Napoleon in 1812

Chapter 14

Battles between great powers begin with guns and end with talks – 1

“Our initial plan was to quickly capture Hrodna and to use it as a defense against the other expeditionary corps. As long as we failed the first step, the whole plan should be seen as a failure.”

“It’s very sad, but we need to retreat…”

“Retreat! Retreat like this! What a nonsense!”

Pyotr Bagration huffed and puffed, hitting the table as if to break it. He glared sharply at the generals who spoke pessimistic words.

“There is one more important reason why we struggled in battle today besides the fact that our two corps were out of step! We didn’t expect the expedition to have such a large artillery deployed here!”

The god-like cannons on the battlefield. In particular, the power of the cannons in battles between defensive positions around rivers was different. The Russian generals had counted the number of cannons deployed in Hrodna, looking at the battle lines and at the rear batteries, and had misjudged that that was the entire Allied artillery. When the Russian commanders had divided the units and dispatched the troops, the Allied Corps had taken out the artillery that they had hidden, destroying the Russian army with unexpected fire. In the end, the decisive factor in the failure of today’s battle was the outstanding artillery operation of the Allied Corps, on both fronts of the battlefield, and the number of cannons far exceeding their expectations.

Technically, the number of soldiers in Hrodna’s Allied Corps was only one-fifth of the entire expeditionary forces. However, more than 400 cannons were here alone. Of course, this number was only for the confirmed observations, and there may be more cannons hidden.

According to intelligence from Austria, Prussia and Britain, the entire expeditionary forces had about 800 guns. Who could have guessed that more than half of them would be deployed here? They got defeated because they did not know it before. Now that they knew it, they would not get fooled anymore. Bagration’s idea was to rekindle the fading Russian belligerence.

“We don’t need to discuss more about whether we’re going or not. Our forces are still superior! The expeditionary forces are separated! Tomorrow from dawn, let’s mobilize all the troops and push them with desperate determination. If our whole army does their best, we can surely surely pass through Hrodna!”

“I agree with General Bagration. If the French hid a lot of cannons here, it also means that there are many cannons that we can capture and use. That’s great. We’re going to take Hrodna, extort all their cannons, and build a heavenly defense here.”

“…Today we’ve been on our guard, and despite putting a lot of power into the battlefield, we could only occupy one stronghold. Even if we launch the offensive from dawn, the time left for us is not that long. Do you think it’s possible to capture all of Hrodna’s strongholds and artillery in here? The soldiers will be exhausted first.”

“Is that why you want to retreat like this!? The Tsar must be very pleased with you! We haven’t even tried all the tactics properly with our troops, but you just want to leave with your tail between your legs!”

“Think about our ultimate goal first. The army’s goal is to win the war. And France is currently in a state of chaos due to an internal rebellion. Time is on our side, there will be no problem at all if we step back for a while to get more troops and supplies.”

There was a sharp confrontation between those who wanted to continue fighting like this and those who wanted to take a step back. The Bagration Corps was mostly the former, and the generals of the Barclay Corps were the latter. The meeting became more and more intense. General Barclay remained silent from the beginning to the end of the meeting, but he was complaining a lot inwardly. This was because General Pyotr Bagration, who was brave and competent, had not even been able to penetrate the Prussian and Austrian forces and had been tied up at the Krunol Hill.

“You’re the reason why things got so messed up in the first place, but you’re still shouting so loud? You can’t reflect on your mistakes, but you’re going wild as if you haven’t done anything wrong!’

Of course, Bagration also complained about Barclay. Barclay’s Corps had more than twice as many troops as Bagration’s. Nevertheless, they fought too passively, saving their soldiers’ lives.

‘In fact, our much smaller corps suffered almost equal losses over there. If De Tolly (Barclay) had been able to attack properly without fearing the sacrifices, we would have captured Hrodna!

As the two commanders antagonized in this way, there could be no proper discussion and measures. In the end, the generals secretly passed on the responsibility of losing to their opponents. As the meeting arguments gradually became accusations and personal aggressions, Barclay hit the table to calm everyone down. Barclay asked Lieutenant General Bergiokic, the chief of staff.

“If we don’t capture the city of Hrodna until the Polish Corps arrives, is our defeat certain?”

“…That’s what I would say as the chief of staff. Of course, they’re a group of vile refugees, and can’t break our valiant and elite corps. But they can earn enough time for Napoleon to come.”

When Napoleon’s name came out again, there was no one to make a sound anymore. Barclay touched his forehead. Russia’s disgrace was enough after the Battles of Austerlitz and Friedland. A third one must never happen. Nevertheless, the tightening tension, anxiety, and obstruction were hitting his chest. What was making him feel like they were falling into Napoleon’s trap?

Barclay, who had been agonizing for a short time, opened his mouth with a light sigh.

“The Polish troops are expected to arrive at 5 pm? Considering Poniatowski’s loyalty and belligerence, it would not be strange for them to run day and night. Then, wouldn’t it be possible for them to arrive before 2 pm?”

“That’s true, but if they do that, a lot of soldiers would be exhausted and they wouldn’t be able to fight properly. They won’t march at night.”

“Anyway, if we include errors, they could arrive earlier than the staff expected. But we can’t hurriedly retreat when they’re just around the corner and when we have some extra time.”

Bagration and some other generals noticed what Barclay was trying to say. It was not an attack or a retreat, but a compromise.

“Let’s set it at noon. We will order an all-out attack on Hrodna from 5 am to noon tomorrow. But if we can’t capture all the artillery and bases, we’ll retreat to Smolensk without hesitation. What do you say?”

“… That’s good. Seven hours would be enough.”

“That’s reasonable. Sir Commander.”

If Barclay suggested and Bagration agreed, there was no need to say anything more. The Russians would attack with all their might from 5 to 12 and would decide to retreat if they failed to occupy the area.