1806-1807

The Russian official history of the second war between Emperor Alexander and Napoleon, in 1806 and 1807. First published in 1846, it is based on original military and diplomatic documents and is backed up with references to official decrees from Russian state archives. It includes extracts from notes made by participants at the time and quotes from interviews with surviving (in 1846) veterans. It begins with the reasons for the war undertaken by Emperor Alexander in alliance with Prussia, the disaster that befell Prussia at Jena and Auerstedt, and Alexander's mobilisation when, after the destruction of the Prussians, Napoleon moved to the borders of Russia. This is followed by a description of Russian military operations against Napoleon, which are divided into two periods, the winter and spring campaigns. The winter campaign began in December 1806, after Napoleon crossed to the right bank of the Vistula, and ended in February 1807, with the Battle of Eylau, when the exhaustion of the fighting armies, frosts, impassable roads and political reasons stopped the bloodshed in the main theatre of war until May. During this inactivity of the armies, Alexander and Napoleon exhausted all possible resources in anticipation of the spring campaign. At the end of May, the fighting flared up. At first, fortune favoured Alexander's forces: his army repelled Napoleon at Heilsberg, but four days later it failed at Friedland, and had to retreat to the right bank of the Neman. Alexander saw no more reason to continue the war, not being supported by friendly Powers in the cause undertaken by him for the independence of Europe: he made a truce with Napoleon and soon afterwards peace in Tilsit.