Newspaper «Le Moniteur universel» about «general Frost»

The present article analyzes the information from the newspaper "Le Moniteur universel" about the campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Army to Russia in 1812. The author gives a brief description of the newspaper "Le Moniteur universel", makes a selective summary from bulletins of the Grand Army, mostly those that contain some information about the weather in Russia. It's estimated the influence of bulletins on the formation of public opinion in the French society about the Russian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte, it gives a suggestion about the origin of the myth about "general Frost". At the present time interest in the history of Russia's European policy is increasing as never before, it has been studied extensively by both domestic and foreign scientists. In this regard, there is a neсessity to attract new sources. Expansion of information is possible due to francophone periodicals, in particular thanks to the newspaper "Le Moniteur universel". This is one of those sources, which gives a possibility to glance at Russia and its foreign policy through the eyes of Europeans. The advantage of this periodical is the fact that its materials have not been studied and analyzed by majority of Russian researchers. In the time of hostilities of 1812, newspaper "Le Moniteur universel" paid special attention to the bulletins of the Grand Army. In fact the military bulletins were issued from the beginning of the military campaign, personally written by Napoleon Bonaparte and reflected his views on the course of hostilities, the political situation in Russia, the public mood and the position of the soldiers and officers of the Grand Army. Reading the papers about the Russian campaign, we can imagine what Napoleon wanted to tell to his subjects from distant Russia. It appeared as military publications, the military newsletters were intended for the whole society, including for the Grand Army. Napoleon knew that his soldiers will read them, so it was important in the minds of men to magnify their own image and status. In fact, the content of the bulletins is a description of the weather conditions in distant Russia, there is not even a brief description of the Russian army, which manifested itself more than equal enemy, there are no reports about its success in the theater of hostilities, are not mentioned tactical errors, which Napoleon committed and which played not the last role in the course of military events. After reading the bulletins of the Grand army, it can be concluded that the great French army was defeated not by Russian generals, but by terrible and insidious "general Frost".

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