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Back in 1788, Russia intended to fight the Ottoman empire, and to conduct military battles, it was decided with the involvement of European volunteers. And therefore, General I.A. Zaborovsky was instructed to assemble Christian warriors against Turkish Mohammedans.
This appeal found a wide response among the military of many countries. Europe, including France. Among the French who filed a report on joining the Russian army, there was also a young lieutenant Napoleon Bonaparte, who had just graduated from the Paris military Academy. Encouraged him to take this step, as well as many other similar him young people of that time, an extremely unenviable financial situation, and service in Russia promised great prospects.
However, the future emperor of France did not even know what a month before he submitted a report, a decree was issued in the Russian Empire on admission to the Russian corps of foreign officers only with a decrease rank for one rank. When Napoleon found out about this, he began to seek by hook or by crook the opportunity to get around this resolution, scribbled numerous reports, even reached the very General Zaborovsky, however, at all levels received categorical refusal.
Angry Napoleon, then eyewitnesses wrote, even told the Russian general that Russia would still regret the loss of such a valiant officer like him, and the Prussian king supposedly immediately will grant him the rank of captain.
So it was or not, now no one can say, however the Corsican really turned out to be a talented military, easily made career at home in France and ultimately became even emperor, started a war with Russia. Who knows, would not publish a military command of Russia that ill-fated decree, because of which Bonaparte refused to serve the Russian Empire, and the course of world history could to develop completely differently.
It is believed that history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, however, as the theory unrecognized by academic science convinces us parallel worlds, it is possible that in one of them Napoleon was still adopted in the Russian army, and therefore did not become emperor, did not unleash with Russia didn’t burn Moscow – and all this radically changed the whole subsequent history of mankind. That’s just unknown – in better or worse? ..
War Napoleon Bonaparte Russia
