Annihilation - The Battle of Berezina - Napoleon Total War

[@zenoist2]

The real heroes of Berezina were Dutch engineers on the French side who built 2 bridges across the icy river to enable Napoleon and his army to at least have a chance.
It was one of those moments where a handful of men really made a difference.
Im not a napoleon fan at all but I think this was one of his finest moments.
His non french troops guarding the Russian side fought like lions and enabled the great escape

[@JustaKidwithADHD]

WE LOOSING HOLDOUT WITH THIS ONE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@Random_band_kid]

WE GETTING OLD GUARD WITH THIS ONE 🔥🔥🔥

[@riot_mtf_roblox9509]

FR 🗣🔥🗣🔥

[@mashur5758]

Stop bringing up g&b shit its getting annoying fr

[@JemichoRempillo]

Yet Another "corny" comment derived from that Zombie Genre game, it's getting Annoying when time I see these on Napoleonic topic and at the same time it's like getting brain rotted
Well u better rewind sight these realistic events and stop being such a retarded for likes.

[@JemichoRempillo]

B

[@JemichoRempillo]

Yet another comment derived from that Zombie Genre. It's getting Annoying like when I saw these comments on Napoleonic topic videos it was pretty disrespectful or cringe as shit
And those G&b Fans are getting loosely interest about its Original lore or What's really happening during that war or how is it yeah u got a point before the Blight Becomes a thing.
They definitely Like the Twist type of as we refer B&I that added some zombies and for me is Pretty cool about its detail and Connected History but not the survival gameplay
Felt Mid about these PPL now it's getting brain rotted smtm

[@stephencurry5728]

As the French army retreated from Russia, they were faced with the troubling prospect of crossing the Berezina River. Usually frozen by that time of the year, an unseasonable thaw kept the 100 yard wide river flowing strong, forcing the French to find a bridge. Directly in the path of the French army and determined to keep the French from crossing the river was Admiral Chichagov with 34,000 soldiers. Further north, General Wittgenstein with 30,000 soldiers was moving to join with Chichagov to hold the French back, while Field Marshal Kutusov with the main Russian army pursued the French army from the east, but was falling behind and needed time to catch up. All the Russians had to do was block a crossing for a few days until Kutusov's force arrived and they could annihilate the weakened French from three sides.
The French weren't going to give up without a fight though. Polish General Dombrowski successfully seized a bridge for the French over the river at Borisov, but Chichagov's forces quickly moved in and their superior numbers forced Dombrowski to withdraw. As the French II Corps arrived in force to retake the bridge, the Russians pulled back to the west bank and destroyed the bridge. Realizing the stark reality of the situation, Napoleon ordered his papers burned and many of the standards destroyed to prevent them from falling into Russian hands. Luckily for the French, General Corbineau discovered a ford across the river at Studyanka north of Borisov and General Eblé had a few days earlier disobeyed direct orders and not destroyed all of his bridging equipment.
Unfortunately, Russian Admiral Chichagov, who had retaken the bridge at Borisov from Dombrowski, was spread out on the opposite side of the river. The first step for the French was to distract the Russians so they could build the bridges and get across without too much difficulty. On the 25th, a large group of French soldiers from II Corps and camp followers moved south of Borisov and attempted to create as much noise as to convince the Russians the main effort would be much further south. French officers also intentionally brought in Russian peasants for questioning about crossings to the south and then released them, and a few peasants duly reported to the Russian soldiers about the interviews. The French were further assisted in their plan by the Russian high command, as both Wittgenstein and Kutusov wrote Admiral Chichagov suggesting that the French were going to cross further south. Before long, many of Chichagov's forces began to shift southward in anticipation of a crossing to the south. The French who watched these movements were elated, and Corbineau quickly crossed the river at Studyanka and drove away the token force that had been left to watch that stretch of the river. Eblé and his engineers then plunged into the freezing waters and began constructing the bridges with their limited supplies.
By one in the afternoon on the 26th, the first bridge was complete. Oudinot, Dombrowski, and Doumerc crossed the river and set up a covering force. Two hours later, the second bridge was done and the artillery began to cross on this bridge. The crossings went well until one of the bridges broke on the 26th, causing a mass panic in which many people died. Eblé reestablished order and his engineers quickly fixed the bridge, enabling the crossings to continue. By the 27th the Russians had realized what was happening, and Chichagov attacked on the west side of the river, but Oudinot successfully beat off his attacks. At the same time, Russian General Wittgenstein and his 30,000 men attacked halfheartedly on the east side of the river, but Victor's corps managed to hold back the Russian attack. Throughout each of these days, the main army and some of the camp followers continued to cross the bridge as quickly as possible.
The 28th dawned and did not go as well for the French. One of Victor's divisions, that of General Partouneaux, had formed the rearguard and was still at Borisov. Partouneaux was ordered to fall back to the crossing at Studyanka, but delayed this for unknown reasons. When his forces finally began their march, they were in danger of being cut off from the main army by Wittgenstein's forces. Unfortunately, Partouneaux took the wrong road at an unmarked intersection, and ended up marching his division towards the Russians. As he began to realize he was on the wrong road, he halted his division and went ahead with his staff to scout out where they were. A Russian cavalry force suddenly appeared and took them all prisoner. Unaware of their general's plight, the division waited for his return, and then began to fight off the growing Russian attacks as the Russians surrounded them. As things went from bad to worse, the remains of the division attempted to break through, and when that failed, to fall back on Borisov, but that also failed. When faced with the hopelessness of the situation, the remains of the division surrendered.
Due to the loss of that division in Victor's corps, Victor began to have trouble holding back the continuous Russian onslaught, especially on his left flank. The situation worsened to the point that Napoleon ordered an entire brigade, the Baden brigade, back across the river to support Victor. Getting across the bridges back to the other side was easier said than done, as the brigade was going against the flow of everyone else on the bridges, but after some time they successfully crossed and supported Victor.
On the other side, Chichagov's major attack was steadily pushing Oudinot back, but he was able to rally his men and hold the line. Marshal Oudinot was severely wounded shortly thereafter, but Marshal Ney was nearby and immediately assumed command and continued to hold the line. Doumerc's cuirassiers then charged the Russians at an opportune moment and were so effective that the Russians fell back and did not attempt to attack on that side of the river again.
Back on the east bank, Victor continued to be pushed back until Napoleon ordered a massive artillery battery on the west bank to take aim at the Russians on the east bank attacking Victor's left flank. This shattered the momentum of the Russian attack, and General Fournier charged with his cavalry, pushing the Russians further back. The Russians had had enough for one day, and did not attack again, instead preferring to renew the attack the next morning.
Throughout the night the rest of the French army crossed the river, with the last troops getting across at dawn on the 29th. Throughout the many days of the battle, Eblé and many others had urged the camp followers to cross when the soldiers were not crossing, but thousands did not take advantage of these lulls in traffic over the bridge. Reluctantly, Eblé ordered the bridges burned to keep the Russians on the east side of the river from pursuing them. Only now realizing the dire situation, the camp followers who had not crossed panicked and began to attempt to cross the burning bridge. Thousands died as they were burned, crushed by the others, fell into the river and drowned, or left to the Russians.
Russian Marshal Kutusov's army had failed to make an appearance throughout the battle, and Admiral Chichagov's forces were not strong enough to prevent the French army from continuing their march westward to safety. The Battle of the Berezina was a strategic success for the French as they had successfully evaded the Russian envelopment and preserved at least some of the army. Unfortunately, the battle had worse costs than many others, as so many of the camp followers died, and Eblé himself was dead within a few weeks from his exertions. Eblé wasn't alone in sacrificing himself for the army, only forty of Eblé's four hundred engineers survived. Nonetheless, the extraordinary performance and sacrifice of so many in the French army enabled it to continue to exist and have a framework from which to build a new army in the coming months.

[@davoudrezaeian3877]

thank youuuuu

[@sigorspast187]

WHAT DU

[@houssam1571]

Many thanks

[@franjoradosevic2072]

Bogati bibliju ti ispiše

[@NinjaDormente]

5 years and you have not yet given the credits to Vincent Cronin.

[@Schugger1]

It still remains one of the greatest military mysteries to me how the Grande Armee could maintain her cohesivness despite constant fighting, cossack attacks, terrible weather, supply problems and Typhus. The Russian army also suffered greatly und the same conditions (bare those cossack attacks), but didn't cease fighting well until after they have driven the invaders off theri soil.

[@jermainallen7176]

Schugger1 it's a shame very disciplined well trained n brave armies are either poorly led or used for wrong purposes which led to their destruction. Got to hand it to them these guys were fearless and I respect them all

[@Edax_Royeaux]

One of the main reasons is that when retreating, the Grande Armee was able to rejoin with 2nd corp, which was far better supplied and still maintained order and discipline. At Berezina, the Russian army was convinced that the French army could no longer fight and was only made up of the ragged soldiers that retreated from Moscow (even the Old Guard were not properly equipped with operable muskets), so they concentrated on capturing Napoleon, rather then destroying the French. Whenever the French charged Cuirassiers at the Russian, the shocked of it usually stopped the Russian attack, and the soldiers began to rout. However, I should point out that the soldiers that retreated from Moscow were not cohesive, the regiments had intermingled and apathy was prevalent with all the men and civilians.
The key to the Grande Armee's survival was the Russians underestimating them, and perhaps Kutuzov not wanting to destroy the French for political reasons.

[@LegoSwordViedos]

Also in Sun Zu the art of war it talks how when men are put with their back to a wall or river or anything that acts as a constant reminder their is no retreat and if they retreat all that awaits is certain death, in that situation men will fight through anything because they know that is their only hope at surviving, it's as some philosophers would say it's a pessimism that they expect to die and when you expect to die the only way forward is too do whatever you have too to live. this is often why the greatest battles occurs when one side is convinced of it's defeat to begin with, or simply they have no were to run. Sun Zu even suggests to military strategists to not engage forces who have their back to a wall, as they will fight harder then normal and kill more of your side, and says even to go as far as, intentionally leave them an escape rout and they will flee and that will sow panic and when they loose all cohesiveness, that is when you run in to crush them, because then they have no one to rally around.

[@Hodok]

What you're saying. All the troops of Napoleon(with replenishment) of 600 thousand troops. Saved 19 thousand!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

True, the units that retreated from Moscow were a complete mess, the Imperial Guard, which kept good order at the Battle of Krasnoi were not fully combat capable, many of their muskets were missing parts and line infantry units were completely intermingled and missing officers. The 2nd corp however, was still organized, which kept surprising the attackers, their goal was to capture Napoleon, not fight a battle.
As to the 25 cannons bit, it should be noted that the French Grande Armee managed to get more then 800 of their cannons across the river with their second artillery bridge. It's doubtful if the Grande Armee could even man all the guns, so that loss of 25 cannons doesn't really mean much.

[@flemairemdy]

For the information of everybody,take note there are NO hills along the Berezina.This river is in the actual Belarus and I go through this country and on the Berezina river bridge 4 times a year(wy wife was born in Belarus).What I may also say,it's that I can imagine how the french soldiers were feeling during these terrible days of end november 1812.The winters are SO cold in Belarus and due to the fact the country is flat,the wind is often hard.Poor guies!!!!

[@antonslavik4907]

Poor invaders, boo-hoo

[@NEXTEL199]

Так им и нада

[@ArchivatorRUS]

Oh my God, this is the most spectacular video montage of all that I've ever seen. Great job.

[@gkess7106]

Great acting, too!

[@charleschapman6810]

The troops shown charging the French early on are Prussian Landwehr!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@Charles Champman Their actually the Russian Opelchenie. Since I couldn't obtain an Order of Battle, and since 420,000 Narodnoe Opolcheniye were formed during the 1812 Campaign, I could only guess that they participated in battle. Also I thought their beards gave the Russian army a more distinct look. Also, the cheap cost of Opelchenie in the game let me increase the size of the Russian Army for filming.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Winter always starts in late December. I don't care if it starts snowing in July, winter does not magicly start early. It was the warm Autumn tempertures that doomed Napoleon at Berezina, the water was freezing, but not cold enough to freeze over, thus forcing him into this bloody battle. I did a fair amount of research before making this, reading into the Memoirs of Baron de Marbot.

[@poiz921]

So are we going to completely ignore the Swiss mercenaries who covered the retreat for the French at the Berezina and gave their life for duty?

[@Edax_Royeaux]

The greatcoats mod didn't include the Swiss troops with winter uniforms so...yeah.

[@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631]

@@Edax_Royeaux How did you find the winter uniforms? Ande why the part 2 never came out?

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631 The mod is in the video info. I never made part 2 because it would have been 2 difficult. This game doesn't have a bridge map in custom battles, nor can I easily show a battle on 2 sides.

[@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631]

@@Edax_Royeaux So why did you call it part one and to be continue?

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631 I intended to do a part 2 but the footage I was making wasn't terribly great and I eventually scrapped the project.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Accually, the irony at Berezina was that it was too warm, because the river wouldn't freeze over. It was because of the occational Autumn temperatures that the French had to build those dreaded bridges and had gotten into that mess.

[@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631]

Anyway, even if the river was frozen, it would never be able to supported the weight of so many mens and equipments. The ice would have been too thin.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631 The army would not need to cross single file. They could spread out over several miles and cross a few at a time if needed. It may have also have been safer to build a bridge for the artillery using the ice as a platform for the men, instead of wading in frozen water.

[@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631]

@@Edax_Royeaux And if the ice brake?

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@gauthierdaviaultmathieu631 It's no worse then wading in the freezing water anyway.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@technodemic6258 I suspect you are a troll bring that topic up, I will be hiding your posts on this channel because of it.

[@Petr_Samoilenko]

after this "victory", the great army was totally destroyed.

[@sumguy2725]

I mean it is still a victory for the french . Even though they suffered heavy casualties they managed to escape from the russians which was their objective

[@lucasfortage1595]

just in France this battle is a defeat.

[@thibskywalker4450]

The Battle of the Berezina was a strategic success for the French (Not Tactic) as they had successfully evaded the Russian envelopment and preserved at least some of the army. It is similar to the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, the Majority of the Allied Forces (Especially British) were able to escape and continue the War.

[@Boyar300AV]

@@thibskywalker4450 Stop shitalking lol plz. If Berezina was French victory then Austerlitz was Russian victory because Russians managed to escape from French emvelopment and saved mayority of the army. What you cannot say for Berezina where majority of French soldiers died.

[@Boyar300AV]

@@thibskywalker4450 It's so stupid argument. In that case Napoleon lost all his battles in Russia because he failed to destroy it on batllefield.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Hurray, the audio has been restored!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

***** From the movies: The Admiral, The Napoleon Miniseries and Gettysburg.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

At those angles? You'll have to be more specific because I just recorded the game screen. If your asking how I got the camera so low to the ground, it's because I unlocked it, if your asking how I got the close ups, it's cause I zoomed in with the "n" function.

[@russkie5775]

when will 2nd part come up btw i saw this since 3 years ago and its awesome ,an i hope i had a good pc anyways pls respond

[@Edax_Royeaux]

I'm not doing the 2nd part. The footage I was taking wasn't that great, some parts of it I wasn't sure I could do. The french are suppose to be attacked on both sides of the river, and that's just no possible to depict in custom battles.

[@russkie5775]

oh thats sad well it doesn't matter anyways still this is really awesome u are good

[@tramtararam8738]

Russians took Paris on 30th March 1814, I suppose it was not so cold in France in late March ...

[@alexandrealexandre3724]

bravo !

[@TheFiresloth]

Russians and Prussians and Austrians and all the rest...

[@tresbien3153]

@Ottoman Nationalist the same "coalition" that fought on the side of Napoleon in 1812? dont make me laugh

[@apalahartisebuahnama7684]

@Ottoman Nationalist oh yeah? Those inconsistent coalition have always begging for Russian manpower weren't they?

[@kennethhuff7158]

Thanks Stephen

[@donjulioanejo]

Given your amazing videos, I'm fairly certain you know that Kutuzov pretty much outmaneuvered Napoleon strategically, while avoiding a decisive battle.
He was allowed to do so because when Alexander I overruled him and forced a decisive battle, Austerlitz happened. Kutuzov was trying to make Napoleon run around in circles, and was mostly successful as Napoleon had very little food left and nothing nearby in the way of forage.

[@Mrhahahahatim]

Very nice- one of the best of these videos I've seen. Really nice job, honestly

[@donjulioanejo]

Sorry, I was talking about Austerlitz when I meant Napoleon's army had very little food left, but Kutuzov was pressured into a decisive battle (both by his superiors and Napoleon's plots), which he promptly and spectacularly lost.
Kutuzov did try for a decisive battle at Borodino (after replacing Barclay who kept retreating), and honestly would have lost it (and knew that he would) had Napoleon committed the Guard. Therefore his reluctance at Berezina.

[@gothexperiments]

It is spectacular how Napoleon and his intelligentsia, managed to escape the Russians at the battle of the Berezina!

[@ianbushell5461]

very well made, well done sir

[@flemairemdy]

2 problems met by Napo(called the Little Gengis Khan by the Russians) and his army were:they didn't know how to protect themself against the cold conditions they met in Russia.Russians know since they are born which clothes,shoes they need.They also know what to eat to have energy.Another problem was there are swamps along the Berezina.This river goes outside her "bed"(like we say in French) and becomes 5 times larger than in summer.So it was VERY difficult to move quickly inside the mud.

[@antic7711]

Man, I still remember watching this when I was in primary school, thought it was the coolest thing. Still is.

[@benjaminlee4937]

Napoleon led a charge across the bridge at Arcole. But that was in his General days.

[@wd-type9643]

Benjamin Lee Napoleon was very lucky back then

[@jean-louispirottin4144]

La bataille de la Berezina est généralement présentée comme une débâcle pour l'armée de Napoléon alors qu'elle s'apparente davantage à l'évacuation de Dunkerque par les Anglais et les Français face aux Allemands. Le passage de la Berezina est en réalité un nouvel exploit de Napoléon dans le cadre de sa malheureuse campagne de Russie . En clair , les Russes n'ont pas été foutus de détruire complètement l'armée française dans sa retraite .
Vive l'Empereur Napoléon, fils de la Révolution et autocrate éclairé , ami de la modernité.
Triste tsar Alexandre, traitre qui n'a pas respecté la paix de Tilsit , tyran absolutiste réactionnaire et rétrograde !
Liberté, égalité et fraternité ! Vive l'Empereur et l'Europe une et indivisible !

[@alekpoko2655]

"Свобода!"(В контексте попытки захвата Наполеоном России)

[@MrUdell22]

I read an account of this battle, thank the engineers who braved the icy waters and suffered hypothermia to build the two long plank bridges, unbelievable bravery. Such a sad story of human loss on both sides and a midst the enormous death by trampling, disease, starvation they overcame the odds to and in many cases sacrificed themselves for escape of their leaders and other comrades.

[@olgavidales9147]

War: any last words?The Ice: I'm going to break down😖

[@mykyta7000]

Звуки русского командующего из фильма "Адмиралъ" )

[@user-qk8ez4wf1n]

Прицел 20, трубка 30, бац, бац. И мимо... Уморили сука

[@luispereira2735]

I understand you very well

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Hmm, your right about that, that's wierd, I remember hearing in a documentary somewhere that the US fought the British, who at the time had the best army in the world, which had defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Maybe it was the way it was phrased that I didn't conncet the dots that they meant the redcoats would go on to defeat Napoleon at a later date.

[@Diwana71]

Edax French at Waterloo were just a shadow of their former self.

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

Beautiful. Outstanding work. Someday there will be games like this where the soldiers can be in rags and blankets and straggle across the snowy landscape. Thanks for giving us this.

[@TheDeltaBombers]

Artillery during Napoleonic times was often explosive. There were various types of shot. Solid shot, canister shot (medium range shrapnel), Shell (which was timed for explosion near the enemy). There were more as well.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

As it's taught in the US history textbook, Reagan used deficit spending to outspend the Soviet Union in defence spending. This mean the Russians couldn't keep up with their Comunist economy and for some reason, this meant the Cold War was over...or something.

[@dasarislavo]

Great clip man, just needs sound!

[@Strategos300]

the BEST i have ever seen from Napoleon.

[@chapiit08]

It's well represented. There were explosive shells already but didn't explode on contact. Explosive cannon grenades had a fuse that either lit upon firing or it was lit manually right at the moment of loading (very dangerous) Some exploded on the air others upon hitting the ground and many didn't explode at all. There was also grapeshot, also called canister and chained ball.
In the movie The last of the Mohicans in the siege of a fort by the French they show the process with a siege mortar.

[@gaiusmarius4112]

Oh god there r those poor guys that fall into the river

[@gaiusmarius4112]

*fell

[@adamtaylor3352]

brilliant!

[@AltEuropa]

the battle of berezina wasnt an open field battle, the french troops tried to get over the river while the russian army attacked them from the back and from the flanks. it was more a skirmish than a field battle. Most of the fights were on the artillery bridge or behind the river. Most of the fights were also meele attacks or just storm attacks from the russian cavallery

[@DudetaketheBus]

I loved the last Samurai score... perfect video. 11/10

[@Asher74rus]

98 французов поставили дислайки)

[@nubyarastandoff2935]

Наполеон великий герой

[@user-eg7xn3zd8z]

@@nubyarastandoff2935 ещё скажи что Гитлер герой

[@user-xj6nv4px3b]

@@nubyarastandoff2935 И по его стране парадом прошла Русская Армия.

[@zenoist2]

This was actually a French victory and the last time they were really able to fight due to starvation freezing to death etc.
Napoleons foreign troops fought like lions against a very superior Russian Army.
The Dutch built the famous bridges that saved Napoleon.

[@pennbzh]

U said : "The Dutch built the famous bridges that saved Napoleon"
Sorry but it's not true,
In 1812 General Eblé's pontonniers were 2 Battalions for a total of 11 companies, on these 11 companies only 1 was Dutch, rest are French.
A companie is composed of 40 pontonniers to a maximum of 100 pontonniers for the biggest.
The 2 bridges were made by nearly 400 pontoniers Under Eblé's command, made by the 2nd, 7th, 9th companies of the 1st Battalion, and by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th companies of the second Battalion, finally apparently less than 10 survived the Battle,
So you understand that the bridges were hardly made by a majority of Dutch pontonniers!
U said : "Napoleons foreign troops fought like lions against a very superior Russian Army"
Sorry again but same than above, French didn't fought like Lions at the Berezina?? i suspect you to be partisan isn't it? need exemples?
it's crazy and stupid that some people maybe like you? love to think that French never did nothing good on the Battlefields, surely a big lack of Knowledge!
Only point where im agree with you is that effectively Berezina battle is a French tactical Victory, because they deceived the Russian army on the crossing point.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

pennbzh Credit where it's due, the French ended the battle with a massive cuirassier charge on both sides of the river, which was effective enough to cause the Russians to end the fighting for the entire day, and buy the French enough time to get across and escape. I'm assuming the cuirassier we're French, but given most of the cavalry regiments we're blurred together, it's kinda hard to say for certain.

[@PanakaStigLitz]

And the Dutch revolted against Napoleon the next year. Napoleon's brother Jerome was sympathetic to the Dutch and their plight and quit the throne Napoleon had given him to rule them in disgust with the Empire hardships put on them. Napoleon had made them suffer terribly through the Continental embargo that countered Britain's Continental blockade, and his cruel conscription of the Dutch had slaughtered its contingent in the 1812 campaign. Many foreign troops tried to desert and go back home - some were caught and hanged along the road to Moscow.

[@zenoist2]

joe slizzler Napoloen always did treat anyone not french like shit.
He was corsican himself and avoided being italian by a hairsbreadth due to corsica being italian and then french later on.
Its no wonder the whole of Europe rose up against him.
He was a brilliant general at times in battle and other times a complete turd in battle and rotten at diplomacy.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Believe me, the last thing Napoleon wanted was the suffering of his Grande Armee.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@GreybirdX If you press the "insert" or "delete" key (I can't remember which), it lets you take the perspective of a soldier or cannon, you can use the mouse wheel to select who you take the view of in that unit. If your taking the perspective of a cannon, you follow the cannonball when it's fired.

[@borbo23]

It's a good little film, you work with what you've got.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Italy is always Italy, it just has different goverments too. Even if one of those goverments were the Roman Empire.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

In 1799, he staged a coup d'état and installed himself as First Consul; five years later the French Senate proclaimed him emperor, following a plebiscite in his favour. Plebiscite meaning the entire electorate voted in his favor.

[@SorMichael]

Very good video thank you for sharpening the historical inaccuracies most don't do that.

[@zaccc]

These are so well made...
Thank you for these, thank you very much.

[@Agounet]

Except the battle of Berezina was a victory over russian armies... It is considerate as a disaster on common memorie only because of the civilians and soldiers who died in the icy water with the destruction of the bridge.

[@ragdaj]

+Agounet some has escaped... great victory!

[@DaMARS13]

+ragdaj The vast majority of the troops escaped. Berezina is a french tactic and strategic success no one educated in history deny that.

[@ragdaj2]

+B Damien vast majority? 50%?
usually 30% casualties counted as rout

[@bohdankubacek9688]

No one ducated deny that French lost 45 000 of 80 000 of their soldiers rest of them dropped guns, cannons and fleew. There were no civilians only military engineers and soldiers.
But in French conditions in may be counted as victory because Napoleon sucessfuly ran away :D

[@Diwana71]

Agone saving their skin if that was victory.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Yeah, but because Napoleon was only ever directly engaged at Berezina in the retreat, he was able escape Russia. If Kutuzov had grown some balls and confronted Napoleon outnumbering him 2 to 1 on an open field, Napoleon would probably have been captured.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

For some reason, I find that a large portion of people confused my video for the Battle of Borodino.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

First minute has music from inception, so youtube decided to mute the whole thing. There's a non-muted version in the video information.

[@ioanbondar9877]

German and French lose in Russia because thei believe will win easily and winter will not caught them .

[@wd-type9643]

Ioan Bondar happens every time.

[@shigidaropupaypups5236]

Dolfi, if so, USSR would attack you on august 1941, just as Stalin planned)))

[@kennprobinsyano690]

bad weather is the worst enemy of napoleon

[@boyscouts83712]

same goes for Mr. Mustacheo of germany and his Nazi's

[@davidcollegerosemont]

No. Haitians are the worst enemies of Napoleon. Even with his all great soldiers and mercenaries, he couldn't win the war against the Haitians.

[@matseg7103]

dadalala man Napoleon fought haitian with only few hundreds of men. If he had launched a division Haitia would be destroyed

[@jak00bspyr72]

Beacuse Polish soldiers that were sent there did not wanted to fight with another nation that was fighting for independence.

[@AndreasConfirmed]

Yea, sorry for that, usually we have very nice and warm weather here in Russia! LOL Bad weather was also the favorite excuse of Hitler.

[@Konser_konge]

the music and the apperens of the text at 2:02 is epic mate =) cant wait for part 2!!!,

[@simon13teen13]

last samurai ending = epic! This whole movie was just epic, so much details, sound effects, and camera angles !! very exceptional for a game video

[@10bwonder]

Though you forgot to mention that the battle ended up by a French strategic victory.

[@isprikitikburkabush6200]

but also a Russian tactical victory

[@horianeculcea3924]

It was a French victory because they wanted to escape, and they did it and a Russian victory because they wanted to make sure that Napoleon won't return, and they did it.

[@adolfhitller2849]

Lul that was French decisive defeat in every way. French had 5 times higher casualties, they dropped all it's guns and canons.

[@concistobol1453]

Вот и не стало Великой Армии! Виват русскому оружию!

[@Avelium]

+Евгений Земцов Ты хотел сказать крысиной тактике?)

[@concistobol1453]

+Александр Яковлев обожаю глупцов! вы нужны миру! пожалуйста, не меняйтесь, мой друг)))

[@Avelium]

+Евгений Земцов Самокритика - хорошее качество, уважаю :)

[@concistobol1453]

+Александр Яковлев оу оу, полегче камрад, такое количество умных слов из ваших уст, что уже начинаю подозревать, что вы не в полной невменяемости, а хотя нет, снова прочитал ваш пост и все сомнения исчезли

[@nhuanphamvan7705]

.0

[@mr.bek0521]

Nice one, good Itfak! u earned my subscription

[@Diwana71]

Only if Pytor Bagration was alive at this time. He would charged ahead of the main army and stopped the French.

[@Fussel0123]

Indeed. But sadly witout him the war wouldnt been won.
"He took Russia when it was just a nation full of pessants
and left Russia in possesion of an atomic bomb"

[@Diwana71]

Ma Dru that’s Stalin as put in words by Issac Deutscher -Stalin a political biography. Issac Deutscher was Professor Political Science , London School of Economics.

[@apalahartisebuahnama7684]

Even Lenin say the Party should put other than Stalin, without him Russia could find someone else that probably not wildly purging and jeopardizing the entire Red Army.

[@uncle7215]

Napoleon's army is still the best of all time...

[@andremondelo8237]

Yannick Oliveiras + apesar de admirar os exércitos franceses nas guerras Napoleonicas, vou descordar de vce quanto os mesmos serem os maiores de todos os tempos. Em termos de versatilidade, comparando os contextos de cada época eu diria que a maquina militar mais perfeita foram as Legiões Romanas, pois na época do principado as legiões estavam preparadas para vencer qualquer oponente da época. Foram muito poucos os episódios em que elas foram derrotas, e mesmo nas suas derrotas foram mais por culpa de generais pouco habilidosos do que em táticas de combate.

[@uncle7215]

Andre Mondelo lol didn't the gauls conquer the romans?

[@andremondelo8237]

Yannick Oliveiras + não foi o contrario?

[@uncle7215]

Andre Mondelo ?

[@Boifeicasempre]

+Yannick Oliveres LOL, what? Gauls conquered romans? I think you are a little bit confused, wasn't it the contrary?

[@ChickenDelivering]

I love this video :d

[@Inlesse]

An outstanding montage, unbelievable, that this movie-like sequence is made out of the game engine.

[@windsor1779]

I really hate these CGI (or whatever they're called) recreations. They look like video games graphics and are extremely unappealing! I much prefer the epic movies that used real people and horses, like Waterloo. Maybe these recreations will get better over the years, but now, you can keep it. In addition, from what I've read about the retreat from Moscow, the Grande Armee was not marching in dressed ranks.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

They look like video game graphics because this is a video game. With a budget of $0, I worked with what I had. It also depends when your talking about the retreat from Moscow, I didn't date the part when they were marching in rank, and I didn't have them equipped with winter long-coats either. It was meant to be long before Berezina to set the stage that this took place during the retreat from Moscow. And there weren't any game models where the French soldiers in ragged winter clothes.
I would love if they made a movie about The Battle of Berezina, but unfortunately no one had, so I had to work from scratching reading the historical accounts a very rough approximation using Napoleon Total War. I couldn't simulate Admiral's Chichagov forces attacking from the other side of the river since the game does not allow for a scenario on a snow river map where the player is attacked from both sides.

[@clint9987]

Windsor I can't tell if you're joking or not

[@Ninjabot1992]

windsor you are so dummy, u think this was a real movie that used cgi? geezz,what an epic fail CGI movie critic wannabe you are

[@Cicero....]

for sure it's a joke/troll

[@JustaKidwithADHD]

@@Edax_Royeauxnah bro destroyed him fr

[@JSparo-TotalWarMachinima]

Vive la France !

[@sameermohammed3901]

you do the coolest war movies that I love

[@flemairemdy]

@ltflak
I am from Belgium(a little town along the german frontier).One of my ancestors,called Jean-Gilles Lemaire was enlisted inside the Napoleon's army in 1804 till the Battle of Waterloo.I was not a fighting soldier but a "sapeur-mineur".He took part at the Russian Campaign but had the chance to survive.He was not in direct contact with ennemies and also knew what cold was because living into a village from Belgium with an altitude of nearly 700 meters and cold weather.

[@tommymonroejr6769]

This reminds me of my tour in afghanistan

[@absoluteManiac]

how?

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

Military intelligence , a contradiction of terms

[@horianeculcea3924]

Vive la France, vive l'Empeur , vive Napoleon !!!!

[@Eskadron22]

Vive le Roi, a bas la sale republique islamo-fasciste!

[@majuachiloproduction5173]

Je préfère l'empire .

[@andreyfedosov02]

Мы вам лягушатникам в 1812 показали кузькину мать!

[@chuckyhunde6557]

Kyle Quinineza shut the fuck up germany have lose all the war since 1800

[@fortif9933]

Kyle Quinineza in world war two 1million of French died.
200 000 ffl fought the german.
In wirld war two only 500 000 american died.

[@Dyflinn432]

That was the best total war video i have ever seen well done.

[@zyzor]

gameplay graphics are amazing battles in this game are truly in epic proportions.

[@MrDartRevan1]

Glory to Russia!!!

[@calimero7538]

But Russians lose this battle.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Cali Méro That's a dubious claim, because they ended the battle outnumbering the French 3:1, mainly because Kutuzov had arrived with his reinforcing army, albeit too late to cause any damage. At the end of the day, they held the field with overwhelming force, with the French retreating. Nevertheless, the Russians completely failed at their one objective: Capture Napoleon, which makes it difficult to say who "won" or "lost".

[@calimero7538]

but the french escape in good order. That a french victory because it is the objectif.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Cali Méro Yes, but that doesn't mean it's a Russian defeat. After all "Bérézina" has been used in French as a synonym for disaster. The Russians merely failed in their objectives, but they certainly won the battle. The point being that winning battles at this stage in the French retreat was inconsequential to the Russians, capturing Napoleon was all that mattered. Even if Napoleon managed a decisive victory against General Wittgenstein, Admiral Chichagov and Marshal Kutuzov all in this battle, if wouldn't have mattered cause Napoleon would still need to retreat, desperate for supplies while the Russians could just replace the lost soldiers easily.

[@calimero7538]

yeah, its indeed a synonym "disaster" because its a strategic defeat; but a tactical victory.

[@feurzauber]

In conclusion, Napoleon escaped as usual, leaving his soldiers to die of hunger and cold, as in Egypt left them to die of hunger and extreme heat.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

I really have no idea how, I am after all using movie music that I personally do not have the rights over.

[@corcaighrebel]

This is very well done, very atmospheric, you can feel the profundity.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

I don't think I ever showed them charging lines, I merely showed a group of them traveling with the Russian army in pursuit of the French.

[@jfulle14]

very very good man that must have takin a long time to make and that was great

[@bradypus55]

The best Napoleon total war videos i have ever seen! I've learn so much just watching it, and i'm french! And its' true, "C'est une Bérézina" is a saying! ("This is going wrong/ a defeat", ex: this cooking is a Bérézina!)
Now how about a machinima based on the Egyptian campaign? :D

[@charleschapman6810]

Even worsethinthe Russian winter was the sudden thaw which led Napoleon to think he could safely destroy his pontoon train to spurred up the army's march.The C.O.of the Guard's Engineers saved the day by disobeying orders and preserving a wagon-poadof charcoal and bridge-building hardware!

[@Kobe_Bryant_real]

This is 100% better than the new Neploean movie.

[@IceniTotalWar]

Can't argue with that .

[@SkipperPlaysTW]

Bearing in mind I play this game, I can't imagine how long it took you to make this. I salute you sir! Sorry about the comments I put on the Trafalgar film but I respect Nelson! I can honestly say I'm sorry and that I think this is legend!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Sorry about that, when zooming in-game, the framerate just goes to pot, and puttling all these soldiers on screen at one time meant pushing my computer over the edge.

[@Sandokanbattles2]

one of the best total war movie i ever seen

[@VRichardsn]

Excellent work, as it is customary of yours.

[@A350Airways]

What was being said at 2:09, 3:04, 3:16, 4:33, 7:07? Sounds to be in Russian, but here are the translations of the French stuff:
2:32 - Assemble boats, beams, wooden planks, everything we can find to build a bridge a little further down. We know our duty, forward!
4:37 - Very well, let's go! Hold position, open fire! Fire at will, soldiers, fire at will!
5:15 - Withdraw, sire! If you stay here, your grenadiers will cease fighting.
5:40 - Grenadiers, fire at will!
5:49 - Get out of here, forward!
6:56 - Sire, the engineers have restored the crossing! Bring all the men and ammunition on the left bank, hurry, this battle is not lost!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Turn the subtitles on.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

I never said Moscow was their capital, I just said that losing one of your greatest cities kind of diminish your "invincible" status.

[@marchheroofbnk48]

6:18 The soundtrack from The last Samurai.

[@sebastianschwarzel2732]

Awesome ! thats the first TH-cam Video that made me cry! Unbelievable!

[@andremondelo8237]

+ Rebel Seta TV na minha opinião a batalha do Berezina foi uma das batalhas mais heroicas da historia, ao lado das Temopilas. Na situação em que Napoleão estava era praticamente impossível ele fugir estava cercado por vários exércitos russos e ainda por cima tinha que cruzar o rio fortemente defendido do outro lado. Ele pode ter cometido muitos erros durante a campanha, mas nessa batalha Napoleão provou do porque ele foi um dos maiores generais da historia.

[@Boifeicasempre]

+Andre Mondelo Ao invadir a Russia ele não estava bem ciente do que iria enfrentar. Inverno rigoroso, extensão territorial gigantesca, em que seus exércitos teriam de percorrer milhares de quilómetros o que tornou impossível manter uma linha de abastecimento contínua, fora claro, a inteligência russa ao deixar os franceses adentrar o mais possível no seu território, sabendo que o pico do inverno estava chegando, apenas enfrentando o exército francês aqui e ali, de forma a enfraquecê-lo, utilizando-se também da política de terra queimada, queimando e destruindo tudo no caminho que pudesse abastecer o exército francês. Com o cansaço, sem possibilidade de se abastecer, enfrentando clima de -30º C, e ataques constantes de guerrilhas populares russas, e divisões Cossakas, isto depois de travar batalhas sangrentas com o exército russo, como em Borodino, que apesar de ter resultado em vitória para o exército francês, acabou por ser inútil, pois enquanto o exército russo podia sempre substituir e recrutar mais soldados, os franceses, a milhares de quilómetros da sua base não o podiam fazer, o exército francês foi praticamente aniquilado na Rússia. Napoleão cometeu um erro ao invadir a Rússia pois não estava ciente do que ia enfrentar, o terreno, condições climatéricas, não conhecia simplesmente a Rússia, e subestimou o adversário, até pq antes já o havia enfrentado uma serie de vezes, e o tinha sempre derrotado, como na batalha de Eylau por exemplo. Desta vez lutando num território inóspito e com características muito particulares, seria diferente, fora o facto de os russos serem um povo extremamente patriota que prefere morrer a capitular.

[@andremondelo8237]

+Boifeicasempre excelente analise a sua, mas o pior que Caulaincourt adivertiu o imperador dos rigores do inverno russo e o próprio Napoleão estudou a campanha do rei da Suécia Carlos XII na Russia. Napoleão deveria ter mantido o plano de avançar somente até Vilna (no máximo até Smolensk), consolidar o seu poder na Bielorrússia e continuar atacando no ano seguinte, penso até que um ataque contra a corte russa em São Petersburgo seria mais eficaz para fazer o Czar desistir da guerra ao invés de marchar contra Moscou. Mas como o imperador era um general extremamente agressivo (um defeito compartilhado pelos maiores gênios militares da historia, no qual era angustiante esperar por uma reação do inimigo) para ele era extremamente mais tentador mais para tentar destruir deves os exércitos russos, ele quase conseguiu pegar os russos em Smolensk, e a distancia desta cidade para Moscou era de apenas de 7 dias de marcha. Ele julgou (corretamente) que os russos iriam tentar defender a cidade e iriam lutar. O problema e que ele não consegui destruir os russos em Borodino.

[@andremondelo8237]

E para agravar mais ainda o problema e que ele demorou demais em Moscou. Como ele conquistou Moscou em Setembro, a demora de 1 mês na cidade foi fatal, pois quando os franceses começaram a se retirar em Outubro, o tempo já estava mudando, e ainda por cima Napoleão tentou manobrar para atrair os russos para mais uma batalha, perdendo mais tempo ainda.

[@andremondelo8237]

O mais triste de tudo (não para os russos) e que Napoleão perdeu a campanha invicto sem perder uma unica batalha.

[@gamesbok]

And who holds Borodino now? Who held Borodino in October 1812? All part of Kutuzov's philosophy of the 'Golden bridge', the strategy that won the war, in case you hadn't noticed. It was the same strategy that Wellington used at Torres Vedras, which also beat Napoleon, in case you hadn't noticed.

[@aldosigmann419]

From me limited unnerstanin' of history it was a unit of Dutch engineers building the bridge and dying in droves from hypothermia in the water that saved the bacon...

[@divinuminfernum]

well done, i guess its a limitation of TW that you could show all the chaos of crowds of soliders, stragglers, women and children all trying to get across the 2 bridges that were made amazingly under the cover of night and under the russians' noses so to speak

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Yeah, there are no civilian units in the game, and there is no snow maps with bridges in custom battles.

[@pocketsurfer010]

According to Charles Joseph Minard's chart the temperature when they passed Smolensk was -21 degrees, at Bérézina almost -20 when they exited Russia it had dropped to -30, i would call that winter weather no matter the season.

[@F4bi4n.]

i put my volume all the way up and then i found out that there was no dame sound

[@vitaliyavrutin8481]

Coming back to Berezina, to be fair it was a great success of Napoleon who managed to save at least partially his army in virtually hopeless situation.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

General Winter was too busy that year to help out, so he sent Colonel Autumn in his stead. I know I'm being picky, but I still feel the need to point out the French were already out of Russia before winter even came.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Well, according to wikipedia, the plebiscite was bout him becoming Emperor, and the same thing happened in the Napoleon miniseries. In fact, it shows that even though he won his Imperialship by an overwhelming majority, he still futzed with the numbers to be more in his favor.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Yes, at least 6 of you have pointed that out in the last year...

[@JemichoRempillo]

RIP for One Brigade that got overwhelmed by russians when Napoleon's Order them to Hold still while the bridge is under construction
After that they have left behind

[@johniswaycool]

Sorry, two more: 2:40 and 2:15. Love your video--great use of music and gameplay!!

[@Empereur1789]

Good production!
Congratulations!

[@poodlemeister22314]

I love these Gettysburg foreign language voiceovers :D You can easily catch them if you know what to look for

[@KingOIdiots]

Your videos are always so epic and well done.

[@sovansamal8797]

Napoleon Bonaparte was brilliant military genius campaign to Europe. Napoleonic Wars. 💖