'A compulsive page-turner ... a triumph of significant storytelling ... an immediate vintage that's an grand, impressive and exuberant fulfillment' Simon Sebag Montefiore
Winner of the Wolfson background Prize and shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize
In the summer season of 1812 Napoleon, the grasp of Europe, marched into Russia with the biggest military ever assembled, convinced that he could sweep every little thing earlier than him. but below years later his empire lay in ruins, and Russia had triumphed. this is often the 1st background to discover extensive Russia's the most important position within the Napoleonic Wars, re-creating the epic conflict among empires as by no means earlier than.
Dominic Lieven writes with nice panache and perception to explain from the Russians' standpoint how they went from retreat, defeat and the burning of Moscow to turning into the hot liberators of Europe; the implications of that may now not were extra important.
Ultimately this booklet exhibits, memorably and brilliantly, Russia embarking on its unusual, important position in Europe's lifestyles, as either possibility and protector - a task that keeps, in all its complexity, into our personal lifetimes.
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Additional resources for Russia Against Napoleon: The Battle for Europe, 1807 to 1814
Yet underneath this visual appeal of coolness there existed a lot heat and existence. there has been loads of braveness underneath the gray coat. below the nightcap lived a smart, lively and effective brain. 28 Petr Konovnitsyn used to be probably the most beautiful senior Russian generals in 1812. Modest and beneficiant, he was once much less of an egoist and much much less eager about popularity and present than lots of his friends. super brave but in addition very spiritual, in conflict he was once consistently within the thick of the motion. an identical used to be actual at events, the place he performed the violin badly yet with tremendous gusto. having said that, Konovnitsyn was once peculiarly a peaceful guy, who in moments of rigidity puffed away at his pipe, invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary and infrequently misplaced his mood. He managed wayward subordinates extra via irony than via anger. Konovnitsyn additionally earned his subordinates’ appreciate through specialist ability. As a rearguard commander he knew precisely find out how to use his cavalry, infantry and artillery together and to most sensible influence. selecting positions to convey advancing French columns lower than a crossfire used to be one trick. attempting to make sure that his personal night-time bivouacs have been on the subject of clean water and that the enemy was once pressured to thirst was once one other. within the severe warmth of August 1812 water turned a massive factor. millions of guys and horses marching down unpaved roads raised an enormous airborne dirt and dust typhoon. With faces blackened by means of the dirt, throats parched and eyes half-closed, the lads within the ranks stumbled onwards every day. In those conditions, which aspect had higher entry to water mattered significantly. 29 On 29 August at Tsarevo-Zaimishche the military was once joined through its new commander-in-chief, Mikhail Kutuzov. younger Lieutenant Radozhitsky recalled that morale soared: the instant of pleasure was once indescribable: this commander’s identify produced a common rebirth of morale one of the infantrymen… instantly they got here up with a ditty: ‘Kutuzov has come to overcome the French’… the veterans recalled his campaigns in Catherine’s time, his many earlier exploits resembling the conflict close to Krems and the new destruction of the Turkish military at the Danube: for plenty of males all this was once nonetheless a clean reminiscence. They remembered additionally his wonderful wound from a musket ball which gone through either side of his temple. It used to be acknowledged that Napoleon himself lengthy due to the fact that had known as Kutuzov the previous fox and that Suvorov had acknowledged that ‘Kutuzov… can by no means be tricked’. Such stories flying from mouth to mouth nonetheless extra bolstered the warriors’ desire for his or her new commander, a guy with a Russian identify, brain and middle, from a well known aristocratic family members, and recognized for lots of exploits. 30 Ever because First and moment armies had joined ahead of Smolensk the Russians were in dire want of a ultimate commander. loss of any such commander had ended in confusion and close to disaster because the Russian troops withdrew from town. actually, despite the fact that, Alexander had determined to nominate an total commander-in-chief even ahead of listening to of occasions at Smolensk. there have been only a few attainable applicants.