Switzerland's Alpine Weather War: The 1799 Russian Army Crossing

In 1799, during the War of the Second Coalition, Russian General Alexander Suvorov led his army of 20,000 men on a desperate crossing of the Swiss Alps in winter, attempting to link up with Austrian forces. This episode follows Suvorov's harrowing march over the Gotthard Pass and the Panix Pass, where his troops faced blizzards, avalanches, and French defenders under General André Masséna. We explore the strategic blunders that left Suvorov stranded, the heroic stand of the Russian rearguard at the Devil's Bridge, and how the brutal Alpine terrain became the graveyard of the Russian campaign. Drawing on Suvorov's own orders and journals, as well as Swiss local accounts, this episode reveals a forgotten chapter of Alpine warfare that reshaped European alliances and cemented Swiss pass defenses. We also touch on the memorials that remain today, and the Suvorov monument in the Schöllenen Gorge. #Suvorov #SwissAlps #WarOfTheSecondCoalition #GotthardPass #MassNa #PanixPass #DevilsBridge #AlpineWarfare #SchLlenenGorge #RussianArmy #1799 #SwissNeutrality #NapoleonicWars #MilitaryHistory #CantonUrsen #History #FexingoHistory #EuropeanHistory #SwissHistory #RTlischwur Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo