Documentary, Napoleon The Russian Campaign Series 1 1of2 The Moskova
#Russian #Napoleon #Moskova #Moscow
#Russian #Napoleon #Moskova #Moscow
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00:30Peace reigns over a large part of Europe, but France is the theater for some worrying military preparations.
00:42Thousands of soldiers are being enrolled, and different army corps are being assembled.
00:51But Emperor Napoleon I is saying loud and clear that he does not want another war.
00:57In 1811, Napoleon controls Europe, from the Mediterranean to the Nieman River.
01:04He is counting on fighting the British with Russian support.
01:08Since his victory over Tsar Alexander in Freedland in 1807, and the Treaty of Tilsit, France and Russia are officially allies.
01:19But Alexander doesn't support Napoleon's expansionist strategy.
01:23And irrespective of their treaties, Alexander allows English merchant ships access to his ports.
01:32For Napoleon, Russia's behavior makes it an enemy of France.
01:39Armand de Coulancourt has been French ambassador to St. Petersburg for four years.
01:44He understands Russia perfectly.
01:45I hear they miss you greatly in St. Petersburg.
01:50And they even organized a banquet in honor of your departure.
01:54Have you turned into a Russian, Coulancourt?
01:56You know I've been requesting a transfer back to Paris for two years, Sergeant.
01:59Two years, yes.
02:00I hope you took advantage of your time there to get to know your friend Alexander.
02:04So, why is he refusing to close his ports to the British?
02:08It's not what one might call a declaration.
02:11When we signed the peace treaty in Tilsit four years ago, he told me...
02:14I hate the English as much as you do.
02:16And I answered, in that case, we have peace.
02:20But he didn't keep his word.
02:24It was you who invaded Germany.
02:27You support the Poles, and you are amassing troops on the frontiers during peacetime.
02:31Coulancourt used to be Napoleon's aide-de-com.
02:34He knows how to gain his trust and his benevolence.
02:37But despite his admiration for Napoleon, he won't let himself be blinded.
02:41He can clearly see his game, and he fears for France.
02:45Nothing can justify this campaign you're leading so far from Paris.
02:48Yes. Too many have already died on the battlefield.
02:51Ah, Coulancourt. You don't understand business.
02:55Russia is vast, and the climate is harsh.
02:58They will let you come and wear out your troops forced to march.
03:02They won't fight. They will wait for winter.
03:07You no longer have confidence in me.
03:12Coulancourt, don't worry.
03:14Look upon the war in Russia as one that makes sense.
03:18Coulancourt, don't worry.
03:21War.
03:22The word has finally been spoken.
03:25Over the following months, Napoleon continues to amass his troops from all four corners of Europe,
03:30sending them towards the borders of the Russian Empire.
03:33Tsar Alexander knows this confrontation is inevitable.
03:40He hesitates lengthily between two strategies.
03:44Should he set out to meet the French, or draw them towards Moscow?
03:48To thwart the French spies, his plan must remain secret from the majority of the general staff and the Russian people.
03:56Napoleon continues to ignore calls for caution.
03:59As Coulancourt noticed, he had gone back down that irresistible path towards his destiny.
04:05Day one of the campaign, half a million men.
04:28They speak French in the ranks, but also Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.
04:35It's an army of 20 nations.
04:38The first empire, marching towards its destiny.
04:49Napoleon wants a flash campaign, a demonstration of force that will suffice, in his mind, to make the Tsar Sea sense.
04:56He wants to achieve his dream of bringing all the peoples of Europe together as one.
05:00They had been promised they would soon be going home.
05:05But beyond the Niemann River, which marks the frontier between Poland and the Russian Empire, they are entering the unknown.
05:13The most important thing to say about the Grand Armée is that it's enormous.
05:18Biggest army anyone's ever seen in European history.
05:20The particularity about Napoleon's Grand Armée was that it had very high numbers of civilians.
05:27Some officers, even non-commissioned officers, brought wives and children with them, even mistresses.
05:34So the caravan was quite an assorted one.
05:37Some had been with him since the Egyptian campaign.
05:41They were the old guard and were the bedrock of the Grand Armée.
05:44They trusted and followed this man.
05:47To him, he was a star, a genius.
05:54Napoleon is enjoying the start to his campaign.
05:58He's made it.
05:59He's in the land of the Tsars.
06:01In a letter to his wife, Marie-Louise, he reveals his optimism and a certain indifference.
06:10My friend, nothing significant has happened.
06:15I'm in good health, but the heat is excessive.
06:20Napoleon's real adversary in terms of ensuring the French domination of Europe was England.
06:25His aim was to bring England to its knees and force it to make peace.
06:29And within this framework, he made a pact with Russia in 1807.
06:32In reality, this was an alliance of the strong with the weak.
06:36For example, it obliged Russia to declare war on England and to cease all trade with the English.
06:42But the Russians were never able to respect this part of the agreement because trade with England was vital to their economy.
06:50Another, even more ideological element, involved saying that going to war with Russia was about setting European civilization against Asiatic barbarism, in which Russia was complicit.
07:03If you asked the question of the Russians, they would have said that Napoleon wanted to conquer Russia.
07:11Napoleon wants to win the war quickly.
07:14He expects to defeat the Russian army within two months, force Alexander to make peace on Napoleon's terms.
07:21But he doesn't want to destroy the Russian Empire, and he doesn't want to chase Alexander off his throne.
07:26He wants to fight a limited war.
07:31For Alexander, the enemy to defeat is Napoleon, not France, of whose culture and history he's a big fan.
07:38He even likes speaking French as much as he does Russian.
07:42Sir, the Grande Armée crossed the Neiman this morning.
07:46The new French ambassador sent a note two days ago saying his mission was finished.
08:02Two days ago?
08:05Why wasn't I informed?
08:08We didn't think...
08:10That was their declaration of war.
08:21We are ready to fight, sir.
08:23I do not share that view, General.
08:25But?
08:31The Corsican wants a short war, the outcome of which will be determined by one of those victories that made his glorious career.
08:40He wants another Austerlitz.
08:44And we are going to deprive him of that pleasure.
08:49By refusing to fight?
08:51That is an unworthy attitude.
08:52We will leave him to get lost, which will give us time.
08:58Alexander I is a complicated human being.
09:01He is, in some senses, a very wily and tough politician.
09:05In other ways, he's a very sensitive and easily hurt individual.
09:09Who wouldn't feel inferior to Napoleon in military terms back then?
09:14Alexander tried to command armies during the 1805 campaign, and that ended with a terrible catastrophe at the Battle of Austerlitz.
09:23So Alexander knows that he isn't a great military mind, and for the first time in Russian history, in 1812, he agreed to not personally command his armies.
09:32Alexander has learned lessons from his 1805 defeat at Austerlitz.
09:42Napoleon skillfully let him believe that he only had 40,000 men left, whereas in reality he had double that.
09:49Trapped, tricked, tricked, and humiliated, the Tsar and his Austrian ally had abandoned 16,000 dead on the battlefield.
09:58This was the first in a long series of victories for the Grande Armée, until it entered Russia seven years later.
10:05To put pressure on Alexander, French spies distribute tracts in the villages to cause concern among the Russian countryfolk.
10:16Emperor Napoleon, Emperor Napoleon, not a enemy,
10:25not a enemy to you,
10:25not a enemy to you,
10:27not a enemy to you,
10:28not a enemy to you,
10:29not a enemy to him,
10:32and you will have a freedom,
10:36and a life of the best.
10:42Thirty million peasants are living in slavery.
10:46The slightest resistance to the nobility is cruelly repressed.
10:50They must be dreaming of their freedom.
11:06By promising to abolish servitude, perhaps Napoleon can win their loyalty.
11:11But despite their suffering, they are attached to their bits of land.
11:16It is their world, and as for these Frenchmen approaching, what do they know?
11:21At this early stage in the campaign, it's still impossible for either Napoleon or Alexander
11:26to predict what the peasants' reaction will be, and to what extent they can be relied upon.
11:31Russia is nothing but a huge uncertainty.
11:36Nobody has invaded Russia for 300 years, and the Russian people compared Napoleon's invasion
11:44into their land to the invasion of the Mongols and Tatars in their forebears' day.
11:50Pamphil Nazarov is only twenty years old, but the Tsar needs soldiers to fight Napoleon, whom
12:05he presents as the anti-Christ.
12:07And because Pamphil is young and unmarried, he's been picked out by the village community.
12:26Young serfs like him are conscripted with the agreement of their owners, who see this as
12:31their contribution to the defence of the Russian motherland.
12:51When they are enrolled for a period of twenty-five years, they are then considered free men,
12:56if they survive.
12:58Pamphil Nazarov will have to learn the tough lesson of becoming a soldier, and soon he will
13:09be ready to face the Grande Armée.
13:14When they were enrolled into the army, the serfs were almost certain they'd never see their
13:24families and loved ones again.
13:27Soldiers' lives were incredibly hard.
13:31The regiment became their family, and that was a fundamental element that also explains
13:37the courage with which they fought for these substitute families.
13:44The Russian nobility was very afraid that Napoleon would abolish serfdom in Russia.
13:50And this created chaos.
13:56The Grande Armée advances towards Vilnius, but the enemy avoids them and refuses to fight.
14:03Napoleon's imperial guard finally spots a Russian column.
14:16This is their first confrontation, and their first hand-to-hand battle.
14:23Both sides swear they would rather die than give up an inch of terrain.
14:28It's a cruel foretaste of the battles to come.
14:47The French easily push back their attackers, which fuels the illusion that the Tsar will capitulate
14:52in a matter of days.
15:07Sergeant Adrien François Bourgogne, Grenadier Vélite of the Imperial Guard, had participated
15:12in all Napoleon's campaigns prior to 1812.
15:17To him, this long march is just one more campaign.
15:24Sergeant?
15:26Duval?
15:27Duval!
15:28Oh, my friend!
15:30You turned out well.
15:34Are you injured?
15:36It's just a scratch.
15:37I've come to give you your share of home.
15:39A little wagon taken from a Russian general, and everything it contains.
15:43We put it all in Florencia's vehicle.
15:45She's our cook.
15:46She's been with us since Spain.
15:48And...
15:49I took her under my wing.
15:51But I only have honorable intentions.
15:53Don't listen to the gossip!
15:54Naturally!
15:55Ha ha ha!
15:56Ho ho ho ho!
15:58You must eat, little one, to give you strength to fight the Russians.
16:03Otherwise, I'll tell the Emperor.
16:06In a touching coincidence, in the same regiment, Bourgogne finds 12 men from Conde-sur-Liscot,
16:12his hometown, some 2,000 kilometers away.
16:18And him?
16:20What's wrong with him?
16:21He couldn't stand the artillery.
16:23At the first cannon fire, he left his line, and only came back when the battle was over.
16:29The Russian generals whine.
16:40You can't say no.
16:42You'll toughen up, you'll see.
16:47One learns to manage one's fears, anxiety, and pain.
16:52Are you ever afraid?
16:55Me and everyone else.
16:58I've been injured twice.
17:00And I understand what it means.
17:03Being picked by chance and taken away from one's family.
17:06The forced marches.
17:08The sleepless nights while you await the battle.
17:11If my family hadn't been so poor without possessions on land, I would have had someone to replace me.
17:15Him.
17:16That's why he's here.
17:18A conscript paid for him to take his place.
17:20I've never touched a penny of my pay.
17:23Look at these souls.
17:26They're supposed to last three years.
17:28What are we doing here?
17:31Do you know?
17:32Who are we fighting for?
17:34Sergeant Bourgogne chose to make a career of the army.
17:38In his eyes, Napoleon is infallible.
17:41Come on, soldier.
17:53He cannot possibly imagine that very soon, eleven of the comrades he has just found will lose their lives.
18:00The Grande Armée is preparing to enter Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
18:06Vilnius was formerly part of Poland before being annexed by Russia.
18:11But the Tsar has just abandoned the city.
18:14This is good news for the inhabitants of Vilnius and the 30,000 Polish soldiers fighting in the Grande Armée.
18:21When the French entered Vilnius, the Poles and the Polish nobility in particular welcomed the French as their liberators.
18:29They thought that Napoleon was giving them their freedom.
18:35And better than freedom, he was going to ensure the rebirth of the Polish state.
18:42Alexander was here just a few hours ago.
18:44Why would he give me the city without putting up a fight?
18:47Sir, he's doing everything to make this campaign last and to deprive you of a major battle.
18:51Time is on his side.
18:53The coward.
18:55He has dishonoured himself in the eyes of the brave Poles.
18:58Sir, General Balashev, ambassador for his Imperial Majesty.
19:02Since Peter the Great, no enemy has invaded your land, General Balashev.
19:07Yet you allow me to conquer an entire province without even putting up a fight.
19:11Are you not ashamed, General?
19:13I can assure you, sir, that the Russians will fight like lions.
19:17The Emperor, my master, insists you withdraw your troops.
19:20My brother Alexander is a novice in military affairs.
19:23Why did he decide to take on the Supreme Command alone?
19:26He might surprise you.
19:28He will be obliged to ask me for peace before two months have passed.
19:35We will stay here for a few days to replenish our stores of food,
19:39set up hospitals to care for the sick and wounded,
19:42and restructure the Lithuanian administration, Berthier,
19:45by using the resources of the local elites.
19:47We will form a provisional government and proclaim its autonomy.
19:50But nobody will fall for it, sir. The government will be under our control.
19:53Call Angkor, I didn't ask for your opinion.
19:56Do you intend to declare yourself in favour of Lithuanian independence?
19:59To state loud and clear that Poland exists?
20:01There is no question of throwing our alliance with Austria into jeopardy.
20:05The Poles will have to wait.
20:07In those conditions, your calls for their patriotism will go unheeded.
20:11Part of Poland still belongs to Austria,
20:13and Napoleon needs his Austrian allies to ensure his victory over the Russians.
20:18The Russians did not spontaneously leave when the French arrived.
20:22It was a strategy that had been decided upon by the Russian high command
20:26around one year before the French entered Russia.
20:29The retreat of the Russian army naturally had to be accompanied by every possible means
20:35to slow down the advance of Napoleon's troops.
20:39These means included the so-called scorched earth policy
20:44that involved destroying all available stocks of food, animal fodder and livestock.
20:58Continuing their pursuit of the evasive Russian army,
21:00the Grande Armée leaves Vilnius,
21:02and the troops are forced to walk 12 to 25 miles a day,
21:06always heading further east.
21:09The torrential rain means that every step is a fight with the mud.
21:19The Russians have burnt mills and depots,
21:21so there's no food for the cavalry.
21:23They take rotten straw from the thatched roofs,
21:26but the horses die eating it.
21:29With no bread and suffering from dysentery and wounds that go unhealed,
21:34soon there are thousands of thieves and deserters.
21:51Things started to go wrong from the very first weeks of the campaign.
21:54I wouldn't use the word famine because that's a little excessive,
22:00but the first problems of food supplies were emerging.
22:04There were without doubt several tens of thousands of men
22:07who were thieving and living off the army without being operational in military terms.
22:13To bring his troops together and foster some kind of cohesion,
22:17Napoleon needs the major battle he's been longing for now more than ever.
22:25In the distance, they can see a host of tiny lights.
22:28They're coming from the Russian army's encampment.
22:30It's the Tsar's army.
22:34This is the moment they've all been waiting for.
22:37Here they are, close by, in his sights.
22:40Napoleon's goal is so close now.
22:46Tomorrow we'll see the great battle.
22:51Just one victory, another Austerlitz, and this war will be over.
22:56Sergeant Bourgogne and his men are preparing for the confrontation.
23:09They clean their weapons and check their rifles.
23:15They cut up sheets in case they're injured.
23:20On the battlefield, one must treat one's own wounds.
23:27Some are writing their wills, recording their last wishes,
23:30but dreaming of seeing their wives and children once more.
23:35Others seem carefree, singing or sleeping.
23:38On this campaign, Napoleon's losses in terms of men, horses, and equipment
23:51are the equivalent of two great battles.
23:55He needs a victory, and soon.
23:59Sir, you must come, quickly.
24:02I'll be right there, Collencourt.
24:03Gentlemen.
24:24Napoleon understands that he has been tricked.
24:27There will be no battle.
24:28The Russians have disappeared without a trace.
24:33The army continues on its unremitting way towards Smolensk.
24:37The Russian summer is hot, and drinking water is running out.
24:42Some battalions only have beer with which to quench their thirst.
24:46But they keep going.
24:50Despite all the difficulties during the early days of the campaign,
24:54Napoleon has a strategy.
24:56He is here to fight.
24:57And this strategy almost works because his various troop movements
25:01are forcing the Russian army to assemble around the town of Smolensk.
25:12The first artillery is fired at 6am.
25:15Napoleon expects to confront the Tsar's armies,
25:18but only 20,000 enemy soldiers are present.
25:20They've received the order to defend Smolensk whatever it takes.
25:25But behind the ramparts, this wooden town is burning.
25:30Men, women, and children who were unable to flee are dying, burned alive,
25:35or asphyxiated by smoke inhalation.
25:38The city is lost.
25:40Napoleon is victorious.
25:41As soon as he has captured Smolensk,
25:42but by blocking him,
25:44the defenders of Smolensk have allowed the main part of the Russian army
25:48to escape towards Moscow.
25:51Some will compare the tragedy of Smolensk with that of Pompeii.
25:58It's like the eruption of Vesuvius.
26:00A fine spectacle, is it not, Master Horseman?
26:03It's horrible, sir.
26:05Ha! Just you remember this.
26:07A dead enemy's body always smells good.
26:11Roman proverb.
26:13Sir, will you permit me to withdraw?
26:15It's the Russians who are stoking the flames while their army runs away,
26:19Courlaincourt.
26:21Now it will be the honour of your friend, Alexander, to face me at least once.
26:25After which we'll be able to make peace, like two champions reconciling after a duel.
26:32War is simply politics, Courlaincourt.
26:36And peace will never happen while we're on this side of the Rhine.
26:38Courlaincourt suffers constantly from the pain I inflict upon his friend.
26:42The Tsar is not my friend.
26:44I'm more French than many others who only seek to please and flatter you.
26:47Please, calm down. You are addressing the Emperor.
26:49Why should I be silent?
26:51I am honoured to have done everything to prevent this war.
26:53Sir, give me a mission to Spain. Let me leave this...
26:58You are too sensitive, Courlaincourt.
27:01You know the esteem I have for you.
27:04Alexander simply declares himself against England and it'll be all over.
27:08And meanwhile?
27:09If he doesn't wish to see me crowned Emperor in the Kremlin, he'd better seek to stop me.
27:18Hmm?
27:20Napoleon believed in a battle, because he wanted one and he would win it.
27:26He remained convinced that Alexander would soon be asking for peace.
27:30And I realised that all I could do was to count on the good ideas that had until that point made me so happy.
27:40The fate of the tower was a tragic one because this place, which had once been so magnificent, was completely destroyed by fire.
27:46A fire mainly set by the Russians in accordance with their strategy of scorched earth.
27:50Smolensk was a first turning point of the war in that there were widespread civilian deaths and they were now also victims of this war.
28:01It's considered that it was from the taking of Smolensk that the patriotic war against the French occupier began.
28:11Napoleon the invader.
28:13In Smolensk he sets up a town council made of Russian citizens ordered to obey if they do not wish to be punished and paid in French currency.
28:23He orders them to levy a contribution of wheat, livestock and fodder from the population.
28:29These heavy levies serve to foster hatred for the French occupying forces.
28:34But the Russians do not understand why Alexander is not fighting back and defending their towns and countryside.
28:45And that triggered a first and very deep crisis of confidence between the Tsar and the Russian population.
28:52And also a crisis of confidence inside the imperial army itself.
28:57A letter from General Bagration to his friend Yermolov.
29:00I am ashamed to wear this uniform. It is killing me.
29:05We've been scattered around like pawns and now we stay here open-mouthed, suffering along our frontiers.
29:11It disgusts me so much that it is driving me insane.
29:15I'm going to trade my uniform against a peasant smock.
29:19Constantly withdrawing makes the Russian soldiers feel like cowards.
29:23Their morale is lower than ever.
29:24All these foreign spies. Your army, sir. It includes a thousand German officers.
29:31All these foreigners dictating this dishonorable retreat your troops are no longer inspiring confidence.
29:37That is why I brought you all here.
29:39I am going to appoint a supreme commander who will be able to unite the army and the people around him.
29:45Our victory depends on this nomination.
29:51I propose General Kutuzov.
29:57Alexander I didn't like Kutuzov, firstly because his very face reminded Alexander of the defeat at Austerlitz.
30:09Because back then Kutuzov had suggested an option which the Tsar did not follow, and that led to a terrible fiasco.
30:15Sources said that General Kutuzov liked good food and good women.
30:23Different generals denounced him to Alexander I, stating that in both his apartment and on the battlefield, Kutuzov had girls dressed as Cossacks, whose job it was to warm up his bed.
30:35But Alexander I was a very modest man, and from that perspective there was a certain incompatibility in terms of style between the two men.
30:48To lead a war of liberation, a patriotic war, we need a Russian.
30:54In that case, what about General Tomasov?
30:57Kutuzov, sir. He is the oldest. Our best generals, including Bagration and Benigson, will agree to serve under him.
31:04He was defeated at Austerlitz.
31:06That doesn't detract from his general popularity.
31:09He has just been unanimously elected head of the militias in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
31:14His popularity and his exploits in battle speak for him.
31:17His bravery goes before him.
31:26General Barclay de Tollet will remain Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Imperial Army,
31:31and General Bagration of the 2nd Army.
31:36But...
31:42Kutuzov will be the new Supreme Commander.
31:48Kunzev.
31:50Kutuzov.
31:51-"Что on?
32:00-"..."
32:02-"Korseycanis," he just forbids me.
32:04After the Austerlitz he considers me a brushing general.
32:06No matter what.
32:07I, as a result, in his army,
32:10it's full of разб fear and military power.
32:14Okay, let's take a look.
32:16Go!
32:18As soon as he is named, Kutuzov brings out the patriotism among his troops.
32:25Comrades, he writes, do your duty.
32:28Think of the sacrifices of your towns brought down in flames and your children begging for your protection.
32:34Think of your Emperor Alexander, your leader who sees you as the embodiment of his power.
32:40While the Tsar's army reorganizes itself in a decisive manner, Napoleon demands his men push themselves ever harder.
32:54Rest is not worthy of them.
32:56Gusts of wind throw up whirlwinds of torturous burning dust.
33:00The speed at which they must travel means many horses are lost.
33:04And while typhus tears through the troops, Russian propaganda attacks the most vulnerable.
33:10French soldiers, you are forced to march against us.
33:13They say you are fighting for peace. Don't believe these perfidious words.
33:17You are fighting for the insatiable mission for a leader who does not seek peace,
33:22and for whom the blood of young men is a mere trifle. Go home, there's still time.
33:28These calls for desertion and harassment aim to weaken the Grande Armée to be able to attack it better.
33:39In two months it shrinks radically, because in addition to the sick, the slain, the injured, and the deserters,
33:46some units have had to stay behind to hold Vilnius and Smolensk.
33:50But nothing stops their progress.
33:53Cavalry and infantry keep moving day and night in the hope of reaching the invisible enemy.
33:59Every day this war seems ever more absurd to Kulankur, who rebels.
34:04We are destroying each other with no result other than gaining ground.
34:08But due to the ground gained, Moscow is now just three days' march away.
34:13Public opinion has pushed Kutuzovs back to the wall.
34:17In Borodino, 75 miles from the sacred city, he tries to stop Napoleon.
34:23The terrain is rolling and wooded, which slows down the enemy's progression.
34:27Kutuzov establishes his defensive line on the southern bank of the Kolosha River, blocking the route to Moscow.
34:34He sets up four redoubts.
34:36The first and biggest of them is the Rajevsky redoubt.
34:39Then come the two more modest Bagration redoubts.
34:42And the last one is the Chevardino redoubt, as a frontal buffer.
34:46A redoubt is an earth fortification constructed like a hillock, where a series of cannon are installed.
34:57It's defended from below by a trench of soldiers.
35:00Behind, there's a massive concentration of Russian troops.
35:04Kutuzov has placed his forces defensively here.
35:10He thinks he's protected behind this river, protected by his redoubts.
35:14We'll start first by taking the Chevardino redoubt and the village of Borodino.
35:19Then we'll be able to position our troops for the final battle.
35:22Our northern armies will be inserted here to prevent the Russian army from surrounding us.
35:27There you have it.
35:31Okay, you should feel a investigator, but...
35:34...v투-led one arm.
35:40No arm I'mwyned.
35:44Hello?
35:46You are my two!
35:52A hundred forty thousand men in the Grande Armée, against a hundred and ten thousand Russians.
35:57214 infantry battalions against 180
36:02317 cavalry squadrons against 20 Cossack regiments
36:07587 cannon against 624
36:12The sound of cannon fire creates great joy for the French
36:19and a strange relief because they're certain this time
36:22that the Russians have not decamped
36:24The two armies are to fight in two highly strategic areas
36:33the village of Borodino on the road to Moscow
36:36and the Shevardino Redoubt
36:38an essential barrier in the Russian defensive line
36:54In less than an hour, more than 10,000 men are wounded or killed
37:00This is a bloody prelude to the main battle
37:03an attack that will allow the Grande Armée to tackle the Russian resistance
37:06Even when they're wounded, far from calling for help, they refuse to give up
37:15and seem determined to die where they've fought
37:20But their bravery is not enough
37:22The French take the Shevardino Redoubt
37:24Despite heavy losses, the first step in Napoleon's plan is a success
37:36Each army dresses its wounds
37:38The Russians are reinforcing their defensive lines
37:41and the Raevsky and Bagration Redoubts in particular
37:44Kutuzov is organizing a solemn procession with the Virgin of Smoletsk
37:50Pamphil Nazarov, like his companions, prays for divine protection
37:54His thoughts turn to his family
37:56But he cannot say this as
37:58One must be ready to die for God, the Tsar, and Russia
38:03The Russians have never prayed with as much fervor as they did today, wrote the poet Glinka
38:15In these hours, our hearts and souls are having secret conversations with divinity
38:24While the enemy puts itself in God's hands, the Grande Armée, which has never lost faith in Napoleon, waits impatiently for the next morning
38:46The Emperor has slept badly
38:58Thank you
39:01He went to bed at 3 a.m., worried that the Russians might disappear once again
39:08But when he emerges from his tent, he is confident once again
39:13The first light of dawn reminds him of the sunshine at Austerlitz
39:17The previous evening, he redrew his battle plans
39:23He wants to defeat the southern flank of the enemy forces
39:27to attack the redoubtable fortifications constructed by the Russians
39:32and the great Raevsky Redoubt in particular
39:34The Emperor's Imperial Guard will stay back, ready to intervene if necessary
39:39Soldiers
39:42Soldiers, this is the battle we wished for so long
39:46Now, our victory depends on you
39:49We need it, it will bring you wealth, land, and ensure we will soon be home
39:56Fight as you fought in Austerlitz
39:59Your efforts will go down in history, and they will say
40:03He was there, at that great battle at the gates of Moscow
40:06For ten hours, the armies fight hand to hand
40:15One forgets one's fear under the deluge of bullets, cannonballs, and shells
40:21One barely notices one's comrades as they fall, struck down at point-blank range
40:26The Russians will call it the Battle of Borodino
40:30The French will talk of the Battle of Moskova
40:33Positions are taken, lost, taken back, and lost again
40:39The 2nd Cavalry Corps of General Montbrin
40:43The 2nd Cavalry Corps of General Montbrin must now charge to the right of the Raevsky Redoubt
40:46Montbrin is looking for the right position from which to attack
40:49He heads off on a reconnaissance mission by horse, but unfortunately is hit in the chest by a cannonball
40:55Napoleon then decides to replace him with Auguste de Collincourt, the brother of Armand
41:01The Russian infantry, destabilized by the fatal wounding of General Bagration
41:16pulls itself together and redoubles its efforts to regain lost ground
41:22The actors in this carnage speak of hell, of a burning sky, of the apocalypse, and cannon-spitting death
41:34Collincourt suddenly has a terrible premonition
41:40At 3pm, his brother, Auguste, at the head of the 5th Regiment of Curaciers
41:45Supported by 2 divisions and 2 infantry battalions, makes an assault on the great Raevsky Redoubt
41:50The Russians must beat a retreat
41:53The wounded beg to be put out of their misery and be relieved of their terrible suffering
41:59The Russians abandon their positions, but their army has not been annihilated
42:05The battle was hellish, but if there is to be a winner, there must also be a loser
42:10I think it's very difficult to evaluate the results of the Battle of Borodino
42:15Because Napoleon and Kutuzov each had their own objectives
42:21And neither Napoleon nor Kutuzov achieved them
42:24Napoleon's aim was to totally defeat the Russian army
42:28Kutuzov's aim was to stop the French and to protect Moscow
42:33What did it mean to win a battle at that time?
42:37One might say that the winner is the army that is in control of the battlefield
42:42If that's the case, then there was a clear winner at the Battle of Moskova
42:46Because the Russians withdrew and the French stayed in control of the terrain
42:50Therefore, Napoleon won the Battle of Moskova
42:54It is true that in strategic terms, the Battle of Moskova weakened the Grand Army
43:01And that's why the Russians claim it as a victory
43:05Everyone might agree if we said that the French won the Battle of Moskova
43:10And the Russians didn't lose the Battle of Borodino
43:14It's a disappointing victory for Napoleon
43:24And so costly in terms of human life
43:27But the Imperial Guard, the elite of the Grande Armée, stayed back
43:31Sergeant Bourgogne thus watched the battle from a distance
43:35Unlike so many of his compatriots who found themselves in the front line
43:44Napoleon was prudent, too prudent perhaps
43:56And didn't want to take the risk of weakening his guard
44:00But if he had sent Bourgogne and his men into the melee
44:04The victory might perhaps have been greater
44:07Lives might have been saved
44:10Bourgogne's companions might have gone home safe and sound
44:15So many heroes, soldiers, officers and generals
44:21Collancourt will never forget that gruesome day
44:26We will triumph or I shall kill myself
44:33With the last words Auguste said to me
44:37He had led the decisive charge against the Great Redoubt
44:40Did he have the time to enjoy it before being killed by an enemy bullet?
44:47For the Emperor, France had lost one of its best officers
44:50But I had lost a brother
44:52He was 35 years old
44:55Help me
45:07Help me
45:11During this dreadful day
45:14120,000 cannonballs and 300,000 cartridges were fired
45:19Resulting in a terrible loss of human life
45:2245,000 Russians died, were injured or gone
45:27More than a third of the troops
45:28Napoleon lost 28,000 men
45:32Shh
45:42Shh
45:44Shh
45:58This slaughter pushes the medical services to their limits
46:16Many injured people are left on the battlefield without help
46:20In the Grande Armée, there is one doctor and one pharmacist for every 600 soldiers
46:3445 surgeons care for victims on both sides
46:38It takes less than four minutes to amputate a leg
46:4110,000 wounded beyond help are left in the surrounding villages where most of them will die
46:48Napoleon then waits for the following day's hostilities
46:52But Kutuzov has another idea
46:55Why did Kutuzov not continue the battle the following day as he had promised?
47:03At the end of the battle, he gave orders to attack Napoleon's troops the following morning
47:08But later on that night, he gave an order that was totally contrary
47:13To withdraw
47:14The most likely reason was that he had received information in the meantime regarding losses in the Russian army
47:21And these losses were terrible
47:24Kutuzov spends a long time with his generals
47:29Weighing up the pros and cons of a new fight
47:32Eventually admitting that his troops aren't strong enough to stop Napoleon
47:36And that it will be better to spare them
47:38And take some time to find reinforcements
47:40420,000 soldiers crossed the Neman River three months earlier
47:51Now, just half of them remain
47:53They came from France, Spain and Italy
47:56They'd traveled over 2,500 miles
47:59Crossed the Alps or the Pyrenees
48:01And traveled through Germany, Poland and Western Russia
48:04At last, they think they're going to get the rest they desperately need
48:08But Napoleon remains convinced that the arrival of the Grande Armée at the gates of Moscow
48:16Will be the coup de grâce that will force Alexander to negotiate
48:20Sergeant Bourgogne remembers
48:23After having crossed through a big forest
48:27We finally caught our first glimpse of Moscow
48:29And in moments like these
48:31One forgets everything
48:32The dangers, the fatigue, the comrades lost
48:35And only one thing counts
48:37The pleasure of entering the promised land
48:40But Napoleon, who dreamed of entering the city as a conquering hero
48:47Like in Vienna and Berlin
48:49Discovers that Moscow has been abandoned
48:52And no public figure is going to come and hand him the keys to the city
48:56Only those who had neither the money nor the time to flee remain
49:02Napoleon moves into the Kremlin
49:15With his guard and his services in attendance
49:18His generals occupy the luxury homes of the Moscow nobility
49:23Where are our divisions?
49:27Sir, fires have been started all across the city
49:30It seems that it was the Russians who...
49:32No, I don't believe it
49:33These barbarians can't possibly be so crazy as to destroy Moscow
49:37There are no fire engines left
49:39They took them all
49:40Then find the arsonists
49:41And we'll hang them when we do
49:44First they believe the fires are accidental
49:53Set by drunken soldiers celebrating their first night in Moscow
49:57But it soon becomes clear that these fires are no accident
50:10Dozens of arsonists are scattered around the city
50:14Who are they?
50:16And who is giving orders to create this inferno?
50:20Stop there!
50:30Catch them!
50:38Is anyone there?
50:40Sergeant, I think we've found some treasure
50:43Don't get ahead of yourself
50:44Get down!
50:59Kutuzov chose to abandon Moscow to avoid a new confrontation
51:02And to reorganize his troops
51:04That is why the governor-general of the city, Count Rostopchin
51:09Left to his own devices
51:10Orders reprisals by burning warehouses, storerooms and palaces
51:15Nothing is to be left to the invading forces
51:18Is everyone okay?
51:32Yes, Sergeant
51:32Sergeant Borgogna remembers
51:37When the explosion happened
51:39We thought we were dead
51:40Annihilated under the debris
51:42The Russians didn't care how they tried to destroy us
51:45Are you wounded, Sergeant?
51:54It's nothing
51:54Where are we?
51:59This is where we should sleep
52:01You're too ugly and you smell too bad to sleep in a palace
52:06Sergeant, come and look
52:16What do we do with it, Sergeant?
52:25We take it
52:26Look out!
52:30It's all collapsing
52:36Let's get out of here
52:38Come on
52:41Danger is everywhere
52:47Napoleon's Grande Armée has fallen into a burning trap
52:51Surrounded by flames and blinded
52:55They still dream of victory
52:57You're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you're too ugly and you
53:27Transcription by CastingWords
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