crossing of the Berezina River

E176352

The crossing of the Berezina River was a disastrous retreat action in November 1812 during Napoleon’s withdrawal from Russia, symbolizing the collapse of the Grande Armée amid chaos, heavy losses, and near-encirclement by Russian forces.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle ⓘ
military engagement ⓘ
retreat operation ⓘ
approximateFrenchStrength tens of thousands of troops and followers ⓘ
approximateRussianStrength superior numbers compared to French forces ⓘ
belligerent First French Empire ⓘ
Russian Empire ⓘ
casualties significant Russian casualties ⓘ
very high French casualties ⓘ
commander Admiral Pavel Chichagov ⓘ
Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov ⓘ
General Jean Baptiste Eblé ⓘ
General Peter Wittgenstein ⓘ
Marshal Michel Ney ⓘ
linked to: Michel Ney

Marshal Nicolas Oudinot ⓘ
Napoleon I of France ⓘ
linked to: Napoleon I
conflict French invasion of Russia ⓘ
consequence further disintegration of the Grande Armée ⓘ
weakening of Napoleon’s military power in Europe ⓘ
countryAtTheTime Russian Empire ⓘ
date November 1812 ⓘ
description disastrous retreat action during Napoleon’s withdrawal from Russia ⓘ
endDate 29 November 1812 ⓘ
hasLegacy term "Bérézina" used in French as a synonym for disaster ⓘ
historicalPeriod Napoleonic era ⓘ
involves pontonniers of General Jean Baptiste Eblé ⓘ
location Berezina River ⓘ
linked to: Berezina

near Borisov ⓘ
present-day Belarus ⓘ
militaryTactic feint and deception to mislead Russian forces about crossing point ⓘ
notableFeature emergency construction of pontoon bridges ⓘ
extreme cold and harsh winter conditions ⓘ
large numbers of stragglers and non-combatants ⓘ
notableFor sacrifice of French engineers and pontonniers ⓘ
outcome escape of part of the Grande Armée ⓘ
heavy French losses ⓘ
near-encirclement by Russian forces ⓘ
partOf French invasion of Russia ⓘ
Napoleonic Wars ⓘ
relatedEvent Battle of Borodino ⓘ
Battle of Leipzig ⓘ
retreat from Moscow ⓘ
result French tactical success ⓘ
Russian strategic success ⓘ
startDate 26 November 1812 ⓘ
strategicObjective avoid encirclement and destruction by Russian armies ⓘ
preserve remnants of the Grande Armée ⓘ
symbolism symbol of chaos and catastrophe in French collective memory ⓘ
symbol of the collapse of the Grande Armée ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (11)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

French invasion of Russia → notableEvent → crossing of the Berezina River ⓘ
French invasion of Russia → keyBattle → Battle of the Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Patriotic War of 1812 → battle → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Berezina → knownFor → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Berezina → significantEvent → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Berezina → significantEvent → Crossing of the Berezina by Napoleon’s Grande Armée ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Отечественная война 1812 года → ключевоеСражение → Переправа через Березину ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Battle of Krasnoi → followedBy → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Borisov → hasHistoricalEventNearby → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Borisov → hasHistoricalSignificance → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River
Peter Wittgenstein → notableBattle → Battle of Berezina ⓘ
subject linked to: General Peter Wittgenstein
linked to: crossing of the Berezina River