THE RUSSIAN CAMPAGNE 1812

Battle Analysis Briefing by 1LT Rasho

References

Napoleons 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 Arme (French and Allies)

Commanded by Napoleon Commanded by Tsar Alexander I

Russia

WHEN?

Renaissance period 23 Jun 1812- 14 December 1812

Eastern Europe (Russian Empire) Russia's commitment to Napoleon's Continental System was a mere lipservice. Differences between France and Russia over influence in Poland and the Balkans.

WHERE?

WHY?

INTRODUCTION- Antagonists
La Grande Arme- Napoleon

Chief of Staff Marshal Berthier

Russian Army- Tsar Alexander Chief of Staff: Barclay de Tolly/Marshal Kutusoff

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

400,000-600,000(422,000)/1,800 cannons 177,000 horses

200,000-400,000/

Army of twelve languages

Strategy and Tactics

La Grande Arme Strategy

Russian Army Strategy

Strategy of Indirect Approach Strategy of the Central Position

Strategic defence Retreating and attrition of the enemy

Tactics
1 Battle of maneuver 2. Battle of attrition

Tactics

Scorched-earth tactics Raid the enemy with light Cosacks cavalery

Reconnaissance Concentrate artillery fire on the gaps

Pour exploitation force trough the gaps

Pursue with mobile force

THEATER OF OPERATIONS
LEGEND U - Uplands M - Marshes L - Lakelands

Lithuanians

Belarusians

Ukrainians

Napoleons Plan

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10

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7
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13 11

Mission: Across Niemen river, engage and defeat the enemy and force Tsar Alexander to accept French Peace proposal.

Russian Plan

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2
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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

The Invasion
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III
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I BORODINO 07 Sep 1812

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II
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IX
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VII
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XIII

XI

NIEMEN 23 Jun 1812

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IV

Battle of Borodino/07 Sep 1812 0630-1600

French Army

Russian Army

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

Next year, after winter the peasants would have to bury a total of 58,521 corpses and the carcasses of 35,478 horses

Retreating
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14 Sep 1812
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18 Oct xxxx 1812

III 27 Sep 1812

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IX

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Berezina 23-28 Nov xxx XIII 1812

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VII
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XI

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IV

Final disaster
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VII
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XI

14 Dec 1812

OUTCOME

the graph of Charles Joseph Minard

French losses: 370,000 dead, 200,000 POW 1550 cannon, almost all horses and vehicles Russian losses: 150,000 dead, 300,000 wounded

KEY EVENT 1
CHANGING IN COMMANDDE TOLLY REPLACED BY KUTUZOV

Causes

De Tolly was under pressure because he didnt want to accept decisive battle Russians generals hated him (he was Scot) He lost Battle of Smolensk 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

Effects

KEY EVENT 2
VIOLATION OF PRINCIPLE OF WARNAPOLEON 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 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

Effects

KEY EVENT 3

EVACUATION AND BURNING OF MOSCOW Causes

Russians troops were to weak for new decisive battle Napoleons troops were to far from their depots, logistic became almost impossible

Effects
Russians avoided new battle, took position in south in order to close Napoleons retreat French didnt 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

didnt plan to go deep in Russia, he expected battle near boundary had advantage over thy enemy but he allowed him to retreat Napoleon 1st vs. General Bonaparte

Follow principles of war.

He

Dont become over -confident

Emperor

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 edgeIf 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 ???