1812
Grande Armée Crosses the Niemen
Six hundred thousand men - French, Polish, Italian, German - waded into Russia on a summer morning.
United States Declares War
Goaded by British impressment of sailors and dreams of seizing Canada, President Madison signed a war declaration that split his own country.
Battle of Borodino
Seventy miles west of Moscow, Kutuzov's Russians stood and let Napoleon batter them all day.
Moscow Burns
As Napoleon's guards took up quarters in the Kremlin, fires lit by the city's departing governor ran from suburb to suburb until three-quarters of Moscow…
Treaty of Bucharest
Russia ended its long war with the Ottoman Empire in time to face Napoleon, gaining Bessarabia and a breathing space.
Detroit Surrenders
General William Hull, old and panicked, surrendered Detroit and his two thousand troops to the British without firing a shot.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1812?
Saeculum lists 6 events from 1812. The most significant is Grande Armée Crosses the Niemen: Six hundred thousand men - French, Polish, Italian, German - waded into Russia on a summer morning.
What era was 1812 part of?
1812 falls within the Industrial Age (1801-1900). Steam, empire, and the unmaking of the old order.
Which regions saw notable events in 1812?
The events from 1812 span Europe and North America.