Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Service of Antoine-Henri Baron De Jomini in 1812-13: A New Retrospective View Eman M. Vovsi Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES SERVICE OF ANTOINE-HENRI BARON DE JOMINI IN 1812-13: A NEW RETROSPECTIVE VIEW By EMAN M. VOVSI A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2006 © Eman M. Vovsi 2006 All Right Reserved The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Eman M. Vovsi defended on May 17, 2006. ____________________________ Donald D. Horward Professor Directing Thesis ____________________________ Matt Childs Committee Member ____________________________ Jonathan Grant Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My great passion for Napoleonic history really started some fifteen years ago. In 1989 a group of historians, buffs and aficionados of the then Soviet Union, for the first time, were invited to participate in the bicentennial anniversary of the French Revolution in Paris. Prior to that, we all had been studying the life and battles of the great Corsican in groups or in solo, but there it all came together. Dressed in Napoleonic uniforms as a part of the international “French” re-enactment group, we were allowed – for the first time in our history! – to visit Napoleon’s tomb in Les Invalides. There we started the “Empire” – a great fraternity destined to extend our knowledge and interest in one of European history’s most colorful periods. Many positive moments have occurred since that memorable event. With the collapse of the communistic regime, there came a new mentality along with democratic movements. We increased in numbers and gained new experiences. As time went by, we were able to visit major battlefields of the Napoleonic Era and became a part of a “living history”, and pursue our interest academically. I am glad to continue my historical and Napoleonic studies at the Florida State University, the one-of-a-kind in the country, but I shall always remember our march in the streets of Paris, which eventually brought me here. This research is made possible through the guidance, suggestions and cooperation of many individuals, some of whom I would like to thank personally here. First of all I am especially appreciative to the chevalier of the Legion of Honor Professor Donald D. Horward of the History Department, the Director of the Institute on Napoléon and the French Revolution. Without his help, patience and encouragement the present volume would have remained just an idea. I would like to thank Dr. Horward for permitting me to pursue my academic interests in such diverse fields as Napoleonic studies and for financial support that the department afforded me. Without the academic guidance and exceptional kindness, I would not be able to embark upon this master’s thesis on the Swiss general officer and historian Antoine-Henri baron de Jomini and to bring it to fruition. Almost a year after his retirement, he spent many days going through several drafts of this manuscript. iii The study for this project was supported by a generous grant from the Ben Weider’s Fellowship and partly by the Martha and Proctor Jones Fellowship, thus allowing me to conduct various research in Russia and Europe. Many thanks also go to the administrative staff at the History Department of the Florida State University, especially Debby Perry and Chris Pignatiello who provided most useful advice and support. Without their help no serious research requiring extensive time spent abroad could be readily performed. Special thanks go to the members of the 2004 Napoleonic Seminar. Conducted in the course of study, their stimulating conversations opened up new avenues of thought about the various events and interrelations during the Empire. I wish to thank Dr. Matt Childes and Dr. Jonathan Grant for dedication to their students and for finding time and attention to discuss my numerous questions regarding the historical methods, approaches and the time they so selflessly gave. I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Lucy Patrick and the entire staff at the Special Collection of the Strozier Library. Responding to my numerous inquiries, they all were extremely helpful; moreover, they gave me a chance to work with the rare books and priceless manuscripts so carefully preserved. To that extent, may I also take this opportunity to thank the many research libraries in the United States, Europe and Russia that helped me to locate the documents I needed for this research. I would like to thank my sister-in-law, Ms. Natalya Sinitzina, for the willingness to provide a suitable lodging and accommodation during my stay in Moscow. Without her generous support and assistance of the members of her family, my stay in the economically challenged new Russia would have been quite a difficult task. Special thanks to Mr. Mikhail Neshkin, an archivist of the Roossiiskyi Gossydarstvennyi Voenno-Istoricheskyi Arkhiv (Russian State Archive on Military History, or RGVIA), and Ms. Irina Bakhevnikova, the Senior librarian of the Russian State Library, for their time and attention during my research time spent in Moscow. They both took my project almost personally and provided me with the most updated material available despite various technical difficulties. I would like to thank the director of the exposition “Three centuries of the Russian Guard” at the State Hermitage Museum, St.-Petersburg, Russia, a long time friend and fellow historian, Mr. Pavel Suslov, for providing me with the opportunity to examine several important manuscripts and artifacts related to the Napoleonic period. Mr. Alexey Vasiliev, formerly iv RGVIA’s senior archivist, a person of incredible erudition on the French army structure and organization, spent an entire day at considerable personal inconvenience answering my numerous questions and finding relevant information. I would like to thank both the staff of the Service Historique de la Défense (Archive de la Guerre at Vincennes) and Archives Nationales in Paris, for the opportunity to work in their invaluable collections. Merci de tout mon coeur. I must acknowledge Oswald Schwitter, my dear Swiss friend, who assisted me with much useful advice in preparation for my European trip. He has shown me his beloved Switzerland while deliberately taking time from his busy schedule; he drove me from Bern to Lausanne and to Avenches, thus allowing me to visit cities related to Jomini. Special thanks also goes to Mr. Daniel Bosshard, the Director of the permanent exhibition on Jomini, located in his hometown, Payerne. Mr. Bosshard spent several hours with me speaking about his precious collections, answering numerous questions, and at the end assuring me of further professional relationships. But most of all I am thankful to Roger Jomini, a distant descendant of Antoine-Henri Baron de Jomini. He and his charming wife Gladys organized a royal welcome for my short stay in Monaco. These several days were filled with most sincere attention, hospitality and fatherly love. Meetings with the recent Baron de Jomini (who is the fourth generation of his famous forefather), his suggestions and advice were as equally important as conducting an archival research or working at a museum’s expositions. Special thanks also to Andrey Mudragel for his friendship and support and for his ability to assist me with various solutions to computer-related problems, and his artistic knowledge as a graphic and web designer. I am also thankful to Dr. Don Barry for reading the entire manuscript and providing useful advice. My additional special thanks go to Melody Harper and all Friends of Internationals who helped both my wife and me during the most difficult transitional period from New York to Tallahassee and who introduced us to the hospitality of the southern culture. And last but not least, I want to thank my dear wife Tatyana for supporting me in all my endeavors; without her help, inspiration and love I would not be able to persevere in my work. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures and Maps……………………………………………………………………vii Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….....x PREFACE……….…………………………………………………………………………....1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………...……………………… 5 1. JOMINI’S EARLY LIFE: FROM BANKING TO THE MILITARY, FROM WRITER TO WRITINGS………………………………………………………..11 2. WITH THE ÉTAT-MAJOR GÉNÉRAL IN 1812..……………………………………...29 3. THE GOVERNOR OF VILNA, COMANDANT OF SMOLENSK…………………….37 4. WHEN THE IMPOSSIBLE DOES HAPPEN: THE BEREZINA BRIDGES…………..66 5. 1813: THE RUBICON CROSSED………………………………………………………89 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………….114 APPENDIX: Attribution of several early portraits Baron de Jomini……………………………………………………………...117 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………..123 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH…..…………………………………………………………...131 vi LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES 1. Portrait of général de brigade Antoine-Henri Baron de Jomini, 1810s Mansell Collection………………………………………………………25 2. The half-page and title page of volume five of the second edition of Jomini’s Treatise on great military operations, 1811…………………………...28 3. Scheme of the General Imperial Headquarter under overall supervision of Napoleon’s Chief of Staff maréchal Alexander Berthier (as composed in January-February