"A 200-year old battle unites and divides the Swiss" Topic

"Of the 9,000 or so Swiss who took part in the campaign – enrolled under Switzerland's treaty obligations with France – about 400 returned to tell the tale.

It was a campaign with few pitched battles; many of those who died perished from cold, hunger and disease and in Russian guerrilla attacks.

But the three-day battle at Berezina, in modern Belarus, in which 1,300 Swiss troops helped to hold off the Russians until the retreating French army had crossed the river, is seared into Swiss consciousness. Only 300 survived…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Very sobering. It's too easy for us gamer's to just concentrate on fancy uniforms and heroic commanders.We need these reminders form time to time.

Thanks Tango- an excellent find.

Apparently, 7,065 Swiss went into Russia in 1812. And the Swiss survivors brought all their eagles back from the Russian campaign.

Marshal St Cyr declared that the Swiss were stronger than nature.

Actually 300 from 1300 is a pretty good ratio compared to many other foreign units (admittedly for one engagement only). The Dutch pontoniers that build the bridge over the Beresina had 8 survivors from 400, of the some 7000 Badenser only 150 returned.

The pontonniers of the 1st Battalion had 90 percent casualties because they went by shifts into the water not only to construct the two trestle bridges, but they had to go back into the river to repair them when they broke.

Their commander, General Eble, went into the river with each shift and that was one of the reasons he died of exhaustion in Konigsberg after the retreat.

Happy you enjoyed it my friend!. (smile)

Thanks Kevin… I want to mention that seems many Napoleonic soldiers began to died when they arrived to certain "civilization" (towns, etc) and eat… a lot… their exausted bodies cannot managed with much food… as when in WW2 many of the poor judes in the Dead Camps received a lot of food from the Americans… they died in the spot…

Amicalement
Armand

The Swiss also wrote a song commemorating their superb performance there. It is entitle the 'Berezina Lied.'

The text of the song in German:

Unser Leben gleicht der Reise
Eines Wandrers in der Nacht;
Jeder hat in seinem Gleise
Etwas, das ihm Kummer macht.
Aber unerwartet schwindet
Vor uns Nacht und Dunkelheit,
Und der Schwergedrückte findet
Linderung in seinem Leid.
Mutig, mutig, liebe Brüder,
Gebt das bange Sorgen auf;
Morgen steigt die Sonne wieder
Freundlich an dem Himmel auf.
Darum lasst uns weitergehen;
Weichet nicht verzagt zurück!
Hinter jenen fernen Höhen
Wartet unser noch ein Glück.

The text in English:

Our life is like a journey
Of a wanderer through the night;
Everybody carries something on his way
That causes him to grieve.
But then unexpectedly do fade
Night and darkness before us,
And the sorely troubled find
Solace in their sorrow.
Fearless, fearless, dear brothers,
Abandon the anxious worries;
Tomorrow the sun will rise again
Friendly in the sky.
Therefore let us move on;
Do not retreat disheartenedly!
Beyond those far heights
A new happiness awaits us.

the so called Beresina song – Legler did sing explains a lot about the reflections of the soldiers before their doom.