The history of mankind is a multifaceted and curious phenomenon. Everyone knows the circumstances of the Russian Patriotic War against Napoleon Bonaparte. At the same time, our compatriots know little about the fact that our Kazakh warriors took an active part in the victory over the French conqueror.
Terminology is extremely important for the study of this topic. I think no one is surprised by the fact that the Kazakhs were called «Kirgises» (Kirgise, Kirgisen) by the Europeans at the behest of the Russians. Although almost all Kazakh dzhigits fought in Bashkir regiments, the Europeans distinguished them from other parts of the Russian cavalry: Cossacks, lancers, Kalmyks, Bashkirs, Teptyaris, etc. Later on, the fate and mentioning of many Kazakh dzhigits are inextricably linked with the history of the famous Bashkir regiments. As for the armament of Turkic warriors, it is necessary to take into account one important circumstance. Starting from 1736, the Russian Empire carried out systematic disarmament of the Bashkirs, as the Bashkir uprisings were too dangerous and persistent. A number of laws were issued prohibiting the Bashkirs from owning firearms and maintaining forges. As a result, the overwhelming majority of Bashkirs in the war against Napoleon did not have firearms, unlike the Kazakhs, to whom this prohibition did not apply. This fact is confirmed by the images of that time, which often show a «Kirghiz» armed with a rifle (Myltyk).
However, not all Kazakhs who took part in the Napoleonic wars fought in Bashkir regiments. There were also soldiers who were members of regular military units, which were organized in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Ubinskaya and Krutoberezovskaya volosts. On the eve of the war such units were located along the Irtysh military line, between Bukhtarminskaya and Omskaya fortresses. Many Kazakhs were baptized and fought in the Orenburg Cossack army. The most famous of them was one of the commanders of the Orenburg Cossacks Zhakyp Akkulov (after baptism — Yakov Belyakov), as well as Akhmet Suleimenov, Kurman Hasenov, Ibrai Izmailov, Boltai Rakhmankulov, Nurtai Taymasov. We even know the clan affiliation of some of the Kazakh warriors: Karynbai Arstanbaev — Kypchak, Temir Begimov — Shekti, Bektemir Kulkin — Tabyn.
In addition, Kazakhs provided the troops with affordable and quality meat, wagons and horses. Supplies of cattle and cattle-breeding raw materials by the Kazakhs to the trade centers of the Orenburg region were important for weakening the continental blockade established by Napoleon. In 1804-1815 at least 50 thousand horses were bought from Kazakhs. Russian historian V. Andrievich: «During the Patriotic War the Kazakh steppe of Western Siberia was of great help, countless horses and cattle flowed from this steppe».
The most probable is that Kazakh warriors entered the war much earlier than 1812. On December 26, 1805, 7 thousand soldiers of Bashkir regiments from the Orenburg region, which included many Kazakhs, moved to Prussia as reinforcements for the Russian troops. On June 14, 1807 in the battle of Friedland Napoleon inflicted a heavy defeat on the Russian army under the command of General Bennigsen. The retreat of the Russian army was covered by Ataman Platov’s corps, which included two Bashkir regiments. The representative of the British Empire at the Russian headquarters Robert Wilson, being a witness of these events, wrote: «1500 Bashkirs, in steel helmets and chain mail, after arriving from Great Tartary, joined the army after its retreat from Friedland, and let loose a cloud of arrows on the enemy squadron».
A total of forty mounted regiments were formed during the war, each consisting of five hundred Turkic warriors from the Southern Urals and the Orenburg region. Unterleutnant of the 2nd Hussar Westphalian Regiment Eduard Rüpel, who was captured by the Russians, witnessed their movement: «In such a regiment — 400-500 people: all extremely strong, broad-shouldered, with swarthy mongoloid faces».
July 27, 1812 in the battles near the villages of Malayevo Boloto and Levia distinguished Kazakh warriors Murat Kulshoranuly and Yerish Azamatuly, who were awarded the rank of khorunzhego. In August 1812 the regiments of the Irtysh line took part in the battle of Borodino. Many Kazakhs died in this battle. For his heroism in the Battle of Borodino A. Maylybayuly was awarded with a medal. Maylybayuly was awarded a silver medal, and petty officer Karynbai Zyndagululy — a medal on a blue ribbon. The holder of the Order of St. George Kazakh batyr Akim Bolat, who fought in the Cossack troops, after the Battle of Borodino was awarded a silver medal.
Immediately after Borodino, during the preparation of the counter-offensive of the Russian army, Kazakhs, Bashkirs and Tatars were part of the mobile cavalry detachments operating in the rear of Napoleon’s troops. Following the retreating Napoleon’s army with the Don Cossacks of Ataman Platov, the soldiers of the 1st Bashkir Regiment marched through the streets of destroyed Moscow, catching up with the retreating French. This is evidenced by the words of Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov in his letter to the Orenburg Governor-General G.S. Volkonsky about the active combat actions of the regiments: «You cannot imagine, your Excellency, the joy and pleasure with which each and every Russian soldier strives after the fleeing enemy and with what bravery our soldiers, including Cossacks and some Bashkir regiments, defeat them». Warriors Boranbai Shuashabayuly and iksan Aubakiruly fought heroically in the battle of Ramonovo. For his heroism in the battle of Vyazma, Sagit Khamituly, assessor of the first Teptyar regiment, was awarded the Order of St. Anna.
On November 27-29, 1812 the last major battle on the territory of Russia took place. Napoleon’s retreating army was pressed to the Berezina River and defeated by the troops of Generals Chaplitz and Wittgenstein. The 4th and 5th Bashkir regiments fought in the latter’s corps. In December 1812 Kutuzov victoriously reported to the Emperor: «The enemy is almost exterminated». The Russian army entered Europe.
In January 1812 the corps of Ataman Platov, and the 1st Bashkir Regiment in its composition, having crossed the Vistula, besieged the fortress of Danzig, which was defended by forty thousand garrison. Then 8 more Bashkir, one Teptyar, Kalmyk and Orenburg ataman regiments pulled up here. While the siege of Danzig was going on, which lasted until the end of 1813, the 1st Bashkir, which became a kind of special light cavalry, was thrown to Berlin. After a battle with General Augereau’s corps, he, together with the Cossacks, stormed into the Prussian capital.
On October 16, 1813, took place the famous «battle of the nations» at Leipzig, in which about half a million men on both sides took part. It gathered under the banners of various states representatives of a huge number of peoples, including Bashkirs. The 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th and 14th Bashkir regiments. French General De Marbo wrote after the battle of Leipzig about the Turkic horsemen: «These newcomers, who did not know the French at all, were so enthusiastic about their leaders that, expecting to make us flee at the first meeting on the very first day of their appearance, in view of our troops rushed at them in countless crowds, but, met by volleys of rifles and muskets, left a significant number of dead at the site of the battle. These losses, instead of cooling their advance, only fueled it. They swarmed around our troops like swarms of wasps, prowling everywhere. To catch up with them was very difficult«.
Already during the retreat of the French in the corps of Lieutenant-General P. K. Essen, the steppe cavalry pursued Napoleon’s army in the area of Dropchin on both banks of the Bug River. In addition, the cavalry participated in the expulsion of the French from Hamburg, Berlin, Weimar, Frankfurt am Main and other German cities.
In Weimar the Turkic batyrs were received by the great German writer and thinker I.W. Goethe, who received from them as a gift a bow and quiver with arrows. An indelible impression on Goethe, who was seriously interested in the culture of the Muslim East, was made by the warriors performing namaz. From a letter to Heinrich von Trebra: «Speaking of prophecies, I must tell you that today there are such things that earlier prophets would not even be allowed to say. Who would have allowed even a few years ago the suggestion that a Mohammedan sacred service might be held in our Protestant gymnasium and that surahs from the Koran would be read. Yet it did happen, and we attended a service at the Bashkirs’, saw their mullah, and welcomed their prince to the theater. Out of special favor to me, a bow and arrow was presented to me as a gift for eternal remembrance, which I hung over my mantelpiece. And some of our especially religious ladies even ordered a translation of the Koran from the library«.
In general, the movement of nomadic troops across Europe was an extraordinary cultural event. Genuine interest was aroused first of all by the national dress, about which General Raevsky wrote: «We ourselves were surprised by the neatness and cleanliness of their clothes, which they saved only for solemn occasions. White caftans and red hats in close rows of several regiments presented a new, but quite pleasant sight«.
The Turkic troops also made a deep impression on the great French writer Alexandre Dumas, who many years later in his essay «From Paris to Astrakhan» wrote: «Then we shall get to Astrakhan with its three bazaars, intended for Russians, Indians, Asians; Astrakhan, which touches with the right hand the Don Cossacks, and with the left hand the Ural Cossacks, which, having turned its head, is lost with the gaze in the immense steppes of the Tatar-Kirghiz, where the waves of green are as mobile and uniform as the ramparts of the Caspian Sea. There we will stop for a few days to see again those long-bearded people in island-cap caps and wide red pantaloons, whose spades, bow and quiver were the horror of our childhood, that is, the very people whom the snowstorm tore off from the outskirts of Asia, Turkestan and threw, as in the days of Attila, on our plains and cities; we will hunt the bustard on horseback on small horses, which are descended from those who gnawed the bark of the trees of the Bois de Boulogne forest and tried to tear the bronze statue of Napoleon off the pedestal«.
The armament of the Turkic warriors was also extremely unusual for Napoleon’s soldiers and caused considerable fear and confusion among Europeans, who nicknamed the Bashkir regiments «Northern Amurs«. Military historian N. Garnich: «A small arrow, launched by a strong and skillful hand of a Kazakh, Bashkir or Tatar rider, accurately hit the eye or throat of the enemy. They skillfully shot at the target and with such force that an arrow at a distance of 15 fathoms could pierce through not only a man, but also a horse«. Russian poet and partisan Lieutenant-General Denis Davydov wrote about Kazakh sarbazes: «They are not tall, gaunt, of bronze complexion, hair as black as a raven’s wing, eagle-eyed. Character fierce, fiery and indomitable, enterprising limitless, savvy and determination of instant«.
Napoleon for the first time suffered a crushing defeat in open battle. Türkic warriors showed themselves well in direct clashes with the French cavalry, but especially during the pursuit of the enemy. Many of them received the Order of St. Anne of various degrees. For example, Narynbai Zhanzhigituly and warrior-poet Amen Baybatyruly, who participated in the storming of Leipzig and Glogau, then joined the Russian military units sent by General L. L. Bennigsen to defeat the French detachments retreated to the city of Erfurt. The soldiers of this regiment on March 18, 1814 were among the first to enter the French capital of Paris.
The psychological impact of foreign troops on the enemy was frightening. Colonel Robert of the French army reported: «The Russians have let loose hordes of Mongols against us. All ages seem to have turned against us. These men in skins and furs knew neither fear nor mercy. They shouted wildly and came in droves. They are mowed down by multiple cannonballs, but they have no fear. They use bows and arrows in their armament, which smash our gunners mercilessly. Captain Clemenceau has his triangle pierced by a Mongol arrow, and the arrow came from a barely visible point in the field. Our soldiers flee the battlefield on hearing these wild multiple screams. It’s unthinkable. As if from the ashes rose the hordes of Genghis Khan.»
There is a legend that allegedly in his youth Napoleon turned to a fortune-teller, who told him literally the following: «You will be ruined by people who eat horses.» Napoleon, who did not understand anything, only laughed. Many years later, when the enemy’s army approached Paris, he urged the French to defend themselves against «savages who eat horses», who were obviously Bashkirs, Tatars and Kazakhs.
One of the commanders of the Cossack army, ethnic Kazakh Kazybai from the tribe of Әlimuly (after baptism — Nikolai Chernysh), who after the death of his parents was brought up by the Orenburg Cossacks, died near Paris. He entered the service as a Cossack and after a year, in 1788, he received the rank of assessor. In 1812 he commanded four Cossack regiments. He especially distinguished himself in the battles of Tarutino, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, first degree. For fleeing part of Napoleon’s troops leaving Russia, he was awarded the Order of St. George. In 1814 he fought in France at Saint-Dizier, Brieine, La Rotiere.
On March 31, 1814 the Russian and Prussian armies entered Paris. And together with them 9 Bashkir regiments settled down on the Champs-Élysées upon their arrival. Despite the horrors of war, the Turkic warriors were in high spirits, very friendly and with great curiosity establishing ties with the local population. Paris was not subjected to mass looting and destruction. There is information that some Turkic soldiers brought not only trophies but also European wives from the Napoleonic wars. As the contemporary poet Konstantin Batiushkov wrote:
«The boulevard in Paris boiled like this
People idle crowds,
When it flew with a Cossack,
Il North Amur with a quiver and arrows.«
One of the most famous famous Kazakh participants of the European War of the early XIX century were representatives of the Tama family Narynbai Zhanzhigituly and Amen Baibatyruly, who fought in the Bashkir regiments. Amen Baibatiruly distinguished himself in the battles for the cities of Leipzig and Glogau, for which he was awarded the cross of St. George and two medals. After the war he was widely known in the Kazakh steppe and Russia as a virtuoso akyn. Narynbai Zhanzhigituly for his heroism in the war against Napoleon, became a full cavalier of the Order of St. George.
Discussing the reasons for the participation of thousands of Kazakh sarbaz in the European war of the early 19th century, we can note several circumstances. First, there was no direct compulsion to participate in the war on the part of the empire with regard to Kazakhs who did not fulfill military service. Secondly, with the colonization of the Kazakh steppe by tsarism, socio-economic contradictions began to aggravate. At the same time, a certain part of Kazakhs by that time had already been drawn into the orbit of social and political life of Russia, including serving in the regular and Cossack troops. But the main reason, in my opinion, for the voluntary participation of Kazakhs in that war and their heroism is the millennial mentality of the Turkic nomadic people, who placed military valor in the category of the most glorious achievements.