Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-05-05
MOSCOW TAKEN
Advance Into RUSSIA
Mighty Army Gathered From MANY
Countrys-Russia's Futile Resist
ance-The Grand Army in Moscow.
By Earle M. Wood.

and had cemented the alliance with
his marriage to the Austrian Arch
duchess Marie Louise. He had made
peace with Prussia and Prussia at
Tilsit, and now numbered them
among his companions-in-arms. If
he could but subject a few of the
German states who had not yet re-
cognized him; he would not only be
overload of Germany, but of all Eu-
rope as well.
When the great tentacles of France
stretched out to seize and add the
German states to the Empire, they
attached the Grand Duchy of Olden-
burg. The Grand Duchess of that
state was Russian; sister of the
Gar Alexander. and she went cry
ing to her brother with her griev-
ance. Alexander at once took up
her quarrel, relations between France
strained and finally they were brok-
en- off altogether.
When it was seen that war was
inevitable, both sides started to mo-
bilize their troops. and as Napoleon
had all Europe to choose from, he
experienced little difficulty in rails
ing an enormous army. In May,
1912, he travelled into Germany,
where vassals and allies, the King
of Naples, and King of Wurtemburg,
the King of Saxony, the King of Ba-
varia. the Emperor of Austria, the
Prussia, the Viceroy of Italy, the
scores of German Sovereign Princes
and Grand Dukes had gathered to
pay court to the sovereign of them
all
A mighty army of 100000 had been
gatherd at Dresden, which was to
be led against the Gar. Twenty
nations had combined to furnish
their quota of troops to the great
est man of modern times. There
were 100000 troops drawn from the
German states, under Prince Jerom
Bonaparte, King of Westphalia;
there were 10000 Austrians under
Prince Schwarzenburg. formerly the
Imperial Austrian Ambassador at
Paris; there were $4,000 Italians and
Neapolitans under Prince Eugene
Beauharnais, Vicerol of Italy, and
King Murat Of Naples; there were
10000 Prussians under a young
Prussian prince; there were 10000
Poles under Prince Poniatowski; and
the best of the Grand Army, was
made up of Swiss, Croatians, Span
iards, Dutch. Belgians and Portu-
guese.
This mighty force ad -anced into
Russia in three divisions, cne under
the command of Napoleon. the sec
ond under Prince Eugene, and the
third under King Jerome of West
phalia. The Gar could only mus
ter 250,000 men to oppose this mag
nificient array of troops that was
bearing down upon him, and he was
at a loss as to just where they were
going to attack Accordingly he
divided his army into two parts
and the Allies pushed into the open
gap in the center. The Russians,
fell back in order to unite and make
stand before the city of Wilma,
where the Czar was directing his
army's movements. Napoleon fol-
lowed as quickly to keep between the
two Russian divisions and prevent
them joining forces.
When the Gar saw that his troops
could not successfully defend Wilma,
he fled to Smolensk, and there the
Russian armies joined forces. But
because they had so few and badly
equipped men, they fell back further
and let Smolensk fall into the hands
of the conqueror.
However, the advance so far. had
cost the French dear. The roads
were miserable cart-paths, which re-
tarded the advance, and as the re-
treating Muscooites had destroyed
everything in the 1Aar, there was
no fodder for the horses which sick
ened and died by the hundreds.
Napoleon was at a loss whether to
remain at Smolensk or push on in
the hopes of overtaking the fleeing
Russians. Finally he was persuaded
to take up the chase, but the Russ
ians refused to make a stand and ac-
cept pitched battle until they reach
ed the Borodino River near Moscow.
Here a bloody conflict ensued, called
the battle of Borodino, to decide the
fate of Mother Moscow, the holy city
OF all the Russians.
Towards evening, the French at
tacks were so fierce that the Rus
slams gave way slowly. The pop
ulation of the city fled in mad con-
fusion leaving all their valuables
behind, fearing the vengence of the
French. When the allied troops
entered the city they found it de-
serted save for few drunken rev.
ellers, thieves and beggars who had
remained behind to collect the loot.
Napoleon had promised the city to
the soldiers, and they set about to
pl'lnder and steal everything they
could lay their hands on. Jewels
and furs, wines and perfumes, rich
trappings and carriages, robes and
shawls which had belonged in the
palaces of the wealthy Muscovite
noblemen fell into the greedy hands
of the troops.
And then, in Moscow, the Grand
| Army sat down to rest and lick its
wounds.
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