THE RUSSIAN CAMPAGNE 1812

Battle Analysis Briefing

by

1LT Rasho

References

Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, George F. Nafciger, 1963

The retreat from Moscow, R.F. Delderfield, 1967

Napoleonic Wars, Vincent J. Esposito and John Robert

Elting, 1963

"The Campaign of 1812 in Russia"- Karl von Clausewitz

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION

STRATEGY AND TACTICS

OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW

PHASES

OUTCOME OF BATTLE

KEY EVENTS

SUMMARY / LESSONS LEARNED

INTRODUCTION

WHO FOUGHT?

La Grande Armée (French and Allies)

Commanded by Napoleon

Russia

Commanded by Tsar Alexander I

WHEN?

Renaissance period

23 Jun 1812- 14 December 1812

WHERE?

Eastern Europe (Russian Empire)

WHY?

Russia's commitment to Napoleon's Continental System was a mere lip-service.

Differences between France and Russia over influence in Poland and the Balkans.

INTRODUCTION- Antagonists

1st Corps- Marshal Davout

2nd Corps-Marshal Oudinot

3rd Corps-Michel Ney

4th Corps- Prince Eugene

5th Corps-Prince Poniatowski

6th Corps- Marshal St. Cyr

7th Corps- General Reynier

8th Corps-King of Westphalia

9th Corps Marshal Victor

10th Corps- Marshal Macdonald

11th Corps-Marshal Augereau

12th Corps- Marshal Murat

13th Corps-General Schvartzenberg

Old Guard- Marshal Bessieres

Young Guard- Marshal Mortier

Corps of engineer- General Eble

1st Army- General Barclay de Tolly

2nd Army- Prince Bagration+/Tormasov

3rd Army- General Wittgenstein

4th Army (Danube)- General Tchichagoff

Rear guard- Tormasov/Platov/ Miloradovich

Irregular forces

Cossacks- Platov

Militia- Miloradovich

La Grande Armée- Napoleon

Chief of Staff Marshal Berthier

Russian Army- Tsar Alexander

Chief of Staff: Barclay de Tolly/Marshal Kutusoff

400,000-600,000(422,000)/1,800 cannons

177,000 horses 200,000-400,000/

Army of twelve languages

Strategy and Tactics

Strategy

Strategy of Indirect Approach

Strategy of the Central Position

Tactics

1 Battle of maneuver 2. Battle of attrition

Reconnaissance

Concentrate artillery fire on the gaps

Pour exploitation force trough the gaps

Pursue with mobile force

Strategy

Strategic defence

Retreating and attrition of the enemy

Tactics

Scorched-earth tactics

Raid the enemy with light Cosacks

cavalery

La Grande Armée Russian Army

THEATER OF OPERATIONS

LEGEND

U - Uplands

M - Marshes

L - Lakelands Lithuanians

Belarusians

Ukrainians

Napoleon’s Plan

10 xxx

13 xxx

xxxx

7 xxx

11 xxx

Mission:

Across Niemen river, engage and

defeat the enemy and force Tsar

Alexander to accept French Peace

proposal.

Russian Plan

3 xxxx

1 xxxx

2 xxxx

Mission:

Back the struggle to a considerable

distance, thus approaching their

reinforcements, gaining time,

weakening the enemy by means of

detachments which he would be

compelled to make, and gaining

space for strategical operations

upon his flank and rear R xxxx

The Invasion

X xxx

XIII xxx

xxxx

VII xxx

XI xxx

I xxxx

III

xxxx

II xxxx

R xxxx

IV xxxx

BORODINO

07 Sep 1812

NIEMEN

23 Jun 1812

IX xxx

Battle of Borodino/07 Sep 1812

0630-1600

130,000

86,000 Infantry

28,000 Cavalry

16,000 Artillery and Engineers

587 Guns

Losses

28,000/36 generals

120,000

72,000 Infantry

17,000 Cavalry

14,000 Artillery and Engineers

7000 Cossacks

10,000 Militia

640 Guns

Losses

30,000/23 Generals

French Army Russian Army

Next year, after winter the peasants would have to bury a total of

58,521 corpses and the carcasses of 35,478 horses

Retreating

xxxx

14 Sep 1812

xxxx

III xxxx

IV xxxx

27 Sep 1812

X xxx

xxx

18 Oct 1812

Berezina

23-28 Nov

1812

VII xxx

XI xxx

XIII xxx

IX

xxx

R xxxx

Final disaster

X xxx

VII xxx

XI xxx

xxx

14 Dec 1812

OUTCOME

French losses:

370,000 dead, 200,000 POW

1550 cannon, almost all horses and

vehicles

the graph of Charles Joseph Minard

Russian losses:

150,000 dead, 300,000 wounded

KEY EVENT 1

CHANGING IN COMMAND-

DE TOLLY REPLACED BY KUTUZOV

Causes

De Tolly was under pressure because he didn’t want to accept decisive battle

Russian’s generals hated him (he was Scot)

He lost Battle of Smolensk

Effects

He was Russian, strong character, he continued avoiding of resistance, he was able to avoid pressure

He had a lot of experience, he understood Russia better then any other Russian or French leader

His plan was: sacrifice everything, use terrain and time advantages in order to save army and win battle

KEY EVENT 2

VIOLATION OF PRINCIPLE OF WAR-

NAPOLEON HESITATES ON USING RESERVE DURING BATTLE of BORODINO

Causes

Marshal Ney broke Russian defense and asked for reinforcement

Earlier that day, French rear was attacked by Cossacks

Effects

Delay gave Russians time to retreat, reconsolidate and reorganize

Napoleon missed chance to convert victory into triumph and end war on the spot

He missed chance to change the course of war and possibly the course of nineteenth century history

KEY EVENT 3

EVACUATION AND BURNING OF MOSCOW

Causes

Russian’s troops were to weak for new decisive battle

Napoleon’s troops were to far from their depots, logistic became almost impossible

Effects

Russians avoided new battle, took position in south in order to close Napoleon’s retreat

French didn’t find supply in Moscow, troops lost discipline

French had to leave Moscow and use the same way for retreating

LESSONS LEARNED

Have a contingency plan. Take the time to imagine what can go wrong, and develop solutions to address it.

Napoleon didn’t plan to go deep in Russia, he expected battle near boundary

Follow principles of war.

He had advantage over thy enemy but he allowed him to retreat

Don’t become over-confident

Emperor Napoleon 1st vs. General Bonaparte

LESSONS LEARNED

Know when to cut your losses

If Napoleon had left Moscow immediately, he may

have returned with a salvageable army

“My losses are real but the enemy can take no credit

for them”. Napoleon, January 1813

LESSONS LEARNED

LOGISTICS

“When you do battle, even if you are winning, if you

continue for a long time it will dull your forces and

blunt you edge…If you keep your armies out in the

field for a long time, your supplies will be

insufficient. Transportation of provisions itself

consumes 20 times the amount transported.”

“The line between disorder and order lies in

logistics…”

Sun Tzu

LESSONS LEARNED

JUST KIDDING

THE RUSSIAN CAMPAGNE 1812

QUESTIONS ???