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1812 in the Russian Empire

  • Battle of MaloyaroslavetsOn the 19th of October 1812 Napoleon left Moscow and marched southwest toward Kaluga. Eugène de Beauharnais led the advance guard of this massive force.
  • French occupation of MoscowField Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov's Russian army suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Borodino on the 7th of September 1812.
  • Battle of Vitebsk (1812)Emperor Napoleon I launched a part of his forces in an enveloping action towards Vitebsk during mid-July 1812. He sought to force the Russian army to commit…
  • French invasion of RussiaNapoleon crossed the Neman River on the 24th of June 1812, initiating a campaign that would reshape European history. The decision to invade Russia stemmed…
  • Battle of Smolensk (1812)On the 27th of July, General Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly slipped his First Western Army away from Vitebsk. He avoided a general engagement with Emperor…
  • Battle of BorodinoOn the 24th of June 1812, Napoleon crossed the Niemen river with his Grande Armée to begin the invasion of Russia. The French force started with 286,000…
  • Fire of Moscow (1812)On the 14th of September 1812, Russian troops and most civilians abandoned Moscow just ahead of French Emperor Napoleon's advancing army.