June 22 is truly a fateful date for Russia. On this day in 1941 on the territory of the Soviet Union invaded Nazi Germany and it marked the beginning of the great Patriotic war. And a century earlier it was June 22, 1812, the Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte issued an order read out to the troops, in which he declared war on the Russian Empire and two days later the French soldiers crossed the Russian border and the Patriotic war of 1812 began.
There are many myths about Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Consider some of them:
Napoleon wanted to conquer Russia.
The most common myth is that Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to conquer Russia. And what was really going on?
The toughest and most irreconcilable rival of France has always been the British Empire, which was in the XVIII and XIX centuries, the sea hegemon. With this hegemony Napoleon was going to end in 1805, planning to land troops on the British Isles. However, the combined Franco-Spanish fleet on October 21, 1805 near Cape Trafalgar in the Strait of Gibraltar collided with the English fleet, which was commanded by a talented naval commander, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson. The British won a decisive victory, the loss of the Franco-Spanish fleet amounted to 22 ships and France and Spain have lost naval power forever. Landing failed.
Nor did the Indian campaign, which Napoleon had planned in 1801 together with the Russian Emperor Paul I because of the death of the latter. The purpose of this campaign was to cut off from England its richest colony India.
But the ambitious French Emperor did not abandon attempts to bring down the power of England. And on October 21, 1806 Napoleon I issued the Berlin decree on the continental blockade of England, according to which it was forbidden to conduct trade relations with England and to accept English ships in all ports of France, as well as its subordinate countries.
On June 13, 1807, after Napoleon defeated the Prussian and allied Russian troops in Prussia, Alexander I and Napoleon I met on the Neman river in the town of Tilsit and signed the Tilsit peace Treaty, under which Russia also pledged to observe the continental blockade.
But to break off trade relations with such a large partner as England for Russia was not very profitable and therefore these countries continued to maintain trade relations, though keeping it a secret. But all the secret sooner or later becomes clear and Napoleon learned about Russia's violation of the conditions of the Tilsit world. And in 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to punish Russia for violating its previous obligations. Napoleon did not plan to conquer all of Russia, he believed that as soon as the French army invaded Russia, the Russian troops, most of which were located along the Western border, immediately meet them and give a General battle that Napoleon will undoubtedly win. And then he will be able to dictate his terms to Alexander I from a position of strength.
The fact that Napoleon did not plan to conquer all of Russia is evidenced by the memories of the Austrian diplomat von Metternich, in a conversation with whom Napoleon I claimed that he would end the war in Minsk and Smolensk. As well as records of General de Sugana, he wrote in Vilna the words of his Emperor, who claimed that he was not going to cross punch that is like death. Also about the lack of plans of Napoleon for full occupation of the whole territory of Russia is indirectly evidenced by the lack of French soldiers, simango uniforms. It is doubtful that such a commander as Napoleon Bonaparte planning a long military campaign in Russia, in a country with a harsh climate, would not take care of winter uniforms for his army. That is, most likely, he was not going to stay in Russia until the winter.
But the actions of the Russian troops, who did not give the French a General battle, began an organized offensive deep into the country, broke all Napoleon's plans.
Napoleon wanted to capture Moscow.
Another "mystery" of this war, why Napoleon went to Moscow, which was at that time a provincial city, and not the capital of Russia, the city of St. Petersburg, what would be more logical?
Napoleon is credited with the following words:"If I capture Kiev, I will grab Russia by the legs, if I master St. Petersburg, I will grab her by the head, if I capture Moscow, then hit her in the heart."
In fact, Napoleon was not going to seize any Moscow, and as already mentioned above, he planned to end the war in Minsk and Smolensk at most. As for Moscow, Bonaparte just became a hostage of the situation and followed the retreating Russian troops. What else could he do? His original plan was not to come true. Russian troops did not give the General battle, and began to retreat deep into Russia. Turn around and go back as they say, no straw slurping, such a proud Corsican is not used. Turn their troops and go to St. Petersburg? And to leave behind the whole Russian army, which could at any moment strike a blow in the back, well, it's like death. So the French Emperor had to play the game imposed on him first by Barclay de Tolly, and then by Kutuzov, and move further and further into Russia, where he was waiting for the bitterness of defeat and death of almost all 600,000-strong army.