Napoleon in 1812

Chapter 19

3. Battles between great powers begin with guns and end with talks – 6

The ticking of the clock was representing Barclay’s nervous mind. As a commander of the Russian military, he did not reveal his true feelings, but the time flowing toward 9 o’clock made Barclay’s eyebrows tremble.

No news was good news. At last, the headquarters of the Barclay Corps received a victory signal that made the generals excited. It was news that the Bagration Corps had finally taken over the Krunol Hill and all the north of the Neman River. The good news did not stop here. General Tuchkov, who had led infantry battalions on the front line, had succeeded in taking away the enemy’s front-line artillery.

“General Tuchkov is an outstanding commander! The courageous soldiers of the corps managed to rob about 40 artillery pieces and even captured nearby supply points and bases!”

“Finally, the door to Hrodna has opened! General Tuchkov washed away yesterday’s humiliation!”

Russian generals applauded and cheered in unison, while Barclay clenched his fists and enjoyed the sweetness of the news. Afterwards, the entire corps was ordered to speed up the advance. It was a little slower than expected, but the Russian army was moving step by step toward Hrodna. Coming here had required a great sacrifice, but it was a sacrifice that could be made up for if Hrodna was captured and if they pushed into the enemy’s headquarters.

General Barclay and the other Russian generals actively encouraged the soldiers and pushed the battalion in, further weakening the enemy’s defense. At last, the victory seemed close. At the same time, the veins in Barclay’s eyes became visible, as he got more and more excited.

“T-the enemy is here! At least tens of thousands of troops appeared five miles west of the main camp! Considering their number and flags… They seemed to be the Polish Corps led by Poniatowski!”

The voice of a messenger froze the heated atmosphere at once. The Russian headquarters became dead silent, without a single sound. The Polish Corps, which was expected to arrive around 3 p.m. at the earliest, was six hours early and appeared at 9 a.m. Six hours of misjudgment, this was enough to panic the entire Russian headquarters.

An officer stuttered and said.

“T-they must have run all night… The enemy soldiers must be in a terrible condition, so if we divide the troops and intercept them quickly!…”

But everyone knew this was nonsense. Healthy adults would not suffer much even if they stayed up all night. Also, dividing the troops would mean completely abandoning the military superiority that they had enjoyed so far.

“…The best choice.”

Lieutenant General Johan Bergiokic, the chief of staff, opened his mouth as he received everyone’s attention.

“There is one best choice in this situation. Before the Polish army arrives… Capturing Hrodna. And do as we planned last night.”

The Russian generals shouted back at Lieutenant General Bergiokic’s words.

“It will take them two hours to travel five miles… an hour and a half at the earliest! Don’t forget that we’ve only gotten this far after four hours of onslaught, Chief of Staff!”

“It’s unfortunate, but now the right choice seems to be admitting the failure of the operation and calling the troops back. We can deal with the Polish Corps, but then our chance to retreat will disappear. And Napoleon’s Corps is coming.”

The officers all swallowed their saliva. This was because they realized once again that they were in a desperate situation. Lieutenant General Bergiokic shook his head and said to Barclay.

“If we retreat in this situation, the Allied Corps will surely chase us. Remember that they have been fighting as passionately as the French.”

Having taken over several strongholds, artillery, and the hill had become a source of trouble. Because they were now closer to Hrodna, the enemy headquarters could immediately send in troops that could hinder the Russian retreat. No one here was ignoring the Allied Corps anymore, claiming that it was only an army made up of foreigners.

They had enough capabilities to stop the retreat as they pursued the rear of the Russian army. And when the Polish Corps arrived, the Russian army would be stuck from both sides without a combat formation.

“We have about an hour and a half before the Polish troops get to this battlefield. But what should not be overlooked is that even if they get here, they can’t go into combat right away. If they came this fast, they ran with a long (vertically long) march formation, but as you know, the formations for a march and for battle lines are completely different. They will have to spend at least one hour preparing for the battle formation. In other words, we have at least two and a half hours.”

“Of course, it’s still a short time, but I think it’s enough to push our troops’ sincere efforts and challenge them. Let’s send in the elite reserve forces. And the cavalry as well. If we take Hrodna in two and a half hours and make their artillery and defensive positions our own, the situation will be reversed.”

No officer answered Lieutenant General Bergiokic. Everyone was just chewing their lips, rolling their eyes around, or covering their mouths with their fists. Facing ruin while running away, or betting until the end… Barclay opened his mouth.

“Those who can refute what the chief of staff said or offer a better alternative, raise your hand. You don’t have to care about your rank.”

No one raised their hand. Barclay nodded and said.

“Send everyone in for two and a half hours. They must take over Hrodna.”

Napoleon Bonaparte, borrowing Davout’s name, was commanding the operations and tactics of all the troops from Hrodna’s main camp. He judged that now was the last step to the final phase of this battle. Standing on the tallest tower, Napoleon immediately called Berthier, the chief of staff, when he saw the Russian advance.

“Even if the troops of Poniatowski arrive, they cannot go into battle right away. We have to buy some time.”

“Please give your orders, Your Majesty!”

“Get the cavalry ready. I came up with a way to stop their advance and inflict great damage.”

The title ‘Your Majesty’ was still awkward to hear, but Napoleon held back and gave orders. Berthier tilted his head when he heard Napoleon’s explanation.

“The cavalry of the French Empire is, of course, among the best in Europe, but it will be difficult to break down the Russian infantry marching in formation. I suppose that you know that the cavalry is powerless if they form infantry squares? I know that the cavalry charge mostly disappeared after the Spanish succession war. However, what I’m aiming for is making the Russian infantry take a square formation.”

The real purpose was to make it look like the cavalry was charging. If the Russian infantry formed squares to prevent a cavalry charge, their mobility would be greatly reduced. Napoleon, who had the special skill of inducing the enemy’s misjudgment with deceit, was planning to buy time again through deceit.

“Those advancing in close order have always been just a meal for the artillery.”

Recognizing Napoleon’s strategy, Berthier felt goose bumps on the back of his arms. There were still a lot of French troops with plenty of weapons. If they fired artillery shells at the enemies in infantry squares… There would be a huge massacre. Just one shot would completely destroy the Russian army.

‘I already knew that His Majesty’s strategies and tactics were the best in Europe… But isn’t this on a different level?’

It was like seeing Napoleon at the peak of his military career during the first expedition to Italy or at the Battle of Austerlitz.

‘This battle will be recorded in history and immortalized. And His Majesty will remain the greatest commander in the history of war.’

Berthier was convinced that it would become the greatest victory in French history, even over the Battles of Austerlitz and Friedland.