Devil's Bridge. 210 years later Bashny.Net

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Switzerland. Devil's Bridge. 210th anniversary of the battle.

210 years ago, in September 1799, far away from the homeland, Russian soldiers are forever covered themselves with military glory.
Great battles they fought in the hardest conditions were all military work as a textbook example of the unprecedented courage and heroism, endurance and stamina.
A very modest scale war, fight, not only for our country but for the whole world has become a symbol of the spirit of the Russian soldier. In Russia, for decades about it composed poems, created works of art, told about it in schools to young children, and the bravery of a simple Russian soldier in the day cited as an example in military schools.





Many years later. Erase memories of that time, will go into oblivion witnesses, heroes, forgotten the circumstances and causes. There are new exploits, new lesions and new victories, which will educate the younger generation. Even many wars knows Russian.
But the fact remains - in spite of the century, despite the change of attitudes, political regimes, the ideals and principles, was, is and will be the person who is always in the history of Russia, in the minds of the Russian people will remain a huge "plus" sign. It is hard to find in Russia a man who has not heard this name.
Enough to intrigue. We get down to business. The musketeers of the king, for battle!
September 14th, 1799, 210 years ago, in the course of its passage through the Swiss Alps, Alexander Suvorov and his "miracle heroes' battle with the French taking the Devil's Bridge.
In the Swiss campaign this clash was far from the largest in scale. There were more significant battles were more serious victory. Why is this particular episode of the legendary campaign became a symbol of Russian courage in the eyes of the world in those years?
Why is this little episode is considered the top, the apotheosis of the Suvorov military talent? He has been tremendous victory with tens of thousands of prisoners. But just after the Swiss campaign of Suvorov receives from the highest military rank of Emperor of Russia - generalissimo.
Why run the French are in a win-win situation? And what is it, this win-win situation?
Yes, in the end, as all Suvorov came to Switzerland with his small army of twenty thousandth, and thus brought a total nix throughout Western Europe?
There are many questions. I believe that it is necessary to respect the memory of people who lived before us, because without them the world would not be the way it caught us. And in addition to respect, I'd like to understand them. Understand their motives, reasons, goals, feel their grief and joy than to live, what would that have happened and that it was not. It gives great insight to realize and your own place in life and time.
Now I want to understand the motives of the Russian soldiers, ordinary peasants, including many years did the soldiers, and now here are scratched on the cliffs in a distant, unknown to them a mountainous country, with only one goal - win at all costs.
I love the history here.
And now I'm going to the Gotthard Pass to look Bloody Bridge.



However, before looking for a specific location, you need to understand the circumstances that surrounded the event. Without this awareness of ancient Russian chronicle will seem a stale piece of leather, half-worn coin of the 19th century - a wretched piece of metal, and the remnants of the Devil's Bridge - just a pile of stones.
To understand what led Suvorov and twenty thousand young and not very Russian guys here, this pile of stones, hundreds of kilometers away from home, you need to start from afar.
XVIII century in Europe was the century of absolutism - the fate of states and peoples to work out one person - the king. Or there is the king. Or Elector. Or dad. Or my mother. People do not always like it, especially when the path of development led to podyhaniyu it (the people) from hunger. The king is female, in the palace of gold has fun with naked women.
In general, at the end of the XVIII century the French people was finally put out of himself their king and the people quickly cut off his head, because got damned. It started the French Revolution. Lots of blood, the rich cut masovogo, and indeed all who popadja. Not Paleolithic, when the whole of France to twenty people lived, since many divorced fellows is possible and pokromsat each other a bit.
The French liked without a king, and they podnachivat neighboring nations, they say that you tupite, you have the king moron, and you are so great. So endure? In neighboring countries, we recall, it was everywhere among kings. Naturally, he, the king, did not want to repeat the fate of his French business partner. They quickly realized which way the wind blows, all united against the French, that nothing threatened the monarchy, based on the foundations of life.
In Russia, in those days the rules of Catherine II, a very clever aunt, she certainly did not like the Revolution and the French, but do it from a distance, and gave the European nations squabble among themselves, and herself under the guise of finally divided Poland. However, it was necessary to do something, because the French violent sack of France as his wounded buffaloes, crushing everything and everyone in its path. So before Russia can get damned.
In Europe, going 60000th Russian army led by Suvorov, the commander, did not lose a single battle, though when all hands, the most unfavorable.
But there was confusion - Catherine was already an old and died.
The new emperor, her son Paul I, my mother did not like, and all that she conceived, canceled, and all whom she loved, not to love. Including Suvorov. But the French are winning victory after victory, half of Europe have been in the hands, and the young and talented striker of the French revolutionary modular Napoleon Buonoparte exports contagion beyond Europe and successfully fighting in Egypt. Something must be done - and Paul decides to enter into an alliance with the European powers, especially with England and Austria, and the rest of the union were so-so, with nothing pies.
At the request of the Allies, led the army gets Suvorov. He comes from a small army of the Empire in Vienna and then in the hottest spot of the distant 1799 - in northern Italy. She's three years as captured by Napoleon, and despite the fact that he left the Austrians in Italy successfully pushed around major French generals. All hope only Suvorov.
And he justifies. This Europe has never seen. Bearded men in long coats, armed with pikes and swords, attacking with an inhuman screech large equestrian units, also known as "kozzaks" take in stride the town of Bergamo, you know, there was more Truffaldino.
In April, Russian troops with the Austrians come to Milan, and two weeks later - and in Turin. All the major battles (at Trebia and Novi) were won by Suvorov, the loss of the French - are enormous. For four months, the whole northern Italy had them cleaned
Oh it was sad all the European kings, feeling the early participation, cheered, cheered and opera. Thank Suvorov becomes incredible and comprehensive. All of our army and so prayed at his commander, because he, by and large, and raised her, and led to victory. Long ago it became the truth for all the army that this ridiculous shabby old man of seventy, forever muttering something under his breath - a sorcerer.
Suvorov - this is not such a stately handsome when regalia, who looks at us from all history textbooks



Much closer to the truth of the monument erected in the St. Gotthard Pass in Switzerland. The little old man in a clown cloak, led his guide



The old man never lost a battle. The entire army was aware that in addition to the five "human" languages ​​that he knew he was talking to the birds - they bring him on the location of the enemy
There were cases when the bombing positions suite Suvorov and its surrounding soldiers clung tightly to the commander - in fact the whole army knows that it can not take the core and bullets.
Now, in Suvorov believes the whole of Europe. To the extent that it does not in any way doubt that he is now with his unbridled, a small army will move directly from Italy via Grenoble and Lyon and Paris to take its course. Actually, he had planned.
But as usual started rumors, gossip, talks. England and Austria did not need Russian army in the heart of Europe, they are somehow without them live well. Ally develop a common plan: instead of Suvorov's attack on southern France taking the Austrians. In the Netherlands, landed Russian and English troops (which was done), it invades the poor from the north of France. Russian forces also hit directly to Paris from Germany, they have already come in time.
For this blow our forces was not enough, because the north of the Alps, we had a body of Rimsky-Korsakov, and the French there was darkness. Suvorov was ordered to go to the connection with our main forces, and perhaps it was only through the Alps. Rather, through one single mountain road that connects to the times northern Italy and southern Germany. She walked through the St. Gotthard Pass.
And it is here that we proceed to the most interesting, as a little bear this historical crap.
Well, in general about the balance is clear. There is a rather big Russian army with Rimsky-Korsakov in the north. There is a small Russian army, but Suvorov, it is in the south. Between them - a tall mountain Alps. They would, Russian armies, connect - and then enjoy yourself flaw, go Rhine invade France, Paris, wine, girls ...
Dreams hampered by two factors: first - is as has been said, the Alps, and the second - eighty thousand Frenchmen operating in them. They really do not want to join Russian, so you do not look at the bearded faces, Masta Louvre.
But the Russian thrust. They flooded into the mountains, and tut- then the French and the moment of truth. Muscovites Or we stop now, or our Parisian girls in their paws. Then all will fight like a lion, especially in the excellent natural conditions.
To defend themselves on the mountain from the enemy coming from below, in general, it is not very difficult. Especially if the road alone. And she was alone. Suvorov knew what was going on, but it was Suvorov. On it was his army, ready to go for this absurd comical old man in a huge cloak, through thick and thin.
The campaign began with of the bases. The Austrians have thrown us, and have not provided the mules to go. They were lost for several days, during which time the French strengthened in the key pass the entire route - St. Gotthard.
Sturm St. Gotthard made history. Russian showed a crazy head, one that not even dreamed of violent revolutionary French. The well-known fact that Suvorov all other types preferred to fight hand to hand combat, and indeed, it equal to our soldiers at that time it was not simple. Bullet fool, the bayonet done! The French did not know what mysterious force driving Russian on top unapproachable slopes upward with brutal mugs, top with bayonets. This was above the European understanding.
Well, above, above ... so one day the Gotthard Pass, is our only opportunity to go to the north, was taken. But the pass - pass ... it's big, is where to run. Ahead lay a more significant obstacle. Where the river is compressed in a vise Rёys inaccessible cliffs, centuries was a small bridge. Left, right - to get around it, is impossible. By and large, the entire road between Italy and Germany narrowed to a width of three meters, the width of the bridge, and the road was at the height of twenty meters!
Gorge - a natural trap, which could not be avoided. The bridge over it - the only thread that allows you to escape. Tear this thread, to destroy the bridge - and you can shoot all the enemy's army to the opposite bank, and you almost nothing. So, actually, and they decided to make the French. Cockney think, bridge, and let this Suwaroff sitting in his Italy, and together we leaned on Rimsky-Korsakov.



September 14 put an end to all Russian French dreams. They attack the Devil's Bridge, which itself was folly.
So, imagine ...
A small Swiss village of Andermatt. A few kilometers from the bridge. Where Russian troops settled himself field marshal. Here he built a house in 1786, the largest in the country at that time.



It was in this house Suvorov spent the night before the battle. It is here that he, as usual, ordered the curtain all the mirrors - he could not stand them. The soldiers explained by the fact that witches are afraid of mirrors, as they are not recognized.
... The first time you envelops unforgettable feeling - here, a thousand kilometers from Russia, you see a familiar name, you imagine thousands of Russian people get here, at the top of the Alps.



"The rate of Generalissimo Suvorov. September 25, 1799 »
In Russian then it was September 14 - old style.
It makes you want to sit on a bench under the flowers, to dream, to think



The atmosphere of the provincial Andermatt only contributes to this - quietest mountain town, in the long run, a long street along the road:



But 210 years ago, our was not before ... the way to Devil's Bridge blocked the mountain range, which lies between Andermatt and the River Reuss through which the bridge was thrown. Here, in the ridge, the people has been done in the first Alpine tunnel - through it could pass only one man with the pack, it was only the width of two meters. Length - 67 meters. Options are no more. Or in the tunnel, or back to Italy. By the way, according to Swiss comfortable roads even now in some places stremnovato ride, to say nothing of those pores



The French took the opening, the now sohranvshiysya and called local Unzern Loch unzernskaya hole. It was given a gun, firing buckshot.
Do not represent the feelings and emotions of the Musketeers of the Eagle, first burst into the darkness of the hole. At the same time about three hundred people prove impossible and bypass tunnel on the top, ridge. According to eyewitnesses, on the combat boots worn sandals with iron spikes. Here it was:



Here and modern climbing equipment will not pass
Striking to the rear of the tunnel, Russian troops staged an incredible panic among the French, inside the hole, and on the approaches to the bridge itself. Immediately after the exit of the tunnel mountain road was sharply down to the arch of the bridge.
The gorge is not in vain called the Devil. According to legend, he raised up Satan himself - otherwise it can not explain such a jumble of rocks, stones, water winding between them.



Figure 16 century, preserved in the rock, shows us the ancient legend. People from time immemorial who needed communication between the North and the South, could not overcome Satan's creation - River Gorge Flight. They asked the devil to help them build even a small bridge that they lived a little easier. The Devil agreed, but demanded in return the first soul who will pass the bridge and built it. Treacherous, crafty, vile people first thing in the launch of the new bridge (as it was in 1595), a kid, and Satan was forced to get out of his way. Since then, the Devil's Stone and decorate the image of Lucifer and a small kid.



Soldiers Suvorov did not know this, but they were all the same. They were interested in one thing - to seize the bridge at all costs. After the French were driven out of the tunnel unzernskogo, they got rid of his gun into the river, and ran across the bridge to the other side, with the central span of the bridge has been previously analyzed, and after the departure of the French avant-garde - is destroyed.
Now most of the legendary Devil's Bridge built in 1595, leaving only the base of the river.



The bridge itself, regularly having served the people 400 years, was destroyed by an earthquake in the late XIX century. The new bridge was thrown across the flight. It is with a view of the battlefield and becomes foreseeable, at a glance.
The base of "that" bridge - Right on the beach, just above - the bridge of the 19th century, very high - 20th century railroad bridge



Location of evil



Mountain River Race clamp, hanging over her, she barely managed to get through them ... in spite of the sun, at the bottom of the gorge eternal shadow, the river roaring river ... oh well ...



According to eyewitnesses, when Russian soldiers approached the entrance to the unzernskuyu hole, even without seeing the gorge and the river, they heard a strange, tormented soul roar
It roared Bloody Falls on the other side of the tunnel. Here it is, the Devil's Falls:



In a couple of dozen meters below him on the river was a bridge
You can imagine the feelings of the soldiers, the children of the plains, fertile fields and forest Little Vologda.
They had never seen the falls.
Give a word to Suvorov, an excerpt from the communiques Paul I (a kind of "report" about the company):
 















     




















     


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