✦ History

French invasion of Russia

June 24 – December 14, 1812

Result Russian victory

Napoleon invaded Russia with about 600,000 men and took Moscow, but had to retreat in winter. Most of his army was lost, which began the collapse of his empire.

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Battles and events 27

July 9–10, 1812
Battle of Mir (1812) Mir Matvey Ivanovich Platov
July 19, 1812
Battle of Ekau French victory Iecava Julius von Grawert, Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf
July 23, 1812
Battle of Saltanovka French victory Saltanaŭka Louis-Nicolas Davout, Pyotr Bagration, Nikolay Raevsky
July 24 – December 18, 1812
Siege of Riga (1812) Anglo-Russian victory Siege of Riga (1812) Étienne Jacques Joseph Alexandre Macdonald, Julius von Grawert, Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg
July 25–27, 1812
Battle of Ostrovno French victory Joachim Murat, Alexander Ivanovich Ostermann-Tolstoy
July 26–27, 1812
Battle of Vitebsk (1812) French victory Vitebsk Napoleon, Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly
July 27, 1812
Battle of Kobrin Russian victory Kobryn Yefim Chaplits, Jean Reynier, Alexander Tormasov
July 28 – August 1, 1812
Battle of Klyastitsy Russian victory Battle of Klyastitsy Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg, Yakov Kulnev, Nicolas Oudinot
August 12, 1812
Battle of Gorodechno French Allied victory Battle of Gorodechno Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, Jean Reynier, Alexander Tormasov
August 16–18, 1812
Battle of Smolensk (1812) French victory Battle of Smolensk (1812) Napoleon, Pyotr Bagration, Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly
August 17–18, 1812
First Battle of Polotsk First Battle of Polotsk Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg, Nicolas Oudinot, Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
August 18, 1812
Battle of Valutino Indecisive Smolensk Michel Ney, Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Jean-Andoche Junot
September 7, 1812
Battle of Borodino Borodino Napoleon, Mikhail Kutuzov, Michel Ney
September 14–18, 1812
Fire of Moscow (1812) Moscow
September 14 – October 19, 1812
French occupation of Moscow French withdrawal Moscow, Russia Napoleon, Fyodor Rostopchin
September 29, 1812
Battle of Mesoten Prussian victory Mežotne Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, Fabian Steinheil
October 18–20, 1812
Second Battle of Polotsk Russian victory Second Battle of Polotsk Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg, Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Fabian Steinheil
October 18, 1812
Battle of Tarutino Russian victory Moscow Mikhail Kutuzov, Joachim Murat, Levin August von Bennigsen
October 24, 1812
Battle of Maloyaroslavets Battle of Maloyaroslavets Napoleon, Mikhail Kutuzov, Louis-Nicolas Davout
October 31, 1812
Battle of Chashniki Russian victory Chashniki Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg, Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno
November 1812 – November 16, 1812
Battle of Wolkowisk Austrian victory Vawkavysk Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, Jean Reynier, Fabian Gottlieb von der Osten-Sacken
November 3, 1812
Battle of Vyazma Russian victory Vyazma Michel Ney, Louis-Nicolas Davout, Eugène de Beauharnais
November 9, 1812
Battle of Liaskowa Russian victory Lyakhovo
November 13–14, 1812
Battle of Smoliani Russian victory Smaĺjany Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg, Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno, Nicolas Oudinot
November 15–18, 1812
Battle of Krasnoi Russian victory Battle of Krasnoi Napoleon, Mikhail Kutuzov, Michel Ney
November 15, 1812
Battle of Kaidanowo Russian victory
November 26–29, 1812
Battle of Berezina Inconclusive Studzianka, Berezina River Napoleon, Michel Ney, Pavel Chichagov

Key commanders

Coalition 24

Alexander I of Russia Emperor of Russia, Refused to negotiate after the fall of Moscow Mikhail Kutuzov Commander-in-chief, Fought at Borodino and pursued the retreating French Pyotr Bagration General, Commanded the 2nd Western Army Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly Minister of War, Commanded the 1st Western Army and led the retreat Levin August von Bennigsen military commander Pavel Chichagov military commander Yefim Chaplits military commander Alexey Andreevich Arakcheyev military commander Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov military commander Nikolay Raevsky military commander Matvey Ivanovich Platov military commander Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg military commander Yakov Kulnev military commander Magnus Gustav von Essen military commander Philip Osipovich Paulucci military commander Ivan Fyodorovich Emme military commander Alexander Tormasov military commander Dmitry Dokhturov military commander Fabian Steinheil military commander Mikhail Miloradovich military commander Dmitry Golitsyn military commander Alexander Ivanovich Ostermann-Tolstoy military commander Ivan Paskevich military commander Fabian Gottlieb von der Osten-Sacken military commander

French Empire and allies 26

Napoleon Emperor of the French, Led the Grande Armée into Russia Michel Ney Marshal, Commanded the rearguard on the retreat Louis-Nicolas Davout military commander Joachim Murat Marshal, Commanded the cavalry reserve Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg military commander Pierre Augereau military commander Eugène de Beauharnais military commander Jean-Andoche Junot military commander Jérôme Bonaparte military commander Jean-Baptiste Bessières military commander Józef Poniatowski military commander Auguste-Jean-Gabriel de Caulaincourt military commander Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno military commander Nicolas Oudinot military commander Étienne Jacques Joseph Alexandre Macdonald military commander Julius von Grawert military commander Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg military commander Jean Reynier military commander Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr military commander Alexis Joseph Delzons military commander Jan Kozietulski military commander Luis Alejandro Berthier military commander Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier military commander François Joseph Lefebvre military commander Józef Zajączek military commander Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf military commander

France 1

Napoleon military commander

Russian Empire 1

Fyodor Rostopchin military commander