Beresina song / Das Beresina-Lied / Chant de la Bérézina - Bing video
'[The Swiss] were, right to the end of the retreat, invincible, they outdid nature, and they spread a radiance of heroism into this desert of snow.'-Marshal Gouvion St Cyr.
'It has been said that the bridges presented a hideous spectacle due to the crowding and confusion...In reality, the crossing of the Berezina in the face of the enemy was a very large military undertaking that reflects further glory on the army and its chief.'-General Berthezene.
'There was never a better opportunity to force the surrender of an army in the open field. Napoleon had to rely for the most part on the reputation of his arms; and he made use here of an asset he had been accumulating for a long time...Because the enemy was afraid of him and his Guard, no one dared face him. Napoleon capitalized on this psychological effect, and with its assistance worked his way out of one of the worst situations in which a general was ever caught. Of course this psychological force was not all he had. He was still supported by his own brilliant strength of character and the peerless military virtues of his army, not yet destroyed by the greatest of trials. Once out of the trap, Napoleon said to his staff: 'You see how one can slip away under the very nose of the enemy.' Napoleon in this action not only preserved his military honor, he enhanced it.'-Carl von Clausewitz.
Without pathos you can read and learn about the so called Beresina Lied by the Suisse officer Legler
Denkwürdigkeiten aus dem russischen Feldzuge
vom Jahr 1812.
Aus den nachgelassenen Papieren des Oberstlieutenant Thomas Legler von
Dornhaus, Ritters der Ehrenlegion, herausgegeben von seinem Sohne.
in case you like to listen, there Legler sang it alone, this version is quite fitting in my view - the melody as sung by Legler is however unknown there this version uses the 1823 melody
Ja, sehr schön, aber die Melodie stammt doch nicht von Friedrich Wilke, sondern von Johann Immanuel Müller, komponiert 1823 (!). Der Text von Giseke (1792) kann also an der Beresina NICHT zur vorliegenden Melodie gesungen worden sein, wohl aber zur offenbar verschollenen Melodie von Wilke zu der das Lied 1798 erstmals veröffentlicht worden sein soll. Aus der Sicht des auf die napoleonische Zeit spezialisierten Historikers hat dieses schöne "Beresina"-Lied also leider keinen wirklichen Wert. Show less REPLY Hide reply Jean-Marc Monhart 4 days ago Aus der Sicht von Seniorennachmittagen und Abdankungen ist eine vorhandene Melodie von 1823 leichter zu singen als eine verschollene Melodie, die 1798 erstmals veröffentlicht worden sein soll. Vielleicht hat Legler an der Beresina auch seine eigene, ebenfalls verschollene Melodie gesungen. Danke für den Beitrag. Show less