Fragments from the book
We bring to your attention small, but very interesting excerpts from Nikolai Starikov's book “Betrayed Russia. Our allies from Boris Godunov to Nicholas II”. It rather accurately describes the constant meanness and betrayal that accompanied any contact between the Russians and their European "neighbors". However, the author does not explain why exactly all those whom he calls the British, Austrians, French, etc., treated the Russians in this way? He did not dare to say what the Russian general, Count Artemy Cherep-Spiridovich wrote about at the beginning of the last century in the book “The Hidden Hand. Secret World Government. " The author may have understood, but did not dare to write about Zionism, about the Jewish financial mafia, which for many centuries has been doing everything possible to destroy the white population of the planet; constantly pitting everyone, organizing all wars and revolutions, all armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and betrayals. So far, only Academician Nikolai Levashov has dared to write about this openly in his famous book "Russia in Crooked Mirrors".
Like any state with a long history, Russia has vast experience in military and diplomatic alliances. In a severe struggle for a place under the sun on the political map of the world, our state entered into coalitions, participated in wars, step by step pushing the boundaries of the empire and repelling external aggressors.
But as soon as you look closely at Russia's relations with its partners and comrades-in-arms, step by step, gradually, a picture of incredible and constant betrayal opens up! All our allies have always cheated on us at the earliest opportunity! Yes, what is there - they themselves created these opportunities!
In response to this, Russia, as if with some kind of veil in its eyes, continued to fight and help, save and create, paying for these gifts with the blood of its sons. And so - from year to year, from century to century. In response to our help - again incredible ingratitude and outright betrayal. This vicious circle continues to this day, and it does not see either end or edge.
Allies of Russia have always betrayed her. And there are no exceptions to this rule - this is how all our military and political "friends" behaved. Therefore, starting from this page, we will put the word "ally" in quotation marks, because this is the only way it will correspond to the truth.
Why are we talking about things that are long gone today? So after all, today our country has "faithful" friends and partners, and until we understand how they behaved before, we will not be able to appreciate their current cunning.
The recipes for Russia's future victories lie in understanding past defeats!
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In February 1799, Paul I appointed Field Marshal Suvorov as commander-in-chief of the Russian troops sent to Italy. Paul went to meet the requests of the "allies", although he himself was with the renowned commander in a cool relationship. We must pay tribute to the emperor - he managed to step on his own pride and make the only right decision. It is in this campaign that Suvorov will show his best qualities, and, no doubt, will save the honor of the Russian army. While our seventy-year-old hero leaves his estate Konchanskoye and goes to the troops, we will tell you more about him. By God, he deserved it!
Suvorov Alexander Vasilyevich, who bore the titles: Count of Rymnik, His Serene Highness Prince of Italy, Count of the Russian and Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, the Sardinian kingdom, the Grand and Prince of royal blood, was born on November 13, 1729 in Moscow.
For his more than 50 years of military service, he was awarded the highest Russian and foreign orders: St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, St. George 1st degree. St. Vladimir 1st degree. St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Anna 1st degree. St. John of Jerusalem Great Cross, Austrian Maria Teresa 1st class, Prussian Black Eagle, Red Eagle and "For Dignity", Sardinian Annunciation and St. Maurice and Lazarus, Bavarian St. Hubert and Golden Lion, French Kamelskaya Mother of God and St. Lazarus, Polish White Eagle and St. Stanislaus.
This listing is simply delightful, and after all, he received all these awards for real victories! Born into a nobleman's family (his father was a general in the Russian army), Suvorov was one of the most educated military leaders of the 18th century; he knew mathematics, philosophy, history, spoke German, French, Italian, Polish, Turkish, as well as a little Arabic, Persian and Finnish; knew the fortification perfectly.
The culmination of his brilliant military career was the Italian and Swiss campaigns. Thanks to the direct betrayal of our "allies", Suvorov was forced to simply work miracles. Having assumed command of the allied Russian-Austrian troops in Italy (86 thousand people) on April 4, 1799, Suvorov headed west. With part of his forces, he blocked the city of Mantua, and he himself, with 43 thousand people. moved towards the French army.
On April 15, the Russian-Austrian troops approached the Adda River, on the opposite bank of which the army of General Moro (28 thousand people) was located. Crossing a water obstacle in front of an experienced strong enemy is one of the most difficult tasks for any commander. Suvorov did not have much experience.
Early in the morning, a detachment under the command of General Bagration inflicted a diversionary blow on the left flank of the French. Under cover of this maneuver, the next day, the main forces of the allied army crossed the river in the central direction. The French fought desperately, but having lost 7, 5 thousand people, they were forced to retreat. Despite the fact that he was advancing, Suvorov's losses amounted to only 2, 5 thousand people. A truly brilliant victory!
Having abandoned the siege of the large fortress of Mantua, on which the Austrians insisted, Suvorov invaded Piedmont and took possession of Milan and Turin. Meanwhile, located in the south of Italy, another French army (35 thousand people) hastily moved north to help the defeated Moro. These troops were commanded by General MacDonald, an ethnic Scotsman, about whom Napoleon later said: "You can only trust him until the moment he hears the first sounds of bagpipes." But, as you know, bagpipes are by no means a Russian national instrument, and therefore he was just right to fight Suvorov.
The attitude of our commander towards his soldiers is widely known. For his care, they answered him with love. The word "ally" was also not an empty phrase for Suvorov. When MacDonald approached and unexpectedly attacked the Austrian detachment of General Ott, Suvorov immediately rushed to help. In the heat of summer, Russian soldiers had to run (!) In order to make it to the place of the battle.
Having overcome over 60 km in 38 hours, Suvorov with 30 thousand of his soldiers arrived in time. The advanced Russian units immediately entered the battle and pushed the troops of MacDonald, who did not expect such a swift approach of the Russian army. The next day, Suvorov, despite the weariness of the troops by the difficult transition, the first began an attack on the superior forces of the French. By the end of the day, which was in stubborn fighting, the French were pushed back to the Trebbia River. In some places on the banks of the river, the battle continued until 11 o'clock at night, turning into hand-to-hand combat.
The next day, on the morning of June 8, 1799, MacDonald decided to seize the initiative. Taking advantage of the numerical superiority, the French began to crowd out the Russian regiments. The most critical moment of the battle has come. Suvorov did not react to the statements of his generals about the impossibility of restraining the French. At the most critical moment, the 70-year-old commander himself jumped on a horse and rode in one shirt to the position to cheer up his miraculous heroes. Encouraged by the appearance of Suvorov in their ranks, the soldiers launched a counterattack. The French could not resist and retreated to their original positions.
By nightfall, the battle died down. In the meantime, Suvorov was informed that in his rear there were already mounted patrols of Moreau's army, which was in a hurry to help MacDonald. The threat of encirclement loomed in front of the Suvorov army. Then the field marshal decided in the morning to decisively attack MacDonald in order to inflict a final defeat on him and prevent him from joining the Moreau army. But the troops of MacDonald, who lost half of the entire army (16 thousand people), could not continue the battle. The wounded MacDonald, not believing in her success, gave the order to retreat. The allies lost 6 thousand people. - the ratio of losses is again in favor of the Russian commander.
The genius and perseverance of Suvorov, the courage of the soldiers bestow success on Russian weapons. There comes a final turning point in the course of the entire campaign. MacDonald with the remnants of the troops is locked in Genoa, which is blocked from the sea by the English Admiral Nelson. The Royal Neapolitan Army, supported by a Russian detachment under the command of Captain 2nd Rank G. G. Belli takes Naples. The war seemed to be won. Suvorov proposes to finish off the French in the Genoa region and start an invasion of France and thereby end the campaign victoriously.
But the Austrian leadership had other plans. It proposed first to seize the fortresses that remained in Italy, in which the French garrisons settled. The Russian commander did not hide his indignation: "Everywhere there is an ignorant gofkriegsrat, a timid cabinet, the habit of being beaten is ineradicable … The local conquests are not according to their rules, how they got used to losing everything until the Vienna gates …" - wrote the famous commander.
The situation in France resembles a panic. The fruits of Napoleon's 1796 campaign are lost in two months. It smelled like a military catastrophe and, as always happens in such cases, the power begins to slip out of the hands of the weak in order to fall at the feet of the strong. Collective body of government of the French Republic - The Directory begins to reduce its membership. The number of directors is reduced from five to three. However, it becomes clear to everyone that this does not change anything and only one decisive person can stop the impending catastrophe. All that remained was to find him.
Of the hero-generals available, 27-year-old Joubert, a participant in the Napoleonic Italian campaign, is most suitable for the role of the savior of the Fatherland. However, General Barthélemy-Catherine Joubert is not as popular with the army and the people as necessary. A military victory can give him the glory he lacks. On July 6, he is appointed commander-in-chief and, using the respite kindly provided by the Austrians, re-forms the army.
Meanwhile, Suvorov occupies all of northern Italy, except for besieged Genoa. The French are in a hurry. General Joubert, at the head of the 38,000th army, moved forward. Reaching the town of Novi, the French general saw a 65,000-strong Allied army on the plain. History has left us with a joke on this occasion by Suvorov: "Young Joubert came to study - we will give him a lesson!" Realizing that the force was not on his side, the French commander took a strong natural position in the foothills.
Suvorov realized that he would not be able to lure Joubert to the plain. Then the Russian commander decided to attack himself: on August 4, 1799, the Russians launched an assault on the fortified French positions. At the very beginning of the battle, General Joubert was mortally wounded. He will be buried in Paris with great honors, but he is not destined to rule France! General Moreau, who replaced the killed, decided to hold out, hoping for the courage of his soldiers and the strength of the positions.
The stubborn battle lasted seven hours, and its outcome remained unclear. Indeed, the French soldiers on this day showed miracles of courage, repelling blow after blow. It was a terrible heat, and both armies simply collapsed from exhaustion, having exhausted all reserves. But the Russians were stronger. At six o'clock in the evening Moreau gave the order to retreat, but soon the retreat turned into a flight. By eight o'clock, the battle ended with a complete thunderbolt of the French. The losses of the allied army amounted to 6, 5 thousand people. The French lost 11 thousand people. (of which about 5 thousand were prisoners).
Due to the great weariness of the soldiers and the coming night, the allies did not pursue the French troops, which managed to retreat to Genoa. The final defeat of Moreau was only a matter of time, and this opened an almost free path for the allies to southern France. In the north of Italy, after the arrival of the Chichagov and Popham squadrons to the Anglo-Russian fleet, active operations intensified. A joint Anglo-Russian landing is landing. However, he does not receive the necessary support and the offensive is losing momentum.
The protagonist of all Napoleonic wars, Napoleon himself was in Egypt at that time. General Bonaparte was at the very beginning of his fantastic career, but his instinct quite rightly told him where the main danger for France came from. England can be forced to stop hostile actions only by inflicting a powerful blow on it. Napoleon is engaged in the search for a land route to India, having gone to distant Egypt. The British, who provided maximum support to the Mamelukes who ruled Egypt, are well aware of this. The British fleet at the Battle of Aboukir crushes the French squadron and cuts off the way back for Bonaparte's armies.
Learning about the unfavorable development of hostilities and realizing that he would not save France from distant Egypt, Napoleon transfers command of the army to General Kleber, gets on a ship and hastily sailed home. Fortunately, you can take advantage of the moment when the English fleet blocks Genoa and a small ship can slip through the battle formations of British ships.
At the end of September, Russian troops achieve new victories: the Russian army occupies Rome, and the squadron under the command of Admiral Ushakov occupies the Ionian Islands. The French are hastily retreating from Holland, all strategic points have been lost in the Mediterranean, and their garrisons in Italy are beginning to surrender. Again France is on the verge of ruin. And her savior is near! On October 9, the "magician" Bonaparte arrives in France and begins his triumphal journey to the capital. He is the last of the generals who did not know defeat, the last hope of France. He arrives in Paris a week later. Later, Suvorov was very sad that he did not have to fight with Napoleon himself, but history judged that.
The Russian generalissimo intended, after a short rest, to move Russian troops to France, go through it with battles and capture revolutionary Paris. However, England and Austria do not like the increased influence of Russia, the "allies" are beginning to fear that in case of success, Italy will remain with us. While Russian troops were crushing the Kazan kingdom, this did not really disturb Europe. But when Peter crushed Sweden and seized the coast of the northern seas, and declared his kingdom to empires, Europe began to worry.
When Catherine in a number of Turkish wars seized vast territories, provided access to the southern seas, where shipyards for warships were hastily built, then in European courts they began to fear us. And then there is Suvorov's brilliant troops, which have nothing to oppose, in the very heart of Europe - in Italy! Of course, the Russian troops have never gone so far before. According to V. O. Klyuchevsky, Suvorov's Italian campaign is "Russia's most brilliant exit on the European stage."
But the Russians were clearly superfluous on this "stage". With the help of Suvorov's miracle heroes, Austria recaptured Northern Italy from France, and then, having ceased to need the Russians, decided to get rid of them. Words about an allied duty, about simple decency, have never played any role for our "allies". By the end of the Italian campaign, the Austrian command had already reached the point that it began not only to challenge, but also to cancel the orders of Suvorov, to whom all allied forces were subordinate. Now the commander was charged with the obligation to report to Vienna on each of his decisions, and only after their approval by the Austrian Military Council did he get the opportunity to act.
Russian regiments were stationed at the southern borders of the French Republic, this was a unique opportunity to end the Napoleonic Wars not in 1814, but fifteen years earlier! And who knows how much blood and suffering Europe could have avoided if the allies had accepted the Suvorov version of the campaign. But at that moment the main enemy of our "allies" was no longer France, but the Russian army of Field Marshal Suvorov.
So we come close to answering the question in the title of this chapter. Why Suvorov went to the Alps? Because our "allies" England and Austria decided to send the Russian army to certain death, creating all the conditions so that not a single Russian soldier from this campaign would return!
Contrary to the strategic plan for a further offensive on Grenoble-Lyon-Paris, the Austrian government obtained from Paul I the transfer of troops to liberate Switzerland.
“They drove me to Switzerland to be destroyed there,” wrote Suvorov, who knew perfectly well what was behind such an unexpected turn. And - the truth. The study of Suvorov's Alpine adventures clearly convinces that the "allies" did everything in their power to kill the Russian army. And only the genius of Suvorov was able to overcome all the intrigues of our "friends".
After the amendments made by the Austrian command, the following action plan was adopted: the Austrian army of Archduke Charles is transferred from Switzerland to the Rhine, besieges Mainz, occupies Belgium and establishes contact with the Anglo-Russian corps in Holland. Troops under the command of Suvorov are being transferred from Italy to Switzerland. The Russian corps of General A. M. Rimsky-Korsakov and the corps of French emigrants serving in the Russian army under the command of Prince L.-J … De Conde are sent there, after which all these forces under the command of Suvorov invade France.
Surprisingly, Paul I agreed to this plan, apparently he still had a poor idea of who he was dealing with. However, having agreed to it, the Russian emperor nevertheless demanded, before the arrival of Suvorov, to clear Switzerland of French troops by the forces of the Austrians. Naturally, he was promised this and, naturally, they did not.
Switzerland at that time was far from its current well-being and tranquility. As an independent state, it has received international recognition since 1643. In 1798, French troops entered the country, singing the Marseillaise, written by Rouget de Lille. After a rapid occupation, the formation of the Helvetic Republic was proclaimed, one of the puppet artificial formations, which, like a cordon sanitaire, surrounded itself by revolutionary France. Very quickly, the arbitrariness and predation of the agents of the republic aroused the indignation of the Swiss; the aristocracy gained the upper hand in the country, and the Swiss became the fiercest enemies of France.
There was no point in liberating Switzerland under these conditions. The key to her liberation lay next to the keys to Paris, and the defeat of the revolutionary armies of France meant the automatic fall of all its satellites. So it will happen later, after the defeat of Napoleon. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized the independence and eternal neutrality of Switzerland, giving this sympathetic country the kind of prosperity and satiety by which we know it today.
For the Swiss campaign, Suvorov developed a plan, as decisive and impetuous as ever. The Russian commander chose the shortest and most difficult path in order to crush the main grouping of the enemy. To achieve, in the shortest possible time, the victorious conclusion of the Swiss campaign by decisive actions of all forces from various directions - this is the essence of Suvorov's strategic plan. For all troops operating in three directions, routes were established and, most importantly, the timing of the offensive.
And we can rest assured that if it had not been for the betrayal of the Austrians, the French army would have been defeated again. It is not Alexander Vasilyevich's fault that events unfolded differently. The entire Swiss campaign is one brilliant Suvorov improvisation. These are seventeen days, which consisted of a continuous series of large and small battles, large and small exploits of Russian soldiers.
For speed of movement with him, Suvorov took only 25 mountain guns, field artillery and carts were sent in a different way. Having traveled more than 140 km in five days, on September 4, 1799, Russian troops arrived in the city of Taverno. While still at his headquarters, Suvorov instructed the Austrian quartermaster office to prepare and concentrate the army of pack animals, provisions and fodder before the arrival of the army.
As you may have guessed, Suvorov was in for a "union" surprise - there was nothing on the spot! Five subsequent, precious days were spent collecting the missing ammunition. As a result, Suvorov's strategic plan was thwarted. Five days seems like a short time, but we must remember that the entire Swiss campaign took only seventeen days …
On September 10, the Russian troops who had never fought in the mountains (!) Approached the impregnable Saint Gotthard, occupied by 8, 5 thousand French troops. On September 13, Suvorov attacked the pass with his main forces. Two attacks were repulsed, but during the third attack, the detachment of General Bagration went to the rear of the French positions. By noon, after a heavy battle, Suvorov climbed to Saint Gotthard. On September 14, the French tried to detain the Russian troops at the Ursern-Loch tunnel, which was about 65 meters long and about 3 in diameter, made in the mountains.
Immediately after the exit from it, the road, overhanging a huge cornice over the abyss, abruptly descended to the "Devil's Bridge". (It is there that the monument to Suvorov's miracle heroes stands today.) This bridge, thrown across a deep gorge, connected the north of Italy and the southern borders of the German lands with a thin thread. Over the gorge from the opposite side hung the Devil's Stone, from which both the exit from the tunnel and the bridge itself could be seen and shot through. By the time Suvorov approached, the French had only partially destroyed the bridge. The Russians, dismantling a nearby wooden structure under enemy fire, tying the logs and hastily rebuilding the bridge, rushed to the opposite bank. Unable to withstand the onslaught, the French retreated.
On September 15, the frozen and hungry troops of Suvorov arrived in the town of Altdorf. There a new surprise awaited them. It turned out that there is no further way from here! It was not destroyed by the French, it was not destroyed by a landslide - it never existed, the Austrian command just forgot to inform the Russians about it! We just forgot!
What can be meaner than this outright betrayal ?! The Russian army is fighting its way to where there is no further road! And through Lake Lucerne, it was also impossible to cross, since all the ships had already been captured by the enemy. (The Austrian army is gone!).
Suvorov never climbed into his pocket for a word, but what words at that moment he covered his "allies", we can only guess! Further, our commander decided to move through the Rostock ridge and the Muoten Valley. Even with modern mountaineering equipment, the path of Suvorov's troops causes difficulties, but what can we say about the frozen soldiers, who, in addition to all their ammunition, have to drag horses, guns and wounded comrades! Russian soldiers endured everything - they covered the difficult 18-km path to the Muoten Valley in two days. But, having descended into it, the Russians found themselves on the edge of an abyss …
The fact is that according to a previously approved plan, Suvorov made his way through the mountains to meet fresh troops from Russia. But first, the corps under the command of General Rimsky-Korsakov, going to join with Suvorov, was sent to join the units of Archduke Karl. It was the Austrians of the unit who were supposed to secure the Russian troops until they were completely united from sudden attacks.
Not only did the Austrians not clear the country from the French, despite the promises to Paul I, the Austrian command still began to withdraw the archduke's army from Switzerland, without warning the Russian command about it. The Austrian commander, by a secret, treacherous decision of the Viennese cabinet, withdrew 36 thousand of his troops and went with them to the Middle Rhine.
The withdrawal of Austrian troops had fatal consequences for the entire Swiss campaign. General Rimsky-Korsakov's corps, approaching Zurich, the place of the appointed meeting, was met by superior French forces instead of the "allies". As a result, despite desperate resistance, he was utterly defeated in a two-day battle.
The news of the death of Rimsky-Korsakov's soldiers was received by Suvorov when he went down to the Muoten Valley. But the troubles did not end there. Here Suvorov received the last gift from the "allies". The complete withdrawal of Austrian detachments from Switzerland, not only led to the defeat of the Russian corps, but also the town of Schwyz, the goal of the Suvorov transition, was now occupied by the French.
Summarize. As a result of a whole chain of betrayals, Suvorov's troops were surrounded without food and with a limited amount of ammunition! All plans were discarded, it was already a matter of simply saving the army. At the council of war, it was decided to break through to the town of Glaris. In the hardest battles with Massena's troops pressing from all sides, the Russian troops managed to get through there. There were no Austrian troops in Glaris either, they had already withdrawn from there.
Then, in order to save the troops, Suvorov decided to retreat to Ilants. After the most difficult crossing over the Ringenkopf ridge, the Russian troops reached the town of Ilants, and from there on September 27 - the Kur region, after which they withdrew to Germany for winter quarters.
The treacherous actions of the Austrian command led to the fact that the losses of the Russian troops amounted to about one third of the available personnel. Before the performance, Suvorov had 21 thousand people, but he brought up to 15 thousand people to Ilants. But even in such a hopeless situation, he managed to bring 1,400 French prisoners.
Pavel I highly appreciated the actions of Suvorov: "Defeating enemies of the Fatherland everywhere and throughout your life, you lacked one thing - to overcome nature itself, but you have now gained the upper hand over it." He was awarded the highest military rank - Generalissimo. Another decree appeared, according to which, even in the presence of the king, the troops were to "give him all military honors, like those given to the person of His Imperial Majesty."
Having received news of the treacherous behavior of the Austrians, Paul I flew into a rage. "These Germans - he said - can demolish, transfer and carry away everything." A storm is playing on the political horizon of Europe. Offended and offended, Pavel orders Suvorov to immediately return with the army to Russia, dissolves the alliance with Austria, recalling his ambassador from Vienna. In the same year, our ambassador from London was recalled for completely similar reasons - the treacherous attitude of the British to the auxiliary Russian corps, which operated against the French in Holland (the Russian corps, which was under British command, literally melted from hunger and disease).
Alas, the severity of the campaign and the years did their job - Generalissimo Suvorov died on his arrival in St. Petersburg on May 6, 1800, never having time to enjoy the well-deserved awards …
The second coalition fell apart. After the actual withdrawal of Russia from the war, neither the Austrians, nor the British, without Russian troops, could not oppose anything to the genius of Napoleon. But if the troops of the Viennese monarchy tried to stop Napoleon by force, the British simply preferred to sit out on their islands, trusting others to fight and die.
Soon after he returned from the Egyptian campaign, Napoleon staged a coup d'état and proclaimed himself first consul. Then he unexpectedly invaded Italy and defeated the Austrians in the battle of the village of Marengo. The Luneville Peace Treaty was signed with Austria, according to which France received Belgium, the left bank of the Rhine and control over all of Northern Italy, where the puppet Italian Republic was created.
When no one wanted to die for British interests, never fighting themselves without extreme need, the islanders concluded in March 1802 the Peace of Amiens between France and England.
Bonaparte was well aware that the participation or non-participation of Russia in the war against France plays a decisive role in the alignment of forces. “France can only have Russia as an ally” - that was his conclusion from the past events. And he actively begins to seek an alliance with Paul I. Bonaparte was ready to pay any price for the sympathies of the Russian tsar.
The Russian emperor, whose resentment and irritation at his treacherous "allies" were so great, gradually began to come to similar thoughts. Paul I knew how to learn from his mistakes. Now he clearly saw that Russia was at war with France for interests absolutely alien to her, and, importantly, she received absolutely nothing for it! The logical conclusion of these considerations was the idea of the need for an alliance between Russia and France.
On July 18, 1800, the French government offered to return to their homeland, free of charge and without any conditions, all Russian prisoners, a total of about 6,000. Moreover, Russian soldiers had to arrive home dressed in new specially sewn uniforms, with new weapons, with their own banners and with all military honors!
It was difficult to think of a more effective gesture. Also, through diplomatic channels, Paul I was informed that France is ready to transfer Malta under the jurisdiction of Russia, and from the British, who are currently besieging it, Napoleonic troops will defend it until it is transferred to its “rightful owner”.
After lengthy hesitation, Paul I decided to stretch out his hand to France, who cut off the head of her king. Therefore, the monarch in exile, Louis XVIII, whose court in exile was located on the territory of Russia, was asked to leave its borders. General Sprengporten, known for his pro-French sentiments, was sent from St. Petersburg to France on a special mission. He was received with the greatest honor. The outlines of a new union slowly began to take shape.
Russia made a sharp turn and began to make friends with yesterday's enemy, against yesterday's friends. Of course, England tried to keep Paul I from taking such a radical step. However, as always, the British wanted to get everything without giving anything in return. Having seized Malta and trampling on the rights of the Order of Malta, instead of giving this island to the Russian emperor, the British offered him to seize … Corsica, from which Napoleon was born.
This was the last straw. Paul I no longer had any doubts. His hatred of the British was now so great that he easily leans towards Bonaparte's idea of a joint campaign in India, then a British colony. According to Napoleon's plan, the 35,000-strong Russian corps was to set out from Astrakhan, cross the Caspian Sea and land in the Persian city of Astrabad. A French corps of the same size from the Rhine army of Moreau was supposed to descend to the mouth of the Danube, cross over to Taganrog, and then move through Tsaritsyn to Astrabad. Further, a joint campaign to India was supposed.
Russia begins full-scale preparations for a battle with the British. The British ships were embargoed, their cargo was confiscated, the crews were arrested and exiled to the inner Russian provinces. And on January 12, 1801, Paul I sent an order to the chieftain of the Donskoy army, Orlov, to march! 41 regiment of Don Cossacks, 500 Kalmyks and 2 companies of horse artillery began to move towards the valleys of the Indus and Ganges.
The appearance in India of the soldiers of the two best European armies could lead to unpredictable consequences. A real alliance between France and Russia threatens to undermine Britain's global hegemony. The answer follows with lightning speed. The British are hastily preparing a conspiracy, now this is the only way to stop the Russian emperor. The main British weapon, gold, is used. The coup is coordinated and organized by the British envoy to Russia, Lord Whitworth.
The goal is to remove the emperor from the Russian throne, who is really threatening English interests, in any way. The coup is being prepared in a terrible hurry - the British embassy mission has already been ordered to get out of Russia! Lord Whitworth himself was taken out of the Russian capital under police protection and made to wait a long time for his passport to be sent at the border. But the deed was done.
Russian crowned heads who dare to encroach on the world hegemony of Great Britain do not live long. On the night of March 11, 1801, the conspirators broke into the chambers of Emperor Paul I, demanding his abdication. When the emperor tried to object and even hit one of them, one of the rebels began to choke him with his scarf, and the other hit him in the temple with a massive snuffbox. It was announced to the people that Paul I had died of apoplectic stroke.
Tsarevich Alexander, who became Emperor Alexander I overnight, did not dare after his accession and touch his father's killers with a finger: neither Palen, nor Bennigsen, nor Zubov, nor Talyzin. The "foreign" origin of the conspiracy against Paul I is also indicated by the fact that his successor immediately after accession to the throne immediately stops the Cossacks who were moving to India right on the march!
The policy of Russia, which sharply deviated under Paul I in the direction of Napoleon, was just as abruptly returned to the usual pro-English channel. On the same days, a bomb exploded in Paris next to Bonaparte's motorcade. Napoleon did not suffer from the assassination attempt. “They missed me in Paris, but hit me in Petersburg,” Napoleon said about the murder of Pavel.
The respite before a new round of wrestling was coming to an end. The British immediately began to assemble a new anti-French coalition, and Napoleon began to prepare for a landing on the British Isles.
A new era began in Russia - the era of Alexander I, who betrayed his own father. Such a beginning did not bode well for the Russian state. After all, behind the back of the new Russian emperor loomed the dark shadows of the British …
