Forgotten holiday: The day of the capture of Paris by Russian troops. The capture of Paris by the Russians! (10 photos)

SERGEY VALYANSKY DMITRY KALYUZHNY ROLLER COASTER: THE END OF THE RUSSIAN STATE About the authors How could it happen that a great world power, which once made an unprecedented leap from the plow to space exploration, in a matter of years turned into a collapsed country with

At noon on March 31, 1814, the cavalry led by Tsar Alexander I triumphantly entered Paris. The city was overrun by Russians. The Cossacks turned the banks of the Seine into a beach area. “Water procedures” were taken as in their native Don - in underwear or completely naked.

Chess move

On the 20th of March, Napoleon, after successful actions against the allies in France, went to the northeastern fortresses to strengthen the army and force the allies to retreat. He did not expect an attack on Paris, counting on the well-known intractability of the allied armies. However, on March 24, 1814, the Allies urgently approved a plan to attack the capital. To distract Napoleon, a 10,000-strong cavalry corps under the command of General Wintzingerode was sent against him. Meanwhile, the Allies, without waiting for the concentration of troops, began an attack on Paris. 6,000 soldiers were lost due to lack of preparedness. The city was taken within a day.

Having defeated a small detachment, Napoleon realized that he had been tricked: “This is an excellent chess move! I would never have believed that any Allied general was capable of doing this.”

All Paris

Most of all, the Parisians feared Russian revenge. There were stories about soldiers loving violence and playing barbaric games. For example, driving people naked for flogging in the cold.

Major General Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov, one of those who signed the surrender, recalled his first trip around the captured city:

“We rode on horseback and slowly, in the deepest silence. All that could be heard was the sound of the horses’ hooves, and from time to time several faces with anxious curiosity appeared in the windows, which quickly opened and quickly closed.”

When a proclamation of the Russian Tsar appeared on the streets of houses, promising residents special patronage and protection, many townspeople rushed to the north-eastern borders of the city to get at least a glimpse of the Russian Emperor. “There were so many people in the Place Saint-Martin, the Place Louis XV and the avenue that the divisions of the regiments could hardly pass through this crowd.” Particular enthusiasm was expressed by the Parisian young ladies who grabbed the hands of foreign soldiers and even climbed onto their saddles in order to get a better look at the conqueror-liberators entering the city. The Russian emperor fulfilled his promise to the city, stopping the slightest crimes.

Cossacks in Paris

If Russian soldiers and officers could not be distinguished from Prussians and Austrians (except perhaps by their uniform), then the Cossacks were bearded, wearing trousers with stripes - the same as in the pictures in French newspapers. Only real Cossacks were kind. Delighted flocks of children ran after the Russian soldiers. And Parisian men soon began to wear beards “like the Cossacks”, and knives on wide belts, like the Cossacks.

During their stay in the French capital, the Cossacks turned the banks of the Seine into a beach area: they swam themselves and bathed their horses. “Water procedures” were taken as in their native Don - in underwear or completely naked. The popularity of the Cossacks and the great interest of Parisians in them is evidenced by the large number of references to them in French literature. George Sand's novel is even called: "Cossacks in Paris."

The Cossacks were captivated by the city, especially the beautiful girls, gambling houses and delicious wine. The Cossacks turned out to be not very gallant gentlemen: they squeezed the hands of Parisian women like bears, ate ice cream at Tortoni's on the Boulevard of Italians and stepped on the feet of visitors to the Palais Royal and the Louvre.

The Russians were seen by the French as gentle, but also not very delicate giants in their treatment. Parisian women gave the soldiers their first lessons in etiquette.

The French were frightened by the Asian cavalry regiments in the Russian army. For some reason they were horrified at the sight of the camels that the Kalmyks brought with them. French young ladies fainted when Tatar or Kalmyk warriors approached them in their caftans, hats, with bows over their shoulders, and with a bunch of arrows on their sides.

Once again about the bistro

The Parisians were amazed by their interactions with the Russians. French newspapers wrote about them as scary “bears” from a wild country where it is always cold. And the Parisians were surprised to see tall and strong Russian soldiers, who in appearance did not differ at all from the Europeans. And the Russian officers, moreover, almost all spoke French. There is a legend that soldiers and Cossacks entered Parisian cafes and hurried food peddlers: “Quickly, quickly!”, which is why eateries in Paris began to be called bistros.

However, this version is confirmed by French linguists. The first mention of the use of the word "bistrot" in French dates back to the 1880s. In addition, there are similar dialect and colloquial words, for example, bist(r)ouille, bistringue or bistroquet. The French etymological dictionary "Robert" associates bistro with dialect bistouille - "swill, bad alcohol." The Russian version qualifies it as “pure fantasy.”

The commander of the Russian occupation corps, Count Mikhail Vorontsov, paid everyone’s debts in 1818, when the last soldiers were leaving France. To do this, he had to sell the Krugloye estate.

200 years ago, on March 31, 1814, the allied army led by Russian Emperor Alexander I entered Paris. The French garrison capitulated with the right to leave Paris. The act of surrender was signed by Marshal Auguste Frederic Lou de Marmont. The Battle of Paris became one of the bloodiest for the Allied army in the 1814 campaign. In one day of fighting on March 30, the Allies lost more than 8 thousand soldiers (of which more than 6 thousand were Russian). It was the decisive battle of the French Campaign of 1814.

Napoleon wanted to continue fighting, believing that there are still chances for success. However, under pressure from his own marshals, taking into account the mood of the population and the balance of forces, he was forced to yield. On April 4, Emperor Napoleon wrote a statement of abdication in favor of his son Napoleon II. His wife Marie-Louise was to become regent. On April 6, when part of the French army went over to the Allies, Napoleon wrote an act of abdication for himself and his heirs. The Senate proclaimed Louis XVIII king. The French Empire collapsed. Napoleon was sent into honorable exile on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea.

Background. Balance of power

On March 24, the Allied command approved the plan for an attack on Paris. On March 25, the allied forces near Fer-Champenoise defeated the corps of Marshals Marmont and Mortier. At the same time, the National Guard divisions under the command of General Pacto were destroyed. On March 29, the allied armies (about 100 thousand soldiers, of which 63 thousand were Russian) came close to the front line of defense. They moved from the northeast in three columns: the right was led by Field Marshal Blücher (Russian-Prussian troops from the Silesian Army); the central one was headed by the Russian general Barclay de Tolly; The left column was commanded by the Crown Prince of Württemberg and advanced along the right bank of the Seine. Overall command in the center and on the left flank of the Allies was entrusted to the commander-in-chief of the Russian-Prussian troops in the Main Army, Barclay de Tolly. The main army was to attack the Romainville plateau, and the Silesian army was to attack Montmartre. Wrede commanded the Austro-Bavarian troops, which covered the main forces from the rear.

Napoleon at this time planned to go behind the rear of the allied armies, threatening to cut off their communications. By this he hoped to distract the Allied troops from Paris. In addition, he wanted to reach the northeastern fortresses on the border of France and, by annexing their garrisons, strengthen his army. On March 27, Napoleon learned about the Allied attack on Paris and on March 28, he left Saint-Dizier (about 180 km east of Paris) to save the capital, but was too late.

The French capital was largest city Western Europe with a population of more than 700 thousand people. Most of the city was located on the right bank of the Seine. The city was protected from three directions by the bends of the Seine and its right tributary, the Marne. In the northeast direction, from the Seine to the Marne, there was a chain of hills (of which Montmartre was the most serious). From the northeast ran the Ourcq Canal, which flowed into the Seine in the city itself. The defensive line of the capital ran along partially fortified heights: from Montmartre on the left flank through the villages of Lachapelle, Lavillette and Pantin in the center and to the Romainville hill on the right flank. The distance from the forward fortifications to the center of Paris was about 5-10 km.

On the left wing from the Seine to the Ourcq Canal (including Montmartre and Lavillette) were troops under the command of Marshals Mortier and Moncey (chief of staff of the National Guard). The right flank from the canal to the Marne, including Pantin and Romainville, was defended by Marmont's troops. Formally, Joseph Bonaparte, the emperor's viceroy in Paris, was considered the commander-in-chief. According to various sources, the capital was defended by 28-45 thousand people, including about 6-12 thousand National Guard militia. The French troops had about 150 guns.

The overall mood in Paris was gloomy. Among the ministers there were virtually no decisive and strong people, capable of leading the defense of the city in the absence of Napoleon. Talleyrand was on the side of Napoleon's opponents. King Joseph personally was a brave man, but did not have the abilities that could strengthen the defense of Paris in such emergency circumstances. He had long since despaired of protecting the capital. The arrival of the defeated corps of Marmont and Mortier further demoralized the command. The city was poorly fortified and was not prepared for a long siege; only the outposts had palisades. There were no guns to arm tens of thousands of Parisians. Moreover, there was no person who, in the absence of Napoleon, would have taken upon himself the responsibility of arming the common people.

Evgeniy Württemberg

Battle

The Allied command wanted to take the city before Napoleon's army arrived, which would have seriously complicated the situation. Therefore, we launched an assault until all forces were concentrated. At 6 a.m. on March 30, the attack on Paris began. Gelfreich's 14th Division from the Württemberg Corps attacked the village of Pantin to get ahead of the French troops, who began to move into position. General Raevsky with the 1st Infantry Corps stormed the heights of Romenville. At the same time, the Russian emperor invited the French to capitulate in order to “prevent the disasters of Paris.” According to Alexander, “willingly or unwillingly, on bayonets or in a ceremonial march, on ruins or in palaces, but today Europe must spend the night in Paris.” However, the Russian envoys were attacked and barely survived.

Panten changed hands several times, but was eventually occupied by Russian troops. As a result, Russian troops were ahead of the French troops moving into position and occupied the villages of Pantin and Romainville. If Blücher's army also managed to launch an offensive before the French took forward positions, the battle could immediately take on a catastrophic scenario for the French.

Marmont, having lined up his troops, launched a counterattack. The troops under the command of the Crown Prince of Württemberg (the future king of Württemberg) did not have time for the start of the battle, which allowed Marmont to concentrate all his forces against the corps of Prince Eugene and Raevsky. Russian troops were attacked by the division of General Compan, supported by the divisions of Ledru and Lagrange (about 5 thousand soldiers in total). The fierce battle lasted about two hours and cost the Russian troops up to 1.5 thousand people. Eugene of Württemberg, who commanded the Russian 2nd Infantry Corps, requested reinforcements from Barclay de Tolly. The Russian commander-in-chief sent two divisions of the 3rd Grenadier Corps. At the same time, he sent the Prussian-Baden Guards Brigade to Panten, and brought the Russian Guard closer to the battlefield, it stood at Noisy-le-Sec.

During the battle between the troops of the Württemberg corps and the French, Mezentsev's 5th division headed for Bagnolet, and Vlastov's brigade reinforced the 2nd corps from the left flank. Palen's light cavalry headed towards the village of Montreul and to the left of it, bypassing the French positions. At the same time, the Russian emperor ordered Langeron to attack Montmartre.

The fight was brutal. The French were able to create local superiority in forces - Marmont threw more than 12 thousand soldiers into battle, he was opposed on the Romainville plateau by only 8.2 thousand soldiers of Prince Eugene of Württemberg and Raevsky (3rd division of Prince Shakhovsky, Vlastov’s brigade, 5th division Mezentsev and Palen's light cavalry). Marmont tried to knock the Russians out of the forest near Romenval and take this village. The French were able to occupy the forest. But then they came under attack from the front and rear. At about 11 o'clock in the morning, the 4th and 34th Jaeger regiments, under the command of Colonel Stepanov and Lieutenant Colonel Rusinov, bypassed the enemy from the left flank and struck the French flank. At the same time, a battalion of the Volyn regiment (about 400 soldiers) struck the French in the rear. Almost all Volyn residents died. The losses of the parties were very significant; one chain after another dropped out. Stepanov and Rusinov died brave deaths ahead of their soldiers. However, the problem was solved. Ledru's French division suffered heavy losses and cleared the Romainville forest.

A stubborn battle raged on the Urk Canal, near the village of Panten. The divisions of Michel and Boyer occupied part of the village of Panten. General Kretov with several squadrons of cuirassiers launched a counterattack. But the terrain was inconvenient for a cavalry attack, so the French riflemen easily repulsed this attack. Gelfreich's 14th Division, especially the Jaegers, also suffered heavy losses. The brigade commander, Major General Roth, and all the staff officers of the 26th Regiment were wounded.

At noon, reinforcements sent by Barclay de Tolly arrived. The Prussian-Baden Guard of Colonel Alvensleben (3.6 thousand people) moved to Paten; 1st Grenadier Division of Choglokov (4.5 thousand people) to Romenville; Paskevich's 2nd Grenadier Division (4.5 thousand soldiers) to Montreul. Allied troops go on the offensive - they go to Pré-Saint-Gervais, Belleville, and capture Montreul. At one o'clock in the afternoon, Pyshnitsky's division attacked the village of Pre-Saint-Gervais, and several guns were recaptured from the French. The French retreated to Belleville, where they could count on the support of strong artillery batteries. However, soon Prince Eugene received an order from Barclay de Tolly to moderate his ardor until the appearance of the troops of the Crown Prince of Württemberg, which were moving along the right bank of the Seine. For two hours the battle was limited to skirmishing.

Only at Panten, which was occupied by the remnants of Gelfreich’s division, a new fierce battle took place. In the first hour, the Alvensleben brigade arrived and selected Prussian troops, who had not fought during the Campaign of 1814, decided to attack. Prince Eugene tried to dissuade them from this idea. However, the Prussians did not listen. The French had the Secretan brigade and the Curial division stationed here (about 4 thousand people in total). Four French guns were placed on the road and could fire at the exit from Pantin. Two more batteries were located at a height near Saint-Gervais and the Ur Canal. This allowed the French artillerymen to cross-fire along the road.

Lieutenant Colonel Blok with two battalions attacked the French. The advanced French forces were overturned. However, then the Prussian troops ran into powerful rifle and artillery fire. The canister volleys simply mowed down the soldiers. The lieutenant colonel himself was wounded, and the rest of the officers and many soldiers were also wounded or killed. Colonel Alvensleben brought the rest of the brigade into battle. The Prussian-Baden Guards attacked in three columns, but only suffered heavy losses. The location was very favorable for the defenders. The Prussians were forced to go on the defensive.

Advance of Blucher's army. Blucher's army was able to launch an offensive only at 11 o'clock, when Russian troops had already been fighting fiercely for several hours. Lanzheron's Russian corps (about 17 thousand people) was supposed to attack Montmartre, leaving part of the forces for the blockade of Saint-Denis. The Prussian corps of York and Kleist (18 thousand people) were given the task of occupying the villages of Lavillette and LaChapelle (La Villette and La Chapelle). The infantry of the Wintzingerode corps (12 thousand people) under the command of Count Vorontsov was in reserve.

Langeron's corps was located closest to the city, in the Le Bourget area. As soon as Langeron heard the artillery battle in the Pantin area, he, without waiting for orders, led his troops towards Paris. At 10 o'clock, the commander of the vanguard, General Emmanuel, started a battle for Oberville, which was defended by Robert's brigade (2 thousand soldiers). At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Robert's brigade was knocked out and retreated to Lachapelle. Count Langeron sent the 9th and 10th infantry corps under the command of Kaptsevich to Saint-Denis. He, having discovered that the fortified city could not be taken on the move, left three regiments with Saint-Denis under the command of Kornilov. The French garrison began a battle with Kornilov's detachment, which lasted until the evening. The Prussian corps began moving at 11 o'clock from Grand-Drancy (Drancy). They moved slowly, so the Russian troops had to move at a snail's pace and stop several times to wait for their neighbors.

During the battle, the headquarters of King Joseph (Joseph) Bonaparte was located in Montmartre. From this commanding height one could see the entire battlefield. The formal commander of the French defense was able to make sure that the main forces of the allied armies, under the personal command of the monarchs, were standing against Paris. King Joseph convened meetings to decide on the retreat of the troops. During it, Marmont's report arrived about the impossibility of continuing the battle for more than a few hours and saving the capital from the disasters that could accompany the battle in the city itself. At the same time, the Silesian Army completed its deployment. Fearing that the allies would cut off his escape route and he would be captured, the former king of Spain suddenly decided to leave Paris. He also ordered all ministers and chief dignitaries to go to Blois, where the empress and her son had already left. Marshals Marmont and Mortier received full authority to negotiate with the allied command and retreat from Paris. Thus, the army's main headquarters "evaporated."

Advance of the Corps of the Crown Prince of Württemberg. At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon the column of the Crown Prince of Württemberg also approached the capital. The crown prince's troops pushed back a small detachment of the enemy from Nogent. The troops then moved in two columns. The right column moved along the road through the forest to Vincennes, and the left - to Saint-Maur. The commander of the right column, General Stockmayer, took the blockade, which was defended by a small detachment of regular troops and the national guard, and sent one battalion to monitor the castle of Vincennes. He sent the rest of his forces to help the left column. The left column under the command of Prince Hohenlohe quite easily captured Saint-Maur, which was defended by 400 recruits with 8 guns. The French were scattered and their guns captured. The remnants of the French detachment with one gun retreated to Charenton.

Then the Crown Prince of Württemberg sent part of his forces to besiege the castle of Vincennes, and the remaining forces were sent to Charenton. The village was defended by up to 500 people with 8 guns. Allied artillery suppressed the French guns, and Prince Hohenlohe with two Württemberg battalions pushed the enemy to the bridge. The Austrian grenadiers attached to the Württemberg corps captured 5 guns and prevented the bridge to the other side of the Marne from being blown up. The French were knocked out of the bridgehead and captured 3 more guns.

The Crown Prince sent a detachment to the right bank of the Marne, he was supposed to follow the other bank to the confluence of the river with the Seine. The Austrian corps of Giulai, which followed the Württemberg corps, arrived at the battlefield only at about 4 o'clock. When the outcome of the battle for Paris was already decided by Russian troops in the center of the enemy position. Therefore, the entire participation of the Austrian army in the capture of Paris was limited to the investment of the Vincennes castle along with the Württemberg troops.

Continuation of the offensive of Barclay de Tolly's troops. There was an operational pause in the Romainville area until three o'clock. The opponents exchanged fire, regrouping forces upset by the battle. Reinforcements were brought up. At three o'clock, when the Silesian army had already stormed the positions of Mortier's forces, and Württemberg troops had arrived on the left flank, Barclay de Tolly decided to continue the offensive in the center. General Lambert received an order with the Grenadier Corps to support the troops fighting on the Romainville plateau, and General Ermolov with the Life Grenadier and Pavlovsky Regiment moved to Panten. Behind them came the entire remaining guard under the command of Miloradovich.

Mezentsev's 5th division, under the command of Raevsky and Prince Gorchakov, drove Arrighi's division out of Bagnolet. The French retreated to Sharonne. Marmont, fearing that Arrighi's division would be cut off from the rest of the forces, ordered it to move to the left. Prince Gorchakov occupied Sharonne. Russian troops reached the Fontarabia outpost, which was defended by a battalion of the National Guard with 4 guns. At the same time, part of Palen's cavalry reached Vincennes and in a surprise attack captured 25 guns from the artillery column (28 guns), which came from the Throne Outpost. The weak cover of the guns was killed or captured. However, it was not possible to hold all the guns. Colonel Ordener with the 30th Dragoons and a strong detachment of the National Guard came to the rescue of the guns. Palen could not throw all his forces into battle, and retreated, taking away 9 guns.

Other Russian troops were also advancing. The 4th division of Pyshnitsky, with the support of the grenadier Choglokov and the cuirassier Stahl, advanced on Pre-Saint-Gervais. Compan's division was overturned. As a result of all of Marmont’s troops, only Ricard’s small division remained in columns at the Brier park; the remaining troops were frustrated and scattered in rifle chains. Marmont, trying to stop the advance of the Russian troops, tried to counterattack with one of the brigades of Ricard's division. However, when his troops emerged from the park, they were frustrated by grapeshot fire. The marshal's horse was killed. General Pellepoort was wounded. The cuirassier attack completed the rout. General Clavel and up to the infantry battalion were captured. Marshal Marmont was saved by the courage of Colonel Genezer. He with 200 soldiers came out of the park and launched a surprise attack on the Russian troops. This saved the marshal; he took the remaining troops to Belleville.

At the last French position near Belleville, Marmont had about 5 thousand soldiers left. It should be noted that during this battle the French cavalry on the right flank was practically inactive. The terrain was rugged with an abundance of forests and parks. Apparently, in the Saint-Denis valley, the French cavalry could be used with great success.

Barclay de Tolly, after capturing the Brier park, prepared the last decisive blow, which was supposed to shoot down the remaining French troops and go directly to the city. Mezentsev's division, despite heavy enemy artillery fire, broke into the village of Menilmontagne. Paskevich's grenadiers attacked from Farzho Park and captured 7 guns. The French cavalry was forced to retreat into the city. Count Palen drove back the French who occupied Petit Charonne. Prince Eugene of Württemberg with Shakhovsky's division and Vlastov's brigade occupied the Mont-Louis cemetery and captured 8 guns that were located there.

The French division of Boyer, defending Pré-Saint-Gervais, began to retreat. She was attacked from the front and rear. The attack of the Polish lancers allowed the French to retreat to Belleville. However, 17 guns went to the 4th Division. Russian troops reached Belleville and began to bypass Marmont's flanks. Ermolov installed a battery and began to destroy Parisian neighborhoods. Marmont, seeing that he was surrounded, gathered the remaining troops and, at the head of the shock column, together with generals Ricard, Boudin and Meinadier, moved to break through. Ricard was wounded, the marshal's clothes were pierced by bullets in several places, but he survived. The French were able to break through the line of skirmishers and retreated to the plateau behind Belleville. The Russians installed batteries on the heights directly near the city and hit the nearest suburbs with grenades. The Prussian-Baden Alvensleben Brigade also advanced successfully. The Prussians captured 10 guns and reached the Panten outpost. It was a difficult day for the brigade; it lost up to half of its personnel.

Actions of Blucher's army. On the left flank, the French position was also hopeless. Blucher sent part of the forces of his left flank to assist the Russian troops at Panten. Initially they came under heavy artillery fire and stopped, but then broke the enemy's resistance. The Prussians defeated part of Boye's division, capturing 5 guns.

Mortier occupied Lavillette with Curial's division (1.8 thousand soldiers), and Lachapelle with Charpentier's division (1.5 thousand people). The Prussian hussars overthrew the French dragoons, capturing 14 guns. At 4 o'clock the Russian 13th and 14th Jaeger regiments broke into Lavilette. They were supported by the 1st Bug Cossack Regiment and other units. From the direction of the Urk Canal, soldiers of the Brandenburg Reserve Regiment and the 14th Silesian Landwehr Regiment burst into the village. The French were driven out of Lavillette. General Christiani counterattacked, trying to recapture Lavilette, but he was hit in the rear by riflemen of the Prussian Guard, who crossed the canal. Christiani retreated to the outpost, but recaptured 4 guns.

Horn's division, followed by Kleist's corps, captured Lachapelle. The troops of Charpentier and Robert retreated to the city. The French cavalry also retreated to the city. Langeron's troops advanced on Montmartre, which was defended by motley detachments of different legions of the National Guard, conscript recruits, invalids, etc. The height was covered by up to 30 guns. The French still held the dominant heights, but the fate of the battle was decided in this direction as well.

Negotiation

At 4 o'clock Marmont informed Mortier about the situation on the right flank and asked to be informed about the situation on the left flank. He also said that he intends to begin negotiations. Mortier, whom the king's envoy did not reach, said that it was necessary to obtain permission from King Joseph. However, he had not been there for several hours. Marmont, knowing about the king’s departure and having the authority to open negotiations, sent envoys with a proposal for a truce.

General Langrange reached the allied monarchs. Emperor Alexander I gave the following answer: “He will order to stop the battle if Paris is surrendered: otherwise by the evening they will not know the place where the capital was.” Alexander refused to stop the offensive, but sent his adjutant, Colonel Orlov, to Marmon. The Russian envoy informed the marshal that the Russian emperor wanted to save Paris for France and the whole world. The French troops had to retreat behind the outposts. And the command to form a commission for the surrender of Paris.

At about 5 o'clock the fire stopped along the entire line of the Main Army; the Silesian Army still continued its offensive. On the Allied side, negotiations were conducted by Count Nesselrode, Colonel Orlov, and Schwarzenberg's adjutant Count Parr.

At this time, Langeron's troops - the 8th Corps of Rudzevich, the 10th Corps of Kaptsevich, attacked the heights of Montmartre. As Langeron wrote: “the fearlessness, order and speed of the columns attacking Montmartre are beyond all praise, and in the course of the 19 campaigns he made, he saw nothing like this, except for the Izmail assault...” The French managed to fire only two shots before the lower battery was captured. The upper battery fired a salvo from all guns, but also failed. The French cavalry tried to counterattack but were repulsed. Within a few minutes, 29 guns, 60 charging wagons and 150 people were captured; the rest of the French died or fled to the city.

After the capture of Montmartre, Langeron received an order from Alexander to stop the fighting. The good news that the surrender of Paris was near spread throughout the troops. Langeron also set up guards at city outposts, positioned troops on the heights and installed 84 guns on them, directing them at city blocks. Rudzevich was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class, for the storming of Montmartre, and Langeron was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

At 2 a.m. on March 31, the capitulation of Paris was signed in the village of Lavillette. By morning the French army had to leave the capital. At noon on March 31, 1814, parts of the allied army, mainly the Russian and Prussian guards, led by Emperor Alexander I, triumphantly entered the French capital. The last time enemy troops were in Paris was in the 15th century during the Hundred Years' War.

Results

The Battle of Paris was one of the bloodiest in the 1814 campaign: the Allied forces lost more than 8 thousand people. Of these, more than 6 thousand people were Russians, more than 2 thousand people were Prussians. The Württemberg corps lost about 180 people. According to other sources, the Allies lost more than 9 thousand people. The exact French losses are unknown. Sources report about 4 thousand people. The Allies captured 114 guns, of which 70 were captured by Russian soldiers. Barclay de Tolly was promoted to field marshal, and Prince Eugene of Württemberg was promoted to infantry general. Blücher received princely dignity, General York received the title of Count of Wartenburg, etc.

The Battle of Paris led to the collapse of Napoleon's empire. On March 25 (April 6) at Fontainebleau, the French emperor, under pressure from his marshals, abdicated the throne. He was exiled to the island of Elba off the Italian coast. The French throne was transferred to the Bourbon dynasty. On May 30, 1814, the Treaty of Paris was signed between the participants of the sixth anti-French coalition (Russia, England, Austria and Prussia), on the one hand, and France, on the other. France returned to its 1792 borders.

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Exactly 200 years ago, on March 19 (31), 1814, Russian troops entered Paris in a solemn march.

Jubilant crowds of townspeople greeted them as liberators. Unlike the “civilized French” who ruined Moscow, the Russians brought peace and hope for a better life to the Parisians.

This was the end of the adventure begun by Napoleon in June 1812. Before the invasion of Russia, he told the French envoy to the King of Saxony, Abbot Dominique Dufour Pradt: “In five years I will be the master of the world: only Russia remains, but I will crush it!” Less than two years had passed before the contender for world domination found himself on the Elbe, and the Russians in Paris.

"Invasion twelve languages"

To appreciate what happened on the last day of March 1814 on the banks of the Seine, it is necessary to remember the summer of 1812, when Russia suffered a terrible blow. The “Great Army” of the hitherto invincible Napoleon invaded Russia.

We had to fight almost all of continental Europe. French historians Ernest Lavisse and Alfred Rambaud calculated that of the 678 thousand soldiers in Napoleon's army, the French made up 355,913 thousand. “The Grand Army is not a French project, but an international one, later similar to NATO,” emphasizes historian Kirill Serebrenitsky. “The Grande Armée is a unique instrument created by Napoleon: whoever commands the pan-continental armed forces controls Europe.”

It would not be an exaggeration to note that in 1812 the fate of Europe was decided on the battlefields of Russia. The Russian poet Pyotr Vyazemsky thought so too. He wrote: “The invasion of Russia was a European event, almost a global one. The suffering, misfortunes of the people during the war, the donations generously made by them... were aimed not only at ensuring the independence of the Russian state, but also at pacifying Europe.”

Emperor Alexander I, who understood the threat looming over the Russian Empire, immediately sent his emissary to Napoleon - Adjutant General Alexander Balashov. While he was looking for Napoleon, the French were moving deeper into Russia. Ironically, Balashov’s meeting with the French emperor took place in Vilna in the very office where just a few days earlier he had received an assignment from the Russian emperor. Having rejected the offer to make peace, Bonaparte, according to Balashov’s memoirs, allegedly asked what roads led to Moscow. And he proudly replied that they were different, but the Swedish king Charles XII preferred the one passing through Poltava. However, historians doubt that these words were actually spoken by Balashov.

Be that as it may, Napoleon chose his path to Moscow. It ran past the village of Borodino. Happened there grand battle, about which Napoleon said in his declining years: “Of all my battles, the most terrible is the one I fought near Moscow. The French showed themselves worthy of winning, and the Russians showed themselves worthy of being called invincible.”

After the Battle of Borodino, our commander-in-chief Mikhail Golenishchev-Kutuso decided to leave Moscow. When Napoleon went to Poklonnaya Hill on September 1 (13), 1812, the view of Moscow that opened from it delighted him - the Russian city shining in the sun was so magnificent. The mood of the French emperor was spoiled by the fact that the Moscow “boyars” never brought him the keys to the throne.

Europeans in Moscow

When the French entered the city, it amazed them with its beauty. “My surprise upon entering Moscow was mixed with admiration. The mansions of private individuals were like palaces, and everything was rich and delightful,” the commissariat official Prosper noted in a letter.

The admiration for Moscow among the Europeans who entered it quickly gave way to a desire to plunder. The taking of the throne was celebrated by the soldiers and officers of the “Great Army” with a drinking party. However, very soon the unbridled joy of the invaders was overshadowed by the outbreak of an unprecedented fire.

For my centuries-old history Moscow burned repeatedly (Ivan the Terrible’s grandfather Grand Duke Ivan III personally participated in extinguishing fires more than once), but this was the first time this happened. The fire broke out at different ends almost simultaneously. Then there were persistent rumors that the city in different parts of it was set on fire by the Muscovites themselves. The fire was so strong that in a few days three-quarters of the buildings burned down, and with them supplies of firewood and hay. On September 4 (16), Napoleon had to leave the Kremlin for the Petrovsky Palace for 4 days.

The Parisian newspaper “Moniteur” wrote about the Moscow fire on October 14: “With great difficulty, one might still believe that the arson of Moscow was a fit of despair from the inability to stop the advance of the French army and that this is why the Russians were forced to do this, leaving their capital...

Now we can confidently say that this very fire was planned in advance and that the devastation of the city was carefully calculated. Thus, the feelings that can be expressed about this are surprise and annoyance. Never before have we encountered such a cold-blooded devastation of the capital. Rostopchin's assistants, namely the five thousand bandits whom he released from prison, passed torches from hand to hand and carried them throughout all quarters of the city to light a fire everywhere. In order for the fire to spread with great speed, the arsonists observed which direction the wind was blowing from and set the fire so that the fire would immediately spread to neighboring buildings with the help of the wind. In most houses, tow moistened with resin and tar was found, as well as sulfur, which was placed under wooden stairs, in carriage houses, in stables, and other outbuildings. To create fire from the outside of houses, sheaves of straw and haystacks tied with ropes were used, as well as cannon wicks.

Our soldiers also found fire flares, which were made with such care that once they were lit, it was impossible to extinguish them... But what seems completely incredible and implausible is that the French, wanting to stop the fire, could not find a single suitable item , suitable for extinguishing fire. The firefighters themselves were forced to leave this unfortunate city, which was condemned with cold blood to destruction. And such composure outrages humanity.”

French journalists, true to the principle of double standards, did not consider it necessary to inform “humanity” that the “Grand Army”, having barely crossed the threshold of the ancient capital of our Motherland, began to drink, rob, kill and rape. “Half of this city was burned by the Russians themselves, but robbed by us,” General L. J. Grando admitted in a letter.

French newspapers did not write about the melting down of church utensils to extract precious metals. They also did not report that after the rain put out the fire, for more than a month Napoleon’s soldiers burned everything they could get their hands on in the streets and squares of the capital. They cooked food on fires, throwing icons, books, expensive furniture and paintings. The soldiers burned everything that burned! The fire destroyed “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which was in the collection of the Moscow collector, Count Alexei Musin-Pushkin. And the French generals, in order not to freeze in the mansions of the Russian nobles they captured, heated the stoves with parquet.

“Everywhere large fires were lit from mahogany furniture, window frames and gilded doors, around these fires, on a thin bed of wet and dirty straw, under the protection of several boards, soldiers and officers, stained in mud and blackened by smoke, sat or lay in armchairs and on sofas covered with silk. At their feet lay piles of cashmere fabrics, precious Siberian furs, woven with gold from Persian mothers, and in front of them were silver dishes on which they had to eat cakes made of black dough, baked under ashes, and half-roasted and still bloody horse meat,” recalled the brigadier general from the retinue of the French emperor, Count Philippe Paul de Segur.

The order of September 23 to guards division F.B.J.F.Curial. It says, in particular: “The marshal of the court was animatedly indignant that, despite repeated prohibitions, the soldier continues to relieve himself in all corners and even under the windows of the emperor.”

In the altar of the main church in the Kremlin Miracle Monastery, Marshal Louis Nicolas Davout built himself a bedroom. Cathedral of the TransfigurationOn Bor, the occupiers used it as stables and a warehouse for storing loot. In the Church of the Resurrection of the Word, they damaged the cross, roof and iconostasis, and stole some of the utensils and icons. In the Verkhospassky Cathedral, the Europeans plundered and desecrated everything that was not taken away by the Muscovites. The royal doors were burned, and the vestments were torn from the icons. After the expulsion of the French, bones were discovered on the throne in the cathedral (he served dining table), there were empty bottles on the floor, and there were beds in the dining room.

On September 16 (28), a second fire started in the city. This time the arson was carried out by soldiers from the so-called “civilized Europe”, maddened by robberies.

The list of atrocities committed by the “Great Army” in Moscow can be continued for a long time. Needless to say, it was not only the Mother See that suffered, but the entire territory through which the invaders from Europe passed.

On October 6 (18), Golenishchev-Kutuzov’s troops suddenly struck the corps of Marshal Joachim Murat, stationed on the Chernishna River near Tarutin. Having lost 5 thousand people, Murat retreated. This defeat was the last straw that broke Napoleon's patience. The Emperor decided to leave Moscow.

The picture of the French flight from Moscow on the morning of October 7 (19) was drawn by academician Evgeniy Tarle: “An endless string of diverse crews and carts with provisions and property looted in Moscow followed the army. Discipline was so weakened that even Marshal Davout stopped shooting disobedient people who, under various pretexts and all sorts of tricks, tried to put valuable things captured in the city into carts, although there were not enough horses even for artillery. The leaving army with this endless convoy was a colossally stretched line... After a whole day of continuous marches, by the evening of October 7 (19), the army and convoy, walking along the wide Kaluga road, where eight carriages moved freely side by side, had not yet completely left the city.”

Retreating, annoyed by the unsuccessful course of the war, Napoleon gave the order to Marshal Edouard Adolphe Casimir Mortier to blow up the Kremlin. The subsequent events were outlined by the 19th-century historian Mikhail Fabritius in his “History of the Moscow Kremlin,” which was published more than 130 years ago:

“On the night of October 11-12, Mortier left Moscow and, moving a short distance from it, gave the signal for the explosion of the Kremlin with a cannon shot. The earth shook, all the buildings trembled; even at a great distance from the Kremlin, glass in the windows broke; in many houses in the city, ceilings and walls collapsed... The consequences of the explosions were, however, not as devastating for the Kremlin as might have been expected. Part of the Arsenal and the adjacent eastern Kremlin wall and the top of the tower at the Nikolsky Gate were destroyed... A part of the southern wall of the Kremlin with three towers was blown up: Petrovskaya with the abolished Church of Moscow St. Peter the Metropolitan, Rozhdestvenskaya with its former church and Filaretovskaya, which is near Ivanovo Bell Tower. The Ivanovo Bell Tower itself cracked from top to bottom and shook at its foundation, but stood firm and has stood unshakable ever since. The Coal Water Tower flew into the air and with its remains covered the embankment and the river; in its place a column of dust and smoke rose high up. To everyone’s surprise and joy, all the palaces, cathedrals, churches and monasteries in the Kremlin survived. The rain that poured in during the time flooded several mines and tunnels in the Kremlin ... "

Foreign campaign of the Russian army

The heroic Russian army did not need even six months to defeat the “invincible” Napoleonic “ Great Army"and throw her out of bounds Russian Empire. Abandoning the remnants of his troops on the Berezina, Bonaparte fled to France. French newspapers, like the press of the states that fought on Napoleon's side, reported the whereabouts of the emperor only after his arrival in Paris. The emperor himself admitted: “In the current state of affairs, I can only inspire respect in Europe from the palace in the Tuileries.” However, Napoleon would cease to be himself if he took energetic measures to form new army. By the spring of 1813, he had solved this problem.

Russia was not going to stop at expelling the enemy from its territory. The peoples of Europe had to be liberated from the yoke of the French enslavers. Noteworthy is Kutuzov’s warning contained in his order: “We will cross the borders and succeed in completing the defeat of the enemy on his own fields. But let us not follow the example of our enemies in their violence and frenzy, which humiliates the soldier. They burned our houses, cursed at the holy things, and you saw how the right hand of the Most High righteously noted their wickedness. Let us be generous and make a distinction between the enemy and the civilian.”

On January 1 (13), 1813, the Main Russian Army under the command of Field Marshal Kutuzov crossed the western border of the Russian Empire along the ice of the Neman. During January, the eastern part of Prussia was liberated from the French occupiers.

The beginning of the campaign was overshadowed by the death of the commander-in-chief. Russian patriot Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuso died on April 16 (28) at 21:35 in Bunzlau (now Polish Boleslawiec). His adjutant Alexander Mikhailovsky-Dan Ilevsky, who was present at the death of the famous military leader and diplomat, wrote: “The sunset of his days was beautiful, like the sunset of a luminary that illuminated a magnificent day during its course; but it was impossible to watch without particular sorrow how our famous leader faded away, when, during his illnesses, the deliverer of Russia gave me orders, lying in bed, in such a weak voice that it was hardly possible to hear his words. However, his memory was very fresh, and he repeatedly dictated several pages to me non-stop.”

Trouble does not come alone. On May 2, at the Battle of Lutzen (near Leipzig), Napoleon defeated the Russian-Prussian army. A week later, history repeated itself at the Battle of Bautzen. Russian-Prussian troops had to withdraw to the eastern bank of the Elbe.

Fortunately, in the spring of 1813, the hero of the War of 1812, General Barclay de Tolly, returned to duty. He led the 3rd Army and took the Thorn fortress. And after the battle of Bautzen, Barclay de Tolly again received the post of commander-in-chief.

"Battle of the Nations"

Summer of 1813 military campaign went with varying degrees of success. In August, Austria went over to the side of the anti-Napoleonic coalition (although Emperor Franz II was Bonaparte’s father-in-law). The balance of power changed not in Napoleon's favor. According to military historians, on the eve of the decisive battles, Russia had a group of 175 thousand people (including 107 thousand infantry, 28 thousand cavalry, 26 thousand Cossacks) with 648 guns. In addition, near Danzig, which was defended by the French corps of General Rap, there were another 30 thousand bayonets with 59 guns. The active forces of the allied Prussia numbered 170 thousand soldiers and officers with 376 guns. Austria fielded 110 thousand, Sweden - 28 thousand, small German states - 13 thousand people. Summing up, we get 525 thousand soldiers and officers. For comparison, Napoleon at that time had approximately 420 thousand people and more than a thousand guns.

At the end of September, Napoleon concentrated his main forces at Leipzig. It was in the vicinity of this German city that the famous “Battle of the Nations” took place, which lasted from October 4 (16) to October 7 (19), 1813. Half a million Russians, French, Germans, Austrians, Swedes, Poles, Italians, Swiss, Dutch, Hungarians, Croats, Belgians, etc. took part in it.

The Allied armies approached Leipzig separately, which gave Napoleon the opportunity to do what he loved - beat the enemy piece by piece. Austrian Field Marshal Karl Philipp von Schwarzenberg was appointed commander-in-chief of the coalition forces. It is noteworthy that a year ago he commanded a corps in Napoleonic army, and a few weeks before the “Battle of the Nations” he was defeated by the French near Dresden.

Schwarzenberg commanded the Bohemian Army (133 thousand people, 578 guns), which found itself in the Leipzig area in early October. The Silesian Army of Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht Blucher (60 thousand people, 315 guns) also came there. These two armies opposed Napoleon on the first day of the battle of Leipzig.

On the morning of October 4 (16), Schwarzenberg launched an attack on the southern approaches to the city, attacking Russian troops under the command of Barclay de Tolly. A stubborn battle ensued, which at first went with varying degrees of success. But by 15 o'clock Napoleon threw the cavalry of Marshal Joachim Murat into battle. Having crushed the defenses, she found herself close to the hill on which the headquarters of the allied monarchs was located. To prevent their capture, the personal guard of Alexander I rushed into the attack - His Imperial Majesty’s Own convoy under the command of Lieutenant General Vasily Orlov-Denisov.

The first day of the battle did not bring decisive success to either side. Napoleon only managed to push back the Bohemian army. But Blucher's Silesian army came close to Leipzig.

The opponents spent October 5 (17) inactive. More precisely, they collected the wounded, received reinforcements and ammunition. However, if Napoleon received 25 thousand soldiers and officers, then two more armies approached the allies - the Northern, commanded by the Swedish Crown Prince Karl Johan (aka the former Napoleonic Marshal Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte) consisting of 58 thousand people and 256 guns, and Polish - under the command of Russian general Leonty Bennigsen (54 thousand soldiers and 186 guns).

The next day, the largest battle in the history of the Napoleonic wars unfolded, in which half a million people took part on both sides. The opponents showed extreme tenacity in the battle, but at the decisive moment of the battle, the Saxons, who fought on the side of Napoleon, went over to the side of the allies with unfurled banners. And although the troops loyal to Napoleon continued to fight, they could no longer count on success.

On the morning of October 19 - the anniversary of the French withdrawal from Moscow - it became finally clear to Napoleon that he had lost the battle. Bonaparte gave the order to withdraw troops across the bridge over the Elster River. The retreat was covered by units of Marshals Jozef Poniatowski and Jacques Etienne Joseph Alexander MacDonald. The French failed to retreat in an organized manner. Hearing the painfully familiar Russian “hurray!”, panicked French sappers blew up the bridge. About 20 thousand French were abandoned to their fate. Even Marshals MacDonald and Poniatowski had to cross the river on horseback. If the first of them managed to cross the river, then the Pole, who had only been promoted to marshal by Napoleon the day before, drowned. Many French did not risk their lives and surrendered.

In the battle, Russian troops showed steadfastness and massive heroism. Historian Nikolai Shefov writes: “For example, the feat of the corporal of the Life Guards of the Finnish Regiment L.L. Korenny, who, after the death of his comrades, alone fought off the French surrounding him, is known. The guardsman received 18 wounds, but did not surrender. As a sign of respect for his courage, the French took the wounded hero to the hospital, where Napoleon ended up at that moment. Having learned about the brave Russian, the emperor ordered not only to release him, but also to mark him in the army order as an example to his soldiers. This was the only time when Russian soldier was noted in Napoleon's order."

Special mention must be made about the role of Russian soldiers, officers and generals in the “Battle of the Nations”. They were the ones who fought in the most difficult areas and suffered heavy losses. Nine of our generals laid down their lives in the “Battle of the Nations.” Among them is the favorite of the soldiers, the hero of the Smolensk and Borodino battles, Dmitry Neverovsky. During the battle, the commander of the 27th division was wounded in the leg, but remained in the saddle until the last opportunity. The Russian patriot was operated on, but doctors were unable to save him from gangrene. In the last minutes of his life, being unconscious, Neverovsky called the soldiers to attack: “Forward! On bayonets!

The road from Leipzig to Paris

After the defeat at Leipzig, Napoleon lost all his conquests in Germany and went to France. And the anti-Napoleonic coalition was replenished by the accession of Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg and other German states that had previously fought on the side of France.

In early 1814, two Allied armies invaded France. The main (formerly Bohemian) army, consisting of Russian, German and Austro-Hungarian units, was commanded by the Austrian field marshal Schwarzenberg. The Russian-Prussian Silesian Army was led by Prussian Field Marshal Blücher.

True to his strategy of hitting the enemy piecemeal, Napoleon inflicted sensitive blows on his allies and quickly escaped pursuit. And then the Corsican Count Charles Andre Pozzo di Borgo, who hated Napoleon, gave the allies advice: “We must strive to end the war not by military means, but by political means... Touch Paris with just your finger, and Napoleon will be overthrown, you will break his sword...”

Information from the French capital also prompted the same decision. From there they reported that Parisians were tired of the war. As a result, the decision was made to march on Paris. In order to mislead Napoleon, a 10,000-strong cavalry corps under the command of General Ferdinand Winzengerode was sent against him. Napoleon defeated him and at the same time... lost Paris.

As presented by historian Oleg Airapetov, the course of events appears as follows: “On March 13 (25), 12 thousand Russian cavalrymen with 94 guns defeated a barrier of two French corps (23 thousand with 84 guns) near Fer-Champenoise. The Allied armies (100 thousand people, 64 thousand of them Russians) moved towards Paris. On March 29 they reached the city and on March 30 they stormed the Belleville Heights and Montmartre. The garrison of the city put up stubborn resistance, but with the loss of the heights dominating the city it was doomed. Having learned about this, Napoleon moved to the rescue of his capital, but it was too late. On March 30, 1814, its 45,000-strong garrison surrendered.”

The surrender was signed at 2 a.m. on March 19 (31) in the village of Lavilette. During the capture of Paris, the allied forces lost 9 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 6 thousand of them were Russian. In honor of the capture of the capital of France, Russia issued a medal “For the Capture of Paris.” Barclay de Tolly received the field marshal's baton, and generals A.I. Gorchakov, A.P. Ermolov, P.P. Palen 2nd, N.N. Raevsky, A.Ya. Rudzevich were awarded the Order of St. George of the second degree.

A few days after the capitulation of Paris, Napoleon signed an abdication for himself and his heirs.

The grandiose victories of 1812–1814 ensured Russia a leading role in Europe and the security of its own borders for forty years.