Russian Eyewitness Accounts of the Campaign of 1812

Russia played a decisive role in the Napoleonic wars and the success in the struggle against France allowed Russian leaders to shape the course of European history.

Over the last 200 years, the Napoleonic era has been discussed and analyzed in numerous studies, but many fail to fully portray the Russian side of the events due to the relative scarcity of Russian sources in English. Only a handful of Russian memoirs (e.g. those of Alexey Yermolov, Nadezhda Durova, Denis Davydov and Eduard Lowernstern) have been translated in English while dozens remain unknown outside Russia. This book seeks to fill this gap by providing, in English, previously unavailable memoirs of Russian participants.

Each chapter deals with an important episode of the 1812 campaign and featuring dozens of memoirs, letters and diaries. These documents show the other side of the proverbial coin, providing an unique insight on the Russian leadership, how and why decisions were made and what a common Russian soldier experienced as he slowly progressed towards victory. The author is an acclaimed writer who has won the International Napoleonic Society’s Legion of Merit Award for his contribution to Napoleonic studies.