Swiss on a hike. Legendary Suvorov. Crossing the Alps
- in August 1799, a significant change took place in the plans of the allied Russian-Austrian troops operating against the French: Suvorov with Russian troops was to move from Northern Italy to Switzerland (cf. Suvorov's Italian campaign) and, having joined there with the Russian corps of the Roman- Korsakov, who stood near Zurich, to act against Massena. Meanwhile, with the premature departure of the Austrian army of Archduke Charles from Switzerland, Massena outnumbered the allied detachments remaining in this country, and, moreover, his troops were more concentrated. Their number reached 80 thousand, while in the allied detachments it was considered no more than 60 thousand. Massena did not fail to take advantage of his position and, separating special detachments to the side of Northern Italy, with the main mass of his forces went on the offensive against Rimsky-Korsakov's corps, stationed near Zurich, and the Austrian detachment of Gotze, covering the Linta River between the Zurich and Wallenstat lakes. Suvorov, having learned about the speech of the Archduke Charles from Switzerland and fearing for the fate of Rimsky-Korsakov, moved from Alessandria to the Tavern in reinforced marches, where he arrived on September 4th. There were two ways to move from there to the connection with Korsakov: one was quite safe and convenient, but more circular, led to the upper Rhine valley to the city of Hur, through Chiavenna and Mount Splugen, the other through Bellinzona, St. Gotthard and the valley of the Reisa river to the lake four cantons. Unfamiliar with the topography of the new theater of operations, or with the location and forces of the enemy troops stationed there, Suvorov was forced to rely on the assurances of Austrian officers in all this. general staff . As a result, he chose a shorter route, which he believed, having reached Schwyz, to go to the rear of Massena. At the same time, the latter was supposed to be attacked from the side of the Linta River by the troops of General Gotse (who, upon joining the Austrian detachments, could have up to 20 thousand), and from the side of the Limmat River by Rimsky-Korsakov's corps (24 thousand). This plan was sent to the Austrian generals Gotze and Strauch for consideration; neither one nor the other paid Suvorov's attention to the lack of a road along the lake to Schwyz and to the extraordinary difficulties of the offensive through St. Gotthard and the Reisy Gorge. At the same time, the Austrians considered Massena's forces not at 80, but only at 60 thousand, which further misled the Russian commander. The very movement of Suvorov into Switzerland was, contrary to expectation, slowed down. While still in Italy and knowing that he would have to march through a completely mountainous country, he instructed the Austrian general Melas to prepare 1,400 mules in the Tavern to carry loads on packs, and the necessary mountain artillery; but the mules were not there, and only a few days later they were sent 650 heads. The missing mules were replaced by Cossack horses, but for this it was necessary to rush up to 1 1/2 thousand Cossacks. The wagon train and field artillery were sent by roundabout ways to Lake Constance. Suvorov was forced to stay in the Tavern for almost a whole week, and only by September 10 was he more or less prepared for the further campaign. The first clash with the French troops of General Lecourbe followed on September 13, during a difficult ascent to Mount St. Gotthard, which was captured only thanks to the appearance of our bypass column on the French flank. On September 14, the Russian troops moved further along the Reisa valley, captured almost impregnable positions near the Devil's Bridge (see Devil's Bridge), and our vanguard, under the command of Miloradovich, reached the village of Veilen. Lecourbe retreated to Fluelin, where he landed his detachment on the ships waiting for him and thus escaped from final destruction. Meanwhile, Suvorov, having reached Altorf, saw that there was no further road, and communication with Schwyz was possible only through the lake, on which the enemy had previously captured all the means of transportation. From the Shahen Valley, located opposite Altorf, there was only a path to the upper reaches of the Linta River, where Suvorov could connect with the Austrian detachment of Linken, or he had to, turning to the Maderan Valley, go to the upper reaches of the Rhine; but he did not reach the agreed point of connection, Schwyz, by either route, and, therefore, put Korsakov and Gotze, whom he assumed advancing towards the intended point, in a dangerous position. It was difficult to retreat along the path already traveled, as the road was cluttered with a pack train. Meanwhile, the soldiers were running out of provisions, the packs could not keep up, and Suvorov could count on replenishing supplies only in Schwyz. Finding himself in such a critical situation, he learned about the existence of two mountain paths leading through the snowy ridge of Rostok to the village of Mutten, from where there is a road to Schwyz. Then he decided to send the whole army along the shortest of them in order to reach Schwyz without fail. At dawn on September 16, the vanguard moved under the command of Prince Bagration; it was to be followed by the troops of General Derfelden and Aufenberg, and then packs. Rosenberg was ordered to cover the rear from possible attacks by Lekurbe and follow the packs. Crossing Roshtok, along a path accessible only to brave and habitual hunters, presented terrible difficulties: every wrong step cost a life, and many people, horses and mules died falling off the steep. Only after 12 hours of this terrible journey, the vanguard reached the village of Mutten and captured the French post that stood there. The rest of the troops spread out along the whole way and partly spent the night on a snowy pass; only on the evening of the 17th did the tail of the column reach Mutten (and the crossing was only 16 versts). Then, for another 2 days, packs were dragged along the same road. During this time, Rosenberg successfully repelled two attacks by Lekurba, and on September 17 he could already calmly leave his position and be drawn into the Shahen Valley. Meanwhile, rumors began to reach Suvorov about the defeat of Korsakov at Zurich, Gotz - on the Lint River; The Klental valley, separated from the Mutten valley by the Pragel mountain range, was also occupied by the French detachment of Molitora; Massena threatened from Schwyz. The situation of our troops, exhausted, ragged, hungry and surrounded on all sides by the enemy, seemed almost desperate. On September 18, Suvorov gathered a military council, at which it was decided, due to the impossibility of a further offensive to Schwyz (which was proposed by Austrian officers), to force their way through Pragel to the Klental valley, to Glarus. On the same day, the Austrian brigade of Aufenberg moved to Pragel, knocked down enemy posts and descended into the valley for the night; it was followed by the rest of the troops, who by the evening of September 20 had gathered at Glarus. The retreat was carried out under the cover of the rearguard temporarily left at Mutten (4 thousand), under the command of Rosenberg, who brilliantly carried out the assignment assigned to him (see Mutten Valley), and on September 23 also arrived at Glarus. On the 21st, Aufenberg went beyond the Rhine, following the retreating Austrian column of Linken, and Suvorov, left to his own forces, had no choice but to also retreat to the Rhine valley, moving along which, to Hur and Feldkirch, he attracted carts and field artillery, and then could link up with Korsakov. And so it was decided. On the night of September 24, the troops moved along the Zernft valley, hiding behind the rearguard, under the command of Prince Bagration, who repeatedly had to fight off the French. On the 25th, the main forces had to cross the snowy Ringenkopf ridge, and this pass turned out to be almost the most difficult on the whole journey: the guides fled, a snowstorm arose, covering all traces of the mountain path. The guns had to be abandoned; many people and more than 300 packs died falling into the abyss. On September 26, Russian troops reached the village of Paniks and only here they could breathe freely after the hardships and dangers they had endured. On the 27th they crossed over to Hur, where a two-day rest, with plenty of provisions, was sufficient to restore their strength. On October 1, the troops camped near the village of Altenstat, near Feldkirch. Thus ended the famous campaign, failed by Suvorov due to circumstances completely beyond his control. On October 19, he transferred his troops to Bavaria and placed them in winter quarters between the rivers Iller and Lech. Soon, Emperor Paul, convinced of the impossibility of joint actions with such allies as the Austrians, ordered Suvorov with all Russian troops to return to Russia. Per swiss hike
The history of the Russian Empire is full of various trials and turning points. Many true heroes and real men were ready to give their lives for the well-being of their homeland. One of the Russian commanders, the founders of military art was Alexander Suvorov. Everyone knows that this is a real fighter who was strong in spirit and did not lose a single battle, even when the number of enemy troops was much larger than his own. At the end of the 18th century, Alexander Suvorov crossed the Alps. The Russian emperor instructed the commander to transfer the troops to Switzerland in order to connect them with the corps in which the compatriots were. Three weeks later, the hero of Russia went on a campaign.
History speaks
Many are still discussing whether Suvorov did the right thing. Was crossing the Alps really necessary? But the commander carefully planned everything and carried out the order of the emperor himself. It should be noted that this campaign did not play last role for the Russian-French war and became a continuation of the Italian offensive. In addition to the fact that the Russian troops marched from the north of Italy, a part of the Austrian soldiers also went with them. (year 1799) was carried out in order to deliver a significant blow to the flank and rear of the French troops. Alexander has always been famous for the speed of his decisions, surprise, onslaught and ruthlessness, so for this case he chose just such methods. His main goal was to overcome the path so soon as to catch the enemy by surprise and deliver a decisive blow. In this regard, the transition through the Alps was carried out through the difficult pass of St. Gotthard. The whole operation took place in difficult conditions. On the one hand, cruel nature, unfavorable weather, and on the other - the treacherous behavior of the Austrians, constant disputes, battles, skirmishes.
Legendary Event
Suvorov finished crossing the Alps on October 8, 1799, exactly 18 days after it began. The skillful commander nevertheless managed to suddenly attack the French and inflict great damage on them, which many times exceeded their own losses. It was because of the Swiss campaign that Alexander Suvorov became a real hero. It was crucial moment in his life and military service. It should be noted that the French general admitted that he was ready to give up all his campaigns only for the Swiss epic of A. Suvorov. Arriving in his native lands, the Russian commander received the title of Generalissimo of all domestic troops. In honor of the successful operation that Suvorov made (crossing the Alps), a granite cross twelve meters high was carved in Switzerland. Alexander himself called his army the "Russian bayonet", who was able to gather all his strength and deliver a decisive blow, unexpected, strong and irreversible.
And what happened next?
Summing up, we can say that thanks to the campaign of Suvorov, the Battle of Adda took place. This event is a real achievement. Then the Russian army won for the first time during the campaign, perked up, believed in its strength and tuned in to new, absolutely incredible victories.
The feat accomplished by the Russian army in the Swiss campaign is impressive. It's no joke: in 17 days the soldiers walked almost 300 kilometers of dangerous mountain paths, overcame 7 mountain passes, two of which were practically incompatible with life (Paniks, 2403 m, and Krützli, 2400 m), while others had to fight with the enemy. And all this without having the slightest experience of fighting in the mountains, with poor supplies and without the support of the so-called allies.
soldier's bone
Regarding the date of birth of Suvorov, historians have not yet come to a consensus. Some prefer to believe what the great Russian commander himself, who had a phenomenal memory, wrote. There is an autobiographical note in which the date of birth is November 13, 1730. Nevertheless, some historians prefer to indicate 11/13/1929 - this date is stamped on the tombstone. Many articles have been written on this topic, and each author zealously defends his point of view. No documents such as a birth certificate have been preserved, and all other evidence can be considered only circumstantial.
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov was a nobleman and was born into a military family. Despite this, the father did not look forward to exploits from his son: he was fragile and in poor health. But the child's craving for a dangerous craft was phenomenal. There is evidence that Pushkin's great-grandfather Abram Gannibal influenced his father's final decision: amazed by the boy's knowledge of military affairs, he advised his father to promote his career.
Career
One way or another, and in 1748 Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov entered the real military service and made a rapid, dizzying career. This happened not least due to the fact that Europe XVIII century there was a place to show the talent of a commander: the continent was shaken by endless military conflicts.
At the end of the century there was serious threat- Napoleon Bonaparte. His conquests inspired serious fears in the surviving monarchies, which forced yesterday's opponents to unite. In 1798, it was decided to appoint Suvorov as commander of the combined Austro-Russian troops.
At that time, the field marshal, who spoke too frankly about the military reforms of the newly-made emperor, was in disgrace and lived on his estate as an exile. However, when the time came to serve the Fatherland again, he hit the road immediately.
Allied betrayal
The campaign carried out is impressive: in four months, Suvorov managed to recapture Northern Italy from the enemy (for this he received the title of Count of Italy). In Milan, the Russian troops were greeted enthusiastically, and then the path of betrayal, traditional for Europe, began, in which Alexander Suvorov involuntarily participated: the event that glorified the commander - his famous Swiss campaign - was largely the result of the treachery of the allies Russian Empire and credulity (or criminal shortsightedness) of Emperor Paul I.
At that time, Russian troops were stationed near the southern borders of the French Republic. One decisive blow would bring the final victory over the fiery revolutionaries. But the Austrians and the British did not much like the prospect of strengthening the Russian positions, so they began to insist that it was first necessary to liberate Switzerland, unite with a triple force, and only then defeat the hated Bonaparte.
The beginning of the way
Alexander Vasilievich received a developed route with the planned timing of the offensive and set off. Thus began Suvorov's famous crossing of the Alps in 1799, which was to be the end of his military career.
The campaign began unsuccessfully: as commander-in-chief of the allied forces, Suvorov ordered the Austrian quartermaster to prepare the necessary draft power and food. One can imagine his anger when absolutely nothing of what was requested was found in the agreed place.
In anticipation of supplies, the commander lost five days, while the French, meanwhile, methodically exterminated Rimsky-Korsakov's units in Switzerland. By by and large Suvorov's passage through the Alps could no longer bring the expected benefits: the forces with which it was necessary to unite no longer existed. But Suvorov did not know about this, and he had no choice.
Fight for every step
The Russian army moved forward on September 10 and almost immediately met with the enemy: the St. Gotthard Pass had to be taken with battle, about 2 thousand soldiers were lost.
Next was the crossing over the Devil's Bridge, which alone would have been more than enough to forever glorify Suvorov's crossing of the Alps. The French took advantageous positions on the opposite bank and began to desperately fire on the Russians, who lay in shelters. And then suddenly on the rocks, from the side occupied by the French, a Russian column appeared, which moved around and forded a mountain stream a little further away. From such a surprise, the enemy trembled: having hastily destroyed part of the bridge, the enemy began a slow retreat. The Russians, on the other hand, could not be appeased: having discovered a wooden shed nearby, they dismantled it, tied the boards with scarves and threw this shield over the abyss. The first officer who stepped on the shaky crossbar died, but dozens of desperate soldiers rushed after him.
Grateful Swiss
The damn bridge was taken. It was repaired more thoroughly, and by four o'clock in the afternoon Suvorov's main forces crossed and moved behind the panicked retreating French, who suffered big losses.
Now, not far from the crossing, a 12-meter cross has been carved in memory of the dead. In Switzerland, the Russian commander is generally treated with reverence. Museums have been organized in six towns along the route of his army. The guides enthusiastically talk about his exploits and that during the famous passage of Suvorov through the Alps, his army did not maraud and did not offend the local people, honestly paying for food and horse feed.
Another surprise from the allies
On September 15, 1799, after the St. Gotthard Pass and crossing the Devil's Bridge, the exhausted Russians arrived in a small village called Altdorf. And then they were waiting for a new "gift" from the Austrians: the road did not exist further. The nearby Lake Lucerne could not be taken into account: it was not possible to cross it, since all the ships were captured by the French, and the “allies” did not bother to clear the Alps from the enemy, despite the oath assurances to do so.
army of climbers
Suvorov continued to cross the Alps, in short, a real miracle, made possible thanks to the exceptional fortitude of the commander and the soldiers inspired by him. It was decided, having overcome the Rostock ridge, to move to the Muoten valley. Today this route is accessible only to climbers who have the necessary modern equipment and special training for this. The soldiers of the Suvorov army had neither one nor the other, but they had loaded horses, knapsacks, guns and wounded comrades.
The Alps are difficult mountains to travel. Only two commanders managed to force them during the military campaign: in 218 BC, Hannibal became famous for this, and in 1799 - Suvorov. The Russian campaign was much more difficult; the already difficult path had to be overcome under heavy enemy fire.
The hardships of the way
According to eyewitnesses, Suvorov's passage through the Alps was, as they would say now, extreme: he had to climb either sharp stones or slippery clay. In some places there was nowhere even to put a foot, in others it was impossible to gain a foothold: small pebbles fell from every movement. Among other things, the army was stuck in the snow on the peaks and vegetated from dampness in the lowlands. Clouds and mists soaked the soldiers with water to such an extent that they seemed soaked in the pouring rain. I had to climb by feel, since nothing was visible either below or above, neither to the right nor to the left.
Separate torments were delivered by the transportation of animals, which every minute shied away from fear and barely dragged their feet from hunger. One wrong step of a horse or mule could lead to the death of several people.
Retreat
Only four days after the battle in the gorge did the commander finally learn that Rimsky-Korsakov's army had been defeated, but Suvorov's crossing through the Alps did not end there. After all the unthinkable ordeals, his army was surrounded by a much superior enemy force. Against 60 thousand French, the commander had only 14 thousand fighters. Despite this, the legendary field marshal got out of the encirclement and retreated through the very dangerous Panix Pass.
Due to the treachery of the Austrian command, the victory over Napoleon took place only 15 years later. How difficult was the passage of Suvorov through the Alps, testify to the heavy losses of the Russian army: according to various sources, from 21 to 22 thousand people moved on the road, from 14 to 15 thousand came to Ilanets. Thus, the losses amounted to 6 to 8 thousand. At the same time, the Suvorovites managed to bring one and a half thousand French prisoners.
well deserved fame
For the transition of Suvorov through the Alps in 1799, the famous military leader received the title of Generalissimo. Paul I did not skimp on the praise of the obstinate commander: he wrote that all his previous exploits lacked only victory over nature - and now it finally took place. The autocrat gave the order to render royal honors to the generalissimo even in his own presence.
It was not possible to enjoy the well-deserved glory: the year of Suvorov's passage through the Alps became the penultimate year in his life. On October 29, 1799, he received an order from the emperor to return to Russia: the alliance with Austria was broken. Another two months waited for the resumption of the war with the French, which never took place, and finally, in January 1800, the Russian army moved home.
Death of the Generalissimo
Despite his illness, Suvorov went to St. Petersburg, where celebrations awaited him, but on the way he again fell out of favor. The official version says that Paul I was offended by the fact that during the campaign Alexander Vasilyevich kept a general on duty with him, and this is the exclusive privilege of the emperor. To many historians, this reason seems far-fetched (although everything could be expected from this Russian autocrat).
Suvorov arrived in Petersburg and stayed at his niece's house. Here he died on May 6, 1800, without seeing Paul I, who, until the last hours of Suvorov, kept demanding some kind of reports from him.
War and art
The feat of Russian soldiers inspired many artists to work. The most famous is Surikov's painting "Suvorov Crossing the Alps": the painting depicts soldiers headlong rolling down a steep slope. They are encouraged by the field marshal himself - he is on horseback, his subordinates look at him with adoration, and he looks at them with delight. This is the most famous canvas on this subject, but, strictly speaking, the painters dismantled almost the entire passage of Suvorov through the Alps into episodes: the painting by A. Popov is also dedicated to this event, but rather recalls the torment of a long transition. Suvorov is depicted as a horseman wrapped in a cloak, who looks anxiously into the distance.
A. Kotzebue, N. Shabunin, N. Avakumov, K. Venzo and many others dedicated their canvases to Suvorov's exploits.
It is hardly fair to say that the passage of Suvorov's army through the Alps is the most significant achievement of the commander. Even more contemporaries appreciate the undoubted contribution to military art, which was made by a man who could not stand mirrors: his own appearance seemed to him completely unheroic. The treatises “Regimental Establishment” and “The Science of Victory” written by Suvorov have not lost their relevance today. They are studied in specialized educational institutions by numerous cadets.
Suvorov's personality is also captivating: the commander's harsh sayings have long become winged, and eccentricities - legendary. His military genius is undeniable, because under the command of this frail man with a funny characteristic physiognomy, a little less than a hundred battles took place. And he won them all.
Andrey Rozenberg
Franz Xavier von Aufenberg (German)
Swiss campaign of Suvorov(September 10 - September 27 [October 8] 1799) - military operation, undertaken by Russian and Austrian troops under the command of Field Marshal Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov during the war of the Second Coalition with the aim of defeating and expelling the French revolutionary troops under the command of General Andre Massena from the Helvetic Republic. The plan of the campaign provided for the transition through the Swiss Alps from Northern Italy to join the Russian-Austrian corps under the command of Lieutenant General Alexander Mikhailovich Rimsky-Korsakov and Field Marshal Friedrich von Gotze, who was in Zurich, and further actions by the combined forces against the French.
In the most difficult conditions of a mountain campaign, under the continuous onslaught of parts of the French General Claude Jacques Lecourbe, Suvorov's army fought through the Saint Gotthard Pass and the Devil's Bridge into the Royce Valley, from where it descended into the valley through a snowy pass. Here it was locked up by the troops of Massena, who even earlier defeated the corps of Rimsky-Korsakov and von Gotze near Zurich. However, Suvorov managed to escape, inflicting a crushing defeat on Massena (the French general himself barely escaped capture). However, the total number of enemy troops in Switzerland now significantly outnumbered the Russian-Austrian corps of Suvorov, so the main goal of the campaign - the expulsion of the French - became unattainable, and the great Russian commander began a retreat towards Austria in order to save the remnants of his exhausted army. Having made the transition through the snowy, hard-to-reach Paniks Pass, the Russian troops, practically meeting no resistance, reached the city of Chur, after which they left the territory of Switzerland and moved towards Russia.
The result of less than a month of grueling marches and heroic military operations in mountainous conditions unusual for the Russian army was the loss of about 5,000 people and all artillery. Enemy losses are unknown, but Suvorov from his last combat campaign led about 1,400 French prisoners alive. At the same time, France retained its full control over the Helvetic Republic, as it was before the start of the Swiss campaign.
Historical and geographical reference[ | ]
It should be borne in mind that in the historical literature on the Swiss campaign of Suvorov, many toponyms are used in an archaic or distorted (due to inaccurate transcription when translated into Russian) form, significantly different from modern geographical names:
- Mutenskaya valley(German Muttenthal) - an obsolete name for the area now called Muotatal With German- "Valley of the Muota River (German)» ;
- Muten village(German Mutten) - now known as a commune Muotathal(German Muotathal);
- Ruoz Alp Kulm Pass- now known as the pass Ruozalper Hulem(2178 m; Swiss dial. Ruosalper Chulm) ;
- Pass Kinzig-Kulm(German Kinzig Kulm) - now known as Kinzigpass With German- "Pass Kinzig (German)", or Hinzig Hulem(2073 m; Swiss dial. Chinzig Chulm) ;
- Ridge Roshtok- distorted peak name Rosstock (German) (2461 m; German Rossstock) . Suvorov used the pass on its slope, now known as Rosshtokluke(2193 m; German Rossstocklücke) ;
- Mount Bragelberg(German: Bragelberg) - a Germanized form of an obsolete Romansh toponym Bragel(romansh. Bragell). Now - Pragelpass With German- "Pragel pass" (1548 m).
The military situation in Italy and Switzerland before the start of the campaign[ | ]
By the end of August 1799, as a result of Suvorov's Italian campaign and Ushakov's Mediterranean campaign, almost all of Italy was liberated from French troops. The remnants of the 35,000-strong army of General Jean Moreau (about 18,000 men) defeated at Novi retreated to Genoa, which remained the last region of Italy under French control. The offensive of the Russian-Austrian army under the command of Suvorov (about 43,000 people) against Genoa, followed by the complete expulsion of the French army from Italy, seemed like a natural next step.
However, in connection with the planned landing of the 30,000th Anglo-Russian landing corps in Holland, the Austrian command decided to send all the Austrian troops in Switzerland (58 thousand people under the command of Archduke Karl) to join the Anglo-Russian corps in Holland. In return for the Austrian troops who left Switzerland, it was supposed to transfer Russian troops from Italy (about 21 thousand) there and connect them with the 24,000-strong Russian corps in Switzerland under the command of Lieutenant General Rimsky-Korsakov. The Russian Emperor Paul I agreed to this plan, but made it a condition for the transfer of Russian troops to Switzerland that it be cleared of the French beforehand. The Austrian cabinet, however, did not comply with this condition and ordered the withdrawal of its troops from Switzerland, which threatened to leave the 24,000-strong Russian corps in Switzerland under the command of Rimsky-Korsakov face to face with the 84,000-strong French army under the command of Massena.
On August 18 (29), 1799, the Austrian army began to withdraw from Switzerland. Realizing the desperate situation in which the Russian troops left him, the Archduke, under his own responsibility, temporarily, until the arrival of Suvorov, left a 22,000-strong Austrian detachment in Switzerland under the command of Field Marshal Lieutenant von Gotze. Nevertheless, the French in Switzerland retained approximately one and a half times superiority in numbers, and given that Massena (the future Marshal of France) was generally resolute and energetic, the French attack was only a matter of time. At the same time, the timely (before Massena's attack) arrival of Suvorov's army in Switzerland would significantly complicate the French task of driving the coalition troops out of Switzerland.
Suvorov, however, lingered in Italy until the surrender of the French garrison in Torton, besieged by his army - according to the convention concluded on August 11 (22), 1799, the commandant of the fortress undertook to capitulate if the fortress was not released by the French troops before August 31 (September 10). Having prevented two attempts by the French army under the command of Moreau to deblockade Tortona, Suvorov waited for the surrender of the garrison. At 7 am on August 31 (September 10), Russian troops marched towards Switzerland.
Start of the hike. Battles for St. Gotthard and Devil's Bridge[ | ]
On September 10 (21), Suvorov's troops set out on the Swiss campaign. The troops advanced in two columns to the foot of Saint Gotthard. On September 12 (23), the left column - the corps of Vilim Khristoforovich Derfelden with the Austrian brigade of Colonel Gottfried von Strauch (German: Gottfried von Strauch) - settled down at Dazio. The latter was occupied by Guden's brigade (4300 people), three battalions of which stood on the top and in the village of Airolo (English), 1 battalion - on the road to Wallis, near the mountain, 2 battalions - near the lake, on the pass between the valleys and. The Loison brigade (of the same size) held positions from Urzern to Altdorf. During the battle, part of her forces arrived to help Guden. All the French right wing troops defending Saint Gotthard and the Reuss valley were commanded by General Claude Jacques Lecourbe. The Russians occupied St. Gotthard. Meanwhile, Andrey Grigoryevich Rosenberg, having set out at dawn on September 13 from Tavech, moved along the Rhine Valley, pushing the enemy troops, and by evening pushed them back to the village of Urzern.
On September 14 (25), after connecting with Rosenberg in Urzern, Suvorov sent a regiment under the command of General Nikolai Mikhailovich Kamensky to the left bank of the Reuss to reach the rear of enemy positions near the Devil's Bridge. The regiment moved after the troops of Lekurb, who had passed through Betzberg, destroying the enemy units that had lagged behind during the night march. Suvorov led the army along the right bank to the north, but met an obstacle - the so-called Urzern hole, a narrow and low gallery, punched into the rocks framing Royce, 64 meters long and wide, which made it possible for only one person with a pack to pass (later it was expanded to about 3 meters). Behind it, the road curved around a rock in the form of a cornice and descended steeply to the Devil's Bridge in the place where the Reuss is a turbulent stream with waterfalls over 60 meters high. The bridge itself consisted of a narrow stone arch without railings 20 meters long, thrown over the Reuss at a height of 22-23 meters. Then the path, resting against a sheer rock of the left bank, turned sharply to the right and descended along an artificial stone ramp to another bridge, along which it again crossed to the right bank. Having bypassed a steep rock in this place, the road again went to the left bank of the river and finally, at the village of Goshenen, it left the gorge. Between the Urzern Hole and the Devil's Bridge is about 300 meters, and the entire gorge to Göschenen is about 2.5 kilometers. When Colonel Trubnikov appeared over the exit from the Urzern hole, the French advance detachment left its position. Mansurov's battalion broke through the passage and rushed at the retreating French with hostility.
The French, who were standing on the opposite bank, began to dismantle the ramp. But at that time, a column of General Kamensky arrived at the battlefield from the side of the Betzberg ridge. The French began to retreat from the Devil's Bridge, having previously partially destroyed it. To eliminate this obstacle, Russian soldiers dismantled a barn located nearby, dragged logs and bandaged them with officer scarves, and threw them over the formed gap. The first to cross this crossbar was Major Prince Meshchersky III, who was immediately mortally wounded. The soldiers of Trevogin and Svishchov followed him.
At dawn on September 16 (27), the army set out. The vanguard was led by Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, followed by the troops of generals Derfelden and Aufenberg (German), and behind them - packs. Andrei Grigoryevich Rosenberg was ordered to cover the rear from Lekurba's attacks and follow the packs. The transition of the army presented enormous difficulties. A lot of people, horses and packs died, falling into the abyss. After 12 hours of travel, the vanguard reached the village of Muotatal and took by surprise the French post (150 people) standing there - the enemy did not have time to fire a single shot. The rest of the troops spread out along the way and spent the night on a snowy pass. Only in the evening of the next day did the tail of the column reach Muotatal. Then for two more days the packs were dragged along the same road.
The rearguard, having successfully repulsed two attacks by Lecourbe during this time, on the night of 17 to 18 (from 28 to 29) September, moved in two columns with an interval of several hours after the main forces.
« How did the bold and energetic Lecourbe fail to do anything more significant against the rearguard of Suvorov,<…>we do not quite understand. If this is the result of a very well-organized Russian offensive, then we should only be very sorry that we were not able to get acquainted with its organization, since detailed information about this organization and the accomplishment of this campaign would in any case be very instructive..»
Lekurbe assumed that Suvorov would move through the Ruosalper Hulem, while considering the passage through the Kinzig impossible. Therefore, only on the morning of September 17 (29), having discovered which way the Russian army had left, he reported this to Massena, Molitor, Mortier and Loison. On the same day, the last units of Rosenberg's rearguard arrived at Muotattal, where Suvorov received a written report from General Linken about the defeat of Rimsky-Korsakov and Gotze near Zurich on September 14-15 (25-26).
Exit of the Russian army from the encirclement. Battle in the Muten Valley on September 20[ | ]
Upon learning of the defeat of the Russian-Austrian corps near Zurich, Suvorov realized that it was pointless to continue moving towards Schwyz, occupied by the main enemy forces. Cossack patrols sent to the eastern part of the valley, instead of the Austrians of the corps, found the French there. After the defeat of Gotze, he retreated, allowing the French to block the exit from the valley. The Russian army found itself in a stone bag, surrounded by superior enemy forces, without food, with a limited amount of ammunition.
On September 18 (29) a council of war met in the refectory of the Franciscan convent of St. Joseph. Suvorov's speech, recorded from the words of Bagration, made a huge impression on everyone:
« We are surrounded by mountains ... surrounded by a strong enemy, proud of victory ... Since the case under the Prut, under the Sovereign Emperor Peter the Great, Russian troops have never been in such a death-threatening situation ... No, this is no longer treason, but a clear betrayal ... a reasonable, calculated betrayal of us who shed so much blood for the salvation of Austria. Now there is no one to wait for help from, one hope is in God, the other is in the greatest courage and the highest self-sacrifice of the troops led by you ... The greatest, unprecedented work in the world lies ahead of us! We are on the edge of the abyss! But we are Russians! God is with us! Save, save the honor and property of Russia and its Autocrat!.. save his son..."The senior after Suvorov, General Derfelden, on behalf of the entire army, assured Suvorov that everyone would do their duty:" We will endure everything and will not disgrace the Russian weapons, and if we fall, we will die with glory! Lead us where you think, do what you know, we are yours, father, we are Russians!» - « Thank you, - answered Suvorov, - I hope! glad! God have mercy, we are Russians! Thank you, thank you, let's defeat the enemy! And the victory over him, and the victory over deceit will be a victory!»
At the military council, it was decided to break through to the east, through the Klental valley (separated from the Muten valley by a pass) to Glarus.
On the same day, the Austrian brigade of Aufenberg (German) climbed the Bragelberg, knocked down the French posts and descended into the Klental valley. It was followed by Bagration's vanguard and Shveikovsky's division (6,000). They were followed by troops led by Suvorov. The retreat was carried out under the cover of the rearguard of Rosenberg (the initial number was about 4 thousand), which stood at Muten, guarding the rear of Suvorov and waiting for the end of the descent into the valley of packs. In an effort to more firmly lock the Russian army, Massena sent part of his troops to the exit from the Klental valley, and he himself, leading an 18,000-strong group, moved to Schwyz in order to strike at Muten, in the rear of the Russian army. In the French army, in connection with the successes achieved, a victorious mood reigned. The plan to defeat the French in Switzerland by the forces of 3 groupings of allied forces was thwarted.
On September 19 (30), the Aufenberg brigade was attacked by the French brigade of General Gabriel Molitor and ended up in precarious position. Aufenberg began negotiations for surrender, but Bagration's vanguard arrived to help the Austrians. On the evening of September 19, the advanced units of the Russian troops put to flight the French who attacked Aufenberg. Trying to swim across the small lake Ruten in search of salvation, more than 200 people drowned; On September 20 (October 1), fierce battles took place between Russian and French troops, initially equal in number (about 5-6 thousand people). They ended in the complete defeat of the latter, who suffered heavy losses and were first driven back 6 kilometers to the village of Netshtal. Thus, the path to Glarus was opened to the Russian army. After a stubborn battle, Bagration drove out the French and from there, on the move, captured the village of Nefels on the banks of the river Lint. However, at this time, a fresh division of Gazan approached Molitor, already utterly defeated. The French, having received a significant superiority in forces, occupied Nefels. Counterattack Bagration again knocked them out. Five or six times Nefels passed from hand to hand and remained behind the Russians when Suvorov gave the order to Bagration to retreat to Netstal in order to avoid unnecessary losses. On the evening of September 20, the main forces of the Russian army concentrated at Glarus. While Bagration was clearing the way for the main forces of the Russian army, fighting between the rearguard of A. Rosenberg and the troops of Andre Massena. Happened here biggest battle Swiss trip.
On September 19, 10,000 French troops attacked a Russian rearguard of 4,000 men. The French were stopped by the troops of the first line under the command of Maxim Rebinder. With the arrival of three regiments of the second line under the command of Mikhail Miloradovich, the Russian troops launched a counterattack, overturned the French and pursued them for more than 5 km to Schwyz, where the pursuit was stopped by order of Miloradovich. At night, the last packs descended into the valley, followed by 3 regiments of infantry. Rosenberg's forces increased to 7,000 men. With these forces, Rosenberg retreated to the eastern part of the valley for 3 kilometers, preparing to give the enemy decisive battle. The next day, Massena, in turn, decided to strike a decisive blow, in which he intended to use all the forces he had - about 15 thousand people. On September 20, the French, having put forward a dense rifle chain, launched an offensive in three columns along both banks of the Mouten River. A skirmish began between the advanced units of the Russian and French troops. Russian units began to retreat. Behind them moved the bulk of the French troops. Unexpectedly for the French, Miloradovich spread the vanguard in both directions along the slopes and the French columns found themselves in front of the main forces of Rosenberg, hidden in vineyards across the entire width of the valley. Russian troops were built in two three-rank lines, at a distance of about 300 meters from each other, with cavalry on the flanks. In reserve were the regiments of Ferster and Wielicki.
An attack by Russian troops followed. According to eyewitnesses, the stunned French did nothing for a minute, then opened rifle fire. However, Russian troops were rapidly approaching the enemy. A general hand-to-hand fight began in the Muten Valley. The Russian troops were advancing so furiously that some battalions of the second line were ahead of the first in order to get to the enemy. The battle escalated into the extermination of the French troops. Non-commissioned officer Ivan Makhotin got to Andre Massena, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him off his horse. A French officer rushed to the aid of the commander. While Makhotin, turning to the attacker, hit him with a bayonet, Massena managed to escape, leaving in the hands of the Suvorov warrior a golden epaulette, identified by the captured General La Kurk and presented to Suvorov. The French troops panicked and fled. Pursued by the Cossacks, entire crowds surrendered. The French suffered a crushing defeat. From 3 to 6 thousand died, 1200 people were captured, including General La Kurk, a banner and 7 guns were captured. Russian troops lost about 700 people killed and wounded. Rosenberg's victory was decisive for the successful completion of the campaign. Shaken by defeat and barely escaping himself, Massena did not dare to launch a new offensive from Schwyz.
From the "History of the Russian Army":
The 69th Ryazan Infantry Regiment, which took the banner in the Mutenskaya Valley, for some reason did not receive an inscription on its banners. This regiment was led by a brilliant 23-year-old commander, Major General Count Kamensky 2nd, who at the same time was the chief (inspector) of the Arkhangelsk Musketeer Regiment. This campaign was an excellent military school for the young Kamensky. Suvorov wrote to his father-field marshal (his colleague in Kozludzha): “Your young son- the old general.
At this time, the main forces of the Russian army were resting, gathering strength for a new campaign. Upon arrival in Glarus, Suvorov saw that he had disappeared last hope for the help and assistance of the Austrians. The general left the Linth valley for no reason and retreated to the Graubünden. On September 21 (October 2), Aufenberg separated from Suvorov and retreated behind Linken. Suvorov, left to his own forces, decided to turn south and withdraw his troops free from the enemy, but by the hard way through Schwanden, Elm, (Paniks), to the Rhine valley. This decision was made on 23 September at the new military council in Glarus. It considered two possibilities: to advance on Nefels and move on Ilanz. However, a day before the military council, Suvorov sent the Austrian garrison in Ilanz to prepare provisions for 2 days, which indicates in advance decision. From September 22 to 23 (October 4), Rosenberg joined Suvorov with prisoners and trophies.
The movement of the Russian army from Glarus to Ilanz - Chur and exit from Switzerland. The return of the army to Russia[ | ]
The army set off on the night of September 23-24 (October 5). The vanguard was led by M. Miloradovich, followed by the troops of A. Rozenberg and V. Derfelden, in the rear guard was P. Bagration, who repeatedly threw back the enemy who tried to attack from the rear. The march continued until dusk. After midnight on September 25 (October 6), the Russian troops, no longer pursued by the enemy, again set off through the Ringenkopf pass (Paniks, 2,407 meters). This was the last, most difficult mountain crossing. The seriously wounded had to be left behind. The troops moved along a winding path that allowed movement only alone, in dense fog, with snow and strong wind who fell off his feet. The snow cover reached a depth of half a meter. The number of Russian soldiers who died during this transition reached two hundred. 300 packs were lost. French prisoners were in the most tragic situation. More than a thousand prisoners taken by the troops of Rosenberg, since September 20, went without boots taken from them by the Russians, whose boots were completely worn out after crossing the Rosshtok ridge. About 1,400 prisoners reached Kura, the same number crashed on the way, froze and died from exhaustion. All the guns had to be thrown into the abyss. The whole army spent the night at the pass. The descent from it on September 26 (October 7) was even more difficult than the ascent. But even under these conditions, the very idea of getting rid of French prisoners seemed blasphemous to Suvorov. On the evening of September 26, Russian troops reached Ilanets, and on September 27 (October 8) - the city of Chur, where the entire army received warmth, bread, meat and vodka portions for the first time since the beginning of the passage through the Paniks.
Suvorov's Swiss campaign ended with his arrival in Chur.
In Kura, the army rested for two days, recuperating. On October 1 (12), the troops camped near the village of Altenstadt (German), near Feldkirch. From there, on October 3 (14), Suvorov wrote a report to Paul I about the Swiss campaign. In Feldkirch, the Russian army regained its field artillery, which was sent in a roundabout way from Italy through Austria. On October 5 (16) Suvorov arrived in Lindau. On October 8 (19) there was a connection between the troops of Suvorov and A. Rimsky-Korsakov (the latter brought about half the forces of his corps, 10 thousand infantry and 3 thousand cavalry). On the same day, Suvorov transferred his troops to Bavaria and placed them in winter quarters between the rivers Iller and Lech, waiting for orders from the Russian emperor in response to reports sent by him about a campaign in Switzerland. Attempts by the Austrian side to prevent Russia's withdrawal from the coalition, which included the belated awarding of Suvorov with the Order of Maria Theresa, 1st Class, had no effect on Suvorov. Archduke Charles, who reminded Suvorov of the duties of a "sincere and faithful ally", and tried to convince him to continue joint military operations, Suvorov replied: " I sent a courier to Petersburg, took my army to rest and will not do anything without the order of my sovereign» The events in Switzerland convinced Paul I of the impossibility of joint actions with the Austrians. On October 11 (22), he sent two rescripts to Suvorov, in which he informed him of the break in the alliance with the Austrians and ordered him to prepare the army for the return to Russia. The rescripts were accompanied by a copy of a letter from Paul I to Emperor Francis I:
« Seeing from this that My troops have been abandoned at the sacrifice of the enemy by that ally on whom I relied more than on all others, seeing that his policy is completely opposite to My views and that the salvation of Europe has been sacrificed to the desire to expand Your Monarchy, having, moreover, many reasons to be dissatisfied with the duplicitous and insidious behavior of your ministry ... I ... now declare that from now on I will cease to care about your benefits and will attend to my own interests and other allies. I stop acting in concert with Your Imperial Majesty.»
On November 15 (26), the Russian army moved from Augsburg to Russia. At this time, under the influence of England, Paul I was inclined to reconsider the break with the Austrians, on the condition that Austria fulfill a number of political demands of Russia. By a rescript of November 20 (December 1), Paul I ordered Suvorov to camp in the area where he would receive this order. Suvorov, having received an order from Paul I in Bavaria, continued, however, the movement and stopped in Bohemia in early December due to difficulties in supplying food to the army in Bavaria. Finally, on January 14 (25), 1800, the Russian army set out for Russia. On February 3 (15) in Krakow, Suvorov surrendered command of the army to Rosenberg and left for Kobrin. The Russian army returned to Russia in March 1800.
Reasons for reaching the goal[ | ]
Suvorov's Swiss campaign, which aimed to defeat the French army in Switzerland together with the troops of Alexander Rimsky-Korsakov and Friedrich von Gotze, did not achieve its goal due to circumstances beyond Suvorov's control.
Not only the military of that time, but also the general public of Europe saw the reason for the failure of the Swiss campaign in the actions of the Austrians. Stendhal wrote: The great Suvorov came to Italy only 4 years later[after Archduke Karl fought there in 1795] and the petty squabbles of the Austrians prevented him from penetrating into France» . Napoleon made the same remark: the loss of Switzerland and the defeat of Korsakov were the result of an erroneous maneuver of the Archduke» Even with the departure of Charles's army from Switzerland, the French were in a very difficult situation. Napoleon clearly stated this: he(i.e. Andre Massena]) saved the republic by winning the battle of Zurich» . Thus, in the current situation for the French, the only way to save the army (and at the same time, as Napoleon believed, the whole of France) was to prevent the connection of Suvorov with Rimsky-Korsakov, which could be followed by the defeat of the main forces of the French in Switzerland. However, Massena, who attacked Rimsky-Korsakov on September 14 (25), could not do anything 6 days before, when Suvorov, according to his original plan, was to interact with Rimsky-Korsakov, because: preparations for the complex forcing of the Limmat River took a long time and were finished before the actual battle; earlier, Massena could not begin preparations for the battle, since the arrival of Suvorov's army in Switzerland through St. Gotthard was not expected by the enemy and came as a complete surprise to him; in the period of the offensive against Rimsky-Korsakov, Massena was guided only by the instructions of the Directory, which wanted to expel the allies from Switzerland and strengthen the Army of the Rhine with part of Massena's troops.
Suvorov, who did not intend to fight in Switzerland and was unfamiliar with the topography of the new theater of operations, while preparing a campaign plan in Asti, summoned the officers of the Austrian General Staff. “He said that the entire disposition was compiled by one Austrian officer, who was with him ...” . “Of the nine Austrian officers who arrived at Suvorov, the senior was a lieutenant colonel in Northern Italy (Weyrother served as quartermaster general of the headquarters, that is, chief of staff of the army); 1800 - Archduke Johann's army offensive plan, devised by his chief of staff, Colonel Weyrother, leads to the defeat of the Austrians at Hohenlinden; 1805 - the difficult maneuvering of the Russian-Austrian army near Austerlitz ended in disaster. The plan for this movement was imposed on the commander-in-chief Kutuzov through Alexander I, who was with the army. The author of the plan was Major General Weyrother. According to V. Lopatin, this series of catastrophes “cannot be explained by the pedantry of an armchair strategist who did not understand the essence of military art. An impartial researcher has the right to raise the question of Weyrother's direct complicity with the enemy. In favor of the assumption of Weyrother's double game, the following detail speaks: "It was Weyrother who negotiated the supply of mules to the Tavern." Direct documentary evidence of Weyrother's betrayal, however, does not exist.
Thus, due to the lack of energy (and, possibly, betrayal) of the Austrians, Suvorov's Swiss campaign did not achieve its goal and underwent major changes compared to the original plan. Although Suvorov single-handedly defeated first the enemy’s right wing under the command of J. Lecourba, who defended himself in practically impregnable positions, and then the enemy’s center under the command of Andre Massena, the defeat of the 70,000th French army and the cleansing of Switzerland from French troops were not achieved.
Results and assessment [ | ]
The Swiss campaign was highly appreciated by both contemporaries and later researchers. According to F. Engels estimated in the following way: “The Archduke, before his departure, had to use his clear superiority of forces to utterly defeat Massena. The fact that he did not do this is more than caution, it is cowardice! . However, in Russian studies it is noted that when describing the battle in the Mutenskaya Valley, he mentioned a thousand French prisoners, without saying that the French suffered most of the losses in the battle killed and silently saying that a French general was taken prisoner.
The largest researcher of the Swiss campaign D. Milyutin estimates the total losses of Suvorov in the Swiss campaign at 5100 people, of which 1600 died, including those who crashed during the transitions, and 980 wounded left in Switzerland, out of 21,000 who went on the campaign. Thus, more than 3/4 of the troops left the encirclement. The losses suffered by the French army are not precisely determined, but, obviously, they were significantly higher than Suvorov's losses. Only their losses in the battle in the Muten Valley were comparable to total losses Suvorov. Suvorov himself believed that the French had suffered four times as many losses. 2818 soldiers and officers of the French army were taken prisoner. Since the time when the Russian army, having descended into the Muten valley, found itself in a critical situation, Suvorov's actions were aimed primarily at withdrawing the army from encirclement, and not at defeating the enemy. In accordance with his order, given at the council in the Muten Valley, the pursuit of the defeated troops of Massena on September 20 continued only as far as Schwyz. Suvorov did not want to stretch the army so that Rosenberg would spend less time joining the main forces.
Suvorov's Swiss campaign was one of the largest military events of its time in the mountain theater of operations in terms of its scope and duration. “The Swiss campaign of the Russian army is a classic example of warfare in a mountain theater of operations. He became the crown of military glory of the commander, the apotheosis of the victories of Russian weapons.
For the Swiss campaign, Suvorov was elevated to the rank of Generalissimo on October 28 (November 8) and was ordered to erect a monument to him in St. Petersburg.
“Winning everywhere and throughout our life the enemies of the fatherland,” wrote Paul I, “you lacked one kind of glory - to overcome nature itself. But you have now gained the upper hand over her too ... Rewarding you according to the extent of My gratitude and placing on highest degree granted honor and heroism, I am sure that I am erecting on him the most famous commander of this and other centuries ”is a stone block (“Suvorov Stone”), on which the inscription in Latin “1806 Suvorovii victoriis” (“Suvorov's Victory”) is made. It is believed that she was carved locals who bears all the costs. The prince's initial initiative to create a monument to Suvorov was rejected by the Swiss authorities on the grounds that the monument to the Russian commander would commemorate the passage of foreign troops through Switzerland. However, the Swiss government did not object to the creation of a monument to Russian soldiers who died in the Swiss campaign. At the same time, the community, without notifying the Swiss authorities, decided to cede to Russia free of charge land plot for the construction of the monument. Since then, the rock in which the monument is carved, a small platform in front of it and the path leading to the monument have been Russian territory. The construction of the monument lasted 3 years. Speaking at the opening, the colonel of the Swiss army declared that the Swiss would "sacred this cross and that no one would violate its shrine, for no one would pass through St. Gotthard anymore."
The stay of the allied army under the command of Suvorov and the battle with the French to this day is one of the most significant events in the history of Muotatal. In memory of him, various events are organized for tourists (hikes, lectures, etc.). The name of Suvorov is one of the halls of the restaurant "Poststübli" at the local hotel "Gasthaus Post", where guests are offered the so-called "Russian dinners" of three courses]
Brief historiography[ | ]
The initial sources for studying the Swiss campaign are orders, reports, reports and letters of Suvorov, the scientific publication of which began in the second half of the 19th century and was completed in the 1950s with the publication of a four-volume collection of Suvorov documents edited by G. P. Meshcheryakov. The 4th volume of this collection is devoted to the documents of 1799, in which the campaign took place. French documents related to the Swiss campaign began to be published much later, already at the beginning of the 20th century. Napoleon in short description The Swiss campaign suggested that A. Massena, knowing about the plans of the allies, ahead of them (later Minister of War and reformer of the Russian army) “History of the war of 1799 between. This work is often used for a modern description of the Swiss campaign in further Russian scientific publications, including the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron (articles: Suvorov's Swiss campaign; Saint Gotthard; Mutten Valley "), the works of A. F. Petrushevsky, I. I. Rostunova and others.
Heading to Switzerland, Suvorov developed a bold plan, according to which the Russian army was to give a general battle to the French as soon as possible. Thus, the commander hoped to break all resistance in Switzerland with one strong blow. But Suvorov's Swiss campaign developed differently. The reason for this was the Austrians, who betrayed Russia and did not fulfill their obligations. Under the terms of the union treaty, the Austrians were to prepare provisions and pack animals for transportation for the Russian army in the city of Taverna. On September 4, 1799, a Russian general approached the Taverno. There was nothing in the city. As a result, Suvorov himself had to search for animals to transport equipment, as well as to search for food. Five whole days were spent on these preparatory works. It would seem that this is a short period, but here one should make a reservation that the entire Swiss campaign of Suvorov lasted only seventeen days.
On September 10, Suvorov with his army was already at the fortress of St. Gotthard. This fortress was occupied by the French army, numbering 8.5 thousand people. It is necessary to note the fact that Russian army never fought in the mountains. The Russian general also had no experience of military operations in the mountains. However, on the morning of September 13, Russian troops stormed the fortress. By noon, the fortress had fallen. The next stopping place for Russian troops, according to the plan of the allies, was the town of Altdorf. Russian troops were already there on September 15th. But there Suvorov was waiting for the main surprise of his entire Swiss company. There was no further road. Moreover, the French did not destroy it, or it was not overwhelmed by a mountain collapse. There just never was a road. And on the maps provided by the allies, there was a road. As a result, Suvorov's Swiss campaign could turn into a tragedy for the Russian army. Hungry troops fought their way to the place from where there was no further road. It was pointless to retreat, since only one road led back, along which the Russians had already passed, and food was no longer found there. It is also impossible to cross Lake Lucerne, since the entire fleet was controlled by the French (the Austrians left Switzerland). Suvorov then decided to go to the Muotensk valley, through the Rostock ridge. There the Russian army was to link up with additional Russian forces, Rimsky-Korsakov's units. The Austrians, according to the original plan of the Allies, were supposed to defend Russian troops until they are fully connected. But the army was already betrayed by the allies: hungry and frozen, they made a deadly passage through the Alps, and Rimsky-Korsakov's troops near Zurich stumbled upon the French, who outnumbered the Russians many times over. As a result of two weeks of fighting, General Rimskoy-Korsakov was defeated in the battle.
Arriving in Moutensk, Suvorov received news of the annihilation of Rimsky-Korsakov's army. The situation was critical. The Russians were surrounded by the French, without food and with limited ammunition. It was no longer a question of fulfilling the union's duty. The Swiss campaign of Suvorov was completed, it was necessary to think only about saving the army. Suvorov decided to make the most difficult crossing of the Alps, since this was the only way to bypass the French units. The Russians crossed the Ringenkopf mountain range. From there, the general led his troops to Ilanz. On September 27, the Russian army left Switzerland, retreating to Germany. After that, Suvorov returned to Russia with the army. The commander lost almost a third of his army in this campaign, but even in such a situation he managed to bring 1.5 thousand French prisoners.
Paul 1, having learned about the betrayal of the allies, who did everything to destroy the Russian army, severed all diplomatic relations with Austria and England.
