- Date of: June 25 (13), 1807 - July 7 (June 25), 1807 (signing).
- Place: Tilsit.
- Type: peace treaty.
- Military conflict: War of the Fourth Coalition.
- Participants, countries: French Empire - Russian Empire.
- Participants, country representatives: Napoleon Bonaparte - .
The Peace of Tilsit is usually understood as a peace treaty that was concluded in the city of Tilsit from June 25 to July 9, 1807. This agreement was signed between Alexander I and Napoleon after the defeat of the Russian army in the Battle of Friedland (War of the Fourth Coalition).
Peace of Tilsit: the process of concluding a treaty
After Bennigsen was defeated in the Battle of Friedland (June 12, 1807), Alexander I ordered Lobanov-Rostovsky to go to Napoleon’s camp to make peace. The prince also conveyed to Napoleon a request from Alexander I to meet in person. In addition to Lobanov-Rostovsky, General Kalkreuth, who represented the interests of Prussia, also went to Napoleon. However, when concluding peace, Napoleon repeatedly emphasized that he was signing a peace treaty with Russia.
The French army at that time was in the small town of Tilsit, and the Russian army and the remaining Prussian formations were located on the other side of the Neman River, which separated the two opposing forces.
The next day, June 25, 1807, a meeting of the emperors took place. It took place on a raft, which was installed in the middle of the Neman River. The meeting took place without witnesses; the private conversation lasted about an hour. The next meeting of the two emperors took place at the review of the French Guard in Tilsit.
Treaty of Tilsit: the essence
Napoleon tried with all his might to point out to the Russian emperor that France was concluding an alliance with Russia, and not just peace. At the same time, he agreed to transfer control over Finland and the Balkan Peninsula to Russia. And yet Napoleon was not ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of this alliance: for example, Russia was interested in Constantinople, which Napoleon stubbornly did not want to give up. In the negotiations, the French emperor relied on his charisma, however, here he miscalculated a little, because Alexander I was also a bright personality and easily won over people.
At the conclusion of the peace treaty, the Emperor of Russia was compliant in only one thing - the fate of Prussia. Frederick William III lost more than half of the territory under his control: Napoleon's brother Jerome received the provinces that were located on the left bank of the Elbe. Poland was restored, although not completely, but only on part of Prussian territory, and was now called the Duchy of Warsaw. One day, the strong state of Poland actually revived again at the borders of Russia, but during the conclusion of the alliance, Napoleon assured Alexander I that he was not going to create a state that would threaten the interests of Russia.
Russia received the Bialystok department as compensation, which was later transformed into the Bialystok region.
Previously, exiled monarchs were recognized as such by Russia and Prussia. Prussia, as a gesture of goodwill towards Russia, was left with the territories of old Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia and Brandenburg. Gdansk was declared a free city. In the event that the French Emperor wished to expand his empire by annexing Hanover, Prussia was rewarded with territory on the left bank of the Elbe River.
Treaty of Tilsit: terms
- Russia fully recognized all territories conquered by France.
- Russia joined and refused to trade with it.
- A military alliance was concluded between France and Russia, so each member pledged to help each other in any military operations.
- On part of the territory of Prussia, the Duchy of Warsaw was created, which was completely dependent on France.
- Russian troops left Moldavia and Wallachia, which they had conquered in the war with Turkey.
- Russia no longer prevented France from gaining control of the Ionian Islands. A few months after the conclusion of this agreement, they became part of France.
- Russia recognized all the “installed” kings from Bonaparte’s relatives.
- The Russian recognized the Confederation of the Rhine.
- France no longer supported Turkey in the war with Russia (Russian-Turkish War of 1806-1812).
Treaty of Tilsit: meaning and results
The signing of the Tilsit Peace Treaty put Russia in an extremely disadvantageous position. In addition to economic pressure, loss of territory and abandonment of old allies, the country's authority was also undermined. France, for its part, did not fulfill the stated conditions and often violated the clauses of the treaty. It is especially worth noting the war between Russia and Turkey, because... France did not assist its ally in the war in any way. And yet Russia was able to benefit from this document during the war with Sweden.
After the defeat of the Fourth Anti-French Coalition, St. Petersburg again had to choose a foreign policy strategy. Several parties formed around Alexander. Thus, his “young friends” - Czartoryski, Novosiltsev, Stroganov, advocated strengthening the alliance with Britain. All their foreign policy projects took into account London's position. Many relatives of the emperor, especially his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, as well as the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs A. Ya. Budberg, the commander-in-chief of the troops in the western direction Bennigsen, believed that it was necessary to maintain and strengthen the alliance with Prussia. Still others, Minister of Commerce N.P. Rumyantsev, Ambassador to Austria A.B. Kurakin and M.M. Speransky, believed that Russia needed to return “free hands” without committing itself to allied relations. They quite reasonably believed that it was necessary to abandon attempts to establish balance in Europe by armed means, spoke out for the need to establish friendly relations with France (fortunately, Paris more than once tried to establish more constructive relations with St. Petersburg) and pursue a tougher policy towards Britain. They saw the main task of the Russian government in commercial and industrial prosperity, and for this they needed peace and a reduction in the role of British goods in Russian trade turnover.
In general, all three parties were for peace with France. But if the “young friends” of the emperor wanted to use the truce for a respite, to strengthen the alliance with Britain and other enemies of Paris in order to continue the fight against the French (besides, they were against a separate agreement between Russia and France, without the participation of Britain), then other groups believed that that it is time to end the protracted war with France; it is more profitable for Russia not to participate in the old conflict between Paris and London. And an alliance with Paris could bring tangible benefits to St. Petersburg.
The problems that arose in the Russian-English relations. Alexander the First's hopes for full-fledged military and financial assistance to Britain did not materialize. Thus, in 1806, London provided Russia with only 300 thousand pounds out of the required 800 thousand. All attempts by Russian diplomacy to achieve payment of the remaining amount were refused. Russia had to finance the war itself. In January 1807, the question arose about extending the new Russian-English trade agreement - the previous one was concluded in 1797 and its validity period expired. In negotiations with the British Ambassador Stuart, Russian Foreign Minister Budberg wanted to change the terms of the agreement in favor of St. Petersburg; the previous agreement gave the British great advantages. Naturally, the British did not want to change profitable terms, and negotiations stalled.
As a result, it became obvious that continuing the war with France was very stupid. Prussia was defeated, Austria had no intention of opposing France, England was guided primarily by personal interests rather than common ones, Russia fought with Persia and the Ottoman Empire, the troops suffered a number of failures at the front, a threat of international isolation arose, and there was a negative situation in area of finance. As a result, Alexander I, despite his personal hostility to Napoleon, was forced to make peace with France.
Tilsit
The French emperor also showed readiness for negotiations. After the defeat of the Russian army near Friedland, the French army was inactive and did not cross the borders of Russia. The negotiations went through several stages. First, St. Petersburg announced that it was ready for negotiations if Napoleon accepted the condition of preserving the territorial integrity of Russia. And she proposed to negotiate not separately, but with the participation of all parties to the conflict. Paris did not lay claim to Russian territory; Napoleon himself advocated peace negotiations, but was against the participation of other powers, especially England, in them. On June 9 (21), 1807, a truce was signed. British attempts to prevent Russia from concluding a truce were unsuccessful.
On June 13 (25), two emperors, Alexander and Napoleon, met on the Neman River. The issue of peace was not in doubt; France and Russia were tired of the bloody war. Now it was necessary to agree on the degree of rapprochement between the two great powers (Napoleon wanted a real union, and Alexander wanted to maintain “free hands”) and the size of mutual concessions. These were not negotiations between the defeated side and the triumphant winner. Alexander agreed to sever relations with Britain and recognize changes in Europe, but demanded French non-interference in Russian-Turkish relations and the preservation of Prussian statehood led by Friedrich Wilhelm. Napoleon wanted a real military-political alliance with Russia in order to consolidate French dominance in Western Europe, the successes of military campaigns, making them long-term and to complete the campaign on the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, he needed an alliance with St. Petersburg in order to fight Britain - at a minimum, Russia’s joining the continental blockade, and better yet, the full participation of Russians in the fight against the British.
It was the question of the alliance between Russia and France that caused the most controversy in Tilsit. Alexander was for peace, but did not see a future for an alliance with France. The Russian emperor did not want to fight with England and participate in the continental blockade (to abandon trade relations with Britain), which would damage the country's economy. In addition, the alliance with France increased the possibility of Paris interfering in Russian-Turkish relations.
Alexander initially managed to separate the issue of concluding peace from the problem of creating an alliance of two powers. But then the negotiations became complicated - Napoleon proposed dividing the European possessions of the Ottoman Empire between Russia and France and destroying Prussia. Alexander said that Russia is not interested in the division of Turkish possessions, but offers a compromise - the division of spheres of influence on the Balkan Peninsula, with the participation of Austria. Regarding Prussia, Alexander was adamant - Prussian statehood, albeit in a truncated form, must be preserved. Napoleon made a concession regarding Prussia, but demanded that the Polish regions be separated from it, which Berlin received during the Second and Third Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th century. The French emperor wanted to restore Polish statehood, albeit in a very reduced form and under the protectorate of Paris.
As a result, Alexander realized that Napoleon would not accept Russia's terms regarding Prussia and Turkey, without alliance relations, and agreed to a secret alliance with France. As a result, two treaties were signed: an open peace treaty and a secret agreement.
Terms of the peace agreement
Russia recognized all the conquests of France. Paris achieved recognition by St. Petersburg of Joseph Bonaparte as the King of Naples, Ludwig Bonaparte as the King of the Netherlands, and Jerome Bonaparte as the King of Westphalia. As well as recognition of the Confederation of the Rhine.
Russia agreed that Prussia would lose land on the left bank of the Elbe and areas would be allocated from it to create the Duchy of Warsaw. The city of Gdansk was declared a free treaty. The Bialystok district went to Russia.
Petersburg agreed to become a mediator in the Anglo-French negotiations.
France became a mediator in negotiations between Russia and Turkey.
Russia pledged to transfer the Ionian Islands and the Bay of Cattaro to France.
In addition, the treaty of alliance provided for joint actions of the two powers against any third power hostile to them. St. Petersburg was supposed, if England refused to put up with France, to join the continental blockade. In the event of a joint war with the Ottoman Empire, Paris and St. Petersburg agreed to divide its possessions, except for Istanbul and Rumelia.
It is clear that this agreement was not beneficial to Russia, but at the same time the agreement was not shameful. Thus, the treaty did not prohibit trading with England through neutral countries. And Russia was supposed to enter the war against a third power after the development of a special convention. Until 1812, the parties did not even begin to develop such an agreement. Thus, the question of military cooperation between France and Russia remained open and provided opportunities for maneuver.
Alexander himself believed that this peace treaty and alliance only gave Russia time to resume the fight later. Russia retained its foreign policy independence and gained time to prepare for a new war and search for allies. Besides, Russian Emperor believed that Napoleon's empire should soon face serious internal difficulties. At the same time, there was a change in Alexander’s inner circle - the emperor’s “young friends” were pushed aside, N. Rumyantsev was appointed head of the Foreign Ministry, he was a supporter of rapprochement with France and limiting the role of England. At the same time, the role of M. M. Speransky grew. True, the Russian public, already accustomed to the loud victories of the Russian, was extremely dissatisfied. The feeling of resentment in the capital's circles was so great that even 14 years later, Alexander Pushkin wrote: “Tilsit!.. at this offensive sound / Now Russia will not turn pale.”
Consequences of the Peace of Tilsit for Europe
This peace somewhat stabilized the situation in Europe, which before it had been the scene of a fierce war. Austria maintained neutrality. Prussia was occupied by the French and completely demoralized, surviving as a state only by the good will of Russia. At the same time, various transformations were taking place in a number of countries. Reforms of the administrative system were underway in Russia; Speransky was their developer. In Prussia, the transformation of the system was associated with the name of von Stein. In Austria, I. Stadion and Archduke Charles carried out military reform.
Between Alexander I and Napoleon after the war and in which Russia helped Prussia.
On June 14, 1807, Napoleon defeated the Russian army of Bennigsen at Friedland. Alexander I, having received this news, ordered Lobanov-Rostovsky to go to the French camp to negotiate peace. General Kalkreuth also came to Napoleon on behalf of the Prussian king, but Napoleon strongly emphasized that he was making peace with the Russian emperor. Napoleon at that time was on the banks of the Neman, in the town of Tilsit; the Russian army and the pitiful remnants of the Prussian army stood on the other bank.
Prince Lobanov conveyed to Napoleon the desire of Emperor Alexander to see him personally. The next day, June 25, 1807, both emperors met on a raft placed in the middle of the river, and talked face to face for about an hour in a covered pavilion. The next day they saw each other again in Tilsit; Alexander I attended the review of the French Guard. Napoleon wanted not only peace, but also an alliance with Alexander and pointed him to the Balkan Peninsula and Finland as a reward for helping France in its endeavors; but he did not agree to give Constantinople to Russia. If Napoleon was counting on the charming impression of his personality, then he soon had to admit that his calculations were too optimistic: Alexander, with his gentle smile, soft speech, and kind demeanor, was not at all as accommodating even in difficult circumstances as his new ally would like. “C’est un véritable grec du Bas-Empire,” Napoleon said to his entourage.
However, on one point, Alexander I showed himself ready to make concessions - regarding the fate of Prussia: more than half of the Prussian possessions were taken by Napoleon from Frederick William III. The provinces on the left bank of the Elbe were given by Napoleon to his brother Jerome. Poland was restored - however, not from all former provinces, only from the Prussian part under the name of the Duchy of Warsaw. Russia received the Bialystok department as compensation, from which the Bialystok region was formed. Gdansk (Danzig) became a free city. All earlier monarchs installed by Napoleon were recognized by Russia and Prussia. As a sign of respect for the Russian emperor (en considération de l’empereur de Russie), Napoleon left old Prussia, Brandenburg, Pomerania and Silesia to the Prussian king. In case the French emperor wished to add Hanover to his conquests, it was decided to reward Prussia with territory on the left bank of the Elbe.
Imperial embrace on a raft. (Meeting in Tilsit). English caricature unknown. thin 1800s
The main point of the Tilsit Treaty was not published at that time: Russia and France pledged to help each other in any offensive and defensive war, wherever circumstances required it. This close alliance eliminated Napoleon's only strong rival on the continent; England remained isolated; both powers pledged to use all measures to force the rest of Europe to comply with the continental system. On July 8, 1807, the treaty was signed by both emperors. The Peace of Tilsit elevated Napoleon to the pinnacle of power, and put Emperor Alexander in a difficult position. The feeling of resentment in capital circles was great. “Tilsit!.. (at this offensive sound / Now Ross will not turn pale),” wrote 14 years later
Story
On June 14, 1807, Napoleon defeated Bennigsen's Russian army at Friedland. Alexander I, having received this news, ordered Lobanov-Rostovsky to go to the French camp to negotiate peace. General Kalkreuth also came to Napoleon on behalf of the Prussian king, but Napoleon strongly emphasized that he was making peace with the Russian emperor. Napoleon at that time was on the banks of the Neman, in the town of Tilsit; the Russian army and the remnants of the Prussian army stood on the other bank. Prince Lobanov conveyed to Napoleon the desire of Emperor Alexander to see him personally.
Medallion depicting emperors embracing
The next day, June 25, 1807, both emperors met on a raft placed in the middle of the river, and talked face to face for about an hour in a covered pavilion. The next day they saw each other again in Tilsit; Alexander I attended the review of the French Guard. Napoleon wanted not only peace, but also an alliance with Alexander and pointed him to the Balkan Peninsula and Finland as a reward for helping France in its endeavors; but he did not agree to give Constantinople to Russia. If Napoleon was counting on the charming impression of his personality, then he soon had to admit that his calculations were too optimistic: Alexander, with his gentle smile, soft speech, and kind demeanor, was not at all as accommodating even in difficult circumstances as his new ally would like. “This is a real Byzantine” (fr. C'est un veritable grec du Bas-Empire ) - Napoleon said to his entourage.
However, on one point, Alexander I showed himself ready to make concessions - regarding the fate of Prussia: more than half of the Prussian possessions were taken by Napoleon from Frederick William III. The provinces on the left bank of the Elbe were given by Napoleon to his brother Jerome. Poland was restored - however, not from all the former provinces, only from the Prussian part under the name of the Duchy of Warsaw. Russia received the Bialystok department as compensation, from which the Bialystok region was formed. Gdansk (Danzig) became a free city. All monarchs previously installed by Napoleon were recognized by Russia and Prussia. As a sign of respect to the Russian Emperor (fr. en considération de l'empereur de Russie ) Napoleon left old Prussia, Brandenburg, Pomerania and Silesia to the Prussian king. In case the French emperor wished to add Hanover to his conquests, it was decided to reward Prussia with territory on the left bank of the Elbe.
The main point of the Tilsit Treaty was not published at that time: Russia and France pledged to help each other in any offensive and defensive war, wherever circumstances required it. This close alliance eliminated Napoleon's only strong rival on the continent; England remained isolated; both powers pledged to use all measures to force the rest of Europe to comply with the continental system. On July 7, 1807, the treaty was signed by both emperors. The Peace of Tilsit elevated Napoleon to the pinnacle of power, and put Emperor Alexander in a difficult position. The feeling of resentment in capital circles was great. “Tilsit!.. (at this offensive sound / Now Russia will not turn pale),” wrote Alexander Pushkin 14 years later. The Patriotic War of 1812 was subsequently looked upon precisely as an event that “made amends” for the Peace of Tilsit. In general, the significance of the Peace of Tilsit was very great: from 1807, Napoleon began to rule much more boldly in Europe than before.
Peace terms
Imperial embrace on a raft. (Meeting in Tilsit). English caricature unknown. thin 1800s
Literature
- Schilder, "Imper. Alexander I" (1900)
- Vandal, "Alexandre I et Napoleon" (Par., 1897)
Notes
Links
- Website of the city of Sovetsk (Tilsit) in which the “Tilsit Peace” was concluded
- City history site, with a lot of information on Sovetsk
Categories:
- International treaties of the Russian Empire
- International treaties of France
- Treaties of the Napoleonic Wars
- Russian-French relations
- Peace treaties of the 19th century
- 1807
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See what the “Tilsit World” is in other dictionaries:
Concluded on June 25, 1807 in Tilsit as a result of personal negotiations between Alexander I and Napoleon I. Russia agreed to the creation of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and joined the Continental blockade. A separate act formalized the offensive and... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
PEACE OF TILSITI, completed Russia’s participation in the Russian-Prussian-French War of 1806 07, concluded on June 25 (7.7). 1807 in Tilsit (now the city of Sovetsk, Kaliningrad region) as a result of personal negotiations between Alexander I and Napoleon I. Russia agreed to ... Russian history
Concluded on June 25 (July 7), 1807 in Tilsit as a result of personal negotiations between Emperor Alexander I and Napoleon I. Russia agreed to the creation of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and joined the Continental blockade. A separate act was issued... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
World of Tilsit- After the Battle of Friedland, Alexander I entered into negotiations with Napoleon, who in turn wanted to reach an agreement with Russia. Napoleon and Alexander I met in Tilsit and on July 7 concluded a treaty of peace and alliance. Treaty of Tilsit... The World History. Encyclopedia
Concluded in 1807 between Alexander I and Napoleon after the war of 1806 and 1807, in which Russia helped Prussia. On June 14, 1807, Napoleon defeated the Russian army of Bennigsen at Friedland. Alexander I, having received this news, ordered Lobanov... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
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Treaties between France and Russia and France and Prussia, signed in Tilsit on June 25 (July 7) and July 9, 1807, respectively, after the victory of Napoleonic troops in the Russian-Prussian French War of 1806 07. According to the Franco-Russian peace... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia
The Peace of Tilsit of 1807 was one of the episodes of the Napoleonic wars in Europe, a page of glorious victories of the French army that preceded the Battle of Borodino and the famous withdrawal from empty and burned Moscow.
War of the Fourth Coalition
In the fall of 1806, Napoleon and his armies opposed two powerful players in the European arena - Great Britain and Prussia. England found itself in a blockade for a long time, although the French never landed on the island. But Prussia soon enough suffered a crushing defeat. Already on October 12, 1806, Napoleon entered Berlin. This outcome forced the Russian sovereign, Alexander I, as an ally of the Germans, to go to war against the French. The Russian-French War began in December 1806 and lasted for six months. The Russian armies in Poland and East Prussia resisted quite successfully. Thus, in the winter of 1807, at the Battle of Eylau, Napoleon for the first time in his practice failed to win. The battle ended in a draw. However, the problem for the Russian armies came from the south in the form of a second front. At this time, another Russian-Turkish war began, forcing the withdrawal of some military formations from the Western theater of military operations. As a result, on June 14 of the same year, in the Battle of Friedland, the army of commander Leontius Benningsen was defeated by superior French troops. This battle clearly showed that Alexander I would not be able to fight two simultaneous wars. As a result of this situation, the Peace of Tilsit was imposed, in which Napoleon was able to dictate his terms to Russia. In response to the fulfillment of his conditions, he promised to deprive the Ottoman Empire of assistance in the war with Russia.
Peace of Tilsit: consequences
As a result of this treaty, Russia was forced to agree with all territorial gains and wishes of France. The Duchy of Warsaw, dependent on Paris, was formed on the territory of Poland. Prussia lost a number of territories in favor of Poland. In fairness, it should be noted that these were lands with a Polish population, previously captured by the Prussians. Russia itself was forced to renounce the lands seized from Turkey in Moldova and Wallachia and recognize the power of the French crown over the Ionian Islands. Also, the Peace of Tilsit actually imposed an alliance with Napoleon on Alexander I. According to this treaty, he had to join the continental blockade of the English island and recognize the Confederation of the Rhine. In addition, the Peace of Tilsit assumed mutual assistance between Russia and France in any offensive or defensive war. This shackled the Russian Empire hand and foot.
Further development of the situation
In Russian public opinion The Peace of Tilsit was perceived as humiliating to the dignity of the state. According to the later expression of Alexander Pushkin, at his mention, “every Russian should turn pale.” Therefore, the Peace of Tilsit never received a humble fulfillment, and after the victory in the Russian-French War of 1812, its provisions completely lost their significance.