Report on children in the War of 1812. “Where are they, heroes?”

Tatiana Gaar
Presentation. Introducing children to the Patriotic War of 1812

Dear Colleagues! These days, our country remembers the significant events of 200 years ago. We also did not stand aside and prepared for children senior preschool age presentation * War of 1812 *, in which they tried to tell children about those distant events in an interesting and accessible way.

Accompanying text presentation

Guys, today I want to tell you about war, war, which was a very long time ago - 200 years ago.

This story began in France, at the end of the 18th century, when General Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in the country and proclaimed himself emperor.

And this emperor wanted to conquer the whole world, gathered a huge army and went war on neighboring countries: Spain, Italy, Prussia, Austria and all these countries submitted to him, rich citizens brought him the keys to the cities on a golden tray, fed his soldiers, horses and paid a huge tribute.

And Napoleon decided to seize our country - Russia.

Started Patriotic War Russian people against the invaders.

Our army was much smaller than the French, and at first we had to retreat.

And the commander of all Russian troops was General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov.

Kutuzov was a very experienced warrior and understood that with every step deeper into Russia, the French forces would weaken, and the strength of the Russian troops would increase.

Therefore, Kutuzov continued to retreat, as if luring the enemy army, until a convenient position for battle was found near the city of Mozhaisk.

The battle lasted all day. Either the Russian army or the French took the upper hand. Finally, when it got dark, the battle died down of its own accord. Napoleon did not win the battle at Borodino for the first time. Thus began the path to victory for the Russian troops, but they continued to retreat, retreat to Moscow.

In the village Fili called Kutuzov his generals and colonels and began decide: whether to give battle near Moscow or surrender the ancient capital. The generals argued for a long time, saying that the capital of our state should not be given to the enemy, but Kutuzov said “Moscow is not all of Russia” And added: “As long as the army is intact, so is Russia”. It was decided to leave Moscow.

Residents hastily left Moscow, abandoning their homes and all their property to the mercy of the people. French troops entered the empty city. This was the first time. In all the countries conquered by Napoleon, noble citizens, admitting defeat, presented Napoleon with the keys to the city. Napoleon waited a long time, but no one brought him the keys to Moscow.

And in the morning Moscow was on fire.

The French army was not ready for the harsh Russian winter, Napoleon wanted to spend the whole winter in Moscow so that his army could rest, but after almost all of Moscow burned down, he had nowhere to stay in winter quarters, the Russian people did not want to feed his army.

The fall and fire of Moscow shocked the Russian people. People's militia began to gather throughout the country; ordinary people, men and women, almost without weapons, smashed French convoys with weapons and food, and attacked enemy troops.

A simple Russian woman, a peasant, gathered a detachment of partisans and attacked the French, the Russian people affectionately called her Vlasyevna, the French were afraid like fire.

This is a picture from those times.

Finally, the French army, hungry and ragged, left Moscow, Napoleon decided to return to France.

The retreat of the French was accompanied by Kutuzov's army, giving them no rest either on the way or on vacation. Finally, on December 14, 1812, the last remnants of the French troops were expelled from Russia. The collapse of Napoleon's empire began.

The Russian army not only drove Napoleon's army out of Russia, but also drove it all the way to France.

In 1814, Russian troops entered Paris. Thus ended the attempts to bring Russia to its knees.

And the fate of Emperor Napoleon is sad, he was exiled to a lonely island, along with a few people devoted to him, where he died.

Look - these are the heroes of that distant wars.

And now I want to show you what the military looked like, the soldiers of those times and what weapons they had.

The War of 1812, also known as the Patriotic War of 1812, the war with Napoleon, the invasion of Napoleon, is the first event in the national history of Russia when all layers of Russian society rallied to repel the enemy. It was the popular nature of the war with Napoleon that allowed historians to give it the name of the Patriotic War.

Cause of the war with Napoleon

Napoleon considered England his main enemy, an obstacle to world domination. He could not crush it with military force for geographical reasons: Britain is an island, an amphibious operation would have cost France very dearly, and besides, after the Battle of Trafalgar, England remained the only mistress of the seas. Therefore, Napoleon decided to strangle the enemy economically: to undermine England’s trade by closing all European ports to it. However, the blockade did not bring benefits to France either; it ruined its bourgeoisie. “Napoleon understood that it was the war with England and the blockade associated with it that prevented a radical improvement in the economy of the empire. But in order to end the blockade, it was first necessary to get England to lay down its arms.”* However, the victory over England was hampered by the position of Russia, which in words agreed to comply with the terms of the blockade, but in fact, Napoleon was convinced, did not comply with it. “English goods from Russia along the entire vast western border are leaking into Europe and this reduces the continental blockade to zero, that is, it destroys the only hope of “bringing England to its knees.” The Great Army in Moscow means the submission of the Russian Emperor Alexander, this is the complete implementation of the continental blockade, therefore, victory over England is possible only after victory over Russia.

Subsequently, in Vitebsk, already during the campaign against Moscow, Count Daru frankly declared to Napoleon that neither the armies, nor even many in the emperor’s entourage understood why this difficult war was being waged with Russia, because because of the trade in English goods in Alexander’s possessions, not worth it. (However) Napoleon saw in the consistently carried out economic strangulation of England the only means of finally ensuring the durability of the existence of the great monarchy he created

Background to the War of 1812

• 1798 - Russia, together with Great Britain, Turkey, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Naples, created the second anti-French coalition
• 1801, September 26 - Paris Peace Treaty between Russia and France
• 1805 - England, Russia, Austria, Sweden formed the third anti-French coalition
• 1805, November 20 - Napoleon defeats the Austro-Russian troops at Austerlitz
• 1806, November - the beginning of the war between Russia and Turkey
• 1807, June 2 - defeat of Russian-Prussian troops at Friedland
• 1807, June 25 - Treaty of Tilsit between Russia and France. Russia pledged to join the continental blockade
• 1808, February - the beginning of the Russian-Swedish War, which lasted a year
• 1808, October 30 - Erfur Union Conference of Russia and France, confirming the Franco-Russian alliance
• Late 1809 - early 1810 - Napoleon’s unsuccessful matchmaking with Alexander the First’s sister Anna
• 1810, December 19 - introduction of new customs tariffs in Russia, beneficial for English goods and disadvantageous for French ones
• 1812, February - peace agreement between Russia and Sweden
• 1812, May 16 - Treaty of Bucharest between Russia and Turkey

“Napoleon subsequently said that he should have abandoned the war with Russia at the moment when he learned that neither Turkey nor Sweden would fight with Russia.”

Patriotic War of 1812. Briefly

• 1812, June 12 (old style) - the French army invaded Russia by crossing the Neman

The French did not see a single soul in the entire vast space beyond the Neman until the very horizon, after the Cossack guards disappeared from sight. “Before us lay a desert, brown, yellowish land with stunted vegetation and distant forests on the horizon,” recalled one of the participants in the hike, and the picture seemed “ominous” even then.

• 1812, June 12-15 - in four continuous streams, the Napoleonic army crossed the Neman along three new bridges and a fourth old one - at Kovno, Olitt, Merech, Yurburg - regiment after regiment, battery after battery, in a continuous stream crossed the Neman and lined up on the Russian bank.

Napoleon knew that although he had 420 thousand people at hand... the army was far from equal in all its parts, that he could only rely on the French part of his army (in total, the great army consisted of 355 thousand subjects of the French Empire, but among them there were far from all were natural French), and even then not entirely, because young recruits could not be placed next to the seasoned warriors who had been on his campaigns. As for the Westphalians, Saxons, Bavarians, Rhenish, Hanseatic Germans, Italians, Belgians, Dutch, not to mention his forced allies - the Austrians and Prussians, whom he dragged for purposes unknown to them to death in Russia and of whom many do not hate at all Russians, and himself, it is unlikely that they will fight with particular fervor

• 1812, June 12 - the French in Kovno (now Kaunas)
• 1812, June 15 - The corps of Jerome Bonaparte and Yu. Poniatowski advanced to Grodno
• 1812, June 16 - Napoleon in Vilna (Vilnius), where he stayed for 18 days
• 1812, June 16 - a short battle in Grodno, the Russians blew up bridges across the Lososnya River

Russian commanders

- Barclay de Tolly (1761-1818) - Since the spring of 1812 - commander of the 1st Western Army. At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army
- Bagration (1765-1812) - chief of the Life Guards of the Jaeger Regiment. At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the commander of the 2nd Western Army
- Bennigsen (1745-1826) - cavalry general, by order of Kutuzaov - chief of the General Staff of the Russian army
- Kutuzov (1747-1813) - Field Marshal General, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army during the Patriotic War of 1812
- Chichagov (1767-1849) - admiral, naval minister of the Russian Empire from 1802 to 1809
- Wittgenstein (1768-1843) - Field Marshal General, during the War of 1812 - commander of a separate corps in the St. Petersburg direction

• 1812, June 18 - the French in Grodno
• 1812, July 6 - Alexander the First announced recruitment into the militia
• 1812, July 16 - Napoleon in Vitebsk, the armies of Bagration and Barclay retreat to Smolensk
• 1812, August 3 - connection of the armies of Barclay to Tolly and Bagration near Smolensk
• 1812, August 4-6 - Battle of Smolensk

At 6 a.m. on August 4, Napoleon ordered the general bombardment and assault of Smolensk to begin. Fierce fighting broke out and lasted until 6 pm. Dokhturov's corps, defending the city together with the division of Konovnitsyn and the Prince of Württemberg, fought with courage and tenacity that amazed the French. In the evening, Napoleon called Marshal Davout and categorically ordered the next day, no matter the cost, to take Smolensk. He had already had the hope earlier, and now it has grown stronger, that this Smolensk battle, in which supposedly the entire Russian army is participating (he knew about Barclay’s finally united with Bagration), will be the decisive battle that the Russians have so far avoided, giving to him without a fight huge parts of his empire. On August 5, the battle resumed. The Russians offered heroic resistance. After a bloody day, night came. The bombing of the city, by order of Napoleon, continued. And suddenly on Wednesday night there were terrible explosions one after another, shaking the earth; The fire that started spread throughout the city. It was the Russians who blew up the powder magazines and set the city on fire: Barclay gave the order to retreat. At dawn, French scouts reported that the city had been abandoned by troops, and Davout entered Smolensk without a fight.

• 1812, August 8 - Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief instead of Barclay de Tolly
• 1812, August 23 - Scouts reported to Napoleon that the Russian army had stopped and taken up positions two days earlier and that fortifications had also been built near the village visible in the distance. When asked what the name of the village was, the scouts answered: “Borodino”
• 1812, August 26 - Battle of Borodino

Kutuzov knew that Napoleon would be destroyed by the impossibility of a long war several thousand kilometers from France, in a deserted, meager, hostile huge country, a lack of food, and an unusual climate. But he knew even more precisely that they would not allow him to give up Moscow without a general battle, despite his Russian surname, just as Barclay was not allowed to do this. And he decided to fight this battle, which was unnecessary, in his deepest conviction. Strategically unnecessary, it was morally and politically inevitable. At 15:00 the Battle of Borodino killed more than 100,000 people on both sides. Napoleon later said: “Of all my battles, the most terrible was the one I fought near Moscow. The French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians acquired the right to be invincible...”
— — — — —
The most blatant school linden concerns French losses in the Battle of Borodino. European historiography admits that Napoleon was missing 30 thousand soldiers and officers, of which 10–12 thousand were killed. Nevertheless, on the main monument erected on the Borodino field, 58,478 people are engraved in gold. As Alexey Vasiliev, an expert on the era, admits, we owe the “mistake” to Alexander Schmidt, a Swiss who at the end of 1812 really needed 500 rubles. He turned to Count Fyodor Rostopchin, posing as a former adjutant of Napoleonic Marshal Berthier. Having received the money, the “adjutant” from the lantern compiled a list of losses for the corps of the Great Army, attributing, for example, 5 thousand killed to the Holsteins, who did not participate in the Battle of Borodino at all. The Russian world was happy to be deceived, and when documentary refutations appeared, no one dared to initiate the dismantling of the legend. And it still hasn’t been decided: the figure has been floating around in textbooks for decades, as if Napoleon lost about 60 thousand soldiers. Why deceive children who can open a computer? (“Arguments of the Week”, No. 34(576) dated 08/31/2017)

• 1812, September 1 - council in Fili. Kutuzov ordered to leave Moscow
• 1812, September 2 - The Russian army passed through Moscow and reached the Ryazan road
• 1812, September 2 - Napoleon in Moscow
• 1812, September 3 - the beginning of a fire in Moscow
• 1812, September 4-5 - Fire in Moscow.

On the morning of September 5, Napoleon walked around the Kremlin and from the windows of the palace, wherever he looked, the emperor turned pale and silently looked at the fire for a long time, and then said: “What a terrible sight! They set the fire themselves... What determination! What people! These are Scythians!

• 1812, September 6 - September 22 - Napoleon three times sent envoys to the Tsar and Kutuzov with a proposal for peace. Didn't wait for an answer
• 1812, October 6 - the beginning of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow
• 1812, October 7 - The victorious battle of the Russian army of Kutuzov with the French troops of Marshal Murat in the area of ​​​​the village of Tarutino, Kaluga region
• 1812, October 12 - the battle of Maloyaroslavets, which forced Napoleon’s army to retreat along the old Smolensk road, already completely destroyed

Generals Dokhturov and Raevsky attacked Maloyaroslavets, which had been occupied the day before by Delzon. Eight times Maloyaroslavets changed hands. Losses on both sides were heavy. The French lost about 5 thousand people in killed alone. The city burned to the ground, catching fire during the battle, so that many hundreds of people, Russians and French, died from fire in the streets, many wounded were burned alive

• 1812, October 13 - In the morning, Napoleon with a small retinue left the village of Gorodni to inspect the Russian positions, when suddenly Cossacks with pikes at the ready attacked this group of horsemen. Two marshals who were with Napoleon (Murat and Bessieres), General Rapp and several officers crowded around Napoleon and began to fight back. Polish light cavalry and guards rangers arrived in time and saved the emperor.
• 1812, October 15 - Napoleon ordered a retreat to Smolensk
• 1812, October 18 - frosts began. Winter came early and cold
• 1812, October 19 - Wittgenstein's corps, reinforced by St. Petersburg and Novgorod militias and other reinforcements, drove out the troops of Saint-Cyr and Oudinot from Polotsk
• 1812, October 26 - Wittgenstein occupied Vitebsk
• 1812, November 6 - Napoleon's army arrived in Dorogobuzh (a city in the Smolensk region), only 50 thousand people remained ready for battle
• 1812, early November - Chichagov’s Southern Russian army, arriving from Turkey, rushed to the Berezina (a river in Belarus, the right tributary of the Dnieper)
• 1812, November 14 - Napoleon left Smolensk with only 36 thousand men under arms
• 1812, November 16-17 - a bloody battle near the village of Krasny (45 km southwest of Smolensk), in which the French suffered huge losses
• 1812, November 16 - Chichagov's army occupied Minsk
• 1812, November 22 - Chichagov's army occupied Borisov on the Berezina. There was a bridge across the river in Borisov
• 1812, November 23 - defeat of the vanguard of Chichagov's army from Marshal Oudinot near Borisov. Borisov again went over to the French
• 1812, November 26-27 - Napoleon transported the remnants of the army across the Berezina and took them to Vilna
• 1812, December 6 - Napoleon left the army, going to Paris
• 1812, December 11 - the Russian army entered Vilna
• 1812, December 12 - the remnants of Napoleon's army arrived in Kovno
• 1812, December 15 - the remnants of the French army crossed the Neman, leaving Russian territory
• 1812, December 25 - Alexander I issued a manifesto on the end of the Patriotic War

“...Now, with heartfelt joy and bitterness to God, We declare gratitude to Our dear loyal subjects, that the event has surpassed even Our very hope, and that what We announced at the opening of this war has been fulfilled beyond measure: there is no longer a single enemy on the face of Our land; or better yet, they all stayed here, but how? Dead, wounded and prisoners. The proud ruler and leader himself could barely ride away with his most important officials, having lost all his army and all the cannons he brought with him, which, more than a thousand, not counting those buried and sunk by him, were recaptured from him, and are in Our hands ... "

Thus ended the Patriotic War of 1812. Then the foreign campaigns of the Russian army began, the purpose of which, according to Alexander the First, was to finish off Napoleon. But that is another story

Reasons for Russia's victory in the war against Napoleon

• The nationwide character of the resistance provided
• Mass heroism of soldiers and officers
• High skill of military leaders
• Napoleon's indecisiveness in announcing anti-serfdom laws
• Geographical and natural factors

The result of the Patriotic War of 1812

• The growth of national self-awareness in Russian society
• The beginning of the decline of Napoleon's career
• Growing authority of Russia in Europe
• The emergence of anti-serfdom, liberal views in Russia

The Patriotic War of 1812 is an important page in the history of not only our country, but also the whole of Europe. Having entered a series of “Napoleonic wars,” Russia acted as the intercessor of monarchical Europe. Thanks to Russian victories over the French, the global revolution in Europe was delayed for some time.

War between France and Russia was inevitable, and on June 12, 1812, having gathered an army of 600 thousand, Napoleon crossed the Neman and invaded Russia. The Russian army had a plan to confront Napoleon, which was developed by the Prussian military theorist Fuhl, and approved by Emperor Alexander I.

Fuhl divided the Russian armies into three groups:

• 1st commanded;
• 2nd ;
• 3rd Tormasov.

Fuhl assumed that the armies would systematically retreat to fortified positions, unite, and hold back Napoleon’s onslaught. In practice, it was a disaster. Russian troops retreated, and soon the French found themselves not far from Moscow. Fuhl's plan completely failed, despite the desperate resistance of the Russian people.

The current situation required decisive action. So, on August 20, the post of commander-in-chief was taken by one of the best students of the Great. During the war with France, Kutuzov will utter an interesting phrase: “To save Russia, we must burn Moscow.”

Russian troops will give a general battle to the French near the village of Borodino. There was a Great Slaughter, called. No one emerged victorious. The battle was brutal, with many casualties on both sides. A few days later, at the military council in Fili, Kutuzov will decide to retreat. On September 2, the French entered Moscow. Napoleon hoped that Muscovites would bring him the key to the city. No matter how it is... Deserted Moscow did not greet Napoleon solemnly at all. The city burned down, barns with food and ammunition burned down.

Entering Moscow was fatal for Napoleon. He didn't really know what to do next. The French army was harassed by partisans every day, every night. The War of 1812 was truly a Patriotic War. Confusion and vacillation began in Napoleon's Army, discipline was broken, and the soldiers began to drink. Napoleon stayed in Moscow until October 7, 1812. The French army decided to retreat south, to grain-growing regions that were not devastated by the war.

The Russian army gave battle to the French at Maloyaroslavets. The city was mired in fierce fighting, but the French wavered. Napoleon was forced to retreat along the Old Smolensk Road, the same one along which he had come. The battles near Vyazma, Krasny and at the crossing of the Berezina put an end to the Napoleonic intervention. The Russian army drove the enemy from its land. On December 23, 1812, Alexander I issued a manifesto on the end of the Patriotic War. The Patriotic War of 1812 was over, but the campaign of the Napoleonic Wars was only in full swing. The fighting continued until 1814.

The Patriotic War of 1812 is an important event in Russian History. The war caused an unprecedented surge of national self-awareness among the Russian people. Everyone, young and old, defended their Fatherland. By winning this war, the Russian people confirmed their courage and heroism, and showed an example of self-sacrifice for the good of the Motherland. The war gave us many people whose names will be forever inscribed in Russian history, these are Mikhail Kutuzov, Dokhturov, Raevsky, Tormasov, Bagration, Seslavin, Gorchakov, Barclay-De-Tolly, . And how many still unknown heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812, how many forgotten names. The Patriotic War of 1812 is a Great Event, the lessons of which should not be forgotten today.

The Patriotic War of 1812 was the greatest test for the Russian people and at the same time a turning point in the spiritual life of the entire vast country.

The enemy’s invasion of Russia, the Battle of Borodino, the fire of Moscow, and the intense and finally victorious struggle against Napoleon’s armies caused a powerful popular upsurge, and did not affect only the “upper floors” of society. “This people,” Herzen wrote about Russia, “is convinced that at home they are invincible; this thought lies in the depths of the consciousness of every peasant, this is his political religion. When he saw a foreigner on his land as an enemy, he threw down the plow and grabbed his gun. Dying on the battlefield “for the White Tsar and the Most Holy Theotokos,” as he said, he was actually dying for the inviolability of Russian territory.”

Beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812

Napoleon On June 12, 1812, Napoleon’s “Great Army” (649 thousand people), having crossed the Neman, invaded Russia. Her invasion can hardly be called unexpected. Two weeks before, Paris notified the European treaties about the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia, and on June 22, the French ambassador in St. Petersburg handed a corresponding note to the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Napoleon's plans did not include the seizure of Russian territory and its annexation to his possessions. He hoped to defeat the Russian army in a series of border battles and force Alexander I to conclude a peace treaty beneficial to France.

M. B. Barclay de Tolly

The Russian army numbered 590 thousand people, but a little more than 210 thousand could be put up against Napoleon. It was divided into three groups far apart from each other (under the command of generals M. B. Barclay de Tolly, P. I. Bagration and A. P. Tormasova).

While inferior to the French army in numbers, organization, and control, the Russian army had no less combat experience. The Russian soldier was rightfully considered the best in Europe. Many generals in training and talent could compete with the famous Napoleonic marshals.

The "Great Army" had great virtues. But there was a serious flaw in it, which was clearly revealed during the war. Motley in national composition, it was deprived of the cohesion, unity, and moral superiority that distinguished the Russian army.

The first stage of the Patriotic War of 1812 includes the retreat of the Russian army from the Neman to Borodino. This retreat was not a simple withdrawal of some troops under pressure from others. It largely determined the further course of events.

Firstly, Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian armies in one or more pitched battles.

Secondly, by conducting constant rearguard battles with the French, Russian troops gained experience, learned the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, and showed miracles of heroism. Near Mogilev, near the village of Saltanovka, during a battle with the units of Marshal Davout, Lieutenant General N.N. Raevsky, taking the hands of his two sons, 10 and 17 years old, rushed to attack the enemy, dragging the soldiers with him. N.N. Raevsky himself was not inclined to exaggerate the significance of this episode, but admitted that he was ahead of the soldiers in that battle and that his sons were nearby.

Thirdly, the 1st and 2nd Russian armies managed, despite the desperate efforts of the French, to unite near Smolensk. Now they could more successfully resist Napoleon and prepare for a serious battle with him. The retreat showed the inconsistency of mediocrities, such as the author of the extremely unsuccessful war plan, General E. Foul. They were replaced by talented generals like A.P. Ermolov.

Fourthly, the “great army” lost its fighting qualities as it moved deeper into the country. The population fought the enemy. Suffering from hunger and thirst, Napoleon's soldiers robbed and looted. French morale was steadily declining.

Battle of Borodino.

In August 1812, a new commander-in-chief, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, arrived in the Russian army. He replaced M.B. Barclay de Tolly in this post.

M. I. Kutuzov

In 1812, Mikhail Illarionovich was the oldest “full” general in terms of age and time of service. His family's roots went back to the 13th century. M.I. Kutuzov was a military comrade-in-arms of P.A. Rumyantsev and A.V. Suvorov (he spent 50 of his 67 years on military campaigns). He served successfully under Catherine II and Paul I, and was not only a respected general, but also a careful courtier. His relationship with Alexander I was not so successful; the emperor could not forgive him for the defeat at Austerlitz.

The masses of nobles and soldiers saw him as “one of their own,” in contrast to the foreigner and irreplaceable man M. B. Barclay de Tolly. Back in June, the Moscow and St. Petersburg nobility chose M.I. Kutuzov as head of the militia.

The issue of appointing the commander-in-chief was decided by an emergency committee consisting of the most prominent dignitaries of Russia. After considering a number of candidates, the committee settled on M.I. Kutuzov and voted for him almost unanimously.

On September 3, the commander-in-chief decided to give a general battle near the village of Borodino, 110 kilometers from Moscow. In the famous Battle of Borodino, sung by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy, 125,000-strong Russian and 134,000-strong French troops fought. On September 7, the battle began with a French attack on the first flank of the Russian position and their capture of the village of Borodino.

P. I. Bagration

As it turned out, it was a distraction. Napoleon intended to break through the Russian positions in the center, bypass the left flank, push the Russian army back from the Old Smolensk Road and clear his way to Moscow. Napoleon directed the main attack on the opposite flank, on Bagration's flushes. The battle raged for more than 5 hours. During the eighth attack, General Bagration was mortally wounded. Command of the flank passed to General P. P. Konovnitsyn. Around noon, at the cost of huge losses, the French captured the fortifications. Russian troops retreated to the nearest hills. An attempt by the French cavalry to dislodge the Russians from their new position failed.

At the same time, two French attacks on Raevsky’s battery were repulsed. While the third attack was being prepared, the Russian cavalry, led by Cossack ataman M.I. Platov and General F.I. Uvarov, was behind the French lines. Several hours passed before the French organized a response. During this time, Kutuzov transferred reinforcements to the sites of the main battles. The third, decisive attack on Raevsky’s battery was launched at about two o’clock in the afternoon. The fight lasted more than an hour and a half. Under pressure from superior forces, the Russians were forced to retreat. Napoleon threw his cavalry after them. But the Russian cavalry responded with a counterattack, and the French were stopped. Wedged into the defense of the Russian troops, they were unable to achieve a breakthrough. The day ended with the roar of artillery. With the onset of darkness, Napoleon ordered the abandonment of a number of captured points, including Raevsky's battery.

The attacking side usually suffers larger losses. In battles, Napoleon lost 58.5 thousand soldiers and officers. However, as the battle progressed, the armies repeatedly changed roles - the Russians knocked out the French from their captured positions. Russian troops suffered heavy losses from enemy artillery. The Russian army had a slight advantage in the number of guns, but the French fired more concentratedly. The actions of the Russian artillery were affected by the death of its commander, General A.I. Kutaisov, at the height of the battle. Later, the brave Bagration died from his wound.

Five horses were killed on this day near M.B. Barclay de Tolly, 9 or 12 of his adjutants were wounded.

Neither Napoleon (the defeat of the Russian army) nor M.I. Kutuzov (the salvation of Moscow) managed to achieve the main goals facing the battle. The Russians lost 45.6 thousand people killed and wounded (among them 29 generals), the French lost about 60 thousand people (among them 49 generals). Militarily, Napoleonic troops were, perhaps, more trained; they were managed more professionally. But in a moral and even political sense, Borodino was a victory for Russia. This battle broke the spirit of the conquerors, their confidence in the final victory, and weakened the offensive activity of the French.

The turning point in the war, however, was ahead. Napoleonic troops continued to advance, the Russians retreated.

Moscow fire.

The beginning of the turning point was the abandonment of Moscow by M. I. Kutuzov - the most dramatic event of the war of 1812. The decision to give the ancient capital to the enemy was made on September 13 at a military council in Fili. Kutuzov convened a military council and raised the question of whether to give a new battle at the walls of the ancient capital or retreat without a fight. Some generals (Bennigsen, Dokhturov, Uvarov, Konovnitsyn, Ermolov) insisted on a battle. Barclay objected, pointing out that if the outcome were unsuccessful, the army would not be able to quickly retreat through the narrow streets of the big city and disaster would occur. Kutuzov was also not happy with the position taken by the Russian army. “As long as the army still exists and is able to resist the enemy,” he said, “until then there will still be hope of ending the war with honor, but with the destruction of the army, not only Moscow, but all of Russia would be lost.”

The question arose in which direction to retreat. Barclay suggested going to the Volga: “The Volga, flowing through the most fertile provinces, feeds Russia.” If they had accepted this proposal, they would have had to retreat along the Vladimir road. But Kutuzov did not agree: “We should now think not about the regions that feed Russia, but about those that supply the army, and therefore we should take the direction of the midday (southern) provinces.” It was decided to go along the Ryazan road. Closing the council, Kutuzov said: “No matter what happens, I accept responsibility before the sovereign, the Fatherland and the army.”

Muscovites left the city. Almost 270 thousand people left, about 6 thousand remained.

The Russian army also left Moscow. When he managed to break away from the enemy, Kutuzov performed his famous march maneuver. Leaving the Ryazan road, the army moved along country roads, through Podolsk, to Kaluga. There were food warehouses in Kaluga and its environs.

Meanwhile, the French entered a deserted, orphaned Moscow.

Already on September 14, the great Moscow fire began. The fire burned for 6 days. There are still disputes about who set fire to Moscow. Now the version that the French command did this “to intimidate the Russians” has been completely rejected. The French generals could not help but understand that it would be difficult for them to place their army in a burned city. There was also no convincing evidence for the version that Moscow was burned on the orders of the Russian authorities, who wanted to deprive the enemy of shelter and food. Many pointed to Moscow Governor-General F.V. Rostopchin. He actually burned down his estate near Moscow when the enemy was approaching him. However, Rostopchin denied his involvement in the Moscow fire. The third version looks much more plausible. In a largely wooden city abandoned by its residents, from which the police had left and fire trucks had left, in which looters from the “Great Army” and ordinary robbers were operating, fires were inevitable. And in dry and windy weather they quickly merged into one big fire. After all, Russian cities burned before and after this, even in peacetime and without any “order.”

The fire of Moscow, which burned three quarters of the city's buildings, put Napoleon in a hopeless situation. All his attempts to persuade Alexander I to negotiate and establish trade with residents of the Moscow region failed.

In addition, the famous commander literally “lost” the Russian army. Having started moving along the Ryazan road, it suddenly switched to the Kaluga highway and stopped near the village of Tarutino, 80 km southwest of Moscow. With this maneuver, Kutuzov blocked the enemy’s path to Kaluga with its food supplies, to the Tula arms factories and the Bryansk foundry. Having a 100,000-strong Russian army in the rear, Napoleon could not move towards St. Petersburg. Retreating to Smolensk was also dangerous.

Guerrilla warfare.

Napoleon's capture of Moscow sparked a full-scale people's war against the French. The people's war is not only numerous partisan detachments and squads. This is 100 million rubles of public donations - an amount equal to all the military expenses of the empire in 1812. This includes 420 thousand militias who fought with Napoleon.

The Russian army was stationed near Tarutino, 80 km from Moscow, covering the Tula arms factories and the fertile southern provinces. Reserves were brought in, wounds were healed. Having settled in Moscow, Napoleon believed that the campaign was over and was waiting for proposals for peace. But no one sent ambassadors to him. The proud conqueror had to make his own requests to Kutuzov and Alexander I. Kutuzov answered evasively, citing a lack of authority. However, the army he led was resolutely against peace negotiations. Meanwhile, a behind-the-scenes struggle was going on at court. The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the Tsar's brother Constantine and the Tsar's favorite Arakcheev led the court group that demanded peace with Napoleon. They were joined by Chancellor N.P. Rumyantsev. Tensions arose between the army and the court, and the generals made known their wish for Rumyantsev’s resignation. Alexander considered this the greatest insolence, but suppressed his anger. Rumyantsev remained chancellor. But the tsar refused to enter into negotiations with Napoleon.

The position of Napoleonic army quickly deteriorated. Having been cut off from the rear bases, it existed by confiscating food from the population. Foragers and marauders were rampant everywhere. Peasants near Moscow, like those from Smolensk before, went into the forests. A partisan movement developed on Smolensk land and in the Moscow region. The partisan detachments were led by soldiers who had escaped from captivity, local landowners, and particularly authoritative peasants. A 5,000-strong detachment operated in the Moscow region under the command of the serf Gerasim Kurin. In October, he gave the French seven battles and liberated Bogorodsk (now Noginsk) from them. In the Smolensk province, elder Vasilisa Kozhina became famous, leading a detachment of teenagers and women. The partisans hunted down and destroyed individual small groups of enemy soldiers.

Kutuzov, who quickly appreciated the importance of partisan warfare, began sending flying cavalry detachments behind enemy lines. Using the support of the population, they delivered sensitive blows to the enemy. One of the first to join the partisans was the hussar Denis Vasilyevich Davydov. Colonel A. S. Figner penetrated into occupied Moscow and sent reports to Kutuzov’s headquarters. He then organized a partisan detachment from stragglers and peasants. His reports contributed to the success of Russian troops in the battle of Tarutino. Bold raids behind enemy lines were carried out by A. N. Seslavin’s detachment. The detachment of I. S. Dorokhov, interacting with peasant rebels, liberated the town of Vereya near Moscow at the end of September. During the month of their stay in Moscow, the French army lost 30 thousand people.

Expulsion of the enemy.

The cold weather was approaching, and Napoleon realized that spending the winter in the Moscow ashes would be madness. In early October, a battle took place near the village of Tarutina between the French vanguard and units of the Russian army. The French retreated with heavy losses. As if in order to “punish” the Russians, Napoleon withdrew his army from Moscow on October 7. The advanced units of the two armies met at Maloyaroslavets. While the city was changing hands, the main forces arrived. Napoleon was faced with the question: whether to fight a general battle to break through to the Kaluga road, or retreat along Smolenskaya, where burned and plundered villages and an embittered population awaited him. A council of war was convened. It turned out that only the hot Murat was eager to fight. Other marshals pointed out that Kutuzov deployed his army to a very secure position. And one of the French military leaders said without hesitation: “I believe that we should immediately retreat beyond the Neman, and, moreover, along the shortest road, in order to quickly leave the country where we have already spent too long.” And Napoleon decided not to tempt fate and retreat to Smolensk.

But it turned out that you cannot escape fate. The retreating French troops were attacked by Cossacks, flying cavalry units, and partisans. Horses died from lack of food, the French cavalry dismounted, and artillery had to be abandoned. Kutuzov's army moved parallel to Napoleonic's, all the time threatening to get ahead and cut off the route of retreat. Because of this, Napoleon was unable to stay in Smolensk for more than four days. In November, cold weather began, and the position of the French army became critical. Only the guard and the two corps that joined it remained combat capable. The Russian army pursuing Napoleon also suffered heavy losses - not only in battles, but also from cold, poor nutrition, and fatigue. Closer to the border, she almost did not participate in battles. Now the main role has passed to the flanking armies.

From the south, an army under the command of Admiral Chichagov marched across Napoleon. Wittgenstein's corps advanced from the north. They were supposed to unite at the crossing of the Berezina River and cut off the enemy's retreat. Napoleon's capture could have led to the end of the war. However, the army commanders acted inconsistently. Napoleon managed to escape, although his army suffered terrible losses at the crossing. Military experts were inclined to believe that the main blame for the failure at the Berezina lay with Wittgenstein, who did not notice how the French corps passed just two miles away from him. But public opinion turned against Chichagov.

After the Berezina, Napoleon left the army in distress and urgently went to Paris to recruit a new one. In mid-December, the remnants of the “Great Army” crossed the Neman.

Seeing the army and the country in such a difficult situation, Kutuzov was inclined to end the war. He considered the complete defeat of France to be beneficial only for England. But Alexander was convinced that Napoleon, remaining in power, would pose a constant threat to the world. Soon the Russian army resumed military operations.

The Napoleonic invasion was a huge misfortune for Russia. Many cities were reduced to dust and ashes. In the fire of the Moscow fire, many precious relics of the past disappeared forever. Industry and agriculture suffered enormous damage. Subsequently, the Moscow province quickly recovered from the devastation, and in Smolensk and Pskov until the middle of the century the population was less than in 1811.

But a common misfortune brings people together. In the fight against the enemy, the population of the central provinces, constituting the core of the Russian nation, closely rallied. Not only the provinces that were directly affected by the invasion, but also the lands adjacent to them, which received refugees and the wounded, sent warriors, food and weapons, lived in those days with one life, one thing. This significantly accelerated the complex and lengthy process of consolidation of the Russian nation. Other peoples of Russia became closer to the Russian people. The sacrificial role that befell Moscow in the dramatic events of 1812 further increased its importance as the spiritual center of Russia.

Abstract of GCD for children of senior preschool age “Patriotic War of 1812”

This development will be useful for kindergarten teachers working with children of senior preschool age, and primary school teachers.
Target:
Raising a worthy citizen of the Motherland.
Tasks:
1. Development in children of interest in the history of the Fatherland.
2. Introducing children to the events of 1812.
3. Fostering respect for the memory of people who defended their homeland.
4. Familiarize children with monuments related to the events of 1812.
Progress of the lesson
Cognitive part of the lesson
Slide 2 (world map)
Educator: We call it the Motherland - the place where we were born and live. What is the name of our Motherland? (children's answers).
Our Motherland is very large, look at the map (shows the borders of our country), on the territory of Russia there are a lot of forests, lakes and rivers full of fish, in the bowels of the earth there are many minerals and other riches, so Russia has always been a “tidbit” for various conquerors . Very often Russia had to wage defensive wars and liberate its country from invaders. Today we will talk about one of these wars and its heroes.
Slide 3 (Napoleon)
In the summer of 1812, the French army under the command of Napoleon crossed the Russian border. Who is Napoleon, you ask? A man of outstanding abilities, Emperor of France, a commander who considered himself “invincible.” The numerous wars that the “Great Napoleon” waged were not fought for the sake of protecting his Fatherland, he dreamed of world domination, thought of conquering all nations. But he especially wanted to capture Russia. At all receptions and balls, he confidently said: “In three years I will be the ruler of the world... Only Russia remains, but I will crush it!”
Slide 4 (Napoleon's army)
When the war began, the entire Russian people stood up to defend the Motherland, “for the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland” - the army and the people's militia rose up (ordinary people who did not want to be under the rule of a cruel tyrant). That's why the war is called Patriotic. For the Russian troops, the war began with failures; they had to retreat. And Napoleon with a huge army marched towards Moscow - to the very heart of Russia. Why do you think Napoleon sought to capture Moscow? (children's answers)
Slide 5 (Kutuzov)
Who commanded the Russian army? This was a great commander, a student of Alexander Suvorov - Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. Now this name is known to every Russian person who loves and respects the history of their Motherland. When you were born, your parents gave you a name. But not everyone knows that a name leaves its mark on a person’s life because it carries some meaning. For example, Andrei is “brave”, Elena is “bright, pure”, Alexander is “Defender”, and the name Mikhail means “patron of the army”.
So, at the “helm” of the Russian army was a man named Mikhail, and for good reason! Kutuzov, an old, experienced military leader, was called upon to save Russia!

Slide 6 (Battle of Borodino)
For almost two months the French robbed, burned, and tormented our land. The time has come to stop them. Everyone was waiting for a decisive battle. And it happened near the village of Borodino.
This is how the Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov described this battle in his poem “Borodino”
“... I hammered the charge into the gun tightly
And I thought: “I’ll treat my friend!”
Wait a minute, brother monsieur!
What is there to be cunning about, perhaps for a fight,

We'll go and break the wall,
Let's stand with our heads
For your Motherland!”...
It was a great battle, it lasted three days, and almost half of the French were destroyed, but our army also lost many soldiers.
Fizminutka
Strong as the free wind (children march in place)
Mighty like a dragon? (turns to the side)
He protects the earth from evil infidels. (jumping with clapping)
He is rich in good power (lunges forward)
He protects the capital city (jumping in place)
Saves the poor and children (bending forward)
And old people and mothers (marching in place)
Slide 7 (council in Fili, Napoleon’s army in Moscow)
To gather his strength and gain time, Kutuzov decided to retreat and allow Napoleon and his Army to enter Moscow. This shocked the Russian people; not everyone agreed to leave the capital to the enemy. But Kutuzov understood: Moscow is not all of Russia. As long as the army is preserved, the Motherland will be protected. At a military council in the village of Fili, Kutuzov said: “With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not yet lost... I order to retreat!..” So, Napoleon entered Moscow, but he did not celebrate his victory for long - there was a harsh Russian winter ahead. Napoleon and his generals were waiting for the signing of peace and the keys to the city. But Russia did not consider itself defeated and was not going to ask for peace in its Fatherland. Winter came, but the French were not ready for the frosts... And Napoleon was afraid.
Slide 8 (flight of Napoleon’s army from Moscow)
This “invincible” commander realized that he had lost the war and gave the order to retreat. Napoleon's campaign against Russia ended ingloriously, he himself fled, and his troops were defeated and were escorted by Russian regiments all the way to Paris (the capital of France).
Slide 9 (return of the Russian army home, triumphal arch, monuments)
And then there was a victorious return to their homeland. Heroes of the Patriotic War were greeted with honors. Our troops brought many trophies: banners, weapons. In the northern capital of our Motherland, the city of St. Petersburg, in honor of the victory over Napoleon and his army, a military gallery of 332 portraits of heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 was created in the Hermitage. There is a panorama museum in Moscow dedicated to the Battle of Borodino; there are monuments to Field Marshal Kutuzov and other heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 throughout Russia; The Arc de Triomphe was erected, an exact copy of the French one.
Slide 10 (map of the area, the village of Paris and the Eiffel Tower)
Soldiers from the Southern Urals also fought as part of Kutuzov’s Russian army. In honor of their victories, the villages where they lived were named after the European cities they liberated. Since then, in our region we have our own Paris with the Eiffel Tower.
Practical part of the lesson
Look at the application.
Fizminutka
1. Guys, remember how proud Napoleon was when he came to Russia with the war (children stand up straight, proudly sticking out their chests)
2. What did he become when Kutuzov and the Russian army drove him away? (children lower their shoulders and tilt their heads down to their chest)
3. How did Kutuzov look through the telescope? (children use their hands to pretend to be a spyglass and look right, left, up and down)
4. How did the Russian army march victoriously? (children march in place)

Reflective part of the lesson
1.Which museum houses the Military Gallery of 1812?
o Russian Museum
o Tretyakov Gallery
o Hermitage

2. In which Russian city is the Borodino Panorama museum-monument located?
o Novgorod
o St. Petersburg
o Moscow

3. Which Russian poet wrote the poem “Borodino”?
o Pushkin
o Tyutchev
o Lermontov

4. Who was the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the war of 1812?
o Suvorov
o Napoleon
o Kutuzov

Application
Last name Child's first name ________________________________
1.
2.

3.

References:
1. E.A. Nikonov “Miracle Heroes of the Russian Land” Publishing House “Paritet”, St. Petersburg, 2005
2. M.Yu. Lermontov "Borodino"

Presentation on the topic: Patriotic War of 1812