In June 1812, French soldiers led by Napoleon Bonaparte entered the Russian lands. Some things in Russia surprised Napoleon I, who had seen a lot on the path of his march.
The most vivid impression on Napoleon was the tactics of fighting. Led by Barclay de Tolly, the Russian army moved in constant retreat. During the movement from Vitebsk and before the castling of Tolly and Kutuzov, the French clashed with the Russians in battle only twice.
At first, the French emperor was pleased with this state of affairs, since his plans included the capture of Smolensk with minimal losses. As a result, the enemy got the city, but they got it in a very unsightly form.
The joy of the conquerors was replaced by disappointment. There was no point in staying in Smolensk, and moving on was dangerous. Not expecting such a turn, the French went further and further into the vast country with alien traditions and climate. On the way, the emperor's army was awaited only by deserted cities and the remains of provisions. The half-starved soldiers began to panic.
Bonaparte devoted a whole page of his memoirs about the campaign to Russia to describe the impenetrable walls of Russian cities, in particular Smolensk. Several sentences about the city's delightful beauty give way to lengthy descriptions of attempts to break through the city walls.
The emperor's army had to spend the entire artillery charge, but this was not enough. The only way to overcome the obstacle was to destroy the two towers.
Wherever the French moved in Russia, the earth burned around them, and in the truest sense of the word. Moreover, if Napoleon had not left records of his memoirs, which were published, it could be assumed that it was the French who staged arson. In reality, it was the other way around. The Russians burned houses, streets, shops, roads. But some Frenchmen extinguished them. Moscow met the uninvited guests with fires and flames. At the sight of the burning Moscow at Napoleon's, as he wrote, his heart was bleeding.
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In addition to what was directly related to the conduct of the battle, Napoleon I admired the results of the work of architects and architects. In the memoirs of the great commander, one can find a description of Russian cities that delighted the French with their greatness. Words of admiration can be found on the pages dedicated to the capture of Smolensk. But Moscow made an even greater impression on him. He compared this city to Rome, which also stands on seven hills. In every word it is noticeable how much he was struck by the beauty of the city, which opened their eyes from Poklonnaya Hill.
As they say, one of Russia's troubles is its roads. So Napoleon had a very unsatisfactory impression of them. At the same time, this in no way had any connection with the weather. He spoke of the roads as impassable. The skillful commander did not dare to divide the corps into detachments and send them in different directions, the reason for which was the insufficient amount of information about the passability of routes and maps.
However, the most surprising thing for the French emperor was the behavior of the Russian people. According to the general, not a single army, even the most formidable, will be able to fight with a people who chooses either to win or die. When the Napoleonic army approached, all residents left their homes and villages and burned everything behind them. Villagers hiding in the forests raided foragers, attacking stragglers and marauders.
Anna Ponomareva