A war ends in victory when it has the contribution of every citizen who is able to resist the enemy. When studying the Napoleonic invasion of 1812, it is impossible to miss the partisan movement. Perhaps it did not develop as much as the underground of 1941-1945, but its united actions caused significant damage to Bonaparte’s motley army, collected from all over Europe.

Napoleon stubbornly walked towards Moscow following the retreating Russian army. Two corps sent to St. Petersburg got bogged down in sieges, and the French emperor was looking for another reason to strengthen his position. , he considered that the matter remained small, and even said to those close to him: “The company of 1812 is over.” However, Bonaparte did not take into account some details. His army found itself in the depths of a foreign country, supplies were getting worse, discipline was declining, and the soldiers began to loot. After this, the disobedience of the local population to the invaders, which had previously been episodic in nature, acquired the scale of a general uprising. Unharvested grain was rotting in the fields, attempts at trade deals were ignored, and it even got to the point where peasants burned their own food reserves and went into the forests so as not to give anything to the enemy. The partisan detachments, organized by the Russian command back in July, began to actively accept reinforcements. In addition to the actual combat forays, the partisans were good spies and repeatedly delivered very valuable information about the enemy to the army.

Units based on the regular army

The actions of army units are documented and known to many. Commanders F. F. Wintzingerode, A. S. Figner, A. N. Seslavin, from among the regular army officers, conducted many operations behind enemy lines. The most famous leader of these flying detachments was the dashing cavalryman Denis Davydov. Appointed after Borodino, he took their activities beyond the planned minor sabotage behind enemy lines. Initially, hussars and Cossacks were selected under Davydov’s command, but very soon they were diluted by representatives of the peasantry. The biggest success was the battle near Lyakhov, when, jointly with other partisan detachments, 2,000 Frenchmen led by General Augereau were captured. Napoleon gave a special order to hunt for the daring hussar commander, but no one managed to carry it out.

People's militia

Those villagers who did not want to leave their homes tried to defend their native villages on our own. Spontaneous self-defense units emerged. History has preserved many reliable names of the leaders of these associations. Among the first to distinguish themselves were the landowners brothers Leslie, who sent their peasants under the command of Major General A.I. Olenin. Residents of Bogorodsky district Gerasim Kurin and Yegor Stulov received the Military Order insignia for their services. The same award and the rank of non-commissioned officer were given to ordinary soldiers Stepan Eremenko and Ermolai Chetverikov - both, independently of each other, managed to organize a real army of trained peasants in the Smolensk region. The story of Vasilisa Kozhina, who created a partisan detachment with the help of teenagers and women who remained in the village, spread widely. In addition to these leaders, thousands of their nameless subordinates contributed to the victory. But when

The unsuccessful start of the war and the retreat of Russian troops deep into the territory of the state showed that the enemy could hardly be defeated by the forces of one regular army. To defeat strong enemy the efforts of the entire Russian people were needed. In the overwhelming majority of enemy-occupied counties, people perceived Napoleon's troops not as liberators from serfdom, but as rapists, robbers and enslavers. The actions of the invaders only confirmed the opinion of the people - the European hordes robbed, killed, raped, and committed outrages in churches. The next invasion of foreigners was perceived by the overwhelming majority of the people as an invasion that had the goal of eradicating Orthodox faith and establish godlessness.

When studying the topic of the partisan movement in the Patriotic War of 1812, it should be remembered that partisans were then called temporary detachments of regular troops and Cossacks, which were purposefully created by the Russian command to operate on the flanks, rear and communications of the enemy. The actions of spontaneously organized self-defense units of local residents were designated by the term “people’s war.”

Some researchers associate the beginning of the partisan movement during the War of 1812 with the manifesto of the Russian Emperor Alexander I of July 6, 1812, which seemed to allow the people to take up and actively participate in the fight against the French. In reality, things were somewhat different; the first pockets of resistance to the occupiers appeared in Belarus and Lithuania. Moreover, often the peasants did not understand where the occupiers were and where their nobles collaborating with them were.

People's War

With the invasion " Great Army“In Russia, many local residents initially simply left the villages and went to forests and areas remote from military operations, taking away livestock. Retreating through the Smolensk region, the commander-in-chief of the Russian 1st Western Army M.B. Barclay de Tolly called on his compatriots to take up arms against the enemy. Barclay de Tolly's proclamation advised how to act against the enemy. The first detachments were created from local residents who wanted to protect themselves and their property. They were joined by soldiers who had fallen behind their units.

French foragers gradually began to face not only passive resistance, when cattle were driven into the forest and food was hidden, but also active actions of the peasants. In the area of ​​Vitebsk, Mogilev, and Orsha, peasant detachments themselves attacked the enemy, carrying out not only night but also daytime attacks on small enemy units. French soldiers were killed or captured. The people's war received its widest scope in the Smolensk province. It covered Krasnensky, Porechsky districts, and then Belsky, Sychevsky, Roslavlsky, Gzhatsky and Vyazemsky districts.

In the city of Bely and Belsky district, peasants attacked parties of French foragers moving towards them. Police officer Boguslavsky and retired major Emelyanov headed the Sychev detachments, establishing proper order and discipline in them. In just two weeks - from August 18 to September 1, they carried out 15 attacks on the enemy. During this time, they destroyed more than 500 enemy soldiers and captured over 300. Several horse and foot peasant detachments were created in the Roslavl district. They not only defended their district, but also attacked enemy detachments that were operating in the neighboring Elny district. Peasant detachments were also active in Yukhnovsky district, they interfered with the enemy’s advance to Kaluga, and assisted the army partisan detachment of D.V. Davydova. In Gzhatsk district, the detachment created by private of the Kyiv Dragoon Regiment Ermolai Chetvertakov gained great fame. He not only defended the lands near the Gzhatsk pier from enemy soldiers, but also attacked the enemy himself.

The people's war gained even greater scope during the stay of the Russian army in Tarutino. At this time, the peasant movement assumed a significant character not only in Smolensk, but also in Moscow, Ryazan and Kaluga provinces. Thus, in Zvenigorod district, people's detachments destroyed or captured more than 2 thousand enemy soldiers. The most famous detachments were led by the volost mayor Ivan Andreev and the centenary Pavel Ivanov. In Volokolamsk district there were detachments led by retired non-commissioned officer Novikov and private Nemchinov, volost mayor Mikhail Fedorov, peasants Akim Fedorov, Philip Mikhailov, Kuzma Kuzmin and Gerasim Semenov. In the Bronnitsky district of the Moscow province, local detachments included up to 2 thousand warriors. The largest peasant detachment in the Moscow region was a union of Bogorodsk partisans; it included up to 6 thousand people. It was led by the peasant Gerasim Kurin. He not only reliably defended the entire Bogorodskaya district, but also struck the enemy himself.

It should be noted that Russian women also took part in the fight against the enemy. Peasant and army partisan detachments operated on enemy communications, constrained the actions of the “Great Army”, attacked individual enemy units, destroying the enemy’s manpower and property, and interfered with the collection of food and fodder. Smolensk road, where it was organized postal service, was subject to regular attacks. The most valuable documents were delivered to the headquarters of the Russian army. According to some estimates, peasant detachments destroyed up to 15 thousand enemy soldiers, and about the same number were captured. Due to the actions of militia, partisan and peasant detachments, the enemy was unable to expand the zone under his control and gain additional opportunities to collect food and fodder. The French failed to gain a foothold in Bogorodsk, Dmitrov, Voskresensk, capture Bryansk and reach Kyiv, or create additional communications to connect the main forces with the corps of Schwarzenberg and Rainier.

French prisoners. Hood. THEM. Pryanishnikov. 1873

Army units

Army partisan detachments also played a major role in the 1812 campaign. The idea of ​​their creation appeared even before the Battle of Borodino, when the command analyzed the actions of individual cavalry detachments that, by chance, ended up on enemy communications. The first to begin partisan actions was the commander of the 3rd Western Army, Alexander Petrovich Tormasov, who formed the “flying corps”. In early August, Barclay de Tolly formed a detachment under the command of General Ferdinand Fedorovich Wintzingerode. The number of the detachment was 1.3 thousand soldiers. Wintzingerode received the task of covering the St. Petersburg highway, operating on the flank and behind enemy lines.

M.I. Kutuzov gave great value action of partisan detachments, they had to wage a “small war”, exterminate individual enemy detachments. Detachments were usually created from mobile cavalry units, often Cossacks; they were most adapted to irregular warfare. Their numbers were usually small - 50-500 people. If necessary, they interacted and united into larger compounds. Army partisan detachments received the task of delivering surprise attacks behind enemy lines, destroying his manpower, disrupting communications, attacking garrisons, suitable reserves, and disrupting actions aimed at obtaining food and forage. In addition, the partisans served as army intelligence. The main advantage of partisan detachments was their speed and mobility. The most famous were the detachments under the command of Wintzingerode, Denis Vasilyevich Davydov, Ivan Semenovich Dorokhov, Alexander Samoilovich Figner, Alexander Nikitich Seslavin and other commanders.

In the fall of 1812, the actions of partisan detachments took on a wide scope; the army flying detachments included 36 Cossack and 7 cavalry regiments, 5 separate squadrons and a light horse artillery team, 5 infantry regiments, 3 ranger battalions and 22 regimental guns. The partisans set up ambushes, attacked enemy convoys, and intercepted couriers. They made daily reports on the movement of enemy forces, transmitted captured mail, and information received from prisoners. Alexander Figner, after the enemy captured Moscow, was sent to the city as a scout; he cherished the dream of killing Napoleon. He failed to eliminate the French emperor, but thanks to his extraordinary resourcefulness and knowledge foreign languages, Figner was able to obtain important information, which he transmitted to the main apartment (headquarters). Then he formed a partisan (sabotage) detachment from volunteers and lagging soldiers, which operated on the Mozhaisk road. His enterprises so disturbed the enemy that he attracted the attention of Napoleon, who placed a reward on his head.

A large detachment of General Wintzingerode operated in the north of Moscow, which, having allocated small formations to Volokolamsk, on the Yaroslavl and Dmitrov roads, blocked the enemy’s access to the northern regions of the Moscow region. Dorokhov's detachment was active and destroyed several enemy teams. A detachment under the command of Nikolai Danilovich Kudashev was sent to the Serpukhov and Kolomenskaya roads. His partisans made a successful attack on the village of Nikolskoye, killing more than 100 people and capturing 200 enemy soldiers. Seslavin's partisans operated between Borovsk and Moscow, he had the task of coordinating his actions with Figner. Seslavin was the first to reveal the movement of Napoleon's troops to Kaluga. Thanks to this valuable report, the Russian army managed to block the enemy’s road at Maloyaroslavets. A detachment of Ivan Mikhailovich Vadbolsky operated in the Mozhaisk area; under his command was the Mariupol Hussar Regiment and five hundred Cossacks. He established control over the Ruza road. In addition, a detachment of Ilya Fedorovich Chernozubov was sent to Mozhaisk, a detachment of Alexander Khristoforovich Benkendorf operated in the Volokolamsk area, Viktor Antonovich Prendel acted near Ruza, the Cossacks of Grigory Petrovich Pobednov acted beyond Klin towards the Yaroslavl highway, etc.

An important discovery of the partisan Seslavin. Unknown artist. 1820s.

In fact, Napoleon’s “Grand Army” in Moscow was surrounded. Army and peasant detachments hindered the search for food and fodder, kept enemy units in constant tension, this significantly affected the moral and psychological state French army. The active actions of the partisans were one of the reasons that forced Napoleon to decide to leave Moscow.

On September 28 (October 10), 1812, several united partisan detachments under the command of Dorokhov took Vereya by storm. The enemy was taken by surprise, and about 400 soldiers of the Westphalian regiment with a banner were captured. In total, in the period from September 2 (14) to October 1 (13), due to the actions of the partisans, the enemy lost only about 2.5 thousand people killed and 6.5 thousand enemies were captured. To ensure security of communications, supply of ammunition, food and fodder, the French command had to allocate increasingly greater forces.

October 28 (November 9) near the village. Lyakhovo, west of Yelnya, partisans of Davydov, Seslavin and Figner, reinforced by units of V.V. Orlov-Denisov, were able to defeat an entire enemy brigade (it was the vanguard of the 1st Infantry Division of Louis Baraguay d'Ilier). After a fierce battle, the French brigade under the command of Jean-Pierre Augereau capitulated. The commander himself and 2 thousand soldiers were captured. Napoleon was extremely angry when he learned of what had happened. He ordered the division to be disbanded and an investigation into the behavior of General Baraguay d'Hilliers, who showed indecisiveness and did not provide timely assistance to the Augereau brigade. The general was removed from command and placed under house arrest at his estate in France.

The partisans were also active during the retreat of the “Great Army”. Platov's Cossacks attacked enemy rear units. Davydov's detachment and other partisan formations operated from the flanks, followed the enemy army, carrying out raids on individual French units. Partisan and peasant detachments made a significant contribution to the common cause of victory over Napoleon's army and expelling the enemy from Russia.

Cossacks attack the retreating French. Drawing by Atkinson (1813).

Guerrilla movement- "club of the people's war"

“... the club of the people’s war rose with all its formidable and majestic strength and, without asking anyone’s tastes and rules, with stupid simplicity, but with expediency, without considering anything, it rose, fell and nailed the French until the entire invasion was destroyed”
. L.N. Tolstoy, "War and Peace"

The Patriotic War of 1812 remained in the memory of all Russian people as a people's war.

Don't hesitate! Let me come! Hood. V.V.Vereshchagin, 1887-1895

It is no coincidence that this definition has firmly stuck to her. Not only the regular army took part in it - for the first time in history Russian state the entire Russian people stood up to defend their homeland. Various volunteer detachments were formed that took part in many major battles. Commander-in-Chief M.I. Kutuzov called on the Russian militias to provide assistance to the active army. The partisan movement developed greatly throughout Russia, where the French were located.

Passive resistance
The population of Russia began to resist the French invasion from the very first days of the war. The so-called passive resistance. The Russian people left their homes, villages, and entire cities. At the same time, people often emptied all warehouses, all food supplies, destroyed their farms - they were firmly convinced: nothing should fall into the hands of the enemy.

A.P. Butenev recalled how Russian peasants fought the French: “The further the army went into the interior of the country, the more deserted the villages encountered were, and especially after Smolensk. The peasants sent their women and children, belongings and livestock to the neighboring forests; they themselves, with the exception of only the decrepit old men, armed themselves with scythes and axes, and then began to burn their huts, set up ambushes and attacked lagging and wandering enemy soldiers. IN small towns, which we passed, we met almost no one on the streets: only local authorities remained, who for the most part left with us, having previously set fire to supplies and shops, where this was possible and time allowed ... "

“They punish villains without any mercy”
Gradually, peasant resistance took on other forms. Some organized groups of several people, caught soldiers of the Grand Army and killed them. Naturally, they could not act against large quantity French at the same time. But this was quite enough to strike terror into the ranks of the enemy army. As a result, the soldiers tried not to walk alone, so as not to fall into the hands of “Russian partisans.”

With a weapon in your hands - shoot! Hood. V.V.Vereshchagin, 1887-1895

In some provinces abandoned by the Russian army, the first organized partisan detachments were formed. One of these detachments operated in the Sychevsk province. It was headed by Major Emelyanov, who was the first to excite the people to accept weapons: “Many began to pester him, from day to day the number of accomplices multiplied, and then, armed with whatever they could, they elected the brave Emelyanov over them, swearing an oath not to spare their lives for the faith, the Tsar and the Russian land and to obey him in everything... Then Emelyanov introduced There is amazing order and structure between the warrior-villagers. According to one sign, when the enemy was advancing in superior strength, the villages became empty; according to another, people gathered in their houses again. Sometimes an excellent beacon and the ringing of bells announced when to go on horseback or on foot to battle. He himself, as a leader, encouraging by example, was always with them in all dangers and pursued evil enemies everywhere, beat many, and took more prisoners, and finally, in one hot skirmish, in the very splendor of military actions of the peasants, he sealed his love with his life to the fatherland..."

There were many such examples, and they could not escape the attention of the leaders of the Russian army. M.B. In August 1812, Barclay de Tolly made an appeal to the residents of the Pskov, Smolensk and Kaluga provinces: “...but many of the inhabitants of the Smolensk province have already awakened from their fear. They, armed in their homes, with courage worthy of the Russian name, punish the villains without any mercy. Imitate them all who love themselves, the fatherland and the sovereign. Your army will not leave your borders until it drives out or destroys the enemy forces. It has decided to fight them to the extreme, and you will only have to reinforce it by protecting your own homes from attacks more daring than terrible.”

The wide scope of the “small war”
Leaving Moscow, Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov intended to wage a “small war” in order to create a constant threat for the enemy to encircle him in Moscow. This task was to be solved by detachments of military partisans and people's militias.

While at the Tarutino position, Kutuzov took control of the partisans’ activities: “...I placed ten partisans on that leg in order to be able to take away all the ways from the enemy, who thinks in Moscow to find all kinds of contentment in abundance. During the six-week rest of the Main Army at Tarutino, the partisans instilled fear and horror in the enemy, taking away all means of food...”

Davydov Denis Vasilievich. Engraving by A. Afanasyev
from the original by V. Langer. 1820s.

Such actions required brave and decisive commanders and troops capable of operating in any conditions. The first detachment that was created by Kutuzov to wage a small war was the detachment of Lieutenant Colonel D.V. Davydova, formed at the end of August with 130 people. With this detachment, Davydov set out through Yegoryevskoye and Medyn to the village of Skugarevo, which was turned into one of the bases of partisan warfare. He acted together with various armed peasant detachments.

Denis Davydov did not just fulfill his military duty. He tried to understand the Russian peasant, because he represented his interests and acted on his behalf: “Then I learned from experience that in a people’s war one must not only speak the language of the mob, but adapt to it, to its customs and its clothing. I put on a man's caftan, began to let my beard down, and instead of the Order of St. Anna I hung an image of St. Nicholas and spoke in a completely folk language...”

Another partisan detachment was concentrated near the Mozhaisk road, led by Major General I.S. Dorokhov. Kutuzov wrote to Dorokhov about the methods of partisan warfare. And when information was received at army headquarters that Dorokhov’s detachment was surrounded, Kutuzov reported: “The partisan can never come to this situation, because his duty is to stay in one place for as long as he needs to feed the people and horses. The flying detachment of partisans must make marches secretly, along small roads... During the day, hide in forests and low-lying places. In a word, the partisan must be decisive, fast and tireless.”

Figner Alexander Samoilovich. Engraving by G.I. Grachev from a lithograph from the collection of P.A. Erofeeva, 1889.

At the end of August 1812, a detachment was also formed Winzengerode, consisting of 3200 people. Initially, his tasks included monitoring the corps of Viceroy Eugene Beauharnais.

Having withdrawn the army to the Tarutino position, Kutuzov formed several more partisan detachments: detachments of A.S. Fignera, I.M. Vadbolsky, N.D. Kudashev and A.N. Seslavina.

In total, in September, the flying detachments included 36 Cossack regiments and one team, 7 cavalry regiments, 5 squadrons and one light horse artillery team, 5 infantry regiments, 3 battalions of rangers and 22 regimental guns. Kutuzov managed to give the partisan war a wide scope. He assigned them the task of observing the enemy and delivering continuous attacks on his troops.

Caricature from 1912.

It was thanks to the actions of the partisans that Kutuzov had complete information about the movements of French troops, on the basis of which it was possible to draw conclusions about Napoleon's intentions.

Due to the continuous attacks of flying partisan detachments, the French had to always keep some troops at the ready. According to the log of military operations, from September 14 to October 13, 1812, the enemy lost only about 2.5 thousand people killed, about 6.5 thousand French were captured.

Peasant partisan detachments
The activities of military partisan detachments would not have been so successful without the participation of peasant partisan detachments, which had been operating everywhere since July 1812.

The names of their “leaders” will remain in the memory of the Russian people for a long time: G. Kurin, Samus, Chetvertakov and many others.

Kurin Gerasim Matveevich
Hood. A. Smirnov

Portrait of partisan Yegor Stulov. Hood. Terebenev I.I., 1813

Samusya's detachment operated near Moscow. He managed to exterminate more than three thousand French: “Samus introduced an amazing order in all the villages under his command. With him, everything was performed according to signs, which were given through the ringing of bells and other conventional signs.”

The exploits of Vasilisa Kozhina, who led a detachment in Sychevsky district and fought against French marauders, became very famous.

Vasilisa Kozhina. Hood. A. Smirnov, 1813

M.I. wrote about the patriotism of Russian peasants. Kutuzov’s report to Alexander I dated October 24, 1812 about the patriotism of Russian peasants: “With martyrdom they endured all the blows associated with the enemy’s invasion, hid their families and young children in the forests, and the armed themselves sought defeat in their peaceful homes against the emerging predators. Often the women themselves cunningly caught these villains and punished their attempts with death, and often armed villagers, joining our partisans, greatly assisted them in exterminating the enemy, and it can be said without exaggeration that many thousands of the enemy were exterminated by peasants. These feats are so numerous and delightful to the spirit of a Russian...”

Patriotic War of 1812. Guerrilla movement

Introduction

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

At first, the partisan movement was spontaneous, consisting of performances of small, scattered partisan detachments, then it captured entire regions. Large detachments began to be created, thousands of national heroes appeared, and talented organizers of the partisan struggle emerged.

Why did the disenfranchised peasantry, mercilessly oppressed by the feudal landowners, rise up to fight against their seemingly “liberator”? Napoleon did not even think about any liberation of the peasants from serfdom or improvement of their powerless situation. If at first promising phrases were uttered about the emancipation of the serfs and there was even talk about 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 Russian serfs would inevitably lead to revolutionary consequences, which is what he feared most. Yes, this did not meet his political goals when joining Russia. According to Napoleon's comrades, it was “important for him to strengthen monarchism in France and it was difficult for him to preach revolution to Russia.”

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

Reasons for the emergence 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, which supposedly allowed the peasants to take up arms and actively participate in the struggle. In reality the situation was different. Without waiting for orders from their superiors, when the French approached, residents fled 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 than they had been in before. The peasants also associated the fight against foreign enslavers with the hope of liberating them from serfdom.

At the beginning of the war, the struggle of the peasants acquired the character of mass abandonment of villages and villages and the movement of the population to forests and areas remote from military operations. And although this 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 immediately affected the deterioration of the general condition of the army: horses began to die, soldiers began to starve, and looting intensified. Even before Vilna, more than 10 thousand horses died.

The actions of peasant partisan detachments were both defensive and offensive in nature. In the area of ​​Vitebsk, Orsha, and Mogilev, detachments of peasant partisans made frequent day and night raids on enemy convoys, destroyed their foragers, and captured French soldiers. Napoleon was forced to remind the chief of staff Berthier more and more often about the large losses in people and strictly ordered the allocation of an increasing number of troops 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 a major 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. Wintsengerode, who led the united Kazan Dragoon, Stavropol, Kalmyk and three Cossack regiments, which began to operate in the area of ​​​​Dukhovshchina.

After the invasion of Napoleonic troops, peasants began to go into the forests, partisan heroes began to create peasant detachments and attack individual French teams. The struggle of the partisan detachments unfolded with particular force after the fall of Smolensk and Moscow. The partisan troops boldly attacked the enemy and captured the French. Kutuzov allocated a detachment to operate behind enemy lines under the leadership of D. Davydov, whose detachment disrupted the enemy’s communication routes, freed prisoners, and inspired the local population to fight the invaders. Following the example of Denisov’s detachment, by October 1812, 36 Cossacks, 7 cavalry, 5 infantry regiments, 3 battalions of rangers and other units, including artillery, were operating.

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

The detachment of Denis Davydov was a real threat for the French. 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 bring even greater benefit in the fight against the invaders prompted D. Davydov to “ask for a separate detachment.” He was strengthened in this intention 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 and poor rear protection 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, were. At the same time, he saw how difficult it was for flying peasant detachments to fight without a coordinated plan of action. 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 to operate 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 behind enemy lines. In the very first skirmishes near Tsarev - Zaimishch, Slavkoy, he achieved success: he defeated several French detachments and captured a convoy with ammunition.

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

A detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Davydov, reinforced by two Cossack regiments, operated between Smolensk and Gzhatsk. 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 area of ​​Mozhaisk 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 a 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. Wintzingerode, who, separating small detachments from himself to Volokolamsk, on the Yaroslavl and Dmitrov roads, blocked access to Napoleon’s troops in the northern regions of the Moscow region.

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

The 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 partisans' actions were sudden and swift. To swoop down out of the blue and quickly hide became the main rule of the partisans.

The detachments attacked individual teams, foragers, transports, took away weapons and distributed them to the peasants, and took dozens and hundreds of prisoners.

Davydov’s detachment on the evening of September 3, 1812 went to Tsarev-Zamishch. Not reaching 6 versts 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-Zamishche to warn their own. But Davydov did not let them do this. The detachment rushed in pursuit of the foragers and almost burst into the village together with them. The convoy and its guards were taken by surprise, and an attempt by a small group of French to resist was quickly suppressed. 130 soldiers, 2 officers, 10 carts 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 the genre of 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. This was the case, for example, during the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus'. And only some time later, having recovered from the blow, having overcome 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 strength was made up of patriotism not in words, but in deeds the best people from the nobility, poets and simply the Russian people.

This strength consisted of the heroism of the soldiers and best officers of the Russian army.

This invincible force consisted of the heroism and patriotism of Muscovites who left hometown, no matter how sorry it is for them to leave their property to destruction.

The invincible strength of the Russians consisted of the actions of partisan detachments. This is Denisov's detachment, where the most the right person- Tikhon Shcherbaty, people's avenger. Partisan detachments destroyed Napoleonic army piece by piece.

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

The work of Denis Davydov can be illustrated as follows:

Dream

Who could cheer you up so much, my friend?

You can hardly speak from laughter.

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

Or a happy waist has come to you

And did the pair of trantels take the endurance test?

What happened to you that you don’t answer?

Ay! give me a rest, you know nothing!

I'm really beside myself, I almost went crazy:

Today I found Petersburg completely different!

I thought that the whole world had completely changed:

Imagine - Nn paid off his debt;

There are no more pedants and fools to be seen,

And even Zoey and Sov got smarter!

There is no courage in the unfortunate rhymers of old,

And our dear Marin does not stain papers,

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

How, when starting a platoon, shout at the right time: stop!

But what I was more delighted by was:

Koev, who pretended to be Lycurgus,

For our happiness he wrote laws for us,

Suddenly, fortunately for us, he stopped writing them.

A happy change has appeared in everything,

Theft, robbery, treason have disappeared,

No more complaints or grievances are visible,

Well, in a word, the city took on a completely disgusting appearance.

Nature gave beauty to the ugly,

And Lll himself stopped looking askance at nature,

Bna's nose has become shorter,

And Ditch scared people with his beauty,

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

It was a stretch to bear the name of a person,

I look, I’m happy, I don’t recognize myself:

Where the beauty comes from, where the growth comes from - I look;

Every word is bon mot, every look is passion,

I’m amazed how I manage to change my intrigues!

Suddenly, oh the wrath of heaven! suddenly fate struck me:

Among the blissful days Andryushka woke up,

And everything I saw, what I had so much fun with -

I saw everything in a dream, I lost everything in the dream.

Burtsov

In a smoky field, on a bivouac

By the blazing fires

In the beneficial arak

I see the savior of people.

Gather in a circle

Orthodox is all to blame!

Give me the golden tub,

Where fun lives!

Pour out vast cups

In the noise of joyful speeches,

How our ancestors drank

Among spears and swords.

Burtsev, you are a hussar of hussars!

You're on a crazy horse

The cruelest of frenzy

And a rider in war!

Let's hit the cup together!

Nowadays it’s still too leisurely to drink;

Tomorrow the trumpets will sound,

Tomorrow there will be thunder.

Let's drink and swear

That we indulge in a curse,

If we ever

Let's give way, turn pale,

Let's pity our breasts

And in misfortune we become timid;

If we ever give

Left side on the flank,

Or we'll rein in the horse

Or a cute little cheat

Let's give our hearts for free!

Let it not be with a saber strike

My life will be cut short!

Let me be a general

How many I have seen!

Let among the bloody battles

I will be pale, fearful,

And in the meeting of heroes

Sharp, brave, talkative!

Let my mustache, the beauty of nature,

Black-brown, in curls,

Will be cut off in youth

And it will disappear like dust!

Let fortune be for vexation,

To multiply all troubles,

He will give me a rank for shift parades

And "Georgia" for the advice!

Let... But chu! This is not the time to walk!

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

Saber out - and cut!

Here is another feast God gives us,

And noisier and more fun...

Come on, put the shako on one side,

And - hurray! Happy day!

V. A. Zhukovsky

Zhukovsky, dear friend! Debt is rewarded by payment:

I read the poems you dedicated to me;

Now read mine, you are smoked in the bivouac

And sprinkled with wine!

It's been a long time since I chatted with either the muse or you,

Did I care about my feet?..

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

When the Russian camp went out,

I greeted you with a huge glass

An impudent partisan wandering in the steppes!

Conclusion

It was not by chance that the War of 1812 received the name Patriotic War. Folk character This war was most clearly manifested in the partisan movement, which played a strategic role in the victory of Russia. Responding to accusations of “war not according to the rules,” Kutuzov said that these were the feelings of the people. Responding to a letter from Marshal Bertha, he wrote on October 8, 1818: “It is difficult to stop a people embittered by everything they have seen; a people who for so many years have not known war on their territory; a people ready to sacrifice themselves for their Motherland... ". Activities aimed at attracting the masses to active participation in the war were based on the interests of Russia, correctly reflected the objective conditions of the war and took into account the broad opportunities that emerged in the national liberation war.

During the preparation for the counteroffensive, the combined forces of the army, militia and partisans constrained the actions of Napoleonic troops, inflicted damage on enemy personnel, and destroyed military property. The Smolenskaya-10 road, which remained the only guarded postal route leading from Moscow to the west, was constantly subject to partisan raids. They intercepted French correspondence, especially valuable ones were delivered to the main apartment of the Russian army.

The partisan actions of the peasants were highly appreciated by the Russian command. “The peasants,” wrote Kutuzov, “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 captured to the army.” The peasants of the Kaluga province alone killed and captured more than 6 thousand French.

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

Bibliography

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

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

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

Platonov S.F. Textbook of Russian history for secondary school M., 2004.-735p.

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

Back to top Patriotic War 1812 Denis Vasilyevich, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, commanded a battalion of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment in Bagration's 2nd Western Army. After Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he took part in heated defensive battles, and together with the commander he passionately experienced the protracted retreat. Shortly before the Battle of Borodino, Davydov turned to Bagration with a request, given the fragility of communications of the French army, to allow him to organize partisan raids on the enemy’s rear with the support of the population. 5 It was, in essence, a people's war project. Davydov asked to give him one thousand people (cavalrymen), but “for experience” he was given only fifty hussars and eighty Cossacks. From Davydov’s letter to Prince General Bagration:

“Your Excellency! You know that I, leaving the position of your adjutant, so flattering for my pride, joining the hussar regiment, had the subject of partisan service both according to the strength of my years, and because of my experience, and, if I dare say, because of my courage... You are my only benefactor ; allow me to appear before you to explain my intentions; if they are pleasing to you, use me according to my desire and be hopeful that the one who bears the title of Bagration’s adjutant for five years in a row will support this honor with all the zeal that the plight of our dear fatherland requires...” 6

Bagration's order to create a flying partisan detachment was one of his last before the Battle of Borodino, where he was mortally wounded. On the very first night, Davydov’s detachment of 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks was ambushed by peasants, and Denis almost died. The peasants had little understanding of the details of military uniforms, which were similar among the French and Russians. Moreover, the officers spoke, as a rule, French. After this, Davydov put on a peasant's caftan and grew a beard. In the portrait by A. Orlovsky (1814), Davydov is dressed in Caucasian fashion: a checkmen, a clearly non-Russian hat, a Circassian saber. With 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks in one of the forays, he managed to capture 370 French, while capturing 200 Russian prisoners, a cart with ammunition and nine carts with provisions. His detachment grew rapidly at the expense of peasants and freed prisoners.

On his first raid, on September 1, when the French were preparing to enter Moscow, Davydov and his detachment defeated one of the enemy’s rear groups on the Smolensk road, near Tsarev Zaymishche, repelling a convoy with property looted from residents and a transport with military equipment, taking more than two hundred people were captured. The success was impressive. The captured weapons were distributed to the peasants here.

His rapid successes convinced Kutuzov of the advisability of guerrilla warfare, and he was not slow to give it wider development and constantly sent reinforcements. The second time Davydov saw Napoleon was when he and his partisans were in ambush in the forest, and a dormez with Napoleon drove past him. But at that moment he had too little strength to attack Napoleon’s guards. Napoleon hated Davydov and ordered him to be shot on the spot upon his arrest. For the sake of his capture, he allocated one of his best detachments 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.

Davydov’s guerrilla tactics consisted of avoiding open attacks, attacking by surprise, changing the direction of attacks, groping for the enemy’s vulnerabilities. The partisan hussar was helped by his close connection with the population: the peasants served him as scouts, guides, and themselves took part in the extermination of French foragers. Since the uniform of the Russian and French hussars was very similar, at first residents often mistook Davydov’s cavalrymen for the French, and then he dressed his subordinates in caftans, he himself also dressed in peasant clothes, grew a beard, and hung the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on his chest. Knowing that some people were laughing at the new appearance of the hussar commander and that this angered Davydov, Kutuzov calmed him down with a smile on occasion, saying: “In a people’s war this is necessary. Act as you act. There is a time for everything, and you will be in your shoes.” shuffle at court balls." One of Davydov’s outstanding feats during this time was the case near Lyakhov, where he, along with other partisans, captured General Augereau’s two-thousand-strong detachment; then, near the city of Kopys, he destroyed the French cavalry depot, scattered the enemy detachment near Belynichi and, continuing the search to the Neman, occupied Grodno.

Denis Davydov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class, and St. George, 4th class, for the 1812 campaign. With Davydov’s successes, his squad also grew. Denis Vasilyevich was given two Cossack regiments, in addition, the detachment was constantly replenished with volunteers and soldiers repulsed from captivity. 7

On November 4, near Krasnoye, Davydov captured generals Almeron and Byurt, many other prisoners and a large convoy. On November 9 near Kopys and November 14 near Belynichi he also celebrated victories. On December 9 he forced the Austrian general Fröhlich to surrender Grodno to him. Davydov was not distinguished by cruelty and did not execute prisoners, as Figner did, for example; on the contrary, he restrained others from arbitrary reprisals and demanded a humane attitude towards surrendered enemies. After crossing the border, Davydov was assigned to the corps of General Wintzingerode, participated in the defeat of the Saxons near Kalisz and, having entered Saxony with an advanced detachment, occupied Dresden. For which he was put under house arrest by General Wintzingerode, since he took the city without permission, without orders. Throughout Europe, legends were made about Davydov’s courage and luck. When Russian troops entered a city, all the residents went out into the street and asked about him in order to see him.

For the battle on the approach to Paris, when five horses were killed under him, but he, together with his Cossacks, still broke through the hussars of the Jacquinot brigade to the French artillery battery and, having chopped up the servants, decided the outcome of the battle, Davydov was awarded the rank of major general.

He achieved wide popularity in 1812 as the head of a partisan detachment, organized on his own initiative. At first, the higher authorities reacted to Davydov’s idea not without skepticism, but the partisan actions turned out to be very useful and brought a lot of harm to the French. Davydov had imitators - Figner, Seslavin and others.