Brainstorming

1. Which country initiated the French-Russian War of 1812?

2. Can you describe strategies of Napoleon and the Russian Army during the war?

3. What happened to Moscow as the result of this war?

4. Can you point out the most important and crucial battles of this war?

5. If you were Napoleon and lived at that time, what would you do?

Text A: Reading for meaning.

Invasion Began.

The beginning of the 19^th century delivered a great deal of disastrous wars to the majority of the European powers. And Russia, being the largest and one of the most influential European powers could not avoid these wars. France, and it’s the most genius emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, could manage to build the strongest and the most organized army that was just easily sweeping most European countries away from the map.

At first Russia was watching with a great interest how mobile French troops were swallowing tiny countries of Europe and then, the interest was lost as the French policy and militarism became a heavy burden to Russia. And soon the war began.

There were immeasurable regiments of excellently trained and organized army headed by the greatest commander whose military genius was put much higher than the geniuses of Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Caesar. The union of France with Austria and Prussia, sovereignty above Europe strengthened numerically the French armies and guaranteed a reliable and solid rear. In front of Napoleon there was a country that put forward an army on protection, three times smaller army, and the army which generals were repeatedly beat by both Napoleon and his marshals. Napoleon considered that there were no a single good commander in Russia except of Prince Petr Bagration.

Large numbers of French troops were deployed to the Polish borders reaching over 300, 000 out of the total Russian army strength of 410, 000. After receiving the initial reports of Russian war preparations, Napoleon began expanding his Grande Armé e to a massive force of over 450, 000-600, 000 men. Napoleon ignored repeated advice against an invasion of the vast Russian heartland, and prepared his forces for a fast offensive campaign.

On June 23, 1812, Napoleon's invasion of Russia commenced. Napoleon, in an attempt to gain increased support from Polish nationalists and patriots, called the war the " Second Polish War". Polish patriots wanted the Russian part of partitioned Poland to be incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and a new Kingdom of Poland created, although this was rejected by Napoleon, who feared it would bring Prussia and Austria into the war against France. Napoleon also rejected requests to free the Russian serfs, fearing this might provoke a conservative reaction in his rear. The Russians under Mikhail Barclay de Tolly ingeniously avoided a decisive engagement which Napoleon longed for, preferring to retreat ever deeper into the heart of Russia.