Dismissal of Speransky
Dismisses reformer Mikhail Speransky as conservative opposition and wartime political pressures intensify.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1812 in Russia
Explore 15 historical events and records for Russia in 1812.
Historical records for Russia in 1812
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 15 of 15 unique records.
15Unique records
1 of 1Page
14Named events on this page
4Named people on this page
8Places on this page
March
May
Treaty of Bucharest
The Treaty of Bucharest ends war with the Ottoman Empire and transfers Bessarabia to Russia.
June
French Invasion of Russia
Napoleon's Grande Armée invades the Russian Empire, beginning the central crisis of Alexander's reign.
July
Departure from Field Army
Leaves direct field command during Napoleon's invasion after advisers urge him to coordinate the wider war effort.
August
Battle of Smolensk
The Russians set fire to Smolensk fearing the French might cut off their retreat. Leads a Russian Army of 120,000 to stop the French advance but forced back to Smolensk
Siege of Smolensk
The Russians set fire to Smolensk fearing the French might cut off their retreat
Appointment of Kutuzov
Appoints Mikhail Kutuzov commander-in-chief as pressure grows for unified leadership against Napoleon.
September
Battle of Borodino
The Russians are defeated but manage to retreat to Moscow
Siege of Moscow
The French forces burn Moscow
Other events (month unknown)
Acquisition of Bessarabia
Russia gains Bessarabia from the Ottoman Empire through the Treaty of Bucharest.
Birth of Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d Anthes
Birth of Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d Anthes, born to a French royalist ‚migr‚ family
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander in Chief against France
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander in Chief against France
French Retreat
Russian resistance and the collapse of Napoleon's campaign force the Grande Armée into a disastrous retreat.
Refusal to Negotiate
Refuses to negotiate peace after Napoleon occupies Moscow, forcing the French to continue the campaign without a settlement.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.