Russian Army's foreign campaign

After the defeat in the Patriotic War of Napoleon, military actions were aimed at expelling the French from states in Western Europe. So began the foreign campaigns of the Russian army. 1812 was the beginning of the military movement. Despite the rout, the Napoleonic troops were still strong enough.

The foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813 allowed the territory of the Vistula and Poland to be cleared of the French. Commanded by Russian troops, Field Marshal Kutuzov. In this overseas campaign of the Russian army Kutuzov signed the Kalish Treaty on the Russian-Prussian alliance against Napoleon. This agreement marked the beginning of the sixth coalition against the French. This union was supported by the European nations, which are fighting against the yoke of Napoleon.

The foreign campaign of the Russian army together with the Prussian troops began in late March. In Germany, the guerrilla movement in the rear of the French quite widely developed. Russian troops welcomed the local population as their liberators. In mid-April of the same year (1813), Napoleon concentrates around 200,000 people against Russian-Prussian soldiers in the number of about 92,000. At that time, the Russian troops commanded Wittgenstein (after the death of Kutuzov), after which the leadership of the army moved to Barclay de Tolly.

The Allies (Russia and Prussia) were defeated first on April 20 at Lutzen, then on May 8-9 at Bautzen. The foreign campaign of the Russian army ended with the signing of an armistice (May 23). It continued until July 29.

In the negotiations with Napoleon, the mediator was Austria. However, they ended in failure. As a result, the Austrian government with France severed all relations. Against Napoleon was Sweden, associated with the Russian state treaty of 1812. With Russia and Prussia, Great Britain concluded a convention that granted them subsidies. Between the allies and Austria Teplice agreements were signed (in 1813, September 28), soon the United Kingdom joined the alliance.

Thus, the next foreign campaign of the Russian army of the Allied troops numbered about 492 thousand people (Russian 173 thousand). All of them were united into three armies. About 237 thousand soldiers entered the Bohemian army. She was commanded by Austrian Field Marshal Schwarzenberg. About 100 thousand people formed the Silesian army Blucher (Field Marshal of Prussia). More than 150 thousand people entered the Northern Army, which was commanded by Bernadotte (Crown Prince of Sweden). To Hamburg was put forward a separate building, consisting of 30 thousand people.

Together with this, Napoleon's army consisted of 440 thousand soldiers. The bulk of its military forces were located in Saxony.

August 1813 marked the counteroffensive of the Allied forces. The Bohemian army was defeated on 14 and 15 August as a result of fighting (the Dresden battle) with the main forces of the French. Napoleon's troops tried to pursue the defeated regiments, but the Russian rear guard threw the enemy in the battles near Kulm (August 17-18). The French troops under the command of MacDonald were defeated in battle with the Silesian army, and the Northern army defeated the troops of Udino.

The rout of the Napoleonic army took place after the Allies moved into a general offensive. This battle (Leipzig) occurred from the fourth to the seventh of October in 1813.

The remains of the French troops went beyond the Rhine. In Hamburg, Davout's corps was surrounded.

As a result of the successful military operations of the combined armies, Denmark was forced to renounce the alliance with Napoleon and sign the peace treaties of 1814 with Great Britain and Sweden. In addition, Denmark was obliged to join the battle with the French.

Then the Napoleonic army was expelled from the Netherlands. One of the most important results of the campaigns of 1813 was the liberation of Germany from the French invaders.