Russia Against Napoleon (94 page)

28 I. Radozhitskii,
Pokhodnyia zapiski artillerista s
1812
po
1816
god
, 3 vols., Moscow, 1835, vol. 1, p. 67.

29 See e.g. Löwenstern,
Mémoires
, vol. 1, p. 209. In defence of Ostermann-Tolstoy, see I. I. Lazhechnikov, ‘Neskol’ko zametok i vospominanii po povodu stat’i “Materialy dlia biografii A. P. Ermolova”’,
Russkii vestnik
, 31/6, 1864, pp. 783–819. On Ostermann-Tolstoy’s appearance, see Serge Glinka,
Pis’ma russkogo ofitsera
, Moscow, 1987, p. 316.

30 On the Ingermanland Dragoons, see V. I. Genishta and A. T. Borisovich,
Istoriia 3-go dragunskago Ingermanlandskago polka
1704–1904, SPB, 1904, pp. 172–5, and
prilozhenie
7. One cannot be absolutely sure that all five promoted NCOs were not nobles but they were certainly not
junkers
, in other words officer cadets. See G. P. Meshetich, ‘Istoricheskie zapiski voiny rossiian s frantsuzami i dvadtsat’iu plemenami 1812, 1813, 1814 i 1815 godov’, in
Vospominaniia voinov russkoi armii: Iz Sobraniia otdela pis’mennykh istochnikov gosudarstvennogo istoricheskogo muzeia
, Moscow, 1991, pp. 39–102, at pp. 42–3.

31 Radozhitskii,
Pokhodnyia zapiski
, pp. 32–3.

32 Here as elsewhere in this chapter my narrative owes much to M. Bogdanovich,
Istoriia otechestvennoi voiny
1812
goda
, 3 vols., SPB, 1859–60, supported in all moments of uncertainty by
Entsiklopediia
. On the decision to retreat from Vitebsk, see e.g. Barclay’s explanation to Alexander of 22 July 1812 (OS),
MVUA
1812, 14, no. 196, pp. 195–6.

33 See e.g. Barclay’s letter to Alexander of 15 July 1812 (OS) in
MVUA
1812, 14, no. 136, pp. 136–7. On Peter Pahlen, see M. Bogdanovich, ‘Graf Petr Petrovich fon der Palen i ego vremia’,
VS
, 7/8, 1864, pp. 410–25. General Gourgaud as usual defends Napoleon from these attacks but does so partly by blurring the timing of the Russian decision to retreat: Général Gourgaud,
Napoléon et la Grande Armée en Russie ou Examen critique de l’ouvrage de M. le Comte de Ségur
, Paris, 1826, pp. 132–6.

34 Duc de Fezensac,
Souvenirs militaires
, Paris, 1863, pp. 221–2; Philippe de Ségur,
History of the Expedition to Russia,
1812, 2 vols., Stroud, 2005, vol. 1, p. 145.

35 ‘Zapiski Paskevicha’, in Kharkevich (ed.), 1812
god
, vol. 1, pp. 82–119, at p. 96. ‘Zhurnal uchastnika voiny 1812 goda’,
VIS
, 1/3, 1913, pp. 155–72, at pp. 152–3.

36
SIM
, 5, no. 1, 1 August 1812 (OS), Ermolov to Alexander, pp. 411–14.

37
MVUA
1812, 14, no. 257, Alexander to Barclay, 28 July 1812 (OS), pp. 263–4. N. Dubrovin (ed.),
Otechestvennaia voina v pis’makh sovremennikov
, Moscow, 2006, no. 60, Alexander to Barclay, 30 July 1812 (OS), pp. 68–9.

38
MVUA
1812, 16, no. 59, Barclay to Alexander, 9 Aug. 1812 (OS), pp. 47–8.

39
MVUA
1812, 16, no. 92, Barclay to Alexander, 16 Aug. 1812 (OS), pp. 76–7; 17, Barclay to Chichagov, 31 July 1812 (OS), pp. 167–8; Barclay to Kutuzov, 17 Aug. 1812 (OS), pp. 186–7.

40 Löwenstern,
Mémoires
, vol. 1, p. 220. Bogdanovich,
Istoriia
…1812
goda
, vol. 1, pp. 234–5.

41
MVUA
1812, 14, no. 277, Bagration to Barclay, 30 July 1812 (OS), pp. 280–81.

42 Golubeva (ed.),
General Bagration
, no. 129, Bagration to Arakcheev, 29 July 1812 (OS), p. 226.

43 e.g. Popov,
Istoriia 48-go pekhotnago Odesskago polka
, 2 vols., Moscow, 1911, vol. 1, pp. 7–26. D. V. Dushenkovich, ‘Iz moikh vospominanii ot 1812 goda do 1815 goda’, in 1812
god v vospominaniiakh sovremennikov
, Moscow, 1995, pp. 103–35.

44 Baron Fain,
Manuscrit de Mil Huit Cent Douze
, Paris, 1827, p. 359.

45 Dushenkovich, ‘Iz moikh vospominanii’, in 1812
god v vospominaniiakh
, p. 111.

46 ‘Zapiski Paskevicha’, in Kharkevich (ed.), 1812
god
, vol. 1, pp. 99–103.

47 There is a good discussion of these issues in A. G. Tartakovskii,
Nerazgadannyi Barklai
, Moscow, 1996, pp. 103–8.

48 ‘Zamechaniia I. P. Liprandi na “Opisanie Otechestvennoi voiny 1812 goda” Mikhailovskago-Danilevskago’, in Kharkevich (ed.), 1812
god
, vol. 2, pp. 1–35, at pp. 15–16. Dushenkovich, ‘Iz moikh vospominanii’, p. 111.

49 P. A. Geisman,
Svita Ego Imperatorskogo Velichestva po kvartirmeisterskoi chasti v tsarstvovanie Imperatora Aleksandra I
, SVM, 4/2/1, SPB, 1902, pp. 313–14. The best source on overburdening is the memoirs of Nikolai Muravev: ‘Zapiski’.

50 Much the best sources on this action are Bogdanovich,
Istoriia
…1812, vol. 1, pp. 285–9, and Eugen,
Memoiren
, vol. 2, book 2, pp. 18–41.

51 F. von Schubert,
Unter dem Doppeladler
, Stuttgart, 1962, p. 97.

52 Kharkevich (ed.), 1812
god
, vol. 1, p. 13 (‘Zapiski Shcherbinina’) and pp. 219–24 (‘Iz vospominanii grafa Orlova-Denisova’).
SIM
, 5, no. 2, Ermolov to Alexander, 10 Aug. 1812 (OS), pp. 414–17.

53 T. Lentz,
Nouvelle histoire du Premier Empire
, 3 vols., Paris, 2004–7, vol. 2, p. 324.

54 Schubert,
Doppeladler
, pp. 203–4.

Chapter 6: Borodino and the Fall of Moscow

1 The best source on Riga’s defences is I. G. Fabritsius,
Glavnoe inzhenernoe upravlenie
, SVM, 7, SPB, 1902, pp. 355–9. As always, M. I. Bogdanovich,
Istoriia otechestvennoi voiny
1812
goda
, 3 vols., SPB, 1859–60 (here vol. 1, pp. 340–43) and the many relevant entries in
Entsiklopediia
, are also invaluable. See
VS
, 53/11, 1910, pp. 30–38 for the memoirs of General Emme, the commandant of the Riga fortress: these are interesting but perhaps a little unfair to General Essen.

2 I derive all troop strengths for 1812 from the relevant entries in
Entsiklopediia
, unless otherwise stated. For Wittgenstein’s instructions, see
MVUA
1812, 17, Barclay to Wittgenstein, 4 July 1812 (OS), pp. 134–5.

3 Bogdanovich,
Istoriia
…1812, vol. 1, pp. 351–2, makes the point about experience in the Finnish war but see too e.g. two regimental histories: Captain Geniev,
Istoriia Pskovskago pekhotnago general-fel’dmarshala kniazia Kutuzova-Smolenskago polka:
1730–1831, Moscow, 1883, pp. 178–82; S. A. Gulevich,
Istoriia 8-go pekhotnago Estliandskago polka
, SPB, 1911, pp. 128–41. On morale in Wittgenstein’s corps and the impact of victory, see V. Kharkevich (ed.), 1812
god v dnevnikakh, zapiskakh i vospominaniiakh sovremennikov
, 4 vols., Vilna, 1900–1907, ‘Zapiski A. I. Antonovskago’, vol. 3, pp. 72–3.

4 See e.g. comments by Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, in A. G. Tartakovskii (ed.),
Voennye dnevniki
, Moscow, 1990, pp. 333, 345.

5 On d’Auvray, see e.g. F. von Schubert,
Unter dem Doppeladler
, Stuttgart, 1962, p. 58; on Sukhozhanet, see e.g., N. M. Zatvornitskii,
Pamiat’ o chlenakh voennago soveta
, SVM, 3/4, SPB, 1906, pp. 141 ff.

6 On Diebitsch, see e.g. the comments of Aleksandr Chicherin: L. G. Beskrovnyi (ed.),
Dnevnik Aleksandra Chicherina,
1812–1813, Moscow, 1966, p. 135.
Dnevnik Pavla Pushchina
, SPB, 1896, p. 111.

7
Correspondance de Napoléon Ier
, 32 vols., Paris, 1858–70, vol. 24, no. 19100, Napoleon to Berthier, 19 Aug. 1812, pp. 158–9.

8 Marshal Gouvion Saint-Cyr,
Mémoires pour servir à l’histoire militaire sous le Directoire, le Consulat et l’Empire
, Paris, 1831, vol. 3, pp. 79–81;
MVUA
1812, 17, Wittgenstein to Alexander, 6 Aug. 1812 (OS), pp. 284–5.

9 Gulevich,
Istoriia…Estliandskago polka
, pp. 137–41.

10 Saint-Cyr,
Mémoires
, vol. 3, p. 87.

11
MVUA
1812, 17, no. 32, p. 295: Wittgenstein to Alexander: the letter is dated 25 Aug. (OS) but it seems clear that these reports to the emperor are dated by when Alexander received them rather than when they were written. The sum of 14 million comes from Bogdanovich,
Istoriia
…1812
goda
, vol. 2, p. 72. The figure for the 1811 budget comes from F. P. Shelekhov,
Glavnoe intendantskoe upravlenie
, SVM, 5/1, SPB, 1903, p. 373. The slight vagueness as regards the number of provinces is caused by complications in defining the word province in the Russia of 1812. Some border districts and Asiatic regions were not called provinces.

12 See e.g. the comments of Major-General Prince Vasili Viazemsky, who commanded a brigade in Tormasov’s army: Tartakovskii (ed.),
Voennye dnevniki
, pp. 199–215.

13 Langeron calls this army ‘one of the best in Europe’. As deputy commander of this force his view is biased but it was to be proved by the Army of the Danube’s performance.
Mémoires de Langeron, Général d’Infanterie dans l’Armée Russe: Campagnes de
1812, 1813, 1814, Paris, 1902, p. 7.

14
VPR
, 6, no. 164, Russo-Turkish peace treaty, pp. 406–17.

15 The two key letters from Alexander to Chichagov were written on 6 and 22 July (OS):
VIS
, 2/3, 1912, pp. 201–6.

16
MVUA
1812, 16, Alexander to Barclay, 7 April 1812 (OS), pp. 181–2.

17 The instructions are
VPR
, 6, no. 145, 21 April 1812, pp. 363–5.

18
VPR
, 6, no. 197, Rumiantsev to Alexander, 5/17 July 1812, pp. 486–90.

19
MVUA
1812, 13, no. 321, Tuyll to Barclay, 26 June/8 July 1812, pp. 329–30.
VIS
, 2/3, 1912, Alexander to Chichagov, 13 June 1812 (OS), pp. 196–8. On Austrian promises, see in particular Francis II’s conversation with Stackelberg:
VPR
, 6, no. 158, Stackelberg to Rumiantsev, 29 April/11 May 1812, pp. 393–6.

20 For march-routes and times, see
MVUA
1812, vol. 17, pp. 197–8.

21 V. von Löwenstern,
Mémoires du Général-Major Russe Baron de Löwenstern
, 2 vols., Paris, 1903, vol. 1, p. 250.
VS
, 47/1, 1904, no. 19, Alexander to Barclay, 24 Nov. 1812 (OS), pp. 231–6.

22 S. Panchulidzev,
Istoriia kavalergardov
, SPB, 1903, vol. 3, p. 180.

23 N. M. Konshin, ‘Zapiski o 1812 gode’,
IV
, 8, 1884, pp. 263–86, at pp. 281–2. A.M. Valkovich and A. P. Kapitonov (eds.),
Borodino: Dokumental’naia khronika
, Moscow, 2004, no. 27, Kutuzov to Alexander, 19 Aug. 1812 (OS), pp. 24–5.
Kutuzov
, vol. 4i, Moscow, 1954, no. 125, Kutuzov to E. I. Kutuzova, 19 August 1812 (OS), p. 108.

24 Langeron,
Mémoires
, p. 28. Many wounded were actually abandoned at Mozhaisk but this was exceptional.

25 Carl von Clausewitz,
The Campaign of
1812
in Russia
, London, 1992, pp. 175–6.

26 Antoine de Jomini,
The Art of War
, London, 1992, pp. 64–5, 230, 233–8.

27 Eugen,
Memoiren
, vol. 2, pp. 70–72.

28 F. Glinka,
Pis’ma russkogo ofitsera
, Moscow, 1987, p. 293.