the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

almost eliminated. No one could more faithfully have respected Alexander’s parting
warning at Polotsk: “Remember that this is my only army and that I have no other”. 132
Yet, now at Vyazma, Barclay was disgraced and humiliated. Justice demands the
recognition of Barclay de Tolly’s achievement in saving the army and handing it over to
his successor unimpaired.
At the beginning of the campaign, the ratio of forces was against the Russians. It
was, unquestionably, fortunate for Russia that Bagration and his supporters were not
given high command, since a battle at that time would have led to the destruction of both
armies and all of Russia would have been exposed to Napoleon’s armies. Opposing most
of the army and especially Russian nobility, Barclay had preserved and prevented this
from happening by his continuing retreat. To his credit, Barclay stoically endured this
disgrace. He assured Alexander of his devotion to the motherland and “eagerness to serve
the country at any post or assignment.” 133 To justify his actions, Barclay wrote toward
the end of the letter, “Had I been motivated by blind and reckless ambition, Your Majesty
would probably have received a number of reports of battles fought, and nevertheless the
enemy would still be at gates of Moscow without retaining sufficient forces able to resist
him.” 134
Accurate information on Bagration’s reaction to Barclay’s dismissal is
unavailable. Yet, it is obvious from his correspondence that he was pleased by this event
and hoped for an appointment of a commander who would pursue more aggressive
strategy. It is astounding that Bagration, who had waged war for the most of his life and
had experienced the unpredictability of the war, was driven by this irrational and often
132 Löwenstern, Zapiski [The Notes], Russkaya Starina, 11(1900): 351.
133 Barclay de Tolly to Alexander, 28 August 1812, Kharkevich, Barclay de Tolly v
otechestvennoi voine: posle soedinenia armii pod Smolenskon [Barclay de Tolly During the
Patriotic War: After the Junction of Armies at Smolensk] (St. Petersburg, 1904), 23-24.
134 Barclay de Tolly to Alexander, 28 August 1812, Ibid., 24.
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