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.
QUESTIONS:
1. Great victories of the XVIII century.
2. Victories crowning the military art of Suvorov and Kutuzov.
During its rich history, the Russian army has won many major victories, some of which can rightfully be called fateful, which had a huge impact on the further development of military art, the army and the country as a whole.
BATTLE OF POLTAVA
One of the first major victories of the Russian regular army is the victory in the Battle of Poltava (1709).
Founded by Emperor Peter I, the Russian regular army, already at the initial stage of its development, found itself in the fire of the Northern War of 1 years, where it was opposed by the best European at that time - the Swedish army. After the defeat near Narva in the first year of the war, where the Petrine troops lost almost all of their artillery (145 field and siege guns), Russia's "direct regular army" completely changed. Instead of the disbanded local noble cavalry, dragoon cavalry was created; by the beginning of 1701, about 300 guns were cast. In addition, new recruiting sets were held. In the same year, Russian troops won the first major victory over the enemy in the field battle at Erestfer. In the summer of 1708, the Swedish army under the command of the commander-king Charles XII began a campaign in Russia, moving in the direction of Moscow. In the battle of Golovchin, the Swedes defeated the division of General Repnin, for which Peter I demoted him to ordinary soldiers (later the tsar would forgive him). After the defeat of the Swedish avant-garde near the village of Dobroye, the king refused to advance on Smolensk and turned south, to Ukraine. There, a traitor, Hetman Mazepa, was waiting for him, promising to raise all Ukrainian Cossacks against Russia and supply the necessary provisions, fodder and ammunition. General Lewenhaupt hurried from Riga to help Charles XII, who led a corps with a huge convoy of almost three thousand wagons.
Peter I instructed to pursue the enemy army, and he himself led part of the troops towards the corps of General Lewenhaupt in order to prevent him from connecting with the king. On September 28, 1708, a battle took place near the village of Lesnoy, in which Tsar Peter called the victory "the mother of Poltava Victoria." He personally commanded one of the columns of the "flying" corps of the Russian army - the corvolant. Under his leadership were the Guards Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, a battalion of the Astrakhan infantry regiment and three dragoon regiments. The other column (left) was commanded by a general.
The Battle of Lesnaya became one of the most significant during the Northern War. The total losses of the Swedes amounted to 8.5 thousand killed and wounded, 45 officers and 700 soldiers were captured. The trophies of the Russian army were 17 guns, 44 banners and about 3 thousand wagons with provisions and ammunition. General Lewenhaupt was able to bring only about 6,000 demoralized soldiers to Charles XII.
Then came the day of the Battle of Poltava (June 27, 1709). The day before, Peter ordered General Menshikov to destroy the hetman's headquarters - the fortress of Baturin with all the supplies gathered in it for the Swedish army.
The Russian army concentrated near Poltava. At the military council on June 16, it was decided to "give the main battle" to the enemy. The regiments crossed to the right bank of the Vorskla River, and near the village of Yauovtsy (just 5 kilometers from the Poltava fortress besieged by the Swedes), they took up a position for the upcoming battle, which Charles XII could no longer avoid.
The Battle of Poltava became the pinnacle of military glory of Peter the Great. After a personal reconnaissance, he ordered a line of field fortifications of six redoubts to be built across the field at a distance of a rifle shot from each other. Then, perpendicular to their front, the construction of four more began (two earthen redoubts were not completed by the beginning of the battle). Thus, the Swedish army during the attack involuntarily had to move under enemy fire. Redoubts constituted the advanced position of the Russian army, which became a new word in the history of military art and a complete surprise for the enemy.
The redoubts housed two infantry battalions and grenadiers. Behind them stood 17 dragoon regiments under command. Next were the infantry and field artillery. At 3 o'clock in the morning there was a clash between Russian and Swedish cavalry, and two hours later the latter was overturned. The Swedish infantry tried to break through the line of redoubts, but managed to capture only two of them.
The plan conceived by Peter I was a success - two Swedish right-flank columns of Generals Ross and Schlippenbach, when breaking through the line of redoubts, were cut off from the main forces and were destroyed in the Poltava forest.
At 6 o'clock in the morning, Tsar Peter built the Russian army in front of the camp in two battle lines: infantry in the center, dragoon cavalry on the flanks. Field artillery was in the first line. 9 infantry battalions remained in the camp as a reserve. Before the decisive battle, the Russian sovereign addressed the army with the words:
"Warriors! Here comes the hour that will decide the fate of the Fatherland. And so you should not think that you are fighting for Peter, but for the state handed over to Peter, for your family, for the Fatherland ...
And know about Peter that his life is not expensive for him, if only Russia would live in bliss and glory for your well-being.
The Swedish army also adopted a linear battle formation and at 9 o'clock in the morning went on the attack. In a fierce hand-to-hand fight, the Swedes managed to push the center of the Russians, but at that moment Peter I personally led the second battalion of the Novgorod regiment in a counterattack and restored the situation. During this battle, one enemy bullet pierced his hat, another got stuck in the saddle, and the third, hitting the chest, was flattened on the pectoral cross.
Russian dragoon cavalry began to bypass the flanks of the royal army, and the Swedish infantry, seeing this, faltered. Then Peter ordered to give a signal for a general attack. Under the onslaught of the Russians, marching with hostility, the Swedish troops fled. Charles XII tried in vain to stop his soldiers, no one listened to him. The fugitives were pursued up to the Budishchensky forest. By 11 o'clock the Battle of Poltava ended with the complete defeat of the Swedish army.
Its remnants capitulated to the Russians at Perevolochna, where there was a crossing across the Dnieper. Only the king and hetman Mazepa with two thousand people managed to cross and escape to Turkey.
The Poltava victory was won with little bloodshed. The losses of the Russian army on the battlefield amounted to only 1345 people killed and 3290 wounded, while the Swedes lost 9324 people killed and captured, including those who laid down their arms at Perevolochna. The royal army of Sweden, tested in campaigns in Northern Europe, ceased to exist. Poltava demonstrated the superiority of Russian military art.
BATTLE OF KUNERSDORF
In the middle of the 18th century, the Seven Years' War became the most severe test for the Russian army. On August 1, 1759, the Prussian army, led by one of the most prominent German commanders, King Frederick II the Great, suffered the most crushing defeat in this war at the Battle of Kunersdorf.
King Frederick decided to prevent the advance of the Russians under the command of the general-in-chief on his capital Berlin and defeat them in a pitched battle. The Prussian army (48 thousand people, about 200 guns) crossed the Oder River north of the city of Frankfurt and moved to the village of Kunersdorf, where the enemy’s camp was located (41 thousand Russians, 18.5 thousand Austrian allies, 248 guns).
The maneuver of the enemy army was noticed. General-in-chief Saltykov, in order not to be attacked on the march, decided to give the enemy a battle near Kunersdorf. He deployed his troops on the heights with the front to the north. King Frederick, having learned about this, decided to go around them from the rear. Saltykov unraveled this plan and early in the morning of August 1, on the day of the battle, deployed troops with a front to the south 4.5 kilometers long and from 800 meters to 1.5 kilometers wide.
Russian troops were deployed on three heights - Muhlberg, Grosspitzberg (Greater Spitz) and Judenberg. The mountains were separated from each other by wide and deep ravines Kugrund and Laudonsgrund. The Kunersdorf position was reinforced with trenches and artillery redoubts. Approaches to the heights from the west and north were hampered by wetlands and the Guner River. The paths to the village of Kunersdorf were clearly visible from the heights.
Chief General Saltykov deployed his main forces in the center of the position - on Mount Bolshoi Spitz and on the right-flank Mount Yudenberg. It was here that the roads along which the Prussian army moved were approaching. On the Great Spitz, the position was occupied by 17 Russian infantry regiments under the command of a general, on Yudenberg - 9 infantry regiments and Austrian allies, on Mulberg - 5 regiments of Prince Golitsyn, staffed by young recruits. The reserve consisted of Russian cavalry (71 squadrons) and 6 regiments of Austrian infantry.
The enemy, who came out to Kunersdorf, immediately began to turn around in an "oblique" battle formation for an attack. King Frederick built his army into two lines of infantry. The cavalry was on the flanks. Most of the heavy Prussian cuirassier cavalry under General Seydlitz was stationed on the left flank, where the terrain allowed a large number of cavalry to operate.
The Kunersdorf battle began after a three-hour artillery preparation. The first attack of the Prussian troops was directed to Mount Muhlberg, where Golitsyn's regiments were attacked from the front and flank across the Guner River. The attackers knocked down the defenders from a height on the neighboring Great Spitz and captured Mühlberg.
But the attacking Prussian troops could not develop their success. All their subsequent attempts to overcome the Kungrund ravine and break into the Russian positions on the height of the Great Spitz ended in failure. The infantry and artillery batteries of General Rumyantsev fought steadfastly, repulsing enemy attacks with rifle volleys and grapeshot. The Rumyantsev regiments carried out a strong counterattack and, with a bayonet strike, threw the Prussians who had broken into the mountain again into the ravine. In the meantime, King Frederick ordered the installation of artillery batteries on Mühlberg. They led a counter-battery fight with Russian gun crews on the height of Bolshoi Spitz. From cannon fire, opponents on the heights suffered great damage. Commander-in-Chief Saltykov reinforced Rumyantsev's forces with troops from the reserve and infantry removed from positions on Mount Yudenberg.
The Prussians, on the other hand, continued to persistently attack the positions of the troops of General Rumyantsev on the mountain slopes. In the evening, he launched a new strong counterattack through the Kungrad ravine, which turned out to be victorious: the Prussians lost Mount Mülberg and were driven back along the entire front.
The Prussian army left the battlefield in great disarray. She lost about 19 thousand people killed and wounded, almost all of her artillery - 172 guns, convoys and banners. During the battle, most of the mercenary royal soldiers deserted. The Allies lost 15,000 men. Of these, Russians - 2614 killed by Iranians. King Frederick II the Great sent a dispatch to Berlin: "All is lost, save the court and the archives."
For a brilliant victory in the Battle of Kunersdorf, which ended in the complete defeat of the Prussian army, he was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. This victory allowed the Russian corps of the general to take the city of Berlin in September 1760...
BATTLE OF CAHUL
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1 years, the general won three convincing victories over the Turkish army and the army of the Crimean Khanate - at the Ryabaya Mogila tract, on the Larga and Cahul rivers. The most impressive of them was the battle of Cahul.
The troops of the Crimean Khan Kaplan Giray, defeated in the battles at the Ryaba Mogila and on the Larga River, were only the vanguard of the Huge Turkish Army under the command of the Grand Vizier Khalil Pasha. In its main forces, it was just crossing the full-flowing Danube and concentrated in the southern part of Bessarabia.
The Turks were waiting for the enemy to approach in a well-fortified field camp east of the village of Vulcanesti near Cahul (now the Republic of Moldova). The army of Khalil Pasha consisted of up to 50 thousand infantry, mostly Janissaries, 100 thousand cavalry and guns. The nearly 80,000-strong cavalry of the Crimean Khan held out not far from the Turkish camp near Lake Ya l Meadow, ready to hit Rumyantsev's army in the rear and seize his convoys.
The Russian commander knew about the numerical superiority of Khalil Pasha's army, but decided to be the first to attack his fortified field camp. Covered by an 11,000-strong detachment from the rear from the Crimean cavalry, Rumyantsev led the main forces of his army on the offensive: 21,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and 118 guns.
On the night of July 21, Russian troops set out in five columns from the camp near the village of Grecheni (Grizeshti). Having crossed the Trojan Wall, they lined up in a divisional square. The cavalry positioned itself between them and behind them. Two-thirds of the forces detached themselves to attack the enemy's left flank. The general's heavy cavalry and artillery brigade formed the army's reserve.
From 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning, Russian troops advanced to their starting positions to storm the Grand Vizier's camp. During this time, many thousands of enemy cavalry repeatedly fell upon the squares slowly moving across the steppe. Approaching the fortifications of the Turks, the Russians attacked them. During the attack on the square, Lieutenant General Plemyannikov successfully attacked a 10,000-strong detachment of Janissaries: they managed to break into the square and disrupt its ranks. Then Rumyantsev brought into action the artillery of Melissino, and from the reserve of the division of General Olitz - the 1st Grenadier Regiment, which immediately launched a bayonet attack on the Janissary infantry. The reserve cavalry also came to the rescue.
Plemyannikov's square, having recovered from the blow, moved forward again. The Janissaries had to take refuge in a fortified camp. Soon his general assault began, and the Turks were knocked out of the trenches. At about 10 o'clock in the morning, the Sultan's army, unable to withstand the onslaught of the Russians and the fury of hand-to-hand fights, fled in panic. Grand Vizier Hal il Pasha lost control of the army and also hurried to the saving banks of the Danube, where the powerful Turkish fortress of Izmail stood. The Crimean Khan with his cavalry did not dare to get involved in the battle and moved away from Cahul to Akkerman (now Belgorod-Dnestrovsky).
Rumyantsev sent part of the troops to pursue the Turks. Two days later, on July 23, the Russians overtook them at the Danube crossings near Kartal and inflicted another defeat. The Grand Vizier again turned out to be powerless - his soldiers refused to obey him, thinking only about how to get to the right bank of the Danube.
The Katul victory of Russian weapons looked impressive: the enemy lost about 28 thousand killed and captured. On the battlefield, the Turks threw 130 guns, managing to take with them only a small number of light guns. Losses of winners - 1 lei amounted to about 1.5 thousand people.
For the Kagul victory, he was awarded the rank of Field Marshal and was awarded the highest military award of old Russia - the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George of the highest, 1st degree. And in 1775, Catherine II awarded the PA. Rumyantsev for these victories with the honorary title - Zadunaisky.
The true pinnacle of military glory of the Russian military genius, Generalissimo Rymniksky, was the assault on the Turkish fortress of Izmail on December 11, 1790. This stronghold of the Ottoman Empire on the banks of the Danube was built by French and German fortifiers as an army fortress. It was designed to accommodate an entire field army and was considered impregnable by contemporaries. The second such fortress in Turkey did not exist.
It was an irregular triangle adjacent to the banks of the Danube. The length of the earthen rampart, partially covered with stone, was more than 6 kilometers, the height was from 6 to 8 meters, with 7 earthen and stone bastions. The width of the moat was 12 meters, the depth was 6-10 meters. In a number of places the ditch was filled with water up to 2 meters. Inside the fortress there were many stone buildings adapted for defense. The garrison consisted of 35 thousand people with 265 guns. Russian troops blockaded Izmail and in December 1790, before the arrival of General-in-Chief Suvorov, they twice unsuccessfully tried to take it by storm. Suvorov, appointed commander, had 31 thousand troops: 28.5 infantry and only 2.5 thousand cavalry (cavalrymen and Don Cossacks who had horses). The weakness of the infantry, which was to go on the assault, was that almost half of it were Cossacks, who had lost horses in the war. Their shortened pikes and sabers could not replace in hand-to-hand combat guns with baguettes, which the Cossacks did not have, as well as the training of infantrymen.
The besiegers had approximately a twofold superiority over the fortress garrisons in the number of guns (up to 500 guns). But at the same time, the Russians had almost no, unlike the Turks, large-caliber guns, from which siege batteries were formed. The artillery of the military fleets was distinguished by small calibers and could only fire at close range.
Arriving near Izmail, Suvorov, having carried out reconnaissance, decided to take a powerful enemy fortress with an “accelerated attack”. A ditch was dug in the steppe and a rampart was poured in the style of Ishmael. Troops were trained secretly from the enemy, at night. 3 thousand fascines and 70 assault ladders were prepared.
Siege batteries were created from field guns, some of which were located on the island of Chatal, which lay opposite Ishmael. The fire of the Chatal batteries destroyed almost the entire enemy Danube military flotilla. However, the fire of Russian batteries did not inflict any noticeable destruction on the Izmail fortifications.
According to the Suvorov plan, 9 assault columns attacked the Izmail fortress, three of which landed on the ships of the rowing flotilla to the city across the Danube from the island of Chatal. From land, the fortress was attacked by two groups of troops under the command of lieutenant generals and a column of major general Kutuzov. Each of them had its own reserve. The total reserve was cavalry of 2.5 thousand horsemen. Commanders and regimental priests spiritually strengthened the soldiers.
According to the disposition, the rowing flotilla was to stretch out in two battle lines in front of the fortress before the assault, land landing detachments and support their actions on the shore with the fire of their guns.
To avoid bloodshed, the Russian commander sent a letter to the commandant of the fortress demanding to surrender, to which he replied with a decisive refusal. The military council of the besiegers unanimously voted for the assault.
On December 10, Russian field and naval artillery bombarded the fortress. The next day at 3 o'clock in the morning, the assault columns began to silently advance to their original positions, and at 5 o'clock 30 minutes they went on the attack.
A sudden assault did not work out: in the fortress they learned about the impending attack from traitors - several Black Sea Cossacks (former Cossacks), who had fled the day before to the Turks. Therefore, the attackers from the height of the Izmail rampart and from the bastions were immediately met by a flurry of rifle and cannon fire. During the attack, the Turks carried out a sortie for the fortress fence with large forces, which was repulsed with considerable difficulty. The Don Cossacks, armed with shortened pikes, had a particularly hard time. But in such a situation, the brigadier, the future most illustrious ataman of the Don Cossack army, heroically behaved.
After the Russians took possession of the fortress fence, hand-to-hand combat moved to the city, which was burning in many places. Fights were fought for every stone building, for every street. The Turks launched a counterattack, trying to throw the paratroopers into the river, but to no avail.
The fortress fell by 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Thus ended the battle for Izmail, the victory in which glorified Russian weapons and immortalized the name of the commander - Rymniksky.
The Turks lost during the assault 26 thousand people killed and 9 thousand prisoners, among whom there were a huge number of people with severe injuries.
The losses of the victors amounted to 1815 people killed and 2445 wounded. Especially great were the losses among the officers (400 people out of 650): the commanders went ahead of the assault columns. Russian trophies were 265 guns of mostly large caliber, 42 river boats, 345 banners and 7 bunchuks, 20 thousand cores and up to 30 thousand pounds of "unshot" gunpowder.
In terms of the losses of the opposing sides during the assault on Izmail, its fierceness and bloodshed, this battle of the Russian-Turkish war of 1 years has no equal in world military history ...
The most difficult test for Russia was 1812. The Russian campaign of the French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte was to be a continuation of his conquest plans, which went far beyond the European continent. For the campaign, the "Great Army" was formed, numbering over 600 thousand people. The emperor-commander wrote: “I am going to Moscow and in one or two battles I will finish everything ... I will burn 1ula and disarm Russia. They are waiting for me there; Moscow is the heart of Russia; without Russia, the continental system is an empty dream.”
The Patriotic War of 1812 was unsuccessful for the Russian army from the first days. The 1st and 2nd Western armies of the generals from infantry de Tolly retreated from the border towards Moscow and left Smolensk after a fierce battle. The situation changed only after the appointment of Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the entire Russian active army, who had only recently brilliantly completed the Russian-Turkish war of 1 years and was elected with great enthusiasm as the head of the St. Petersburg and Moscow militias.
Kutuzov decided to give Napoleon a big battle. For this, the Borodino field was chosen, located not far from the ancient Russian city of Mozhaisk. The Battle of Borodino, which took place here on August 26, dispelled the myth of Napoleon's invincibility and became one of the most glorious pages in the military chronicle of our Fatherland.
Napoleon brought 130 thousand soldiers with 587 guns and his best marshals near Borodino. The Russian army, by the beginning of the general battle, numbered 120.8 thousand people, of which 10 thousand militias who did not participate in the battles, 7 thousand Cossacks and 624 guns.
Preparing for the battle with the strongest European army, Kutuzov skillfully took advantage of the natural features of his chosen position on the Borodino field. She defended the main roads leading to Moscow - the Old and New Smolensk. Its flanks could not be bypassed, since they were covered on the right by the Moscow River, and on the left - by dense forests. The position was elevated above the terrain and was very convenient for artillery. The rivers and ravines that were from the front prevented the French army from maneuvering freely.
The battle of Borodino had its own prologue - the battle on August 24 for Shevardino, the advanced field fortification of the Russians. 35,000 people fought for him. Having lost more than 5 thousand people in battle (the French - about 5 thousand), the defenders of the Shevardinsky redoubt retreated to the main forces of the Kutuzov army.
By the dawn of the day of the battle, the opponents were already face to face, ready to fight. The left wing of the Russian position was occupied by the troops of the 2nd Western Army, the center and the right wing - by the troops of the 2nd Western Army - de Tolly. In the direction of the main attack - against the Semenov (Bagrationov) flushes - Napoleon concentrated the bulk of his troops: the corps of Davout, Ney, Junot, Murat's cavalry. The reserves of the "Great Army" were also concentrated here, or, in the language of numbers, 70 percent of the infantry and 90 percent of the cavalry divisions. At the beginning of the battle, the French did not make great efforts on their left flank, trying only to tie down the actions of the troops of Barclay de Tolly.
At 6 am on August 26, the first volleys of more than 100 French guns heralded the beginning of the battle: heavy fire fell on the Semyonov flushes. The regiments of the 2nd Western Army fought heroically, but the onslaught of the enemy intensified every hour. Kutuzov unraveled the plan of his enemy and began to transfer reserve troops to Bagration. The French more than once broke into the fleches, destroyed by artillery fire, but the Russians knocked them out in counterattacks.
Semyonov's flushes were abandoned by his defenders only by 12 o'clock in the afternoon. Before this, a general from infantry was mortally wounded by a fragment of the core. Then the Kurgan height became the center of the battle, better known in history as the Raevsky battery, named after the commander of the infantry corps who defended this position. Napoleon threw 45 thousand of his troops and about 400 guns into the attack here. When the French took possession of the height, the Russian infantrymen, led by the generals and, with a blow to the bayonets, returned the lost position.
In order to bring down the attacking ardor of the enemy, Kutuzov ordered the general's cavalry corps and the ataman's Cossacks to organize a raid on the flank of the French on his right wing. Napoleon had to postpone the attacks of Kurgan height for two hours. This allowed the Russians to bring fresh forces here.
Battery attacks resumed with even greater force. Napoleon threw Beauharnais, Pear, Caulaincourt, Latour-Maubourg to storm the corps. The French brought down more than 120 guns on the defenders of the hill. Lieutenant General's 7th Infantry Corps suffered huge losses, but continued to hold out steadfastly. Due to the position of the enemy batteries covering the Russian position, the gunfire was especially destructive.
The French managed to capture Kurgan height in the evening only after a massive attack by the cavalry of Marshal Murat. But by this time the forces of the Napoleonic troops were exhausted in order to develop their tactical success, the attacking ardor dried up. Bonaparte did not dare to bring into action his last reserve - the divisions of the Old and Young Guards.
By evening, the Russian troops retreated to about a few hundred steps from the Semenov flushes, Kurgan height and Utitsky barrow. Field fortifications here were completely destroyed by massive artillery fire. The general line of defense of the Russian army was not broken, command and control was not violated.
In the general battle, neither side achieved a decisive advantage. By the end of the day, the Borodino position remained in the hands of Kutuzov's army. With the onset of darkness, the French troops left the destroyed Russian field fortifications and retreated to their original positions.
Borodino cost Napoleon dearly. His army lost more than 50 thousand people killed and wounded, or over 43 percent of its composition! And the French cavalry, the strongest in Europe, lost 57 percent (about 16 thousand people) in one day! 49 Napoleonic generals were out of action. But the losses of the Russian army were significant, they are estimated at about 44 thousand people, including 29 generals.
On the Borodino field, the commander achieved the main thing - he destroyed Napoleon's strategy, based on victory in the general battle, the "Great Army" was bled and was no longer able to turn the tide of the war. The Russian commander-in-chief received the rank of Field Marshal for this battle. At the end of the same 1812, the enemy was expelled from Russia, and the war ended, as Kutuzov wrote, "for the complete extermination of the enemy" ...
In the introductory speech, it is necessary to note the relevance of the topic, emphasize that it provides for a seminar session (conversation), determine its purpose and procedure.
When considering the first question, it is advisable to consider 2-3 major battles in which Russian soldiers won glorious victories, while paying special attention to new approaches in the art of war and the high morale and combat qualities of lower ranks and officers.
In the course of studying the second question, it is important to show the outstanding military leadership and demonstrated by them in major battles, and to reveal its significance for modern military affairs.
In conclusion, conclusions should be drawn, summed up, the most active listeners should be noted, and recommendations should be made on preparing for the seminar (conversation).
1. Borodin N. XVIII - century - century of Russian military glory // Landmark No. 2.
2. Frontiers of military glory. People, events, facts. - M., 2002.
3. Shishov A. The Great Year of Russia // Landmark No. 5.
4. Shishov A. XVIII century - the century of Russian military glory // Landmark No. 1.
Alexey SHISHOV,
Leading Researcher
Institute of Military History of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Russian army is rightfully considered one of the strongest and most efficient in history. Evidence of this is the many brilliant victories won by Russian soldiers in battles with opponents superior in strength to them.
1. The defeat of the Khazar Khaganate (965)
The fall of Khazaria was the inevitable result of the weakening of its political and military power in the confrontation with Russia. However, by the time of the eastern campaign of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav, the Khazar Khaganate was still a strong rival.
The Russian chronicler says:
“In the summer of 6473 (965), Svyatoslav went to the Khazars. Having heard, the Khazars went out to meet him with their prince kagan and agreed to fight, and Svyatoslav the Khazar defeated him in the battle.
According to one version, Svyatoslav first took the capital of the Khaganate Itil, and then captured Sarkel, which predetermined the final victory.
2. Neva Battle (1240)
In the summer of 1240, the Swedes and their allies landed at the place where the Izhora flows into the Neva. A small detachment of the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich advanced towards them. According to legend, the prince inspired the squad with a phrase that later became “winged”: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth!
Historians believe that in the balance of power, the advantage was on the side of the Swedes - 5 thousand against 1.4 thousand. However, unable to withstand the powerful and selfless onslaught of the Russian troops, the Swedes fled. For the victory and courage, Alexander received the nickname "Nevsky".
3. Battle on the Ice (1242)
The second famous victory of Alexander Nevsky was won over the knights of the Livonian Order in April 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipsi. This time, together with the Novgorodians, the Vladimir squads also took part in the battle.
The outcome of the battle was predetermined by the competent tactics of the Russian troops. They surrounded the German formations from the flanks and forced them to retreat. Historians estimate the number of parties at 15-17 thousand Russians and 10-12 thousand Livonians with mercenaries. In this battle, the knights lost 400 killed and 50 captured.
4. Battle of Kulikovo (1380)
The battle on the Kulikovo field summed up the long confrontation between Russia and the Horde. The day before, Mamai entered into a confrontation with the Moscow Grand Duke Dmitry, who refused to increase the tribute paid to the Horde. This prompted the khan to take military action.
Dmitry managed to gather an impressive army, consisting of the Moscow, Serpukhov, Belozersky, Yaroslavl and Rostov regiments. According to various estimates, on September 8, 1380, from 40 to 70 thousand Russians and from 90 to 150 thousand Horde troops met in the decisive battle. The victory of Dmitry Donskoy significantly weakened the Golden Horde, which predetermined its further disintegration.
5. Battle of Molodi (1572)
In 1571, the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray, during a raid on Moscow, burned down the Russian capital, but could not enter it. A year later, having received the support of the Ottoman Empire, he organized a new campaign against Moscow. However, this time the Crimean-Turkish army was forced to stop 40 kilometers south of the capital, not far from the village of Molodi.
According to the chronicles, Devlet Giray brought with him a 120,000-strong army. However, historians insist on the figure of 60 thousand. One way or another, the Crimean-Turkish forces significantly outnumbered the Russian army, whose number did not exceed 20 thousand people. Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky managed to lure the enemy into a trap and defeat him with a sudden blow from the reserve.
6. Moscow battle (1612)
The decisive episode of the Time of Troubles was the battle of the forces of the Second Militia, led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, with the army of Hetman Khodkevich, who was trying to unblock the Polish-Lithuanian garrison locked in the Kremlin.
The first hours of the battle that unfolded in the Zamoskvorechye region, the Polish-Lithuanian detachments, outnumbering the Russians (12,000 against 8,000), pressed them hard. But, as the chronicles write, the Russian generals took advantage of a short respite and managed to restore the morale of the troops.
The counteroffensive of the militia eventually brought confusion to the camp of Jan Chodkiewicz and put the enemy to flight.
“The hope of taking possession of the whole Muscovite state collapsed irrevocably,” notes the Polish chronicler.
7. Battle of Poltava (1709)
In the autumn of 1708, instead of marching on Moscow, the Swedish king Charles XII turned south to wait out the winter and move to the capital with renewed vigor. However, without waiting for reinforcements from Stanislav Leshchinsky. Having been refused help from the Turkish Sultan, he decided to give a general battle to the Russian army near Poltava.
Not all the assembled forces participated in the battle. For various reasons, from the Swedish side, out of 37 thousand, no more than 17 thousand people entered the battle, from the Russian side, out of 60 thousand, about 34 thousand fought. The victory won by the Russian troops on June 27, 1709 under the command of Peter I war. An end was soon put to Swedish dominance in the Baltic.
8. Chesme battle (1770)
The naval battle in the Chesme Bay took place at the height of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. The Russian fleet under the command of Alexei Orlov, having discovered Turkish ships in the roadstead, was the first to decide to attack the enemy.
Despite the fact that the Russian fleet was significantly inferior to the Turkish one (ship ratio: 30/73), it quickly secured a strategic advantage for itself.
First, they managed to set fire to the flagship of the Turkish squadron "Burj-u-Zafer", and it was followed by a general fire of the enemy fleet. From 3 am to 9 am, more than fifty Turkish ships burned down. The victory allowed Russia to seriously disrupt Turkish communications in the Aegean Sea and secure the blockade of the Dardanelles.
9. Battle of Kozludzhi (1774)
Battle of Kozludzhi
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Russia won another major victory. The Russian army under the command of Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kamensky near the city of Kozludzha (now Suvorovo in Bulgaria), being in a disadvantageous position and outnumbered by Turkish troops (24 thousand against 40 thousand), was able to achieve a positive result.
The action of the Russian troops was seriously hampered by the wooded area, which hid the Turkish forces and made it difficult to use artillery. Nevertheless, during the 8-hour battle in conditions of intense heat, Suvorov managed to drive the Turks off the hill and put them to flight without even resorting to a bayonet charge. This victory largely predetermined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war and forced the Ottoman Empire to sign a peace treaty.
10. Capture of Ishmael (1790)
The capture of the stronghold - the Turkish fortress of Izmail, fully revealed the military genius of Suvorov. Earlier, Ishmael did not submit to either Nikolai Repnin, or Ivan Gudovich, or Grigory Potemkin. All hopes were now pinned on Alexander Suvorov.
The commander spent six days preparing for the siege of Izmail, working out with the troops the capture of a wooden model of high fortress walls. On the eve of the assault, Suvorov sent an ultimatum to Aidozle-Mehmet Pasha:
“I arrived here with the troops. Twenty-four hours to think - and the will. My first shot is already bondage. Storm is death.
“Rather the Danube will flow back and the sky will fall to the ground than Ishmael will surrender,” the pasha replied.
The Danube did not change its course, but in less than 12 hours the defenders were thrown from the fortress tops, and the city was taken. Thanks to a skillful siege of 31 thousand soldiers, the Russians lost a little more than 2 thousand, the Turks lost 26 thousand out of 35 thousand.
11. Battle of Cape Tendra (1790).
The commander of the Turkish squadron, Hassan Pasha, managed to convince the Sultan of the imminent defeat of the Russian navy, and at the end of August 1790 he advanced the main forces to Cape Tendra (not far from modern Odessa). However, for the anchored Turkish fleet, the rapid approach of the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov was an unpleasant surprise.
Despite the superiority in the number of ships (45 versus 37), the Turkish fleet tried to flee. However, by that time, Russian ships had already attacked the front line of the Turks. Ushakov managed to withdraw all the flagships of the Turkish fleet from the battle and thereby demoralize the rest of the enemy squadron.
The Russian fleet did not lose a single ship.
12. Battle of Borodino (1812)
Painting by Louis Lejeune "Battle of Borodino"
On August 26, 1812, in the battle near the village of Borodino, 125 kilometers west of Moscow, significant forces of the French and Russian armies converged. Regular troops under the command of Napoleon numbered about 137 thousand people, the army of Mikhail Kutuzov with the Cossacks who joined it and the militia reached 120 thousand.
The outcome of the Battle of Borodino is debatable. However, most historians agree that neither side achieved a decisive advantage. The battle of Borodino was the bloodiest in the history of one-day battles. The Russians, according to various estimates, lost from 40 to 46 thousand people, the French - from 30 to 40 thousand. Napoleon's army, which left about 25% of its composition on the Borodino field, largely lost its combat effectiveness.
13. Battle of Elisavetpol (1826)
One of the key episodes of the Russian-Persian war of 1826-1828 was the battle near Elisavetpol (now the Azerbaijani city of Ganja). The victory then gained by the Russian troops under the command of Ivan Paskevich over the Persian army of Abbas Mirza became a model of military leadership.
Paskevich managed to use the confusion of the Persians who fell into the ravine to launch a counterattack. Despite the superior forces of the enemy (35 thousand against 10 thousand), the Russian regiments began to push the army of Abbas Mirza along the entire front of the attack. The losses of the Russian side amounted to 46 killed, the Persians missed 2000 people.
14. Capture of Erivan (1827)
"The capture of the Erivan fortress by Russian troops", F. Roubaud
The fall of the fortified city of Erivan was the culmination of numerous attempts by Russia to establish control over the Transcaucasus. Built in the middle of the 16th century, the fortress was considered impregnable and more than once became a stumbling block for the Russian army.
Ivan Paskevich managed to competently besiege the city from three sides, placing cannons around the entire perimeter. “The Russian artillery acted beautifully,” recalled the Armenians who remained in the fortress. Paskevich knew exactly where the Persian positions were located. On the eighth day of the siege, Russian soldiers broke into the city and dealt with the garrison of the fortress with bayonets.
15. Battle of Sarykamysh (1914)
By December 1914, during the First World War, Russia occupied the front from the Black Sea to Lake Van with a length of 350 km, while a significant part of the Caucasian army was pushed forward - deep into Turkish territory. Turkey had a tempting plan to outflank the Russian forces, thereby cutting the Sarykamysh-Kars railway.
On December 12, the Turkish troops, making a roundabout maneuver, occupied Bardus and advanced towards Sarykamysh. Unusually frosty weather helped the Russian defenders of the city, led by General Nikolai Przhevalsky, withstand the onslaught of superior enemy forces, push back the Turkish units with the approach of the reserve and surround them. The Turkish army near Sarykamysh lost 60 thousand people.
16. Brusilovsky breakthrough (1916)
The offensive operation of the Southwestern Front under the command of General Alexei Brusilov, carried out from May to September 1916, became, according to the military historian Anton Kersnovsky, "a victory that we have not yet won in a world war." The number of forces that were involved on both sides is also impressive - 1,732,000 Russian soldiers and 1,061,000 soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian and German armies.
The Brusilovsky breakthrough, thanks to which Bukovina and Eastern Galicia were occupied, became a turning point in the First World War. Germany and Austria-Hungary, having lost a significant part of the army, reflecting the Russian offensive operation, eventually gave the strategic initiative to the Entente.
17. Battle for Moscow (1941-1942)
The long and bloody defense of Moscow, which began in September 1941, from December 5 passed into the offensive phase, which ended on April 20, 1942. Near Moscow, Soviet troops inflicted the first painful defeat on Germany, thereby frustrating the plans of the German command to capture the capital before the onset of cold weather.
The length of the front of the Moscow operation, which unfolded from Kalyazin in the north to Ryazhsk in the south, exceeded 2 thousand km. On both sides, more than 2.8 million soldiers, 21 thousand mortars and guns, 2 thousand tanks and 1.6 thousand aircraft took part in the operation.
German General Günther Blumentritt recalled:
“Now it was important for the political leaders of Germany to understand that the days of the blitzkrieg had sunk into the past. We were confronted by an army far superior in its fighting qualities to all other armies with which we had ever had to meet.
18. Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)
The Battle of Stalingrad is considered the largest land battle in the history of mankind. The total losses of both sides, according to rough estimates, exceed 2 million people, about 100 thousand German soldiers were captured. For the Axis countries, the defeat at Stalingrad turned out to be decisive, after which Germany was no longer able to restore its strength.
The French writer Jean-Richard Blok exulted in those victorious days: “Listen, Parisians! The first three divisions that invaded Paris in June 1940, the three divisions that, at the invitation of the French General Dentz, desecrated our capital, these three divisions - the 100th, 130th and 295th - do not exist anymore! They are destroyed at Stalingrad: the Russians have avenged Paris!
19. Battle of Kursk (1943)
Battle of Kursk
The victory of the Soviet troops on the Kursk Bulge made a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War. The positive outcome of the battle was the result of the strategic advantage obtained by the Soviet command, as well as the superiority in manpower and equipment that had developed by that time. For example, in the legendary tank battle near Prokhorovka, the General Staff was able to deploy 597 pieces of equipment, while the German command had only 311.
At the Tehran Conference that followed the Battle of Kursk, US President Franklin Roosevelt became so bold that he discussed his personal plan for dividing Germany into 5 states.
20. Capture of Berlin (1945)
Soviet artillery on the outskirts of Berlin, April 1945.
The assault on Berlin was the final part of the Berlin offensive operation that lasted 23 days. The Soviet troops were forced to carry out the capture of the German capital alone because of the refusal of the allies to participate in this operation. Stubborn and bloody battles claimed the lives of at least 100 thousand Soviet soldiers.
“It is unthinkable that such a huge fortified city should be taken so quickly. We do not know of other such examples in the history of World War II,” wrote historian Alexander Orlov.
The result of the capture of Berlin was the exit of Soviet troops to the Elbe River, where their famous meeting with the allies took place.
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 USA 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 did not act 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 suspicions 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 close 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.
