Mikhail Barclay de Tolly Traitor. Coward. Napoleonic agent. These were terms Russian officers used to refer to their commander, General Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly, during the initial stages of Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. A Baltic German of Scottish ancestry, Barclay was the man behind the Russian army's famed strategic retreat in the face of Napoleon's Grande Armée. The retreat raised suspicions of Barclay's loyalties and resulted in Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov's appointment to the supreme command.
While Barclay continued to serve with distinction and fought bravely the Battle of Borodino, he could do nothing to restore his reputation. In his Account of the Military Campaign of the Year 1812, addressed to Tsar Alexander I, Barclay justifies his conduct during Napoleon's campaign in Russia. His account gives us an insight into the intrigue taking place in the Russian camp as the Russian army faces one of history's greatest military commanders.
This is the first time Barclay's account of Napoleon's Russian campaign has been translated into English. The book provides a perspective of the 1812 campaign from one of the key Russian participants and is a vital source for historians studying Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Barclay account is one of the few Russian war memoirs of the 1812 campaign and serve as a fascinating read for those interested in Russian military history and the intrigue that characterises European armies of this period.
What's inside Barclay's narrative begins with Tsar Alexander I's departure from general headquarters for Moscow in July 1812 as the Russian army retreats to Moscow and beyond. Barclay's account is filled with scathing opinions of fellow officers whom he accuses of plotting behind his back. Barclay's uneasy relationship with fellow commander Prince Pyotr Bagration is a central theme of the narrative. In his efforts to justify his actions, he offers his insights into the strategic considerations of the 1812 campaign.
Barclay provides a detailed account of the climactic Battle of Borodino, offering his thoughts on the disposition of the Russian army on the eve of the battle. Although a senior commander, Barclay often found himself in the thick of the fighting at Borodino and exposed himself to great danger. He describes in vivid detail the intense struggle for the Great Redoubt as well as the cavalry duel in late afternoon which saw the Russian cavalry overwhelm their exhausted French counterparts. The narrative follows the Russian army as it retreats all the way back to Moscow. The account describes the arguments presented at the famous Council of Fili, when Barclay sought to persuade his fellow commanders to abandon Moscow to Napoleon's Grande Armée. Barclay once again offers his valuable insight into the military strategy which shaped the entire 1812 campaign and ensured Napoleon's defeat.
Barclay's account ends with his departure from headquarters due to illness in October 1812. As he returned to St Petersburg, he encountered a hostile reception among the common people. Despite later returning to imperial favour, he was unable to fully escape the charges of cowardice and treachery. Leo Tolstoy's portrayal of Barclay in War and Peace as an unimaginative German officer unfamiliar with the Russian character remained the prevailing view of Barclay for more than a century.
Barclay's account was not published in full until 1912 and his contribution to Russia's victory in 1812 has only been recognised in recent years. This English translation was first published in 2018 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Barclay's death, and remains the only translation of Barclay's memoirs of Napoleon's 1812 campaign in English.
