Partisan War of 1812 in the fight against the Napoleonic army

The guerrilla war of 1812 represents the armed struggle of the masses of the Russian state, most of them peasants, as well as Russian army units in the rear and at important sites against the troops of Napoleon.

The peasants spontaneously resisted the treacherous invaders in Byelorussia and Lithuania after the retreat of the Russian army. The guerrilla war was first expressed in the total abandonment of villages and the destruction of forage and food. In an active manner, the guerrilla movement began to develop in late July and early August on the territory of the Smolensk and later Kaluga and Moscow provinces, in which the peasant units organized attacks on certain enemy groups.

The most famous were the crusaders S. Emelyanov, G. Kurin, V. Polovtsev, E. Chetvertakov, V. Kozhina and others. At first, the tsarist authorities regarded the partisan movement with mistrust. But against the backdrop of a patriotic rise, some landlords began to organize peasant guerrilla groups. Army units were set up to conduct partisan activities behind enemy lines. The first such detachment, consisting of 130 men, was organized by Lieutenant Colonel D. Davydov by the end of August 1812.

Important partisan war of 1812 had for the commander-in-chief M.I. Kutuzov, who helped create the guerrilla army detachments, giving instructions on their tactics and weapons. He sought to ensure that the guerrilla war was subordinated to his strategic plans and was of an organized nature. In September, the army partisan detachments consisted of 36 regiments of Cossacks, 7 cavalry regiments, 5 infantry regiments, 5 squadrons, 3 battalions. These officers were headed by such officers as D.V. Davydov, A.N. Seslavin, I.S. Dorokhov, M.A. Fonvizin, A.S. Figner and some others.

A significant number of detachments of guerrillas are pouring into the army units or interacting with them. Guerrilla warfare is actively involved in the popular militia. In September and early October, partisan detachments (peasant and army) were surrounded by Moscow. They carried out attacks on communications of opponents, seized convoys and destroyed foragers. Great importance was attached to information about the enemy, obtained by partisan detachments, who organized attacks on the garrisons and reserves of the enemy. Also, their forces managed to free several cities (for example, Vereya).

In the five weeks since the Battle of Borodino, guerrilla warfare has inflicted significant losses on Napoleon's troops (30,000 people were killed). At a time when the enemy was retreating, the guerrillas actively assisted the regular army in the pursuit and elimination of enemy forces, while playing a major role in defeating the troops of Napoleon.

For the merits of individual peasants awarded awards in the form of St. George and other crosses, but in general their contribution was not appreciated. The most desired award at the time for the peasants would, of course, be the elimination of serfdom. However, there was no release.