Retreat of the Russian Army and the Manifestos of Alexander I during the "narodnaya voyna" of 1812

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Other Title
  • 一八一二年の退却とアレクサンドル一世の声明 : 「ナロードの戦争」考
  • イチハチイチニネン ノ タイキャク ト アレクサンドル イッセイ ノ セイメイ : 「 ナロード ノ センソウ 」 コウ

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Abstract

This study analyzes the war preparations and manifestos of Alexander I in 1812. During the pre-war period, Alexander I planned to move his forces from the border region to Drissa in Vitebsk Province, where the Russians retreated to after Napoleon's army invaded Russia. After realizing that this plan was infeasible, Alexander I decided to move deeper into the Russian core area without having observed the enemy. Simultaneously, he initiated a "narodnaya voyna" (a national war), for which he relied heavily upon the ethnic Russian nobility to form volunteer corps, and issued manifestos to appeal to traditional Russian and Orthodox values, which he had barely considered until that time. He even encouraged local peasants and townspeople to fight against the enemy without justifying that the "narodnaya voyna" was a people's war. Although Alexander felt compelled to take this action because of the military retreat, after the Napoleonic Army retreated from the Russian core area in November, his attitude changed completely. In December 1812, he recognized the establishment of the St. Petersburg Bible Society, whose ecumenical character was opposed to that of his manifestos created earlier in the year.

Journal

  • Roshiashi kenkyu

    Roshiashi kenkyu 93 (0), 3-24, 2013

    Japanese Society for the Study of Russian History

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