French occupation of Moscow

French occupation of Moscow
Part of the French invasion of Russia

The Fire of Moscow 1813 by Alexander Smirnov
Date14 September to 19 October 1812
Location55°45′N 37°38′E / 55.75°N 37.63°E / 55.75; 37.63
Result Most of Moscow destroyed by fire, vandalism and looting. See also section Aftermath.
Belligerents
 France  Russia
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Napoleon Russian Empire Fyodor Rostopchin
Strength
100,000[1] Unknown part of about 250,000 inhabitants[2]
French occupation of Moscow is located in Europe
French occupation of Moscow
Location within Europe
500km
300miles
Pultusk
15
Gorodeczno
14
Battle of Gorodechno 12 August 1812: Schwarzenberg's Austrians
Drohiczyn
13
Tauroggen
12
Tauroggen 30 December 1812: Ludwig Yorck's Prussians signed the Convention of Tauroggen
Riga
11
Siege of Riga 24 July – 18 December 1812: Macdonald's Prussians
Tilsit
10
Warsaw
9
Berezina
8
Battle of Berezina 26–29 November 1812: Napoleon, Chichagov, Wittgenstein, Kutuzov only pursuit
Maloyaro-
slavets
7
Battle of Maloyaroslavets 24 October 1812: Kutuzov, Napoleon
Moscow
6
Borodino
5
Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812: Kutuzov, Napoleon October 1812: Napoleon's Retreat
Smolensk
4
Battle of Smolensk 16 August 1812: Napoleon November 1812: : Napoleon's retreat
Vitebsk
3
Battle of Vitebsk 26 July 1812: Napoleon
Vilna
2
Kowno
1
Map
  current battle
  Prussian corps
  Napoleon
  Austrian corps
Before Moscow waiting for the Boyars' Deputation, by Vasily Vereshchagin
The entry of the French into Moscow

French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte's Grande Armée occupied Moscow from 14 September to 19 October 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars. It marked the summit of the French invasion of Russia. During the occupation, which lasted 36 days, the city was devastated by fire and Napoleon ordered a systematic looting of the churches to fill his war chest with silver.[3]

Napoleon's invasion of Russia began on the 24th of June in 1812, and he had made considerable progress by autumn. With French victory in the Battle of Borodino on 7 September, the way to Moscow was open. The opposing Russian army under Mikhail Kutuzov had suffered heavy losses and chose to retreat. A week of close escapes on the part of the Russian army followed. Napoleon and Kutuzov even slept on the same bed in the manor of Bolshiye Vyazyomy just one night apart, as the French chased the Russians down. Napoleon and his army entered Moscow on 14 September. To Napoleon's surprise, Kutuzov had abandoned the city, and it fell without a fight. Hundreds of thousands of civilians fled along with the retreating Russian army, leaving the city nearly empty.

The capture of the city was a hollow victory for the French, as the Russians—most likely on orders of governor Fyodor Rostopchin—set much of the city on fire in a scorched earth tactic (though the cause of the fire is disputed). For four days until 18 September, the city burned. The French, who had intended to pilfer the city for supplies, were now deep in enemy territory without adequate food as winter was approaching. The French thoroughly looted what had not burned, including ransacking churches. French misery was compounded by guerilla warfare by the Cossacks against French supplies, and total war by peasants. This kind of attrition war weakened the French army at its most vulnerable point: logistics.

On 19 October, after losing Battle of Tarutino, Napoleon and his Grande Armée, slowly weakened by the attrition warfare against him, lacking provisions, and facing the first snows, abandoned the city voluntarily and marched southwards until the Battle of Maloyaroslavets stopped the advance.[4] The retreating French set further fires in the city, and blew up monuments. The Russians retook the city on 19 October, and quelled rioting and looting by peasants. The destruction of the city was considerable: it would take more than half a century to return to its pre-war population.

  1. ^ Riehn 1990, p. 265.
  2. ^ Riehn 1990, pp. 263–264.
  3. ^ Riehn 1990, pp. 285–286.
  4. ^ Riehn 1990, p. 321.

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