the Russian campaign

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

• Army of 450 thousand
• 1807 treaty made between Alex 1 and napoleon
• Established an alliance between the two where they agreed France would occupy mainland Europe and Russia keep eastern Europe
• Why does it break down
  Neither side trusts each other
• Friction over NB’s annexation over the Duchy of Oldenburg in 1810 (Tsar’s brother in law)
• Nb was annoyed by the lack of support from Russia in the Austrian war of 1809.
• The Tsar was annoyed that Napoleon married an Austrian princess
• A marriage to the Tsar’s sister had previously been considered.
• The main disagreement was over the Continental system.
• Russia had promised to join in the treaty of Tilsit
• 1810 tsar Alexander 1 introduced a new trade tariff discriminating against France and in favour of Britain
• So decides to invade Russia in summer 1812

Question 2

The Russian campaign - napoleon generalship

Answer 2

• Napoleon hoped to make a quick attack and force a decisive battle
• So confident he gave his soldiers only 4 days rations
  Given inadequate maps
• Men wearing summer clothing
• Soldiers given insufficient medical supplies
• But Russian forces constantly retreated and refused to fight
• Napoleonic armies were drown deeper into Russia
  -Scorched earth policy
• Stretched french supply lines and their advance was slowed by the sheer weight of numbers
• Napoleon As usual tactics were not working
  7th September 1812 Russia defeated at borodino but it was not decisive
• By the time they got to Moscow in September 1812 60 thousand of his men had died
• 14th September 1812 napoleon’s forces take Moscow

Question 3

The Russian campaign napoleon’s enemies

Answer 3

• Russia as they withdrew and pulled napoleon men deeper into Russia adopted a scorched earth policy
• 14th September 1812 Russia refused to negotiate, forcing the french army to retreat on 19 October 1812
• December 1812 only 25 thousand of napoleon’s men survived to reach the safety of the duchy of Warsaw
• Napoleon abandoned the remnants of his army and fled to Paris

Question 4

The russian campaign - significance

Answer 4

• Napoleon blamed the catastrophic failed on the weather
• Napoleon commanding a huge army with may raw and ill disciplined troops permitted his supply lines to be overstretched and made insufficient provisions for the soldiers rations
• Russian tactics also played their part
• 1812 failure increased the feeling that the final defeat of napoleon could not be too far away
• Led to the forth coalitions

Question 5

The 4th coalition

Answer 5

• 323 thousand against 200 thousand of napoleon’s men
• Prussia had now created a national army
  30th - 31st march allies enter Paris (fall of Paris)
• Leads to the first abdication of napoleon
• Since 1792 french had protected Paris
• Results in 3 treaties
• The Treaty of Chaumont
• Quadruple Alliance – committed each of the four powers not to conclude a separate peace but fight until Napoleon was defeated.
• The Treaty of Fontainebleau
• Napoleon granted sovereignty to the Island of Elba.
• the first Treaty of Paris (Nov 1814)
• reduced France to her 1792 borders (including Avignon and Savoy)