The Palace of Versailles is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Paris, France.
The Battle of Borodino took place near the village of Borodino on 7 September [O.S. 26 August] 1812 during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The Grande Armée won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army, but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon fought against General Mikhail Kutuzov, whom the Emperor Alexander I of Russia had appointed to replace Barclay de Tolly on 29 August [O.S. 17 August] 1812 after the Battle of Smolensk. After the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon remained on the battlefield with his army; the Imperial Russian forces retreated in an orderly fashion southwards. Because the Imperial Russian army had weakened the Grande Armée, they allowed the French occupation of Moscow, using scorched earth tactics on their own population to trap Napoleon and his men with their own largest city. The failure of the Grande Armée to completely destroy the Imperial Russian army, and in particular Napoleon's reluctance to deploy his Imperial Guard due to Napoleon's wishes to negotiate with Alexander to make him join against the British, has been widely criticised by historians as a large blunder, as it allowed the Imperial Russian army to continue its retreat into territory increasingly hostile to the French.
Antoine-Jean Gros was a French painter of historical subjects. He was granted the title of Baron Gros in 1824.
The Battle of Smolensk was the first major battle of the French invasion of Russia. It took place on 16–18 August 1812 and involved about 45,000 men of the Grande Armée under Emperor Napoleon I against about 30,000 Russian troops under General Barclay de Tolly. Napoleon occupied Smolensk by driving out Prince Pyotr Bagration's Second Army. The French artillery bombardment burned the city to the ground. Of 2,250 buildings, 84% were destroyed with only 350 surviving intact. Of the city's 15,000 inhabitants, about 1,000 were left at the end of the battle inside the smoking ruins. With over 15,000 casualties, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the invasion.
The Battle of Valutino took place on 19 August 1812, between a corps of French and allied troops led by Marshal Ney, about 35,000 strong, and a strong rear-guard of General Barclay de Tolly's Russian army of about 25,000, commanded by the general himself. The Russians were strongly posted in marshy ground, protected by a small stream, about 20 kilometers east of Smolensk. The French, attacking resolutely, captured the Russian position in the face of considerable physical obstacles.
The Battle of Maloyaroslavets took place on 24 October 1812 as part of the French invasion of Russia. It was Kutuzov's decisive battle to force Napoleon to retreat northwest over Mozhaisk to Smolensk on the devastated route of his advance with a higher probability of starvation. Kutuzov's next attack against the remnants of the Grande Armée, the Battle of Krasnoi, began on 15 November 1812, three weeks later.
Battle of Smolensk may refer to:
The Battle of Krasnoi unfolded from 15 to 18 November 1812 marking a critical episode in Napoleon's arduous retreat from Moscow. Over the course of six skirmishes the Russian forces under field marshal Kutuzov inflicted significant blows upon the remnants of the Grande Armée, already severely weakened by attrition warfare. These confrontations, though not escalated into full-scale battles, led to substantial losses for the French due to their depleted weapons and horses.
In the First Battle of Polotsk, which took place on 17–18 August 1812, Russian troops under the command of Peter Wittgenstein fought French and Bavarian troops led by Nicolas Oudinot near the city of Polotsk, halting Oudinot's advance toward Saint Petersburg. The First Battle of Polotsk should be distinguished from the Second Battle of Polotsk which took place during the same campaign two months later.
The Battle of Saltanovka, also known as the Battle of Mogilev, took place on 23 July 1812 during the early stages of the 1812 French invasion of Russia.
Hippolyte Lecomte was a French painter best known for large scale historical paintings and ballet designs. His wife, born Camille Vernet, was the sister of the painter Émile Jean-Horace Vernet. His son, Émile Vernet-Lecomte, was also a noted painter. The caricaturist Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard, better known as "J.J. Grandville", worked in Lecomte's studio.
The I Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. Though disbanded in 1814, following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, it was reformed in April 1815 following the return of Napoléon during the Hundred Days. During the Hundred Days, the corps formed part of the quickly re-formed Army of the North.
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812, was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continental blockade of the United Kingdom. Widely studied, Napoleon's incursion into Russia stands as a focal point in military history, recognized as among the most devastating military endeavors globally. In a span of fewer than six months, the campaign exacted a staggering toll, claiming the lives of nearly a million soldiers and civilians.
Jerome-Martin Langlois was a French Neoclassical style painter. He was trained by painter Jacques-Louis David and he was a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
The Dutch Grenadiers were a French Imperial Guard regiment during the Napoleonic Wars. They were originally formed out of Louis Bonaparte's royal guard in the Kingdom of Holland.
Battle Of Austerlitz, 2 December 1805 is an oil-on-canvas painting by the French painter François Gérard from 1810. The painting depicts the moment at the conclusion of the Battle of Austerlitz in which the French General Jean Rapp presents to Napoleon Bonaparte the captured Prince Repnin, commander of the Russian Imperial Guard, signifying the victory of Napoleon’s army over the combined forces of Russia and Austria. One of three paintings commissioned by Napoleon following the victory, Gérard’s work stands out as the sole history painting, highlighting the bravery of the French guard and modesty of its leader. It is currently displayed in the Gallery of the Battles, at the Palace of Versailles.
The Battle of the Pyramids is an 1810 history painting by the French artist Antoine-Jean Gros. It depicts the Battle of the Pyramids on 21 July 1798 during the French Invasion of Egypt. It is one of numerous paintings by Gros featuring Napoleon.
The Battle of Friedland is an 1835 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the Battle of Friedland fought on 14 June 1807 in East Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was a decisive victory for French forces over their Russian enemies. At the subsequent Treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon was able to dictate peace terms to his beaten opponents. It is also sometimes known as Napoleon at the Battle of Friedland.
Interview Between Napoleon and Francis II after the Battle of Austerlitz is an 1812 history painting by the French artist Antoine-Jean Gros. It portrays the meeting of Napoleon, Emperor of France, and Francis II of Austria in the aftermath of the Battle of Austerlitz in December 1805. Francis requested an interview to discuss terms and days after Napoleon's crushing victory over Austria and its Russian allies. The meeting took place in the Moravian countryside about ten miles south of the battlefield and agreed an immediate armistice to be followed by the Treaty of Pressburg a few weeks later.
The Battle of Wagram is an 1836 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram fought in July 1809 during the War of the Fifth Coalition. The battle, part of the Napoleonic Wars, was a victory for the French over the Austrian forces under Archduke Charles. Napoleon is mounted, watching the battle progress through a spyglass while he holds a half-opened battle plan in the other. Behind him Jean-Baptiste Bessières had had his horse shot from under him.
