Fire of Moscow (1812)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For similar disasters, see Fire of Moscow
The 1812 Fire of Moscow broke out on September 16, 1812 in Moscow shortly after Napoleon's troops entered the city following the Battle of Borodino, the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle itself ended in a draw, but the casualties were such that Kutuzov, Russia's commander, decided to withdraw and regroup, lest further fighting destroy the Russian army altogether. Moscow was evacuated and the army retreated, leaving the city to the French.
The actual cause of the fire is unclear; some blame the invading French army, while others, like Leo Tolstoy in his historical novel War and Peace, suggest that Muscovites started fires as they were leaving. In any case, it started as many small fires, which immediately grew out of control and formed a massive blaze. Although Napoleon encouraged executions of arsonists, the inferno destroyed much of the city and made it impossible for him to stay there; about a month after entering Moscow, the French withdrew and began the return journey west.
Among the casualties of the fire were historic buildings, about 2,000 wounded Russian soldiers, and the only extant manuscript of The Tale of Igor's Campaign. After the war, the city was reconstructed under the supervision of Joseph Bové. Moscow grew rapidly, outgrowing its previous fortifications such as the Zemlyanoi Val, an earthen wall and accompanying moat which encircled the city. The Val was leveled, the moat filled, and the land became the Garden Ring, a circular avenue surrounded by many public parks.
[edit] Further reading
- Полосин И.И., Кутузов и пожар Москвы 1812 г., «Исторические записки», 1950, т. 34.
- Холодковский В.М., Наполеон ли поджёг Москву?, «Вопросы истории», 1966, № 4.
- Тартаковский А.Г., Обманутый Герострат. Ростопчин и пожар Москвы, «Родина», 1992, № 6—7.
