So fate decreed that Russia, whose population was always distinguished by its peacefulness and hospitality, had to fight a lot throughout its existence. There were also aggressive wars, but most of the time the Russian state was desperately defending itself against those who wanted to encroach on its territory from unfriendly countries.
In war, sometimes it is necessary to make difficult choices, on which the fate of the country depends. The Military Council at Fili of 1812 is a clear example of this.
Patriotic War of 1812
Not a single century has passed peacefully for Russia. Each carried the threat of a severe war. So it was at the beginning of the XIX century. The ambitions of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte pushed him on a crazy step - to start a war with the Russian Empire, which alone was not influenced by France, not counting Great Britain. Such an independent position of the most powerful northern country did not suit Napoleon, and he planned to defeat the Russian army in the very first battle, and then dictate his conditions to Alexander I.
The Russian emperor, an outstanding diplomat, was well aware that Napoleon would try to impose a decisive battle on his army, in which the chances of winning Russia were slim. A year before the start of the war, he said that he would rather retreat to Kamchatka than sign a peace treaty in the capital. “Our winter and our climate will fight for us,” - said Alexander I. Time has shown that his words were prophetic.
The battle of Borodino - behind Moscow
Having crossed the border river Neman in June 1812, the Great Army entered the territory of Russia. Following the approved plan, the Russian troops began an organized retreat. All three scattered armies were in every hurry to unite. Near Smolensk in early August, the 1st and 2nd armies successfully completed this maneuver. Here Napoleon tried to impose a general battle on the commander of the Russian troops, Barclay de Tolly. The latter, realizing that the troops, exhausted by a continuous retreat, had an insignificant chance of victory, preferred to save the army and ordered the soldiers to leave the city.
The main battle in this war between the Russian troops, which at that time was commanded by Mikhail Kutuzov appointed by Alexander I, and the Napoleonic army took place at the village of Borodino on August 26 (September 7). It was not possible to win the victory over Napoleon, but in the Battle of Borodino the Russian army, most importantly, fulfilled its main task - inflicting serious damage on the enemy forces.
Retreat to Moscow
September 8, trying to save the army, Kutuzov ordered to retreat towards Mozhaisk. After the battle of Borodino, all officers were eager to enter into a new battle with Napoleon. Kutuzov himself spoke about this repeatedly. But from the personal letter of the emperor, he learned that he would not receive the necessary reinforcements.
On September 13, an army from the village of Mamonov approached the positions selected by General Bennigsen a few kilometers from Moscow. During the inspection of the place of the future battle, on Poklonnaya Gora, Barclay de Tolly and Ermolov expressed to the commander in chief of the combined armies a categorical opinion about its complete unsuitability. Behind the Russian troops were a river, ravines and a huge city. This completely ruled out the possibility of any maneuver. A bloodless army could not fight in such an unfortunate position.
Council at Fili - date and members
In order to make a final decision on the fate of the battle and the capital, on the evening of September 13, Kutuzov convened a military council in Fili. It was carried out secretly, in the hut of the peasant Frolov.
The number and names of officers present at it are known to us only from the words of eyewitnesses of these events, since, in view of secrecy, the protocol was not kept. It is known that up to 15 people attended it, except for General Miloradovich who was in the rearguard. The governor of Moscow, Count Rostopchin, who arrived the day before, was not invited to the council at Fili.
Opinion of the council members
From the letters and memoirs of the participants it is known that General L. L. Bennigsen was the first to take the floor and asked the question: “Will the army accept the battle or surrender Moscow?” He himself was determined for a new battle. He was supported by most of the officers present who were eager for revenge for Borodino. Bennigsen emphasized that a new battle was necessary to maintain the morale of the army, but surrender of the capital would undermine it.
Next, the former army commander Barclay de Tolly took the floor, who said that the position for the battle of the Russian troops was the most unsuitable, and therefore suggested moving to Vladimir. About Moscow, he said that now for the salvation of the country, it is not the capital that is important, but the army, and it is precisely this army that must be preserved with all its might.
The opinion of Barclay de Tolly was supported only by Osterman-Tolstoy, Tol and Raevsky. The remaining officers either supported Bennigsen, or suggested that they themselves move towards the Napoleon’s army.
Hard choice is the commander’s lot
The Council at Fili did not allow a consensus. There was no vote either. The whole burden of responsibility for making a decision fell on the shoulders of M. Kutuzov. And he made a choice that astounded Bennigsen, who was sure that the commander in chief would take his side. Kutuzov ordered to leave the capital and retreat to Tarutino. As members of the council later recalled, everyone was terrified of this decision. The surrender of the capital to the enemy - this has not happened in the history of the Russian state. To go for it, you needed a lot of courage. In addition, Kutuzov could not know in advance how the emperor would react to his decision.
Kutuzov spent the night in a hut, where a council was held in Fili. According to eyewitnesses, he did not sleep, walked around the room. It was audible how the commander approached the table where the map was located. They say that a deaf sob was also heard from the room. It was not so hard for anyone during these hours as for the commander in chief.
Military Council at Fili - Historical Importance
An unprecedented decision at that time - surrender of the ancient capital to the enemy - was of great importance for the subsequent course of the war. The Napoleonic army was stuck in Moscow, while the Russian military forces were saved. In Tarutino camp, the army rested and gained strength. And the French were freezing in the burning capital. The surrender of Moscow is the beginning of the end of the Great Army. Napoleon did not wait for words from Alexander I about peace, and very soon the Russian troops would drive the invaders back to the border.
If Kutuzov agreed with the majority of officers, most likely, his army would have died near the walls of Moscow, and left the whole country without protection.
The military council at Fili is for some reason rather poorly represented in art. Which, by the way, is amazing. Of the paintings, the most famous work is the famous painting “Council at Fili” by the battalist A. Kivshenko. The artist took the council scene from Tolstoy's novel War and Peace as the basis of his creation.