So fate decreed that Russia, whose population has always been known for its peacefulness and hospitality, has had to fight a lot throughout its existence. There were also aggressive wars, but most of the time the Russian state was desperately defending itself against unfriendly countries who wanted to encroach on its territory.
In war, sometimes you have to make a difficult choice, on which the fate of the country depends. The military council in Fili in 1812 is a clear example of this.
Patriotic War of 1812
Not a single century passed peacefully for Russia. Each carried the threat of a serious war. This was also the case at the beginning of the 19th century. The ambitions of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte pushed him to a crazy step - to start a war with the Russian Empire, which alone was not under the influence of France, not counting Great Britain. Such an independentthe position of the most powerful northern country did not suit Napoleon, and he planned to defeat the Russian army in the very first battle, in order to dictate his conditions to Alexander I later.
The Russian emperor, an outstanding diplomat, was well aware that Napoleon would try to impose a decisive battle on his army, in which the chances of winning against Russia were slim. A year before the start of the war, he said that he would rather retreat to Kamchatka than sign a peace treaty in the capital. “Our winter and our climate will fight for us,” said Alexander I. Time has shown that his words turned out to be prophetic.
Battle of Borodino – behind Moscow
Having crossed the border river Neman in June 1812, the Great Army entered the territory of Russia. Following the approved plan, the Russian troops began an organized retreat. All three scattered armies hurried to unite with all their might. Near Smolensk in early August, the 1st and 2nd armies successfully completed this maneuver. Here Napoleon tried to impose a general battle on the commander of the Russian troops, Barclay de Tolly. The latter, realizing that the troops, exhausted by the continuous retreat, had an insignificant chance of winning, chose to save the army and ordered the soldiers to leave the city.
The main battle in this war between the Russian troops, which by that time was commanded by Mikhail Kutuzov, appointed by Alexander I, and the Napoleonic army took place near the village of Borodino on August 26 (September 7). It was not possible to defeat Napoleon, but in the Battle of Borodino the Russian army, the mostmost importantly, it fulfilled its main task - inflicted serious damage on enemy forces.
Retreat to Moscow
September 8, trying to save the army, Kutuzov ordered to retreat towards Mozhaisk. After the battle of Borodino, all the officers were eager to enter into a new battle with Napoleon. Kutuzov himself repeatedly spoke about this. But from a personal letter from the emperor, he learned that he would not receive the necessary reinforcements.
On September 13, the army from the village of Mamonov approached the positions chosen for it by General Bennigsen, a few kilometers from Moscow. During the inspection of the site of the future battle, on Poklonnaya Gora, Barclay de Tolly and Yermolov expressed a categorical opinion to the commander-in-chief of the united armies about its complete unsuitability. Behind the Russian troops were a river, ravines and a huge city. This completely ruled out the possibility of any maneuver. A bloodless army could not fight in such an unfortunate position.
Council in Fili - date and participants
In order to make a final decision on the fate of the battle and the capital, on the evening of September 13, Kutuzov convened a military council in Fili. It was held secretly, in the hut of the peasant Frolov.
The number and names of the officers present at it are known to us only from the words of eyewitnesses of these events, since no protocol was kept due to secrecy. It is known that up to 15 people attended, except for General Miloradovich, who was in the rearguard. The governor of Moscow, Count Rostopchin, who arrived the day before, was not invited to the council in Fili.
Opinionboard members
From the letters and memoirs of the participants, it is known that General L. L. Bennigsen was the first to speak, who asked the question: "Will the army accept the battle or surrender Moscow?" He himself was determined to fight again. He was supported by the majority of the officers present, who were eager to get revenge for Borodino. Bennigsen emphasized that a new battle was needed to maintain the morale of the army, while the surrender of the capital would undermine it.
Then the former commander of the armies, Barclay de Tolly, took the floor, who said that the position for the battle of the Russian troops was the most unsuitable, and therefore suggested moving towards Vladimir. As for Moscow, he said that what is important now to save the country is not the capital, but the army, and it is precisely this army that needs to be preserved by all means.
The opinion of Barclay de Tolly was supported only by Osterman-Tolstoy, Tol and Raevsky. The rest of the officers either supported Bennigsen, or suggested that they themselves move towards Napoleon's army.
Difficult choice is the fate of the commander
Council in Fili did not allow to come to a common opinion. There was also no vote. The whole burden of responsibility for making a decision fell on the shoulders of M. Kutuzov. And he made a choice that amazed Bennigsen, who was sure that the commander in chief would take his side. Kutuzov ordered to leave the capital and retreat to Tarutino. As the members of the council later recalled, everyone was horrified by this decision. The surrender of the capital to the enemy - this has never happened before in the history of the Russian state. It took a lot of courage to do this. Tobesides, Kutuzov could not know in advance how the emperor would react to his decision.
Kutuzov spent the night in the hut where the council took place in Fili. According to eyewitnesses, he did not sleep, walked around the room. It was heard how the commander approached the table where the map was. It is said that a muffled sob also came from the room. No one had such a hard time during these hours as the commander in chief.
Military Council in Fili - historical significance
Unprecedented for those times decision - the surrender of the ancient capital to the enemy - was of great importance for the subsequent course of the war. The Napoleonic army was stuck in Moscow, while the Russian military forces were saved. In the Tarutinsky camp, the army rested and strengthened. And the French froze in the burning capital. The surrender of Moscow is the beginning of the end of the Great Army. Napoleon will not wait for words about peace from Alexander I, and very soon the Russian troops will drive the invaders back to the border.
If Kutuzov had agreed with most of the officers, most likely, his army would have perished near the walls of Moscow, and left the whole country without protection.
The Military Council in Fili for some reason is rather poorly represented in art. Which, by the way, is amazing. Of the paintings, the most famous work is the famous painting “Council in Fili” by battle painter A. Kivshenko. The artist took the council scene from Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" as the basis of his creation.
