In 2012, Russia marks the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812 and the Battle of Borodino, during which the Russian army defeated the army of Napoleon.
France less loudly marks two centuries since the Napoleonic campaign in Russia, but in Paris the Napoleon Foundation issued a collection of letters from Napoleon, dedicated to the events of the war of 1812.
The book includes documents from the archives of France and Russia and is called "The Correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte for 1812".
She was introduced on April 10 at a ceremony at the residence of the Russian ambassador to France, Alexander Orlov.
"This collection allows one to follow the history of the Napoleonic campaign day after day," said Napoleon Foundation President Victor-André Massena, Earl d'Essling, a descendant of the Marshal of the Napoleonic Army. "We are grateful to the Russian side, who provided a series of letters for the publication of the French emperor from the archives of Russia."
"The correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte for 1812" is prepared for publication by a group of famous French historians led by Thierry Lentz and more than 50 volunteer researchers. The letters deal with all aspects of the Russian campaign.
More than half of the 2,5 thousand documents - in addition to the messages of the emperor himself, as well as the reports of his generals - were published for the first time.
"We started publishing Napoleon's correspondence ten years ago, in 2002." said Professor Lenz. - The Russian campaign stands apart in the history of Napoleonic campaigns, it did not fit into the usual canons of war.
The invasion of Russia turned out to be disastrous for the Great Army, which did not know the defeats before. "
Bakalavich "Napoleon in front of Moscow."
In letters from August 1812 on, the concern over the state of affairs has repeatedly slipped.
As Thierry Lenz says, the French emperor initially hoped that he would be able to enter Moscow, as well as, for example, in Vienna: with a decorum, with honors, and then calmly negotiate. But, as you know, the abandoned Moscow turned out to be a "poisoned surprise" for Napoleon.
In Russian history books, it was written earlier that it was Napoleon's troops who burned Moscow; In the French - that it set the Russians on fire. One of the volunteers of the Napoleon Foundation told how she kept in her hands the letters of the French military, who described the special fire of Moscow in several places by Muscovites.
It remains only to understand: do you believe these French officers?
The 12th volume of Napoleon's "Full Correspondence"
© Elena Yakunina
Vladimir Kush Morning in Japan
That war had rather unusual consequences. It was a national, people's, the whole country rose against the conqueror. But, strangely enough, this aggressor did not generate a strong hatred in the future, and both countries experienced certain sympathies for each other after a while. The Cossacks stood for almost a year on the Champs-Elysées, French soldiers captured, Russified, got their families, and the royal court continued to speak French.
In total, the Napoleon Foundation collected 41 thousand letters from Napoleon.
In the 12th volume, a French campaign to Russia, all the vicissitudes of a gigantic military epic, is traced day after day.
"Napoleon in Moscow, the year 1812".
The lithography of Weibecel according to the original by F. Frenzel. 1830s.
The current volume of Napoleonic letters "1812" is ninety percent filled with correspondence about the Russian company. We will not find here the same passionate letters to Mary-Louise, which Bonaparte once wrote to Josephine. Now he was occupied with very different things: under the Smolensk strange way the Italian division was lost; There were not enough places in the hospitals; Until recently, the iron discipline was loosened up, shoes for soldiers were constantly required.
At the presentation of the book, dedicated to the events that united the two countries, V.A. Massena jokingly remarked that this is the first time when the Napoleonic structure peacefully invades Russian territory, which is the embassy. And more seriously added: "The trail of that war is noticeable and in 200 years - still to express the tragic coloring of the event the French express lapidary - this is Berezina. And immediately it becomes clear that the case is rubbish. "
The terrible defeat of the retreating army on the river Berezina (the present territory of Belarus) became an aphorism.
After a dubious repetition through Bezesin in a letter dated November 30, 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte constantly speaks of a shortage of provisions and looting among his soldiers: "... prepare bread, biscuits, meat and other products for the meeting of our army." "If this is not provided, I can only pity the city." It's about Vilnius, where the FP people came in hopes of supporting forces.
"Only the abundance of provisions can put everything in order." The army is terribly tired after a forty-five-hour passage, "Napoleon admits. And further on the need for police patrols.
Several times Napoleon uses the word "vagabonds" and even "robbers". The last expression, probably, was given to Napoleon is not easy, because it was about his own army.
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