This Day in History

October 19, 1812

Retreat from Moscow 

When Tsar Aleksandr heard of the burning of Moscow, he burst into tears and swore he would never, never surrender to the barbarous French. If his army were destroyed, said the tsar, he would lead the common people of Russia against the enemy. He would not "subscribe to the shame of my country and my good subjects, whose self-sacrifice I know how to value. God is trying us," he said. "Let us ho pe he will not leave us. Either Napoleon or I -- I or Napoleon; but we cannot rule together. I have already learned his character; he will deceive me no more."

The fires raged in Moscow for two weeks, and while they raged, theGrand Armée carried out its own destruction. Soldiers desecrated churches, stripping them of their ornaments; they dug the bones of saints from their shrines, casting them into the streets. The sanctuaries of many churches were used as stables or as places for drunken revelry. God's human temples fared no better. The few Russians left in the city (some criminals, others just unfortunate poor) were treated with great brutality. And, though he protected one church and a hospital, Napoleon did nothing to stop the violence. Indeed, it seemed it had all passed beyond even his power to control. 

Continue reading about Napoleon's troubles in Russia. This excerpt is from our 8th-10th grade book, Light to the Nations II: The Making of the Modern World.

Purchase Light to the Nations II here.