Laurent Coste
Prace Historyczne, Numer 140 (1), 2013, s. 33 - 43
https://doi.org/10.4467/20844069PH.13.003.1042
Polish territories (Warsaw Duchy and the liberated Lithuania) seen through the eyes of the soldiers of the Great Army during the 1812 summer offensive
Thanks to the memoirs and preserved correspondence of around fifteen soldiers of the Napoleonic army (captains, such as Coignet, sergeants such as Bourgogne, and generals such as Rapp or Boulard), we can now reconstruct vividly the image of the Warsaw Duchy and Lithuania at the beginning of the Russian campaign. On the geographical plane, one is struck by the vastness of the country, the harsh climatic conditions and difficulties in travel. Yet these testimonies are imprecise as regards the local population: the soldiers draw attention to a big number of Jews in cities and they emphasize that the emperor did not fully take advantage of the courage of the Polish soldiers. As regards politics, they draw attention to the enthusiasm of the Poles, but also to their disappointment with Napoleon’s indecisiveness. They all express their anxiety and misgivings as to the future, which is hardly surprising, particularly in the case of the texts written after the withdrawal of the Napoleonic army from Russia.