There are no random events in a war . Everything that happens has serious consequences. But there are events that radically change the course of history. The Tarutin maneuver of the Russian army in the war of 1812 is one of such episodes. He became the second turning point after the battle of Borodino and forced Napoleon I's army to retreat from the intended target.
War of 1812
Over the course of its thousand-year history, Russia has had to defend itself more than once from enemies who want to enslave it. The beginning of the 19th century was no exception. The Great French Revolution, and then the rise to power in the country of Napoleon Bonaparte, who proclaimed himself emperor, spoiled relations between the two once friendly countries. The Russian authorities in the person of Alexander I feared the influence of the revolution in France on the situation inside the Russian Empire. But finally relations were spoiled by the aggressive policy that Napoleon I began to pursue against European countries, especially England, which was a longtime ally of Russia.
In the end, the actions of France led to the war with Russia, which in Russian historiography was called the Patriotic War of 1812 .
Reasons for the military conflict
By 1812, all of Europe, with the exception of the old enemy of France - England, was conquered by the army of Napoleon. Of the remaining world powers, only the Russian Empire continued to pursue an independent foreign policy, which did not suit the French emperor. In addition to this, Russia actually violated the continental blockade, which it was forced to take against England as the main condition for the Tilsit agreement between the Russian Empire and France. The blockade caused serious damage to the country's economy, so Russia began to trade with England through neutral states. However, she did not formally violate the conditions of the continental blockade. France was indignant, but could not express protest.
Russia, through its independent policy, prevented Napoleon from realizing world domination. Starting the war with him, he planned in the first battle to deliver a crushing blow to the Russian army and then dictate his peace terms to Alexander I.
Balance of power
The Russian army numbered from 480 to 500 thousand people, and France - about 600 thousand. Such a quantity, according to most historians, both countries were able to expose for military operations. In such difficult conditions, knowing that Napoleon hoped to end the enemy with one blow, the leadership of the Russian army decided to evade the decisive battle with the enemy in every possible way. Such tactics were approved by Alexander I.
battle of Borodino
Following the approved plan not to engage in a general battle with the enemy, after the invasion of Napoleon’s troops in June 1812, the Russian armies began a slow retreat, trying to connect with each other. It was possible to do this near Smolensk, where Napoleon again tried to give a decisive battle. But the commander in chief of the Russian army, Barclay de Tolly, did not allow this and withdrew the army from the city.
It was decided to give the general battle in that position, which the army leadership itself chose. By that time, Mikhail Kutuzov had taken command over her. It was decided to give the fight not far from Mozhaisk, on the field near the village of Borodino. Here one of the fundamental changes occurred during the war. The subsequent Tarutinsky maneuver will finally change its history.
Although the battle was not won, and both sides remained in their positions, he inflicted brutal damage to the French army, which Kutuzov sought.
Council at Fili and surrender of Moscow
After the Battle of Borodino, the Russian army retreated to Mozhaisk. Here, in the village of Fili, Kutuzov held a military council at which the fate of the Russian capital was to be decided. The vast majority of officers were in favor of another battle near Moscow. But some generals, on the eve of inspecting the future combat position, resolutely spoke out for maintaining the army at the cost of surrendering Moscow to the enemy. Kutuzov gave the order to leave the capital.
Tarutin march maneuver: date and main participants
To realize the complexity and tragedy of the situation, one must understand the following: never before after the fall of the capital did the army continue to fight. Napoleon did not fully believe that the loss of Moscow would not force Alexander I to negotiate. But Russia, with the surrender of the capital to the enemy, did not lose anything, but the death of the army meant a final defeat.
From the very beginning of the Russian campaign, it was vitally important for Napoleon to impose a general battle on the enemy armies. The leadership of the Russian army did everything possible to avoid this while the forces were unequal.
Having withdrawn the army from Moscow on September 14 (in a new style), the field marshal sent it along the Ryazan road, first to the village of Krasnaya Pakhra, and a little later chose the village of Tarutino as the location of the army. Here, Russian troops received, albeit a short, but so necessary rest for them. At the same time, the army was supplied with food and volunteers.
The ingenious plan of Kutuzov
What was Kutuzov’s plan? The Tarutin maneuver, the start date of which is September 17, and the end date is October 3, was to confuse Napoleon and give the Russian army time to rest. It was necessary to hide their location from the enemy. In the implementation of this plan, the Russian rearguards and Cossacks helped. The Tarutin maneuver can be briefly described as follows.
September 14, late in the evening, when Napoleon’s army was already entering Moscow, the last units of the Russian army under the command of General Miloradovich only left it. In such an environment, the Russian troops pursued by the vanguard of the French cavalry had to hide their movement.
Kutuzov led the army along the Ryazan road, but then ordered to turn to the old Kaluga. Here the implementation of the plan to conceal Russian forces from Napoleon, the famous Tarutinsky maneuver of Kutuzov, began. The cavalry rearguards under the command of Generals Vasilchikov, Raevsky and Miloradovich covered the departure on the new road and the crossing across the Moscow River. The crossing of the Russian army was watched by the vanguard of the French. Russian troops left in two columns.
After the crossing, the army accelerated movement and broke away from the French. The Rayevsky building, which was one of the last, burned all the bridges at the crossing. So on September 17, the Tarutin maneuver of the Russian army was successfully launched.
Cover operation
To break away from the pursuit of the French avant-garde was not enough. Napoleon immediately after arriving in Moscow sent his best marshal Murat to search the Russian army. The Russian rearguards of Raevsky and Miloradovich, as well as the Cossack detachments created the appearance of an army retreat to Ryazan, misleading Napoleon. They managed for several precious days for Kutuzov to completely disorient the French regarding the location of the Russian army. During this time, she safely reached the village of Tarutino and camped there to rest. So brilliantly implemented the plan of Kutuzov.
Helped cover the withdrawal of the army and peasants from neighboring villages and villages. They organized partisan detachments and, together with the Cossacks, attacked the French vanguards, causing considerable damage to them.
Tarutin battle
For almost two weeks, Napoleon did not know the whereabouts of the Russian army until its location revealed the Murat’s corps. This time has been used to maximum advantage. The warriors received a long-awaited rest, food was organized, fresh replenishment arrived. New weapons arrived from Tula, and the rest of the provinces, by order of the commander-in-chief, began supplying winter uniforms for the army.
At the same time, the army of Kutuzov covered roads to the rich southern provinces and to Tula with its military industry. Being in the rear of the French army, Kutuzov posed a serious threat.
Napoleon’s army was in a real trap in Moscow. The road to the rich southern provinces was covered by the stronger Russian army, and partisan detachments from Cossacks and peasants actually took the capital in the ring.
On September 24, Murat discovered the location of the Russian army and camped near it for observation on the Chernishna River. The number of his troops was about 27 thousand people.
In early October, Napoleon tried to enter into negotiations with Kutuzov, but he refused it. It was decided to attack the Murat group, because, according to the partisans, he did not have reinforcements. On October 18, the French camp was suddenly attacked by Russian troops. Murat’s army was not completely defeated; he managed to organize a retreat. But Tarutino battle showed that the Russian army has become stronger and now poses a serious threat to the enemy.
The significance of the Tarutino march
The Tarutino maneuver of 1812, brilliantly conceived and brilliantly realized by Kutuzov with the help of his generals and officers, was crucial for the victory over the invader. Having managed to tear itself away from the enemy and won several weeks, the Russian army received the necessary rest, the supply of weapons, provisions and uniforms was arranged. The army also replenished with a new reserve of more than 100 thousand people.
The ideally chosen location of the Russian camp did not allow Napoleon to continue the offensive and forced the French army to leave along the old Smolensk road, which led through completely plundered territories.