Peter Wittgenstein. The Mature Years of the "Savior of St. Petersburg"
Pyotr Khristianovich Wittgenstein in a portrait by George Dawe
В previous article The origins and youth of the Russian commander Peter Wittgenstein were discussed, as well as the beginning of his military career – his participation in the suppression of the rebellion in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1794), the Persian campaign (1796), and the wars against Napoleonic France (1805-1807). However, true fame and public recognition came to him in 1812.
Peter Wittgenstein in a portrait by an unknown artist, 1810s.
Peter Wittgenstein's Finest Hour
At the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, the hero of this article was the commander of the 1st Separate Infantry Corps as part of Barclay de Tolly's Western Army. Wittgenstein's corps numbered 25 men and included two infantry divisions, dragoon and Cossack regiments, three artillery Brigade. Among the article's subject's subordinates were General Ya. Kulnev, a popular figure in the army; the future Field Marshal I. Dibich (Zabalkansky); the future Ambassador to Spain and Westphalia and Governor-General of Little Russia N. Repnin, grandson of the Field Marshal and relative of the Decembrist S. Volkonsky; and the future Lieutenant General E. Sievers. And already on June 16 (28), 1812, near Wilkomir, Wittgenstein's troops engaged units of Nicolas Oudinot's 2nd Infantry Corps. Oudinot was not Napoleon's most famous marshal, but he was a fairly experienced and authoritative commander. Let's recall the reputation of this French commander and what he was remembered for by his contemporaries.
Oudinot came from a fairly well-off bourgeois family, the same age as Murat. He began his military service in the royal army, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. In the Republican army, he was highly praised by Moreau and Masséna. He became a general at 27 and a marshal at 42, after the Battle of Wagram, where he replaced the mortally wounded Lannes. It was said in the army at the time that Oudinot was the only general to receive the rank of marshal "not from the emperor, but from the army."
In 1807, in the 62nd bulletin of the Grande Armée, Napoleon called Oudinot "undaunted."
Horace Vernet. Napoleon at the Battle of Friedland (1807): Oudinot receives orders from the Emperor. Between Napoleon and Oudinot is General Étienne de Nansouty, and behind and to the right of Napoleon is Marshal Michel Ney.
In 1808, during a meeting with Alexander I in Erfurt, Bonaparte even introduced Oudinot as “the Bayard of the French army,” to which the Russian emperor replied:
I have known him for a long time, since my old man Suvorov spoke of him with great respect.
The military agent of the Russian Empire in France, Colonel A. I. Chernyshev, wrote on the eve of the war of 1812:
Oudinot was never a commander-in-chief... But at the same time, no one is as good under fire as he is.
Oudinot was indeed a very brave man and received even more wounds on the battlefield than Lannes (according to various sources, he was wounded from 19 to 34 times), and the soldiers who loved Oudinot called him among themselves not only "Papa" but also "Colander".
However, Oudinot lacked any particular talent as a military leader; Bonaparte himself called him a "mediocre general," and on Saint Helena, even a "small-minded man." Many authors note that Oudinot was a good, efficient commander, but was at a loss when forced to act independently. Here, for example, is the opinion of the American historian Joel Tyler Hadley:
Oudinot needed Napoleon's constant supervision and made grave mistakes when left to his own devices.
Oudinot later became one of the participants in the "Marshals' Revolt," which declared its unwillingness to continue the war and effectively forced Napoleon to abdicate. He served the Bourbons, founded the Masonic lodge "Admirers of Tolerance," became Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor, and Governor of the Hôtel des Invalides (a highly prestigious position), where he was buried. Pierre de Coubertin was born on Paris's Rue Oudinot (formerly Rue Plumet), where Marshal Joffre died, and on January 26, 1930, former White Guard General A. Kutepov disappeared without a trace from his house on the same street.
Let's return to the events of the summer of 1812. The French were blocked by Major General Kulnev's rearguard units. Under his command were the 23rd and 25th Jäger Regiments, the Nezhin, Riga, and Yamburg Dragoon Regiments, four squadrons of the Grodno Hussar Regiment, two companies of the 1st Bug Cossack Regiment, companies of several other Cossack regiments, and the 3rd Horse Artillery Company of the 1st Reserve Artillery Brigade (six cannons). The French forces outnumbered the Russians, but they were stopped and even retreated three miles from Vilkomir, allowing the rest of Wittgenstein's forces to retreat to Perkele.
Barclay de Tolly's main forces began moving to join Bagration's 2nd Army, while Wittgenstein was tasked with defending the road to St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, he now had fewer than 25 men at his disposal, and besides Oudinot's forces, the capital could also be threatened by Marshal MacDonald's X Corps, which, in addition to General Grandjean's infantry division, included Prussian, Bavarian, and Westphalian auxiliary troops. Napoleon ordered MacDonald to capture Riga and then, joining with Oudinot's corps, completely defeat Wittgenstein's troops defending St. Petersburg.
Monument to Marshal MacDonald on the Rue de Rivoli (façade of the Louvre).
MacDonald became a marshal at the same time as Oudinot and Marmont: Napoleon was so impressed by his actions during the Battle of Wagram that he presented him with a marshal's baton right on the battlefield. However, many contemporaries said that all three new marshals were not worth Lannes alone, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Essling during that campaign.
MacDonald's only success in 1812 was the capture of Mitau, the capital of Courland. He spent six months there, engaging in minor skirmishes with Russian troops and besieging Riga, but was ultimately unable to take it. Marshal E. Tarle attributed MacDonald's passivity to his mistrust of the German troops in his corps, and his relationship with the commander of the Prussian contingent, General Yorck, was particularly strained.
Let's return to Wittgenstein and Oudinot.
The battle near Klyastitsy in the Vitebsk province became a serious military clash: this place was located near the Nishchi River on the road from Polotsk to Sebezh and Pskov and was already occupied by enemy troops.
Peter von Hess. "The Battle of Klyastitsy, July 19 (31), 1812"
The French again had the advantage: 28,000 men and 114 guns against 17,000 soldiers and 84 cannons. But Wittgenstein took advantage of the enemy's stretched lines of communication, striking at their most vulnerable points. However, Kulnev's detachment, which had become too absorbed in pursuing the retreating enemy, was routed, and the popular general died in battle. However, the main body of Wittgenstein's corps routed the French forces of General Verdier: in this battle, the hero of this article was wounded but remained in the ranks. The advance of Oudinot's corps was halted, and this success became the first major victory for the Russian army in the Patriotic War. The French marshal withdrew his troops to Polotsk, losing almost his entire supply train and 900 men captured. The Russian forces then pursued the enemy to the Drissa River. Oudinot's subordinates suffered approximately 10,000 killed and wounded, up to 3,000 captured, while the Russians lost approximately 4,000 soldiers. Kutuzov wrote about the Battle of Klyastitsa:
Good! I doubt anyone could have done it better!
It was then that Alexander I called Peter Wittgenstein "the savior of St. Petersburg" and awarded him the Order of St. George, 2nd class. Measures were taken to strengthen his corps: in August and September, 15,000 recruits and militiamen were sent as reinforcements. Wittgenstein also organized several partisan detachments operating along the banks of the Dvina.
It's worth noting that partisan ("flying") units were then called detachments operating separately from the main army, composed of regular army units. The Military Encyclopedic Lexicon, published in 1856, states:
Partisan detachments are formed, depending on their purpose, locality and circumstances, from one, two or even three branches weapons. The troops of the partisan detachments must be light: rangers, hussars, lancers, and where they exist, Cossacks and the like... horse guns or missile Commandos. Dragoons and mounted riflemen, trained to operate on foot and on horseback, are also very useful.
The size of such "parties" was quite large, and Denis Davydov's detachment was very small for the time: it separated from the main army with only 50 hussars of the Akhtyrsky Regiment and 80 Don Cossacks. Other partisan commanders of 1812 led much more powerful units and sometimes carried out quite significant operations. I. Dorokhov's detachment, for example, liberated Vereya on September 27 (October 9), 1812. French losses amounted to 300 killed, and 15 officers and 377 soldiers were captured. A. Seslavin's detachment occupied the city of Borisov in a daring raid on the night of November 16 (28), capturing three thousand Frenchmen.
Oudinot's hopes for aid from the VI Corps of Gouvion Saint-Cyr's Grande Armée proved futile. The French generals and marshals treated each other with undisguised envy and ill will, and General Saint-Cyr, feeling slighted, responded to all of Oudinot's questions with mocking bows and the words "Your Excellency, Monsieur Marshal!"
French general and writer Marcellin Marbot gives the following explanation:
This was supposed to mean: since you were promoted to marshal, you should know more about everything than I, a simple general, so get out of the situation as best you can!
O. Vernet. Portrait of General Saint-Cyr
After the wounded Oudinot was forced to retreat to Vilnius, Saint-Cyr, who assumed overall command, performed quite successfully: he managed to repel the advance of Wittgenstein's forces (for which he was promoted to marshal), but then, having comfortably settled in a monastery, remained inactive until mid-October, which, incidentally, suited the Russians just fine. Then, from October 6–8, the Second Battle of Polotsk took place, in which both Wittgenstein and Saint-Cyr were wounded. Saint-Cyr managed to withdraw most of his troops from the city, but two thousand Bavarians still surrendered. The French forces moved to join the main army, and Napoleon sent Marshal Victor's corps to meet them. Saint-Cyr, wounded in the leg, handed over command of the II Corps to General Legrand, leaving the VI Corps under General Wrede, and then the recovered Marshal Oudinot arrived to join the troops. And Peter Wittgenstein was promoted to General of Cavalry “for the capture of Polotsk”.
I. Terebenev. "The Capture of Polotsk by Storm by Count P. Kh. Wittgenstein in 1812"
On October 22, the hero of the article received an order from Kutuzov:
Heading through Lepel to Borisov... You, in accordance with my movements, will approach the Dnieper.
Advancing toward Borisov, Wittgenstein defeated Victor's corps near Chashniki on October 31, 1812. This was followed by victories against General Legrand's II Corps and the combined corps of Victor and Saint-Cyr.
Berezina
Thus, Wittgenstein and Chichagov's forces, having reached the French rear, were to meet at the Berezina River near Borisov, cutting off Napoleon's army's route to the west. Chichagov's army advanced from the south, Wittgenstein's from the north. On November 4 (16), Admiral Chichagov's vanguard captured Minsk. This was a major success, as the French lost the warehouses containing food, forage, and military supplies they had already established in the city.
At Borisov, the admiral sent out descriptions of Napoleon to the surrounding villages: for "greater reliability," he ordered all undersized individuals to be captured and brought to him. But on November 11 (23), he himself was nearly captured by Oudinot's troops: Chichagov crossed to the right bank, leaving "his dinner with silverware." True, he did manage to burn the bridge over the Berezina, and the river at that point was 107 meters wide. Napoleon's Grand Army found itself in a desperate situation, and Murat even advised the emperor to flee secretly with a detachment of Poles—"to save himself before it's too late" (a suggestion that angered the emperor).
While 300 French soldiers were constructing a crossing south of Borisov in full view of the Russians, to the north, Bonaparte himself was overseeing the construction of two bridges near the village of Studenka: one for infantry and cavalry, the other for both supply trains and artillery. And on November 14 (26), Oudinot's corps crossed to the right bank. Thus, Bonaparte managed to deceive both Wittgenstein and Chichagov: the admiral was convinced on November 15 (27) that the crossing at Studenka was merely a demonstration, while Wittgenstein that same day marched his troops past Studenka toward Borisov, managing to avoid detecting the French troops actively crossing to the other bank. Yet it was on this very day that Napoleon, along with the Old Guard and several other of his most combat-ready units, crossed the Berezina. True, Wittgenstein and Platov, who commanded the vanguard of Kutuzov's army, managed to encircle General Partunoi's division, which had lost its way: about 7 thousand people surrendered.
Wittgenstein, Kutuzov, and Platov. Engraving from the first quarter of the 19th century.
Chichagov and Wittgenstein realized what was happening at Studenki on November 16 (28). By this time, all of Platov's forces and some of Miloradovich's units had reached Borisov. Wittgenstein's corps attacked Victor's forces on the left bank of the Berezina, while Chichagov's army struck Oudinot's forces on the right bank—so powerfully that Napoleon sent not only Ney's corps but also some Guards units to his aid.
On November 17 (29), Victor, on Napoleon's orders, withdrew his corps to the right bank and set fire to the bridges across the Berezina. The remaining soldiers and officers of Napoleon's army were either killed or surrendered. The Grand Army's supply train also remained on the left bank. The Russian victory was unconditional, but incomplete: Bonaparte's most combat-ready units, led by the Emperor himself, could not be stopped. The cause was attributed to Chichagov's mistakes and Kutuzov's slowness. In 1813, Krylov wrote a mocking fable, "The Pike and the Cat," which began with the now famous lines, "It's a disaster when a shoemaker starts baking pies and a piemaker starts making boots," and deeply offended Chichagov:
And the Pike, barely alive, lies with its mouth open,
And the rat’s tail was eaten away from her.
And the rat’s tail was eaten away from her.
And none other than Denis Davydov wrote of Kutuzov's actions that "he could very well have been called a traitor for Berezina." But in the end, it was Chichagov who was "appointed" as the main antagonist. No one dared accuse Wittgenstein, the "savior of St. Petersburg."
Subsequently, the troops of Wittgenstein and Platov pursued the remaining units of the Grand Army, as well as the corps of Generals MacDonald, Schwarzenberg and York.
Peter Wittgenstein during the Foreign Campaign
Count Peter Khristianovich Wittgenstein in a drawing from 1813.
Kutuzov, as is well known, was vehemently opposed to continuing the war with Napoleon. He quite rightly believed that the Corsican couldn't be dragged back to Russia a second time, even by a rope, and that he would now sign a peace treaty with Russia on the most favorable terms for our country. Kutuzov also considered England to be the main beneficiary of France's defeat. Even at Maloyaroslavets, he bluntly told the British representative, Wilson:
I am not at all convinced that the complete destruction of Napoleon and his army would be a great blessing to the universe. His legacy will go not to Russia or any other continental power, but to the power that already dominates the seas, and then its dominance will be intolerable.
The Moscow governor F. Rostopchin agreed with him, directly stating that:
The allies are only looking for their own benefits, and we are used as a mercenary military force.
And this point of view was quite popular in Russian society. N.K. Schilder, for example, wrote about the mood in the empire's provinces:
Russia has already performed a miracle and... now that the Fatherland is saved, it has no need to make sacrifices for the good of Prussia and Austria, whose alliance is worse than open hostility.
And so it all happened. Russia gained nothing from its victory over Napoleon. Already in 1815, during the Congress of Vienna, England, Austria, and France concluded an anti-Russian and anti-Prussian treaty, which was also joined by Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse-Darmstadt, and the Netherlands, all "liberated" by Russia. And it all ended with the Crimean War, in which both Britain and France sided with the Turks against our country. But Alexander I declared:
God has given me power and victory so that I can bring peace and tranquility to the universe.
While Kutuzov was still alive, Russian troops advanced on East Prussia in three groups. The right flank, the strongest of them (approximately 33,000 soldiers and officers), was led by Wittgenstein. He was supposed to advance on Königsberg and then along the Baltic coast. But on April 12 (24), Kutuzov fell ill (and died four days later), and Wittgenstein replaced him as commander-in-chief. This appointment marked the pinnacle of his military career. But in the very first battle (at Lützen), the Russian army led by the "Savior of St. Petersburg" and its allied Prussian units were defeated by Bonaparte. Gerhard Scharnhorst, the Prussian commander, was mortally wounded (a stray cannonball also killed Napoleon's Marshal Bessières), and the French entered Dresden. It should be noted, however, that Wittgenstein was then greatly hampered by Emperor Alexander I, who had appeared at the wrong time among the troops, as reported by A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky:
At dawn I was awakened and sent to Count Wittgenstein to find out his orders for the coming day... Having learned why I had been sent to him, he answered me: “The Emperor is in the army, and I await His Majesty’s orders.”
Thus, no one gave orders; the sovereign relied on the commander-in-chief, and he on the sovereign.
Thus, no one gave orders; the sovereign relied on the commander-in-chief, and he on the sovereign.
The May battle at Bautzen also ended in defeat.
It should be noted that in both cases the troops led by Wittgenstein retreated in good order, and Napoleon himself was dissatisfied with his victory at Bautzen, and is said to have exclaimed:
What! Such carnage and no results!
The French Emperor still stood head and shoulders above any of the commanders of the countries opposing him (in February 1814, he even "found the boots of the Italian Campaign," winning four victories in six days). And General Moreau, summoned from the United States by Alexander I, offered sensible advice: engage in battles with marshals, but avoid engaging in combat if the troops are led by Bonaparte:
Do not attack the French army where Napoleon is, attack only his marshals.
However, disappointed with Wittgenstein's actions, the Emperor appointed Barclay de Tolly as commander-in-chief after Bautzen.
In August 1813, Wittgenstein took part in the Battle of Dresden (commanding the right flank), after which the allies were forced to retreat to Bohemia. And in October of that same year, during the famous "Battle of the Nations" at Leipzig, Wittgenstein's troops fought on the main front.
His foreign campaign ended in February 1814 after he was seriously wounded in the leg during the victorious battle of the Russian and Bavarian forces at Bar-sur-Aube (in which the hero of the article met Oudinot again).
The subsequent career of Peter Wittgenstein
By this time, the already wealthy subject of this article had become a very wealthy man: Alexander I gifted him several villages, including Velikoye Selo, Zasitino, Zalogi, Osetki, Kamenki, the Dominikovo farmstead, and the Topory estate. In 1818, Pyotr Wittgenstein became commander of the 2nd Army: curiously, one of his adjutants at the time was the future Decembrist Pavel Pestel. Upon ascending the throne, Nicholas I promoted Pyotr Wittgenstein to field marshal.
Wittgenstein achieved little renown in his final war—against Turkey. In 1828, he became commander of the 95-strong Danube Army, but due to a lack of success, he resigned in early 1829, citing health reasons. He then retired to his Kamenka estate. In his diary, Pushkin wrote about the peaceful life of the subject of this article:
After retiring, the field marshal retired to the town of Kamenka in the Podolsk province, where he founded two parks with ponds, a church for the Orthodox, a bathing station, a pharmacy, a school, two new crossings across the Dnieper, a rest home, and summer cottages for the sick during the bathing and grape-growing seasons.
At this time, he was a knight of 9 Russian orders (including the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called) and 5 foreign orders (two Prussian, two Austrian and a Baden order). In addition, in 1807 he was awarded a gold saber with diamonds “For Bravery,” and in 1813, a gold sword with diamonds and laurels.
In 1834, Peter Wittgenstein was remembered by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III, who granted him the title of Prince of Wittgenstein-Sayn-Berleburg. Nicholas I of Russia recognized Wittgenstein's princely status in 1836.
"Count Wittgenstein, General of Cavalry and Knight of Various Orders." Engraving from 1839.
Peter Wittgenstein died on May 30 (June 11), 1843, in Lemberg (Lviv), which was then part of the Habsburg Empire. His descendants ended up on opposite sides of the border – in Russia and Prussia. His eldest son, Lev, an aide-de-camp to Alexander I, became a member of the Union of Salvation and the Southern Secret Society, but Nicholas I "had the highest orders not to consider him involved." His children can be seen in Bryullov's painting:
K. Bryullov. "Lev Wittgenstein's Children (Maria and Peter) with Their Italian Nanny Bathing in a Forest Pond"
The boy depicted in this painting is Pyotr Lvovich Wittgenstein, the grandson of the article's hero. He served as a military agent in Paris for some time, rose to the rank of lieutenant general, and participated in the war with Turkey, receiving a golden broadsword with the inscription "For Bravery."
His Serene Highness Prince Peter Lvovich Wittgenstein in a photograph from 1863
And one of the “German” great-grandsons, Heinrich Alexander Sayn-Wittgenstein, became an ace of the Luftwaffe and entered the history He was the most successful German night fighter pilot of World War II and the third-largest German pilot in the air. This descendant of a Russian commander also fought on the Eastern Front, against our country. In January 1944, he died over the Berlin district of Lübars in an air battle with British pilots. His mother claimed that in 1943, Heinrich Sayn-Wittgenstein contemplated assassinating Hitler during the award ceremony for the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross, but this information is, of course, impossible to verify.
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