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the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

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in <strong>the</strong> south, <strong>the</strong> Army <strong>of</strong> Danube was deployed in Wallachia under Admiral Paul<br />

Tchichagov (57,526 men) 41<br />

Russian historians estimated <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> active <strong>army</strong> at <strong>the</strong> outbreak <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> war<br />

at between 550,000 and 900,000. 42 Never<strong>the</strong>less, <strong>the</strong> Russians were able to oppose<br />

Napoleon with only a segment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>army</strong> because <strong>the</strong>ir forces were scattered over <strong>the</strong><br />

western stretches <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> empire. As a result, Alexander could employ only about 300,000<br />

men during <strong>the</strong> initial stages <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> French invasion. Among <strong>the</strong> main problems <strong>the</strong><br />

Russians faced were <strong>the</strong> gaps between <strong>the</strong> armies. The breach between <strong>the</strong> 1 st and 2 nd<br />

Western Armies was more than 100 miles, and between <strong>the</strong> 2 nd and 3 rd Armies at least<br />

120 miles.<br />

41 Tchichagov to Alexander, 17 July 1812, Headquarters’ Archives, XVII, 352-53.<br />

42 Alexander Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Opisanie Otechestvenoi voini v 1812 godu<br />

[Description <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Patriotic War <strong>of</strong> 1812, hereafter cited as Campaign <strong>of</strong> 1812], (St. Petersburg,<br />

1839), 110-11, 122-23; Muratov, Historical Survey <strong>of</strong> Patriotic War and it’s Reasons, 35; Tarle,<br />

Napoleon’s Invasion <strong>of</strong> Russia, 75; Zhilin, Destruction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Napoleonic Army in Russia, 97-98;<br />

Stoletie Voennogo Ministerstva [To Centennial <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> War] (St. Petersburg, 1902) I,<br />

203; A. Baiov, Kurs istorii ruskogo voennogo iskustva [History <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Russian Military Art] (St.<br />

Petersburg, 1913), VII, 388; Beskrovny, Two Strategies, The 150th Anniversary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Patriotic<br />

War, 84; Troitsky, 1812 - <strong>the</strong> Glorious Year <strong>of</strong> Russia, 63<br />

616

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