MILITARY UNIFORMS SERIES
VILNIUS 1812: GHOSTS OF NAPOLEON€S GRANDE ARMEE THROUGH THEIR ARTIFACTS.
Code: KT174
Price: £37.50
Category(s): New Books, Our Publications, Napoleonic, Uniforms,
160pp., 4to, 500 colour illustrations including 281 artefacts, 16 maps, 70 paintings, 22 photos., 43 uniforms, 70 uniform details & 43 tables. 2021. In 2008 my good friend Paul Richardson did an excellent brief study based on the discovery of the Vilnius massed graves of the victims of the reatreat from Moscow. I am delighted to now publish for Paul and Stephen this vastly updated version. The collaboration of these two authors now results in a detailed exploration of the anthropology, buttons, uniform fragments, shakos, personal items that have survived with comparisons in many cases to the original artefacts. Also discussed in a survey of the campaign are the contribution of disease, lack of medical provision, nutrition and weather to the demise of the army. The research involved in this book is giving a greater understanding to the fate of the army and a companion volume is in preparation to explore the themes in more detail. Vilnius 1812 Ghosts of the Grande Armee through their artifacts Authors: Paul Richardson and Dr Stephen Summerfield Publisher: Ken Trotman Publishing Reviewed by Ian Duthie for the British Model Soldier Society: In October 2001 construction workers in Vilnius, Lithuania, came upon a mass grave from which over 3,000 bodies were eventually recovered. Given Lithuania’s troubled history, it was feared that this could be a crime committed within living memory and the Prosecutor General’s office attended. Possibilities included disposal of political prisoners by the NKVD under Stalin in 1941, a local massacre of Jews and POWs by the Germans 1941-1944, or the execution of Lithuanian partisans by the KGB up to 1965. Further investigations, however, and the discovery of artifacts such as regimental buttons and franc coins, determined these bodies to be a remnant of Napoleon’s doomed army of 1812. Never before has the past been brought so vividly into the present on such an unprecedented scale and in so much detail, for no similar sites have previously been found from this era. This fascinating story was recounted in Vilnius 1812 From Beyond the Grave by Paul Richardson in 2008, which included a description of the archaeological finds plus a summary of the campaign. It was a unique account of the graves, the only one in English, but just tantalizingly opened the door as many details went unpublished. Paul has now revisited this in collaboration with Dr Stephen Summerfield, and this has provided an exceptional expansion and a completely new book, with excellent maps and charts in addition to discussion of history, medicine, logistics, forensics and uniforms. The story begins in the summer of 1812 with Vilnius as the main staging post between Paris and Moscow. It would serve both as a springboard for the invasion of Russia, then as a rear depot. For 19 days it was the hub of the French Empire as Napoleon stayed to run his affairs. What a sight it must have been as the officers of the Grande Armee strolled in the streets amid lavish celebrations. And what a contrast 6 months later as the remnants of a beaten dying army poured into the same streets with the vengeful Russians close behind them. Many of the French had endured the horrors of the retreat encouraged by the illusion of Vilnius as a sanctuary, but the defence had been abandoned as untenable and the local people locked their doors. The dead rapidly outnumbered the living, and several firsthand accounts give testimony to the hellish conditions. The ground was too hard to dig graves and the Russians had over 30.000 corpses thrown into artillery pits around the city, ironically dug in July by the French themselves. The book starts with the story of the bones which reveal diet, nationality [the Grande Armee was cosmopolitan, only 30% were French], even parasites from the Egyptian campaign, as well as evidence of Typhus etc. Having worked in healthcare all my life, I was fascinated by the chapter on the failure of medical provision. Medical schools were inexplicably closed after the French Revolution, and Napoleon made the situation even worse by separating medical administration and supply from the actual services. The former were at best incompetent, and at worst corrupt. The brilliant Surgeon-in-Chief Larrey was a pioneer in the establishment of field hospitals and an army ambulance corps but was totally frustrated by a hostile administration. One of the most telling charts in the book shows the advance to and the retreat from Moscow in the form of a line with the width dependent upon the size of the army. Attrition has reduced the army to a quarter of its size on arrival at Moscow, before the retreat even begins. Out of 422,000 who began the invasion, only 10,000 would complete the journey back. The artifacts from the graves are meticulously documented, with descriptions of how they were treated and restored. The shako plates were brass and were preserved intact with the regimental numbers plain to see, they vary between M1806, M1810 and M1811 types. Buttons, footwear and uniforms are also profusely illustrated and all of these are nicely complemented by illustrations or pictures of other preserved examples from collections. The next section deals in detail all the stages of the campaign, and is supported by many maps, tables of units, contemporary illustrations and personal accounts. The pyrrhic victory at Borodino was followed by the occupation of Moscow, and then the belated decision to withdraw after the Russians failed to seek terms. One interesting detail is a full table of Napoleon’s formation of the Escadron Sacre [the Sacred Squadron] an elite guard of honour drawn entirely from officers from all branches of his cavalry. They had no mounted men left to lead and so in this unit generals took on the role of captains, and colonels became NCOs. The crossing of the Berezina is particularly well supported by dramatic illustrations and selected personal accounts. Finally we move on to the traumatic scenes in Vilnius as the vanguard of the Grande Armee arrives. Huge stockpiles of food had been gathered but as with medical provision, the distribution was hamstrung by incompetence and corruption. There were ugly scenes of rioting and storming warehouses by force, summary executions, and also deaths from over-consumption of food and alcohol. Vilnius is largely unchanged and features such as the Ausros [Dawn Gate], Café Lichtenstein and the Town Hall which feature in so many contemporary illustrations, can be seen today. The book concludes with a detailed examination of Napoleon’s miscalculations. These were political and egotistical, but on the military side there is the poor choice in men and astonishing confusion in administration and staffing structure. In June 2003 the remains of over 3,200 men and women, their tale told, were reburied in the Vilnius Cemetery with appropriate honours and monument. In conclusion, this revisiting of the story is a sumptuous piece of work with over 500 illustrations which include artifacts, maps, paintings, uniforms and tables. The demise of the Grande Armee lay not on the battlefield, but is set out as disease, the effects of weather, and pitiful logistical and medical provision. The book addresses military history, archaeology, uniforms and militaria with remarkable expertise in all these genres. The highly visual approach also makes it a great inspiration for the model maker. Highly recommended.