Battle of Berezina was held on November 26-29, 1812 between the French army of Napoleon retreating after his invasion of Russia and crossing the Berezina, and Russian army under Kutuzov. The battle ended with a partial victory of Russians and significant losses of French. Since then "Berezina" is used in French as a synonym of catastrophe. see for visual graphic of the army's fate November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow were built to commemorate the Russian victory against Napoleon. ... Categories: Rivers of Belarus | Belarus-related stubs ... Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (September 16, 1745 – April 28, 1813 (n. ... Catastrophe (Gk. ...

Events

Starting in November 1812, the Russian winter caused additional hardship to the retreating French army, as soldiers and horses started to die from hunger, frostbite and exhaustion on the march.

The crossing was made on a set of rudimentary bridges that were constructed from the materials that General Éblé and his French engineers secretly kept even after Napoleon had earlier ordered destroyed. First crossed the soldiers, but when the camp-followers attempted to follow, in their panic a large number were trampled by the rest, and the bridges collapsed. This scene was described by Caulaincourt. Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt (December 9, 1773 – February 19, 1827) French general and diplomat, was born of a noble family. ...

Napoleon decided to cross here because the Russians expected him to attempt to cross farther south. Nevertheless, the crossing of the river Berezina brought about another major defeat of French, as Kutuzov, deciding that the time was right for an open battle, attacked and crushed the rearguard part of the French army under Marshal Claude Victor-Perrin that defended the crossing. Other Russian forces attacked the part of French army that have already crossed Berezina, but French cuirassiers counter-attacked and managed to fend off the Russians. Claude Victor-Perrin, Marshal of France Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno (7 December 1764 – 1 March 1841) was a marshal of France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. ... Cuirassiers were mounted soldiers with firearms originating in 16th-century Europe. ...

The total loss of French in the battle is estimated by 36,000 killed, including straddlers and camp-followers that were left on the right bank because Napoleon ordered to burn the bridges to stop Russians.