Extended rear lines, a dangerous distance from the main bases worried Napoleon. Three times he applied with peace proposals and was refused three times.

The military initiative was in the hands of Kutuzov. Leaving Moscow, he made a brilliant Tarutino maneuver, suddenly changing the direction of movement and standing 80 km from Moscow near the village of Tarutino. The routes to Kaluga, Bryansk, Tula, the main military raw material bases of Russia, were closed to Napoleon. New forces were gathering in Tarutino, preparations were underway for further hostilities. Napoleon understood that staying in Moscow was both pointless and dangerous. In early October, the French army left the city. Which road to retreat, where and when to take battles - now all this was dictated to the illustrious commander by Russian generals. The battle near Maloyaroslavets forced him to retreat along the devastated Smolensk road. The retreat of the "great army" was a tragedy for her and a triumph for Russia. The Battle of the Berezina River marked a victorious point in the history of the Patriotic War. Napoleon secretly fled from Russia. December 25, 1812 Alexander I in a special manifesto announced the expulsion of the enemy. The foreign campaign of the Russian army began, culminating in the entry of the allies into Paris (March 1814) and the abdication of Emperor Napoleon from power.