Moscow: Invasion and Retreat
"At one o'clock in the afternoon of 14 September, after passing through a great forest, we saw a hill some way off, and half an hour afterwards part of the army reached the highest point, signally to us who were behind, and shouting 'Moscow! Moscow!" it was indeed the great city; there we should rest after all our labours, for we of the Imperial Guard had marched more than twelve hundred leagues without resting.
It was a beautiful summer's day; the sun was reflected on all the domes, spires, and guilded palaces. Many capitals I have seen--such as Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, and Madrid--have only made an ordinary impression on me. But this was quite different; the effect was to me--in fact, to everyone--magical" (Bourgogne, p 18).
Like the villages before, Moscow was already evacuated and only sparsely defended. After a brief siege the Imperial troops entered the city, in hopes of replenishing their supplies and settling into comfortable quarters for the winter. But, in keeping with Kutuzov's policy, the remaining Russians quickly put Moscow to the torch, and the fires continued for days. Even though Napoleon's troops were swift to execute arsonists, much of the great city was reduced to cinders. On September 26 Napoleon had given the order to prepare long-term quarters; by mid-October it had become plain that Moscow could not sustain his remaining men over the long winter. On October 18, 1812, the order to begin the long retreat back to the Niemen River was given. Less than one-fourth of the Imperial army had survived the campaign to reach Moscow, and several hundred miles of barren land and hostile Russian troops lay ahead. Food was still scarce, and winter had begun in earnest.
Illustrations:
The Emperor watching the burning of Moscow
Document last reviewed September 27, 1997
Comments to: Lori Eichelberger