French invasion of Russia subject of much discussion among historians. The campaign's sustained role in Russian culture may be seen in Tolstoy's "War and Peace", Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", and the identification of it with the German invasion of 1941–45, which became known as the "Great Patriotic War" in the Soviet Union. French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, known in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 () and in France as the Russian Campaign (), began on 24 June 1812 when Napoleon's crossed the Neman River in an attempt to engage and defeat the Russian army. Napoleon hoped to compel Tsar
Army of the Danube (1806–1812) Army of the Danube (1806–1812) The Army of the Danube (or Danube Army; alternately the Army of Moldavia) () was a field army of the Russian Empire, created for the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812. Commanded by Admiral Pavel Chichagov from May 1812, it merged with the Third Reserve Army of Observation to form the Third Western Army in September during the French invasion of Russia. The Army of the Danube ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812 on the Danube; its commander-in-chief, General of the infantry Mikhail Kutuzov, signed the peace treaty ending the war at Bucharest on . Admiral Pavel