embassies of Austria and Russia to support Serbia. Russia becomes a patron of the Serbs in the struggle, first for the autonomy of their Belgrade Pashalyk, and then complete independence. The rebels crush the 15-thousand Turkish detachment, occupy Belgrade, drive out the Turkish population and finally break off relations with the Porte. According to the conditions of the Peace of Tilsit, Russian assistance to Serbia is severely restricted. In 1809, during the Russo-Turkish armistice (fueled by British subsidies), the Ottomans inflict a number of defeats on the Serbs, but already in 1811—12 the militia, along with the detachment of M. Kutuzov, restore the situation, negotiate peace and autonomy. The fourth stage of the uprising – 1813 – the Turks, unilaterally reviewing the terms of the treaty, occupy Serbia, deal with the active participants in the uprising, but to the others, wanting the return of the numerous refugees from Austria, are already showing some loyalty. The national Serb administration is slowly but surely formed, the Turkish managers – spahi are in the village only to collect taxes.
Admiral Senyavin’s fleet is blocking the Dardanelles, landing troops on the islands, achieving success; in August 1807, with the mediation of Napoleon, with Turkey is a truce.
Active land hostilities are resumed in 1810, they boil down to a series of battles in the territories of Moldova, Romania and Serbia. In 1812, the peaceful Bucharest Treaty is concluded: the Besarabian region (part of present-day Moldova) departs to Russia, some territories of Transcaucasia, the border of Europe moves somewhat southward. The Danube princedoms, as well as Serbia, return to Turkey, while their wide autonomy is confirmed. Russia is emerging from the war with the Port hastily, with losses, on the eve of a large-scale Napoleonic invasion.
In 1807, Denmark declared England a continental blockade. In response, after a massive artillery and even rocket fire, destroying one-third of the city, the UK seizes Copenhagen, and the entire Danish fleet. Denmark is a long-time ally of Russia, Alexander the First, based on treaties of peace concluded earlier with Sweden, demands that the latter close its ports for the British. The Swedes do not agree, enter into a military alliance with the British, then the Russian emperor declares war on both of these states.
The war with England represents three or four fighting clashes, conducted without special bitterness. The Russian scientific vessel «Diana» is delayed in the South African port. On the Baltic Sea, an artillery duel lagging behind the main forces, the Russian 74-gun Vsevolod, with English, and also the 74-gun «Implacable», takes place near Hanko Island. «Vsevolod» loses 300 people killed, «inexorable» – 8 people. The Russian ship replenishes the team and participates in the next battle with the English «Centaur»; perished, according to averaged data, 5 English sailors and 40 Russian. «Vsevolod» runs aground, his team captives the English, the ship is burned. In the summer of 1809, also in the Baltic Sea, the British attack and capture 6 Russian gunboats (two guns, forty crew members) of boats. In the battle, 17 British and 56 Russian sailors perish.
In August 1808, in the bay of Lisbon (Portugal), the British blockaded the Russian squadron of Admiral Senyavin, seven battleships and one frigate, battered by storms and battles that had been repaired for the Baltic Sea after the end of the Russo-Turkish war. She is now confronted by 15 battleships, 10 frigates and a Portuguese coastal battery. The diplomatic Russian admiral is making concessions – the fleet is, as it were, transferred to storage; without changing crews, with raised flags, the year stands in British Portsmouth, and, after the end of the military conflict, September 9, 1809, returns to the port of Riga.
The military conflict with Sweden begins in fact, on February 9, 1808, when Russian troops cross the Finnish border (Finland at the time – part of Sweden). Formally, the war is declared on March 16. It is not popular either in Russia or Sweden, and it is developing rather sluggishly. The Swedes are smashing several small Russian detachments; helping them in this Finnish population. The Russian army will be anchored in Ostrobothnia, the middle part of Finland.
In accordance with the Napoleonic plan of the Russian command, the army, taking advantage of the rare phenomenon of the freezing of the Gulf of Bothnia, must pass to Stockholm by ice, capture it and destroy the Swedish fleet standing in the roadstead. The bold idea, in general, succeeds: off the coast Russian troops smash the vanguard of the Swedish army, seize 2,000 prisoners, 150 military and merchant ships, pose an immediate threat to Stockholm. The Swedes sit down at the negotiating table, sign a truce, the Russian army withdraws from the shores of Sweden.
In 1809, after the change of the ruler, the Swedes send additional forces to Finland, but attempts to restore the state of things are not at all effective. The Finns themselves are imbued with the idea of broad autonomy, which Alexander the First offers them and they stop their guerrilla war. Eventually, on September 17, 1809, a peace treaty was signed in Friedrichsham. The Swedes are taking the continental blockade of England, giving way to Finland and the Åland Islands to the eternal possession of the Russian Empire. Losses are almost equal; about seven thousand people on each side.
In 1808 and 1810, Napoleon, wishing to become recognized as a European court by the monarch, sends the Russian royal house proposals for marriage with the sisters of Alexander, respectively, first with Catherine, then Anna. This request is politely rejected. However, Bonaparte is deeply offended. He still marries, now on the Austrian princess, thereby, among other things, provides the French Empire with a strong rear, and military support.
Meanwhile, Russia is holding the continental blockade of Great Britain. The export of food stops, the price of bread falls by half. The domestic light industry is rising from its knees, in particular, the production of technically complex luxury goods. But, the nobility is already accustomed to the goods produced in England and therefore Russia trades with the «Lady of the Seas» through neutral countries. The French government knows this.
Napoleon proclaims the idea of expanding the Duchy of Warsaw to the borders of the Commonwealth, which is impossible without the rejection of part of Russia’s ancestral lands from Russia. The French emperor views the advance of Russian army units to the borders of the Duchy as an immediate threat to his vassal.
The main plan of Bonaparte is a huge allied (or, more accurately, dependent) Poland, which includes Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. A world with a diminished Russia. Full-fledged continental blockade of England, then the occupation of the whole of Great Britain. Theoretically, a trip to India, the return and increment of French colonial possessions (the First Empire), hypothetically – Napoleon becomes the ruler of the whole world. It is not so impossible – England owns 27% of the earth’s land, which, together with the colonies of France itself, as well as the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, which is included in the composition of the suzerain by the Commonwealth, is more than half the territory of the Earth.
This plan, however, does not fit the liberation of Russian peasants from serfdom. At the beginning of his career, Bonaparte is forced to serve the Convention and the Republic, introduces the progressive Civil Code, destroys the basis of the feudal system. However, he despises «ordinary people», and tries not to resort to their assistance, if possible. He is not at all a revolutionary and a benefactor of the people, rather, a French chauvinist. In parts of Belarus and Lithuania, at the beginning of the summer of 1812, Napoleon abolished serfdom. Peasants, first of all, are taken to plunder and destroy their former oppressors, landlords, and their families. To the French army at the same time, they do not become much more loyal. First of all, Napoleon is interested in supplying his troops. Three weeks later he returns the peasants to the landlords, provides protection, so that the grateful nobles themselves collect provisions and pass it to the French foragers. So, in general, it happens, although it should be taken into account that the aristocracy of the county counted on the revival of the Commonwealth, therefore it was quite hospitable to the conquerors. Counting his experience with the liberation of serfs unsuccessful, Napoleon projected
