Napoleon invaded the Russian Tsarist Empire with his Grande Armée on June 24, 1812. In September, the capital Moscow burned. A year and a half later, in March 1814, Russian troops and their allies were in Paris. Napoleon was defeated and abdicated. Several bloody campaigns lay in between.
The Livonian Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly was responsible for the ultimately successful warfare of the Russian troops. His contribution to Napoleon's downfall was decisive, but his name fell into oblivion after his death. With his reserved demeanor and Baltic German origins, he was not suited to be a shining national hero.
The Museum of Military History was able to acquire part of Barclay de Tolly's estate in the form of 200 documents and certificates and is presenting a selection in the exhibition. The documents offer a deep insight into the functioning of military staffs at the beginning of the 19th century. Ration lists, maps and marching plans bear witness to the daily planning work, coded secret documents tell of cases of espionage and the correspondence with Napoleon's chief of staff Berthier tells of surprising communication channels. The papers are supplemented by numerous pewter dioramas, historical weapons, medals and uniforms, including the coat of a French marshal.
Price information:
regular: € 5, reduced: € 3 Annual ticket: regular € 15, reduced: € 10