The role of the partisan movement in the Patriotic War of 1812. Partisan war

Patriotic War of 1812. Partisan movement

Introduction

The partisan movement was a vivid expression of the national character of the Patriotic War of 1812. Having flared up after the invasion of Napoleonic troops into Lithuania and Belarus, it developed every day, took on more and more active forms and became a formidable force.

At first, the partisan movement was spontaneous, represented by performances of small, scattered partisan detachments, then it captured entire areas. Large detachments began to be created, thousands of folk heroes appeared, talented organizers of the partisan struggle came to the fore.

Why, then, did the disenfranchised peasantry, mercilessly oppressed by the feudal landlords, rise to fight against their seemingly "liberator"? Napoleon did not even think about any liberation of the peasants from serfdom or improvement of their disenfranchised position. If at first promising phrases were uttered about the liberation of the serfs, and even there was talk of the need to issue some kind of proclamation, then this was only a tactical move, with the help of which Napoleon hoped to intimidate the landowners.

Napoleon understood that the liberation of the Russian serfs would inevitably lead to revolutionary consequences, which he feared most of all. Yes, this did not meet his political goals when entering Russia. According to Napoleon's comrades-in-arms, it was "important for him to strengthen monarchism in France and it was difficult for him to preach the revolution in Russia."

The purpose of the work is to consider Denis Davydov as a hero of the partisan war and a poet. Tasks to consider:

Causes of partisan movements

Partisan movement of D. Davydov

Denis Davydov as a poet

1. Reasons for the emergence of partisan detachments

The beginning of the partisan movement in 1812 is associated with the manifesto of Alexander I of July 6, 1812, as if allowing the peasants to take up arms and actively join the struggle. In reality, things were different. Without waiting for orders from their superiors, when the French approached, the inhabitants went into the forests and swamps, often leaving their homes to be looted and burned.

The peasants quickly realized that the invasion of the French conquerors put them in an even more difficult and humiliating position, something in which they were before. The peasants also associated the struggle against foreign enslavers with the hope of liberating them from serfdom.

At the beginning of the war, the struggle of the peasants took on the character of mass abandonment of villages and villages and the departure of the population to forests and areas remote from hostilities. And although it was still a passive form of struggle, it created serious difficulties for the Napoleonic army. The French troops, having a limited supply of food and fodder, quickly began to experience an acute shortage of them. This was not long in affecting the general condition of the army: horses began to die, soldiers starved, looting intensified. Even before Vilna, more than 10 thousand horses died.

The actions of the peasant partisan detachments were both defensive and offensive. In the region of Vitebsk, Orsha, Mogilev, detachments of peasants - partisans made frequent day and night raids on enemy carts, destroyed his foragers, and captured French soldiers. Napoleon was forced more and more often to remind the chief of staff, Berthier, of the heavy losses in people and strictly ordered that more and more troops be allocated to cover the foragers.

2. Partisan detachment of Denis Davydov

Along with the formation of large peasant partisan detachments and their activities, army partisan detachments played an important role in the war. The first army partisan detachment was created on the initiative of M. B. Barclay de Tolly.

Its commander was General F. F. Vintsengerode, who led the combined Kazan Dragoon, Stavropol, Kalmyk and three Cossack regiments, which began to operate in the area of ​​Dukhovshchina.

After the invasion of the Napoleonic troops, the peasants began to go into the forests, the partisan heroes began to create peasant detachments and attack individual French teams. With particular force, the struggle of the partisan detachments unfolded after the fall of Smolensk and Moscow. Partisan troops boldly marched on the enemy and captured the French. Kutuzov singled out a detachment for operations behind enemy lines under the leadership of D. Davydov, whose detachment violated the enemy's communication routes, freed prisoners, and inspired the local population to fight the invaders. Following the example of the Denisov detachment, by October 1812, there were 36 Cossack, 7 cavalry, 5 infantry regiments, 3 battalions of rangers and other units, including artillery.

Residents of the Roslavl district created several partisan detachments on horseback and on foot, arming them with pikes, sabers and guns. They not only defended their county from the enemy, but also attacked marauders who made their way to the neighboring Yelnensky county. Many partisan detachments operated in the Yukhnovsky district. Having organized a defense along the Ugra River, they blocked the enemy's path in Kaluga, and provided significant assistance to the army partisans to Denis Davydov's detachment.

A real thunderstorm for the French was the detachment of Denis Davydov. This detachment arose on the initiative of Davydov himself, lieutenant colonel, commander of the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment. Together with his hussars, he retreated as part of Bagration's army to Borodin. A passionate desire to be even more useful in the fight against the invaders prompted D. Davydov "to ask for a separate detachment." In this intention, he was strengthened by Lieutenant M.F. Orlov, who was sent to Smolensk to clarify the fate of the seriously wounded General P.A. Tuchkov, who was captured. After returning from Smolensk, Orlov spoke about the unrest, the poor protection of the rear in the French army.

While driving through the territory occupied by Napoleonic troops, he realized how vulnerable the French food warehouses, guarded by small detachments. At the same time, he saw how difficult it was to fight without an agreed plan of action for the flying peasant detachments. According to Orlov, small army detachments sent behind enemy lines could inflict great damage on him and help the actions of the partisans.

D. Davydov asked General P.I. Bagration to allow him to organize a partisan detachment for operations behind enemy lines. For a "test" Kutuzov allowed Davydov to take 50 hussars and -1280 Cossacks and go to Medynen and Yukhnov. Having received a detachment at his disposal, Davydov began bold raids on the rear of the enemy. In the very first skirmishes near Tsarev - Zaymishch, Slavsky, he achieved success: he defeated several French detachments, captured a wagon train with ammunition.

In the autumn of 1812, partisan detachments surrounded the French army in a continuous mobile ring.

Between Smolensk and Gzhatsk, a detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Davydov, reinforced by two Cossack regiments, operated. From Gzhatsk to Mozhaisk, a detachment of General I. S. Dorokhov operated. Captain A. S. Figner with his flying detachment attacked the French on the road from Mozhaisk to Moscow.

In the Mozhaisk region and to the south, a detachment of Colonel I. M. Vadbolsky operated as part of the Mariupol Hussar Regiment and 500 Cossacks. Between Borovsk and Moscow, the roads were controlled by the detachment of Captain A.N. Seslavin. Colonel N. D. Kudashiv was sent to the Serpukhov road with two Cossack regiments. On the Ryazan road there was a detachment of Colonel I. E. Efremov. From the north, Moscow was blocked by a large detachment of F.F. Vintsengerode, who, separating small detachments from himself to Volokolamsk, on the Yaroslavl and Dmitrov roads, blocked the access of Napoleon's troops to the northern regions of the Moscow region.

Partisan detachments operated in difficult conditions. At first, there were many difficulties. Even the inhabitants of villages and villages at first treated the partisans with great distrust, often mistaking them for enemy soldiers. Often the hussars had to change into peasant caftans and grow beards.

Partisan detachments did not stand in one place, they were constantly on the move, and no one except the commander knew in advance when and where the detachment would go. The actions of the partisans were sudden and swift. To fly like snow on the head, and quickly hide became the basic rule of the partisans.

Detachments attacked individual teams, foragers, transports, took away weapons and distributed them to the peasants, took tens and hundreds of prisoners.

On the evening of September 3, 1812, Davydov's detachment went to Tsarev-Zaimishch. Short of 6 miles to the village, Davydov sent reconnaissance there, which established that there was a large French convoy with shells, guarded by 250 horsemen. The detachment at the edge of the forest was discovered by French foragers, who rushed to Tsarevo-Zaimishche to warn their own. But Davydov did not let them do this. The detachment rushed in pursuit of the foragers and almost broke into the village with them. The baggage train and its guards were taken by surprise, and an attempt by a small group of Frenchmen to resist was quickly crushed. 130 soldiers, 2 officers, 10 wagons with food and fodder ended up in the hands of the partisans.

3. Denis Davydov as a poet

Denis Davydov was a wonderful romantic poet. He belonged to such a genre as romanticism.

It should be noted that almost always in human history, a nation that has been subjected to aggression creates a powerful layer of patriotic literature. So it was, for example, during the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Russia. And only some time later, having recovered from the blow, overcoming pain and hatred, thinkers and poets think about all the horrors of the war for both sides, about its cruelty and senselessness. This is very clearly reflected in the poems of Denis Davydov.

In my opinion, Davydov's poem is one of the outbursts of patriotic militancy caused by the invasion of the enemy.

What did this unshakable strength of the Russians consist of?

This force was made up of patriotism not in words, but in deeds of the best people from the nobility, poets and just the Russian people.

This force was made up of the heroism of the soldiers and the best officers of the Russian army.

This invincible force was made up of the heroism and patriotism of Muscovites who leave their native city, no matter how sorry they are to leave their property to perish.

The invincible power of the Russians was made up of the actions of partisan detachments. This is the Denisov detachment, where the most needed person is Tikhon Shcherbaty, the people's avenger. Partisan detachments destroyed the Napoleonic army in parts.

So, Denis Davydov in his works depicts the war of 1812 as a national, Patriotic war, when all the people rose to defend the Motherland. And the poet did this with great artistic power, creating a grandiose poem - an epic that has no equal in the world.

You can illustrate the work of Denis Davydov as follows

Dream

Who could cheer you up so much, my friend?

Laughter makes you almost unable to speak.

What joys delight your mind, Or lend you money without a bill?

Ile happy waist came to you

And did you take a deuce of trantels for endurance?

What happened to you that you don't answer?

Ay! let me rest, you don't know anything!

I'm really beside myself, I almost lost my mind:

I found Petersburg completely different today!

I thought the whole world had completely changed:

Imagine - he paid off his debt;

No more pedants, fools,

And even wiser Zoya, Owls!

There is no courage in the unfortunate rhymers of old,

And our dear Marin does not stain papers,

And, delving into the service, he works with his head:

How, starting a platoon, to shout in time: stop!

But what surprised me the most was:

Koev, who so pretended to be Lycurgus,

For our happiness, he wrote us laws,

Suddenly, fortunately for us, he stopped writing them.

In everything there was a happy change,

Theft, robbery, treason disappeared,

No more complaints, no more grievances,

Well, in a word, the city took on a completely nasty look.

Nature gave beauty to the fate of the freak,

And Ll himself stopped looking askance at nature,

Bna the nose has become shorter,

And Ditch scared people with beauty,

Yes, I, who myself, from the beginning of my century,

He bore with a stretch the name of a person,

I look, I rejoice, I do not recognize myself:

Where does beauty come from, where does growth come from - I look;

What a word - then bon mot * what a look - then I inspire passion,

I wonder how I manage to change intrigues!

Suddenly, O wrath of heaven! suddenly rock struck me:

Among the blessed days Andryushka woke up,

And all that I saw, what had so much fun -

I saw everything in a dream, I lost everything with sleep.

Burtsov

In a smoky field, on a bivouac

By the blazing fires

In a beneficent arrack

I see the savior of people.

Gather round

Orthodox all reckoning!

Give me a golden bowl

Where fun lives!

Pour vast bowls

In the noise of joyful speeches,

How our ancestors drank

Among spears and swords.

Burtsev, you are the hussar of the hussars!

You are on a wild horse

The most cruel of fumes

And a rider in the war!

Let's knock the bowl with the bowl together!

Today it is still leisure to drink;

Tomorrow the trumpets will sound

Tomorrow the thunder will roll.

Let's drink and swear

What a curse we indulge

If we ever

Let's give up a step, turn pale,

Pity our chest

And in misfortune we are timid;

If we ever give

Left side on the flank,

Or let's rein the horse,

Or a pretty little cheat

Let's give a heart!

Let not a saber strike

My life will end!

Let me be a general

How many have I seen!

Let among the bloody battles

I will be pale, fearful,

And in the assembly of heroes

Sharp, brave, talkative!

May my mustache, the beauty of nature,

Black-brown, in curls,

Excised at a young age

And disappear like dust!

Let fortune for vexation

To the multiplication of all troubles,

Give me a rank for watch parades

And "George" for the advice!

Let ... But chu! no time to walk!

To the horses, brother, and a foot in the stirrup,

Saber out - and in the battle!

Here is another Feast God gives us,

Noisier and more fun...

Well, shako on one side,

And - cheers! Happy day!

V. A. Zhukovsky

Zhukovsky, dear friend! The debt is red by payment:

I read poems dedicated to me by you;

Now read mine, fumigated bivy

And sprinkled with wine!

For a long time I did not chat with either the muse or you,

Was it up to my feet? ..

.........................................
But even in the storms of war, still on the battlefield,

When the Russian camp went out,

You were greeted with a huge glass

A cheeky guerrilla roaming the steppes!

Conclusion

It was not by chance that the War of 1812 was called the Patriotic War. The popular character of this war was most clearly manifested in the partisan movement, which played a strategic role in the victory of Russia. Responding to reproaches of "a war against the rules," Kutuzov said that such were the feelings of the people. In response to a letter from Marshal Berte, he wrote on October 8, 1818: “It is difficult to stop a people who have been hardened by everything they have seen, a people who have not known war on their territory for so many years, a people ready to sacrifice themselves for the Motherland... ". Activities aimed at attracting the masses to active participation in the war proceeded from the interests of Russia, correctly reflected the objective conditions of the war and took into account the broad possibilities that emerged in the national liberation war.

During the preparation of the counteroffensive, the combined forces of the army, militias and partisans fettered the actions of the Napoleonic troops, inflicted damage on the enemy's manpower, and destroyed military property. The Smolensk-10 road, which remained the only guarded postal route leading from Moscow to the west, was constantly subjected to partisan raids. They intercepted French correspondence, especially valuable ones were delivered to the Headquarters of the Russian army.

The partisan actions of the peasants were highly appreciated by the Russian command. “Peasants,” Kutuzov wrote, “from the villages adjacent to the theater of war, inflict the greatest harm on the enemy ... They kill the enemy in large numbers, and deliver those taken prisoner to the army.” The peasants of the Kaluga province alone killed and captured more than 6,000 French.

And yet, one of the most heroic actions of 1812 remains the feat of Denis Davydov and his detachment.

Bibliographic list

Zhilin P.A. The death of the Napoleonic army in Russia. M., 1974. History of France, vol. 2. M., 2001.-687p.

History of Russia 1861-1917, ed. V. G. Tyukavkina, Moscow: INFRA, 2002.-569p.

Orlik O.V. Thunderstorm of the twelfth year .... M .: INFRA, 2003.-429p.

Platonov S. F. Textbook of Russian history for high school M., 2004.-735s.

Reader on the History of Russia 1861-1917, ed. V. G. Tyukavkina - Moscow: DROFA, 2000.-644p.

DAVYDOV DENIS VASILIEVICH (1784 - 1839) - lieutenant general, ideologist and leader of the partisan movement, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, Russian poet of the Pushkin Pleiades.

Born July 27, 1784 in Moscow, in the family of brigadier Vasily Denisovich Davydov, who served under the command of A.V. Suvorov. A significant part of the childhood years of the future hero was spent in a military situation in Little Russia and Slobozhanshchina, where his father served, commanding the Poltava Light Horse Regiment. Once, when the boy was nine years old, Suvorov came to visit them. Alexander Vasilyevich, looking at the two sons of Vasily Denisovich, said that Denis "this daring one will be a military man, I will not die, but he will win three battles already." Denis remembered this meeting and the words of the great commander for the rest of his life.

In 1801, Davydov entered the service of the Guards Cavalry Guard Regiment and the following year he was promoted to cornet, and in November 1803 to lieutenant. Because of the satirical poems, he was transferred from the guard to the Belarusian hussar regiment with the rank of captain. From the beginning of 1807, Denis Davydov, as an adjutant to P.I.Bagration, took part in military operations against Napoleon in East Prussia. For exceptional bravery shown in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree.

During the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809. in the detachment of Kulnev he went through all of Finland to Uleaborg, occupied the island of Carlier with the Cossacks and, returning to the vanguard, retreated across the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia. In 1809, during the Russian-Turkish war, Davydov was under Prince Bagration, who commanded troops in Moldova, participated in the capture of Machin and Girsovo, in the battle of Rassevat. When Bagration was replaced by Count Kamensky, he entered the vanguard of the Moldavian army under the command of Kulnev, where, according to him, "he completed the course of an outpost school begun in Finland."

At the beginning of the war of 1812, Davydov, with the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment, was in the vanguard troops of General Vasilchikov. When Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief, Davydov, with the permission of Bagration, appeared to the most illustrious prince and asked for a partisan detachment to be in his command. After the battle of Borodino, the Russian army moved to Moscow, and Davydov, with a small detachment of 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks, went west, to the rear of the French army. Soon the successes of his detachment led to the full-scale deployment of the partisan movement. In one of the very first sorties, Davydov managed to capture 370 Frenchmen, while recapturing 200 Russian prisoners, a cart with cartridges and nine carts with provisions. His detachment, at the expense of the peasants and the liberated prisoners, grew rapidly.

Constantly maneuvering and attacking, Davydov's detachment haunted the Napoleonic army. Only in the period from September 2 to October 23, he captured about 3,600 enemy soldiers and officers. Napoleon hated Davydov and ordered him to be shot on the spot upon arrest. The French governor of Vyazma sent one of his best detachments to capture him, consisting of two thousand horsemen with eight chief officers and one staff officer. Davydov, who had half as many people, managed to drive the detachment into a trap and take him prisoner along with all the officers.

During the retreat of the French army, Davydov, together with other partisans, continued to pursue the enemy. Davydov's detachment, together with the detachments of Orlov-Denisov, Figner and Seslavin, defeated and captured the two thousandth brigade of General Augereau near Lyakhov. Pursuing the retreating enemy, Davydov defeated a three thousandth cavalry depot near the city of Kopys, dispersed a large French detachment near Belynichi and, having reached the Neman, occupied Grodno. During the campaign of 1812, Davydov was awarded the Orders of St. Vladimir, 3rd class and St. George, 4th class.

During the foreign campaign of the Russian army, Davydov distinguished himself in the battles of Kalisz and La Rothiere, entered Saxony with the vanguard, captured Dresden. For the heroism shown by Davydov during the storming of Paris, he was awarded the rank of major general. The fame of the brave Russian hero thundered throughout Europe. When Russian troops entered a city, all the inhabitants went out into the street and asked about him in order to see him.

After the war, Denis Davydov continued to serve in the army. He wrote poetry and military-historical memoirs, corresponded with the most famous writers of his era. Participated in the Russian-Persian war of 1826-1828. and in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830-1831. He was married to Sofya Nikolaevna Chirkova, with whom he had 9 children. D.V. Davydov spent the last years of his life in the village of Upper Maza, which belonged to his wife, where he died on April 22, 1839, at the age of 55, from an apoplexy. The ashes of the poet were transported to Moscow and buried in the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent.

SESLAVIN ALEXANDER NIKITICH (1780 - 1858) - major general, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, famous partisan.

He was educated in the 2nd Cadet Corps, served in the Guards Horse Artillery. In 1800, Emperor Paul awarded Lieutenant Seslavin with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Participated in the wars with Napoleon in 1805 and 1807. In 1807 he was wounded at Heilsberg, awarded a golden sword with the inscription "For Bravery", then distinguished himself near Friedland. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812 he was wounded for the second time - in the arm, with crushing of the bone.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, he served as adjutant to General M. B. Barclay de Tolly. Participated in almost all the battles of the 1st Russian army. For the special courage shown in the battle of Borodino, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.

With the beginning of the guerrilla war, Seslavin was given command of a flying detachment and proved to be a talented intelligence officer. The most outstanding feat of Seslavin was the discovery of the movement of Napoleon's army along the Borovskaya road to Kaluga. Thanks to this information, the Russian army managed to block the French road at Maloyaroslavets, forcing them to retreat along the already devastated Smolensk road.

On October 22, near Vyazma, having galloped through the French troops, Seslavin discovered the beginning of their retreat and, having reported this to the Russian command, personally led the Pernovsky regiment into battle, breaking into the city first. Near Lyakhov, together with the detachments of Davydov and Figner, he captured the two thousandth brigade of General Augereau, for which he was promoted to colonel. On November 16, Seslavin captured the city of Borisov and 3,000 prisoners, establishing a link between the armies of Wittgenstein and Chichagov. On November 23, attacking the French near Oshmyany, he almost captured Napoleon himself. Finally, on November 29, on the shoulders of the retreating French cavalry, Seslavin broke into Vilna, where he was again seriously wounded in the arm.

During the foreign campaign of the Russian army, Seslavin often commanded advanced detachments. For distinction in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, he was promoted to major general. Since 1814 - retired. The wounded hero was treated abroad for a long time. Seslavin died in 1858 in his estate Kokoshino, Rzhevsky district, where he was buried.

FIGNER ALEXANDER SAMOYLOVICH . (1787 - 1813) - Colonel, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, an outstanding partisan, scout and saboteur.

Born in the family of the head of the Imperial glass factories, a graduate of the 2nd Cadet Corps. In 1805, with the rank of officer, he was assigned to the troops of the Anglo-Russian expedition in Italy, where he mastered the Italian language perfectly. In 1810 he fought against the Turks in the Moldavian army. For distinction during the assault on Ruschuk, he was promoted to lieutenant and awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Figner was the captain of the 3rd light company of the 11th artillery brigade. In the battle near Smolensk, the fire of his battery repelled the onslaught of the French on the left wing of the Russian army.

After the occupation of Moscow by the French, he, with the permission of the commander in chief, went there as a scout, but with the secret intention of killing Napoleon, for whom he had a fanatical hatred, as well as for all the French. He failed to fulfill his intentions, but thanks to his extraordinary sharpness and knowledge of foreign languages, Figner, dressing in different costumes, freely moved among the enemy soldiers, obtained the necessary information and reported it to our main apartment. During the retreat of the French, having recruited a small detachment of hunters and backward soldiers, Figner, with the assistance of the peasants, began to disturb the rear communications of the enemy. Irritated by the activities of the Russian intelligence officer, Napoleon put a reward on his head. However, all efforts to capture Figner were fruitless; several times surrounded by the enemy, he managed to escape. Strengthened by Cossacks and cavalrymen, he began to annoy the enemy even more importunately: he intercepted couriers, burned carts, once, together with Seslavin, recaptured an entire transport with treasures stolen in Moscow. For actions in the Patriotic War, the sovereign promoted Figner to lieutenant colonel with a transfer to the guard.

With a brilliant education and appearance, Figner had strong nerves and a cruel heart. In his detachment, prisoners were not left alive. As Denis Davydov recalled, one day Figner asked him to give him the French captured in battle - so that the Cossacks of his detachment, who had not yet been "incited", would "torn to pieces" them. “When Figner entered into feelings, and his feelings consisted solely in ambition and pride, then something satanic was revealed in him, .... when placing up to a hundred prisoners nearby, he killed them with a pistol one after another with his own hand, ”wrote Davydov. As a result of this attitude towards the prisoners, Figner's detachment very soon left all the officers.

Figner's nephew, trying to justify his uncle, cited the following information: “When the masses of prisoners were given into the hands of the winners, my uncle was at a loss for their large number and report to A.P. Yermolov asked what to do with them, because there were no means and opportunities to support them. Yermolov answered with a laconic note: "those who enter the Russian land with weapons - death." To this, my uncle sent back a report of the same laconic content: “From now on, Your Excellency will no longer disturb the prisoners,” and from that time began the cruel extermination of prisoners killed by the thousands.

In 1813, during the siege of Danzig, Figner entered the fortress under the guise of an Italian and tried to anger the inhabitants against the French, but was captured and imprisoned. Released from there for lack of evidence, he managed to infiltrate the confidence of the commandant of the fortress, General Rapp, to such an extent that he sent him to Napoleon with important dispatches, which, of course, ended up in the Russian headquarters. And soon, having recruited hunters, including fugitives (Italians and Spaniards) from the Napoleonic army, he again began to act on the flanks and behind enemy lines. Surrounded as a result of betrayal near the city of Dessau by enemy cavalry and pinned to the Elbe, he, not wanting to give up, rushed into the river, bandaging his hands with a handkerchief.

DOROKHOV IVAN SEMYONOVYCH (1762 - 1815) - lieutenant general, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, partisan.

Born in 1762 in a noble family. From 1783 to 1787 he was brought up in the Artillery and Engineering Corps. In the rank of lieutenant, he fought against the Turks in 1787-1791. He distinguished himself near Focsani and Machin, served at the headquarters of A.V. Suvorov. During the Warsaw Uprising of 1794, fighting for 36 hours with his company surrounded, he managed to break through to the main Russian forces. Among the first broke into Prague. In 1797 he was appointed commander of the Life Guards Hussars. Participated in the campaign of 1806-1807. He was awarded the orders of St. George 4th and 3rd degrees, St. Vladimir 3rd degree, Red Eagle 1st degree.

At the very beginning of the war of 1812, Dorokhov, cut off from the 1st Army with his brigade, decided, on his own initiative, to join the 2nd Army. For several days he advanced between the French columns, but managed to elude them and joined Prince Bagration, under whose command he participated in the battles of Smolensk and Borodino.
On the day of the Battle of Borodino, he commanded four cavalry regiments of the 3rd Cavalry Corps. Successfully carried out a counterattack on the Bagration flushes. For his bravery, he was promoted to lieutenant general.

Since September, Dorokhov commanded a partisan detachment consisting of one dragoon, one hussar, three Cossack regiments and half a company of horse artillery and caused a lot of harm to the French, exterminating their separate teams. In just one week - from September 7 to September 14, 4 cavalry regiments, an infantry and cavalry detachment of 800 people were defeated, carts were captured, an artillery depot was blown up, about 1,500 soldiers and 48 officers were taken prisoner. Dorokhov was the first to inform Kutuzov about the French movement to Kaluga. During the Tarutinsky battle, the Cossacks of his detachment successfully pursued the retreating enemy, killing the French general Deri. Under Maloyaroslavets, he was wounded by a bullet through the leg.

The main success of the partisan detachment of Dorokhov was the capture on September 27 of the city of Vereya, the most important point of communications of the enemy. The battle was carefully planned, fleeting, with a sudden bayonet attack and almost no shooting. In just an hour, the enemy lost more than 300 people killed, 15 officers and 377 soldiers were taken prisoner. Russian losses were 7 killed and 20 wounded. Dorokhov's report to Kutuzov was brief: "By order of Your Grace, the city of Vereya was taken by storm on this date." Kutuzov announced this "excellent and brave feat" in an order for the army. Later, Dorokhov was awarded a gold sword, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription: "For the liberation of Vereya."

The wound received by the general near Maloyaroslavets did not allow him to return to duty. On April 25, 1815, Lieutenant General Ivan Semenovich Dorokhov died. He was buried, according to his dying will, in Vereya, liberated by him from the French, in the Nativity Cathedral.

CHEVERTAKOV YERMOLAY VASILIEVICH (1781 - after 1814) Non-commissioned officer, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, partisan.

Born in 1781 in Ukraine into a family of serfs. Since 1804, a soldier of the Kyiv Dragoon Regiment. Participated in the wars against Napoleon in 1805-1807.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, being in the regiment in the rearguard of the troops of General P.P. Konovnitsyn, he was captured in the battle on August 19 (31) near the village of Tsarevo-Zaimishche. Chetvertakov stayed in captivity for three days, and on the night of the fourth he fled from the French, when they had a day in the city of Gzhatsk, having obtained a horse and weapons.

He formed a partisan detachment from 50 peasants from several villages of the Gzhatsk district of the Smolensk province, which successfully operated against the invaders. He defended villages from marauders, attacked passing transports and large French units, inflicting significant losses on them. The inhabitants of the Gzhatsk district were grateful to Chetvertakov, whom they considered their savior. He managed to protect all the surrounding villages “in the space of 35 versts from the Gzhatsk pier”, “while all around all the surrounding villages lay in ruins”. Soon the size of the detachment increased to 300, and then 4 thousand people.

Chetvertakov organized shooting training for peasants, established reconnaissance and guard services, and attacked groups of Napoleonic soldiers. On the day of the Battle of Borodino, Chetvertakov with a detachment came to the village of Krasnaya and found 12 French cuirassiers there. During the battle, all the cuirassiers were killed. By the evening of the same day, an enemy foot team of 57 people with 3 wagons approached the village. The squad attacked them. 15 French were killed, the rest fled, and the partisans got the trucks. Later, at the village Skugarevo, at the head of 4 thousand peasants Chetvertakov, defeated the French battalion with artillery. Skirmishes with marauders took place during c. Antonovka, der. Krisovo, in with. Flowers, Mikhailovka and Drachev; at the Gzhatskaya pier, the peasants recaptured two cannons.
The officers of the French units who had combat clashes with Chetvertakov were amazed at his skill and did not want to believe that the commander of the partisan detachment was a simple soldier. The French considered him an officer with the rank no lower than a colonel.

In November 1812 he was promoted to non-commissioned officer, joined his regiment, in which he participated in the foreign campaigns of the Russian army in 1813-1814. For initiative and courage, E. Chetvertakov was awarded the Distinction of the Military Order.

KURIN GERASIM MATVEEVICH (1777 - 1850) Member of the Patriotic War of 1812, partisan.

Born in 1777 in the Moscow province, from state peasants. With the advent of the French, Kurin gathered around him a detachment of 200 daredevils and began hostilities. Very quickly, the number of partisans increased to 5300 people and 500 horsemen. As a result of seven clashes with Napoleonic troops from September 23 to October 2, Kurin captured many French soldiers, 3 guns and a grain convoy, without losing a single person. Using the maneuver of a false retreat, he lured and defeated the punitive detachment of two squadrons of dragoons sent against him. With their active actions, Kurin's detachment actually forced the French to leave the city of Bogorodsk.

In 1813, Gerasim Matveyevich Kurin was awarded the St. George Cross, 1st class. In 1844, Kurin participated in the opening of Pavlovsky Posad, which was formed at the confluence of Pavlov and four surrounding villages. 6 years after this event, in 1850, Gerasim Kurin died. Buried at the Pavlovsky cemetery.

ENGELHARDT PAVEL IVANOVICH (1774-1812) - retired lieutenant colonel of the Russian army, commanded a partisan detachment in the Smolensk province during the Patriotic War of 1812. Shot by the French.

Born in 1774 in a family of hereditary nobles of the Porech district of the Smolensk province. He studied in the land cadet corps. Since 1787 he served in the Russian army with the rank of lieutenant. He retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel and lived in his family estate Dyagilevo.

When French troops captured Smolensk in 1812, Engelhardt, together with several other landowners, armed the peasants and organized a partisan detachment, which began to attack enemy units and transports. Engelhardt himself participated in sorties against enemy units, in skirmishes he personally killed 24 Frenchmen. Was issued by his serfs to the French. On October 3, 1812, a French military court sentenced Engelhardt to death. The French tried for two weeks to persuade Engelhardt to cooperate, they offered him the rank of colonel in the Napoleonic army, but he refused.

On October 15, 1812, Engelhardt was shot at the Molokhov Gates of the Smolensk fortress wall (now they do not exist). On his last journey, he was accompanied by the priest of the Hodegetrievskaya Church, the first Smolensk historian, Nikifor Murzakevich. This is how he described the execution of the hero: “He was calm all day and spoke with a cheerful spirit about the death assigned to him by fate ... - Behind the Molokhov Gates, in the trenches, they began to read the sentence to him, but he did not let them finish reading, shouted in French : “It’s full of lies, it’s time to stop. Charge quickly and fire! In order not to see the ruin of my fatherland and the oppression of my compatriots anymore. They began to blindfold him, but he did not allow it, saying: “Get out! No one has seen his death, but I will see it.” Then he prayed briefly and ordered to shoot.

Initially, the French shot him in the leg, promising to cancel the execution and cure Engelhardt if he went over to their side, but he again refused. Then a volley of 18 charges was fired, 2 of which went through the chest and 1 into the stomach. Engelhardt remained alive even after that. Then one of the French soldiers shot him in the head. On October 24, another member of the partisan movement, Semyon Ivanovich Shubin, was shot at the same place.

Engelhardt's feat was immortalized on a marble plaque in the church of the 1st Cadet Corps, where he studied. The Russian Emperor Alexander I provided the Engelhardt family with an annual pension. In 1833, Nicholas I gave money for the construction of a monument to Engelhardt. In 1835, a monument with the inscription: “To Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Ivanovich Engelhardt, who died in 1812 for loyalty and love for the Tsar and Fatherland” was erected at the place of his death. The monument was destroyed under the Soviet regime.

Source .

Chigvintseva S.V.

Introduction

In our time - the time of grandiose social transformations - the need for a deep understanding of the steep moments in the course of social development and the role of the masses in history is more acutely felt than ever. In this regard, it seems relevant to us today to address the topic of the partisan movement during the Patriotic War, the 200th anniversary of which our country is celebrating this year.

The purpose of the work is to determine the role of the partisan movement in the Patriotic War of 1812, using the materials of history and literature in an integrated manner.

The objectives of the work are to consider the causes of the emergence of a wide wave of the partisan movement and its significance in the military events of the autumn-winter of 1812.

The theme of the partisan movement of 1812 is represented by a fairly wide range of sources and studies in the historical literature. The drawn range of sources allowed us to divide them into two groups. The first includes legal and government documents. The second group of sources includes diaries of eyewitnesses of the events of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Research methods - analysis of sources, applied a problem-thematic approach to literature, clearly showing the significance of the actions of partisans in alliance with the troops of the people's militia during the autumn-winter period of 1812.

The novelty of the study lies in the integrated approach to using information from literary and historical sources in the analysis of the events of the Patriotic War.

The chronological framework of the study covers the second half of 1812.

The structure of the work corresponds to the set goal and objectives and consists of: an introduction, two chapters with paragraphs, a conclusion, a list of sources and literature used.

ChapterI. Reasons for the development of the partisan movement

Napoleon did not prepare for any of the wars as carefully as for a campaign against Russia. The plan for the upcoming campaign was developed in the most detailed way, the theater of military operations was carefully studied, huge warehouses of ammunition, uniforms and food were created. 1,200 thousand people were put under arms. As the great Russian writer L.N. Tolstoy rightly notes: “Half of the army was stationed within the vast empire of Napoleon in order to keep the conquered countries in obedience, in which the national liberation movement was rising against the Napoleonic yoke.”

Historian A.Z. Manfred focuses on what Russia knew about Napoleon's preparations for war. The Russian ambassador in Paris, Prince A. B. Kurakin, starting from 1810, delivered to the Russian military ministry accurate information about the number, armament and deployment of French troops. Valuable information was delivered to him by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Napoleon Ch. Talleyrand, as well as J. Fouche.

Since 1810, the rearmament of the Russian army began, the strengthening of its western borders. However, the archaic recruiting system did not allow to prepare the necessary manpower reserves for the upcoming war. The Russian army numbered about 240 thousand people and was divided into three groups: the first army (M. B. Barclay de Tolly) covered the Petersburg direction, the second (P. I. Bagration) - Moscow, the third (A. P. Tormasova) - Kiev .

The usual tactic of warfare by Napoleon was to win 1-2 major battles and thus decide the outcome of the war. And this time, Napoleon's plan was to use his numerical superiority in border battles to defeat the first and second armies one by one, then capture Moscow and St. Petersburg. Napoleon's strategic plan was frustrated when - in June-August 1812, the Russian armies retreated, they decided to unite in Vitebsk, and then Smolensk. In the very first days, a partisan movement began (20 thousand peasants rose). G.R. Derzhavin wrote about those days:

“In the fiery dawn of the previous battles:
Every village was boiling
Crowds of bearded warriors ...

And cunning warrior
He suddenly called his eagles
And burst into Smolensk ...

We shielded ourselves here
Threshold of Moscow - doors to Russia;
Here the Russians fought like animals,
Like angels! (between 1812-1825)

In August, the army and the people demanded that M. I. Kutuzov be appointed commander-in-chief. The battle of Borodino showed the courage of the Russian army, the French withdrew to their original positions, but Moscow had to surrender to the French.

Leaving Moscow, Kutuzov made a remarkable maneuver: having created the appearance of a retreat along the Ryazan road, he moved with the main forces to the Kaluga road, where he stopped in September 1812 near the village of Tarutino (80 km from Moscow). He wrote: “Always fearing that the enemy would not take control of this road with his main forces, which would deprive the army of all its communications with the most grain-producing provinces, I found it necessary to detach the 6th corps with the general of infantry (infantry - the author) Dokhturov: on Kaluga Borovsky road to the side of the village of Folminsky. Soon after this partisan, Colonel Seslavin really opened the movement of Napoleon, striving with all his forces along this road to Borovsk.

The war of 1812 appears in the image of Tolstoy as a people's war. The author creates many images of peasants, soldiers, whose judgments together make up the people's worldview.

In the Tarutinsky camp, the formation of a new Russian army began, the troops were given rest, and partisan detachments tried to replenish their reserves and equipment. N.A. Durova wrote about those days as follows: “In the evening, our regiment was ordered to be on horseback. ... Now we have become a rearguard and will cover the retreat of the army.

Historian V.I. Babkin believes that "partisan detachments, parts of the militia of the 1st district were an essential element in the plan for preparing and carrying out the victorious offensive of the Russian army." In our opinion, we can agree with the author on this, since in a report to Alexander I, M. I. Kutuzov wrote: “During the retreat ... I made it a rule for myself ... to wage an incessant small war, and for this I put ten partisans on the wrong foot in order to be able to take away all means from the enemy, who thinks in Moscow to find all kinds of food in abundance. During the six-week rest of the Main Army at Tarutino, my partisans instilled fear and horror in the enemy, taking away all means of food.

However, the researcher L. G. Beskrovny does not agree with our opinion, who believes that the partisans mostly acted spontaneously, without coordinating "their actions with the forces of the high command."

While the Russian army had the opportunity in a calm situation to replenish with new fresh forces, the enemy, surrounded in Moscow, was forced to conduct continuous military operations against the partisans. Thanks, among other things, to the actions of the partisans, there was virtually no break in hostilities against Napoleon during the Tarutino period. Having occupied Moscow, the enemy received neither respite nor peace. On the contrary, during his stay in Moscow, he suffered significant damage from the blows of the people's forces. To help the militia and partisans, M.I. Kutuzov allocated army flying detachments of regular cavalry to strengthen the blockade of Moscow and strike at enemy communications. In our opinion, the clear interaction of the main elements of the "small war" - militias, partisans and army flying detachments, made it possible for M.I. Kutuzov to create a solid foundation for a victorious counteroffensive.

The campaign in Russia was not like those that Napoleon had had to lead before. Armand de Caulaincourt, who was under Napoleon, wrote: “There were no local residents, no prisoners could be taken, no stragglers along the way, we had no spies ... The remaining residents were all armed; no vehicles could be found. Horses were harassed for trips for food ... ". Such was the nature of the "small war". Around the main French forces in Moscow, an internal front was formed, consisting of militias, partisans and flying detachments.

Thus, the main reasons for the rise of a broad wave of the partisan movement were the application to the peasants of the demand of the French army for the delivery of food, uniforms, fodder; robbery of native villages by the soldiers of Napoleon Bonaparte; brutal methods of treatment of the population of our country; the spirit of freedom that reigned in the atmosphere of the "age of liberation" (XIX century) in Russia.

ChapterII. The rise of the wave of the partisan movement in the autumn-winter of 1812

On October 10, 1812, being isolated, fearing the indignation of his multinational hungry army, Napoleon left Moscow. Moscow burned for 6 days, 2/3 of the houses died, the peasants went to the forests. A guerrilla war broke out. In the memory of the Russian people, partisan heroes remained, whom L.N. Tolstoy called "the club of the people's war" - D. Davydov, I. S. Dorokhov, A. N. Seslavin, A. S. Figner, the peasant Gerasim Kurin, the elder Vasilisa Kozhina. The partisans destroyed about 30 thousand enemy soldiers during the war years. G.R. dedicated his poems to D. Davydov. Derzhavin, A.N. Seslavin - F.N. Glinka, the patriotism of the common people was sung by V.V. Kapnist.

Among historians, there are different points of view on the role of partisans in the liberation struggle of 1812. Thus, if Academician E.V. there was neither occupation nor Russian state power (that is, it actually carried out management functions in it), the historian A.S. Markin considers this opinion an exaggeration.

If we consider the issue of the emergence of the partisan movement, here you can see different opinions of historians. E.V.Tarle believes that it originated in the Poresensky, Krasinsky and Smolensky counties in July 1812, since the population of these counties first of all suffered from the invaders. But as the enemy army advanced deep into Russia, he notes, the entire population of the Smolensk province rose to the fight. The Sychevsk zemstvo police officer Boguslavsky, the leader of the Sychevsk nobility Nakhimov, Major Emelyanov, retired captain Timashev and others took part in its organization. Historian Troitsky N.A. argues differently - it showed itself later, in Smolensk in August 1812: “The partisans of the Smolensk province dealt a tangible blow to the enemy, and also helped the Russian army a lot. In particular, the detachment of the merchant of the city of Porechye Nikita Minchenkov helped the army detachment to liquidate the detachment of the French under the command of General Pino.

The episode of the Patriotic War of 1812, connected with the activities of the peasant detachment of Gerasim Matveyevich Kurin (1777-1850), for many decades has served as a textbook illustration of the thesis of the peasant partisan war against the Napoleonic invaders.

On September 24, 1812, the foragers of the French corps of Ney, who arrived from Bogorodsk, plundered and burned the Vokhon village of Stepurino. Kurin expected the appearance of the enemy, dividing his three thousandth squad into three parts, which began to methodically beat the French. On the same day, in the evening, Ney's corps, along with other corps stationed around Moscow, received an order to return to the capital. Upon receipt of the news of the occupation of Bogorodsk by the French, the Vokhonsky volost gathering, of course, with the approval of the local head Yegor Semyonovich Stulov, decided to form a squad for self-defense, women, the elderly, children and movable property to hide in the forests. The gathering also instructed the local peasant Gerasim Kurin to command the squad.

One of the large peasant partisan detachments of up to four thousand people was led in the region of the city of Gzhatsk (Moscow region) by the soldier Yeremey Chetvertakov. In the Smolensk province in the Sychevsky district, a partisan detachment of four hundred people was led by a retired soldier S. Yemelyanov The detachment fought 15 battles, destroyed 572 enemy soldiers and captured 325 Frenchmen.

However, it is necessary to note the peculiarity noted by the researcher V. I. Babkin - economic (state) peasants (unlike landowners and monasteries) have always been an island of stability and were not prone to anarchy. For example, by 1812, the Vokhonskaya volost consisted mainly of economic peasants, in comparison with their privately owned counterparts, who had long, by law, enjoyed greater personal freedom.

In our opinion, it is necessary to see the difference between the peasant and army partisan detachments. If the peasant detachments were organized by the peasants G. Kurin, the peasant Vasilisa Kozhina in the Smolensk province, the former ordinary soldier Yeremey Chetvertakov, then the first army partisan detachment was created on the initiative of M. B. Barclay de Tolly. Its commander was General F.F. Vintsengerode, who led the combined Kazan Dragoon (equestrian), Stavropol, Kalmyk and three Cossack regiments, which began to operate in the city of Dukhovshchina.

Seslavin Alexander Nikitich (1780-1858) was a lieutenant general, in 1812 a colonel, commander of the Sumy hussar regiment, who, on behalf of M.I. active Russian army.

A real thunderstorm for the French was the detachment of Denis Davydov. This detachment arose on the initiative of Davydov himself, lieutenant colonel, commander of the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment. Together with his hussars (riders lightly armed with a saber and a carbine), he retreated as part of the army of P.I. Bagration to Borodin. A passionate desire to be even more useful in the fight against the invaders prompted D. Davydov "to ask for a separate detachment." D. Davydov asked General P.I. Bagration to allow him to organize a partisan detachment for operations behind enemy lines. For the "test" M.I. Kutuzov allowed D. Davydov to take 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks and go to Medynen and Yukhnov. Having received a detachment at his disposal, D. Davydov began bold raids on the rear of the enemy. In the very first skirmishes near the villages of Tsarev Zaymishcha and Slavkogo, he achieved success: he defeated several detachments of the French, captured a wagon train with ammunition.

An army partisan flying detachment is a mobile unit deployed to various areas of military operations. For example, a detachment of General I. S. Dorokhov operated from Gzhatsk to Mozhaisk. Captain A. S. Figner with his flying detachment attacked the French on the road from Mozhaisk to Moscow. In the Mozhaisk region and to the south, a detachment of Colonel I. M. Vadbolsky operated as part of the Mariupol Hussar Regiment and 500 Cossacks.

Acting, according to the order of the commander-in-chief, between Mozhaisk and Moscow, a detachment of retired soldiers and Colonel A.S. Figner, along with other partisans, helped armed peasants near Moscow in the extermination of small detachments of marauders, intercepting French couriers and convoys.

In early October 1812, Napoleon, leaving Moscow, moved to Kaluga, where the food warehouses of the Russian army were located, hoping to spend the winter there. Russian troops pursued the enemy, inflicting sensitive blows on him. In those years, M.I. Kutuzov addressed the army with the following words: “... Napoleon, not seeing anything else ahead, as a continuation of a terrible people's war, capable of destroying his entire army in a short time, seeing in every inhabitant a warrior, a common one ... undertook hasty retreat."

Thus, the general offensive of the Russian army was successfully combined with a "small war". The fight against the enemy, together with the army, was successfully fought by tens of thousands of militia warriors and popular partisan detachments. On December 25, 1812, Alexander I published a special Manifesto on the expulsion of the enemy from Russia and the end of the Patriotic War. On this occasion, N.A. Durova noted in her notes: “The French fought furiously. Ah, man is terrible in his frenzy! All the properties of the wild beast are then united in it. Not! This is not courage. I do not know what to call this wild, bestial courage, but it is unworthy of being called fearlessness.

The Patriotic War of 1812 ended with the victory of the Russian people, who waged a just, liberation struggle. The reason for the rise of the partisan movement in the autumn-winter of 1812 was the following: the Napoleonic invasion caused enormous damage to the country's economy, brought innumerable misfortunes and suffering to the people. Hundreds of thousands of people died, no less became crippled; many cities and villages were destroyed, many cultural monuments were plundered and destroyed.

The significance of the partisan movement in the Patriotic War was manifested in the following: the actions of the partisans raised the spirit of patriotism in battles with the enemy, the national self-consciousness of the Russian people grew; helping the regular army, the partisans made it clear to Napoleon that he would not win the war with lightning speed, and his plans for world domination were destroyed.

Conclusion

The historical past of the people, historical memory, the system of generally significant patterns of behavior at such critical moments in history as the Patriotic War - this is not a complete list of those facts that influence the formation of the personality of the 21st century. Hence the relevance of our appeal to the theme of the role of the masses, the organization of the partisan movement in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The Patriotic War of 1812 ended with the victory of the Russian people.

In the course of our work, we came to the following conclusions:

If we consider the question of the emergence of the partisan movement, E.V. Tarle believes that it originated in the Smolensk province; Troitsky N.A. - it showed itself later, in Smolensk; Manfred A.Z. - during the capture of Mogilev and Pskov.

Among the reasons for the emergence of the peasant and army partisan movement, historians distinguish such as: the application to the peasants of the requirement of the French army to hand over food, uniforms, fodder to them; robbery of villages by soldiers of Napoleon Bonaparte; brutal methods of treatment of the population of our country; the spirit of freedom that reigned in the atmosphere of the "age of liberation" (XIX century) in Russia.

The role of the partisan movement in World War II was as follows:

1. replenish the reserves of the Russian army with people and equipment,
2. they destroyed the forces of the French army in small detachments, transmitted information about the French to the Russian army,
3. destroyed carts with food and ammunition that went to the French in Moscow.
4. Napoleon's plans for a blitzkrieg against Russia failed.

The significance of the partisan movement was manifested in the growth of the national identity of the peasantry and all strata of Russian society, the growing sense of patriotism and responsibility for the preservation of their history and culture. The close interaction of the three forces (militia, peasant partisans and army flying detachments) ensured enormous success in the "small war". The great Russian writer L.N. Tolstoy, conveying the spirit of that time, noted: "... the cudgel of the people's war rose with all its formidable and majestic strength and, without asking anyone's tastes and rules, rose, fell and nailed the French until the whole invasion died."

Notes

From the report of M.I. Kutuzov to Alexander I about the battle of Maloyaroslavets // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present day / Comp. A.S. Orlov, V.A. Georgiev, N.G. Georgieva and others - M .: PBOYuL, 2000, From the report of M.I. Kutuzov to Alexander I about the battle of Borodino // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present day // Tamzhe et al.

Zhilin P.A. The death of the Napoleonic army in Russia. Ed. 2nd. - M., 1974. - S. 93.

From the appeal of M.I. Kutuzov to the army about the beginning of the expulsion of Napoleon from Russia // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present day. - M., 2000. - S. 271.

Durova N.A. Notes of a cavalry girl. - Kazan, 1979. - S. 45.

Tolstoy L.N. War and peace: in 4 volumes - M., 1987. - V.3. - S. 212.

List of used sources and literature

1. Sources

1.1 Borodino. Documents, letters, memoirs. - M.: Soviet Russia, 1962. - 302 p.

1.2. From the report of M.I. Kutuzov to Alexander I about the battle of Borodino // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present day / Comp. A.S. Orlov, V.A. Georgiev, N.G. Georgieva et al. – M.: PBOYuL, 2000. – P. 268-269.

1.3. From the report of M.I. Kutuzov to Alexander I about the battle of Maloyaroslavets // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present day / Comp. A.S.Orlov, V.A.Georgiev, N.G.Georgieva and others - M.: PBOYuL, 2000. - P. 270-271.

1.4. From the appeal of M.I. Kutuzov to the army about the beginning of the expulsion of Napoleon from Russia // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present day / Comp. A.S. Orlov, V.A. Georgiev, N.G. Georgieva et al. – M.: PBOYuL, 2000. – P. 271.

1.5.Davydov D.V. Diary of partisan actions // http://www.museum.ru/1812/Library/Davidov1/index.html.

2. Literature

2.1. Babkin V.I. People's militia in the Patriotic War of 1812 - M.: Sotsekgiz, 1962. - 212 p.

2.2. Beskrovny L. G. Partisans in the Patriotic War of 1812 // Questions of History. - 1972. - No. 1. - S. 13-17.

2.3. Bogdanov L.P. The Russian army in 1812. Organization, management, armament. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1979. - 275 p.

2.4. Glinka F.N. Partisan Seslavin //lib.rtg.su/history/284/17.html

2.5. Derzhavin G.R. 1812 //lib.rtg.su/history/284/17.html

2.6. Durova N.A. Notes of a cavalry girl. Reissue. - Kazan, 1979. - 200 p.

2.7. Zhilin P.A. The death of the Napoleonic army in Russia. Ed. 2nd. - M., 1974. - 184 p.

2.8. Kapnist V.V. Vision of a Russian crying over Moscow in 1812…//lib.rtg.su/history/284/17.html

The partisan movement of 1812 (partisan war) is an armed conflict between Napoleon's army and detachments of Russian partisans that broke out during the time with the French.

The partisan troops consisted mainly of Cossacks and detachments of the regular army located in the rear. Gradually they were joined by released prisoners of war, as well as volunteers from the civilian population (peasants). Partisan detachments were one of the main military forces of Russia in this war and offered significant resistance.

Creation of partisan detachments

Napoleon's army very quickly advanced inland, pursuing the Russian troops, who were forced to retreat. As a result, quite soon Napoleon's soldiers spread over a large territory of Russia and created communication networks with the border, along which the delivery of weapons, food and prisoners of war took place. To defeat Napoleon, it was necessary to break these networks. The leadership of the Russian army decided to create numerous partisan detachments throughout the country, which were supposed to be engaged in subversive work and prevent the French army from getting everything they needed.

The first detachment was formed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel D. Davydov.

Cossack partisan detachments

Davydov presented to the leadership a plan for the partisans to attack the French, which was quickly approved. To implement the plan, the army leadership gave Davydov 50 Cossacks and 50 officers.

In September 1812, Davydov's detachment attacked a French detachment that was secretly transporting additional manpower and provisions to the camp of the main army. Due to the effect of surprise, the French were captured, some were killed, and the entire cargo was destroyed. This attack was followed by several more of the same, which turned out to be extremely successful.

Davydov's detachment began to gradually replenish with released prisoners of war and volunteers from the peasants. At the very beginning of the guerrilla war, the peasants were wary of soldiers conducting subversive activities, but soon they began to actively help and even participated in attacks on the French.

However, the height of the guerrilla war began after Kutuzov was forced to leave Moscow. He gave the order to start active partisan activity in all directions. By that time, partisan detachments had already been formed throughout the country and numbered from 200 to 1,500 people. The main force was the Cossacks and soldiers, but the peasants also actively participated in the resistance.

Several factors contributed to the success of the guerrilla war. Firstly, the detachments always attacked suddenly and acted in secret - the French could not predict where and when the next attack would occur and could not prepare. Secondly, after the capture of Moscow, discord began in the ranks of the French.

In the middle of the war, the guerrilla attack was at its most acute stage. The French were exhausted by military operations, and the number of partisans had increased so much that they could already form their own army, not inferior to the detachments of the emperor.

Peasant partisan detachments

The peasants also play an important role in the resistance. Although they did not join the detachments very actively, they actively helped the partisans. The French, deprived of food supplies from their own, in the rear constantly tried to get food from the peasants, but they did not give up and did not conduct any trade with the enemy. Moreover, the peasants burned their own warehouses and houses, if only the grain did not go to the enemies.

When the guerrilla war grew, the peasants became more actively involved in it and often attacked the enemy themselves, armed with whatever they could. The first peasant partisan detachments appeared.

Results of the partisan war of 1812

The role of the partisan war of 1812 in the victory over the French is difficult to overestimate - it was the partisans who were able to undermine the enemy's forces, weaken him and allow the regular army to drive Napoleon out of Russia.

After the victory, the heroes of the guerrilla war were duly rewarded.

The Patriotic War of 1812 gave birth to a new phenomenon in history - the mass partisan movement. During the war with Napoleon, Russian peasants began to unite in small detachments to defend their villages from foreign invaders. The brightest figure among the partisans of that time was Vasilisa Kozhina, a woman who became a legend in the war of 1812.
partisan
At the time of the invasion of French troops into Russia, Vasilisa Kozhina, according to historians, was about 35 years old. She was the wife of the headman of the Gorshkov farm in the Smolensk province. According to one version, she was inspired to participate in the peasant resistance by the fact that the French killed her husband, who refused to provide food and fodder for the Napoleonic troops. Another version says that Kozhina's husband was alive and led a partisan detachment himself, and his wife decided to follow her husband's example.
In any case, to fight the French, Kozhina organized her own detachment of women and teenagers. The partisans wielded what was available in the peasant economy: pitchforks, scythes, shovels and axes. The Kozhina detachment cooperated with the Russian troops, often handing over captured enemy soldiers to them.
Merit recognition
In November 1812, the Son of the Fatherland magazine wrote about Vasilisa Kozhina. The note was devoted to how Kozhina escorted prisoners to the location of the Russian army. One day, when the peasants brought in some captured Frenchmen, she gathered her detachment, mounted her horse, and ordered the prisoners to follow her. One of the captured officers, not wanting to obey "some peasant woman", began to resist. Kozhina immediately killed the officer with a scythe on the head. Kozhina shouted to the remaining prisoners that they should not dare to be impudent, because she had already cut off the heads of 27 “such mischievous people”. This episode, by the way, was immortalized in a lubok picture by the artist Alexei Venetsianov about the “old man Vasilisa”. In the first months after the war, such pictures were sold throughout the country as a memory of a national feat.

It is believed that for her role in the liberation war, the peasant woman was awarded a medal, as well as a cash prize personally from Tsar Alexander I. The State Historical Museum in Moscow has a portrait of Vasilisa Kozhina, painted by the artist Alexander Smirnov in 1813. A medal on the St. George ribbon is visible on Kozhina's chest.

And the name of the brave partisan is immortalized in the names of many streets. So, on the map of Moscow, not far from the Park Pobedy metro station, you can find Vasilisa Kozhina Street.
folk rumor
Vasilisa Kozhina died around 1840. Almost nothing is known about her life after the end of the war, but the fame of Kozhina's military exploits spread throughout the country, acquiring rumors and fictions. According to such folk legends, Kozhina once lured 18 Frenchmen into a hut by cunning, and then set it on fire. There are also stories about Vasilisa's mercy: according to one of them, a partisan once took pity on a captured Frenchman, fed him and even gave him warm clothes. Whether at least one of these stories is true, unfortunately, is not known - there is no documentary evidence.
It is not surprising that over time, many tales began to appear around the brave partisan - Vasilisa Kozhina turned into a collective image of the Russian peasantry who fought against the invaders. And folk heroes often become characters in legends. Modern Russian directors could not resist myth-making either. In 2013, the mini-series "Vasilisa" was released, later remade into a full-length film. The title character in it was played by Svetlana Khodchenkova. And although the fair-haired actress does not at all look like the woman depicted in the portrait by Smirnov, and the historical assumptions in the film sometimes look completely grotesque (for example, the fact that the simple peasant woman Kozhina speaks fluent French), nevertheless, such films say that that the memory of the brave partisan is alive even two centuries after her death.