battle of Borodino – major battle Patriotic War 1812 between the armies under the command of General M.I. Kutuzov, on the Russian side, and Napoleon I Bonaparte, on the French side. This battle took place on August 26 according to the old style (at the time of the battle this corresponded to September 7 according to the new style; today, this corresponds to September 8 according to the new style) 1812 not far from the village of Borodino. About 125 kilometers from Moscow.

During the 12-hour battle, the French army captured the Russian positions in the center, as well as on the left wing, although after the end of the battle the French army returned to their original positions. Taking this into account, Russian historiography believes that the Russian army won the Battle of Borodino. But, despite this, the next day the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, ordered a retreat due to huge losses. It is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history.

Events leading up to the Battle of Borodino

After the French invasion of Russian territory in June 1812, the Russian army had to constantly retreat. The retreat caused public discontent, and Emperor Alexander I appointed a new commander-in-chief, General Kutuzov.

At the beginning of the Battle of Borodino, the size of the Russian army was determined to be approximately 115 thousand people and about 640 guns, the French - about 140 thousand soldiers and about 600 guns.

Military history takes into account not only the size of the army, but also the number that was brought into battle. But even according to these indicators - the number of forces that took part in the battle, the French army had a numerical superiority.

Before the main battle there was a battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt

The idea of ​​​​Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov was to conduct an active defense, inflict the greatest possible losses on the French troops, that is, change the balance of forces, and also preserve Russian army for further battles, for complete defeat French army.

On the night of August 26 (September 7), 1812, using data obtained during the Battle of Shevardin, Kutuzov decides to regroup Russian troops.

The course of the Battle of Borodino - the main, key moments of the battle

Early in the morning (at 5:30) on August 26 (September 7), 1812, over 100 guns from the French side began shelling the positions of the left flank. Also, when the shelling began on the Russian position, the village of Borodino, General Delzon’s division launched a diversionary attack. Borodino was defended by the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment, commanded by Colonel Bistrom. For more than an hour, the rangers fought off the superior enemy, but under the threat of being flanked, they were forced to retreat beyond the Kolocha River. But the guards rangers were able to receive reinforcements and repelled all enemy attempts to break through the Russian defenses.

One of the battles is the battle for Bagration’s flushes.

These flushes were occupied by the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division, commanded by General Vorontsov. In the morning, at six o'clock, after a short shelling, the attack on Bagration's flushes began. Already the first attack allowed the French divisions to overcome the resistance of the rangers and break through the Utitsky forest, although having begun formation at the edge of the southernmost flush, they found themselves under grapeshot fire and were overturned from the flank by the attack of the rangers.

At about 8 o'clock, French troops repeated the attack and managed to capture the southern flush. And although attempts to take flushes did not stop on the part of the French army, they did not end in success.

As a result, the bloody battle ended in defeat French troops, which were thrown back beyond the ravine of Semenovsky Creek.

Russian units, although not completely, remained in Semenovskoye until the end of the battle.

Another battle that battered the French was the battle for the Utitsky Kurgan.

Raevsky's battery showed courage in defending Russian soil.

The highest mound, which was in the center of the Russian position, had a dominant position over the surrounding area. The battery was installed on this mound, which had 18 guns at the beginning of the battle. The defense of the battery was entrusted to the 7th Infantry Corps under Lieutenant General Raevsky.

Simultaneously with the battle for Bagration's flushes, French troops organized an attack on the battery. But this attack was repelled directly by artillery fire. And despite all the courage, Raevsky’s battery was nevertheless taken by the French.

Despite some successes for the French army, it did not gain an overwhelming advantage. The French offensive in the center of the Russian army stopped.

Thus, by 18 o'clock the Russian army was still unshakably in the Borodino position. The French troops failed to achieve decisive success in any direction.

End of the battle, results of the battle

When French troops captured Raevsky's battery, the battle began to fade. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army gave the order to withdraw the army beyond Mozhaisk in order to make up for human losses, as well as prepare for new battles. But Napoleon, who was faced with the fortitude of the enemy, was in a depressed and anxious mood.

The losses of the Russian army have been revised many times by historians. Various sources provide various data.

Due to the loss of the archive during the retreat of the French army, the question of the losses of the French army still remains open.

The Battle of Borodino is the bloodiest battle of the 19th century. That is why Napoleon recognized the battle of Borodino as his greatest battle, although its results were very modest for this great commander.

And although there are many assessments of this battle, the Battle of Borodino, both commanders chalked up the victory in it to their own account...

The Day of Military Glory dedicated to the Battle of Borodino was established

In Russia there is a day military glory September 8 is the Day of the Borodino battle of the Russian army under the command of M.I. Kutuzov with the French army.

Battle of Borodino (briefly)

Battle of Borodino (briefly)

The Russian army could only retreat... Moscow was still several hundred kilometers away and the soldiers needed decisive actions from their commanders. The situation was difficult, but the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, decided to give Napoleon a general battle. The Battle of Borodino is the bloodiest and largest battle of the Second World War in 1812.

Borodino is located one hundred and twenty kilometers from the capital of Russia, and Kutuzov’s Russian army was able to take a position in which Napoleonic soldiers were only able to carry out a frontal attack. The commander toured all the Russian troops, and before the start of the battle they carried the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God.

Kutuzov's army was lined up in three lines. The first of them was occupied by artillery and infantry, the next was occupied by cavalry, and the third was occupied by a reserve. The French wanted to outwit Kutuzov by making the first strike on the village of Borodino, but the great Russian commander was able to unravel Napoleonic plan. Then Napoleon had no choice but to lead his army into a frontal attack. The entire crushing blow fell on the Semyonov flushes on the left flank, commanded by Bagration. Thus, Napoleon used the standard powerful scheme, as well as lightning-fast work of cavalry, infantry and artillery. The next morning, the French soldiers rushed into battle, and by noon they managed to take possession of the flushes.

Barclay de Tolly hastened to send a regiment to help Bagration, and he was able to cool the attacking ardor of the French soldiers and throw them back. The fire died down for a while and Napoleon had a minute to think about his further actions. At this time, Kutuzov managed to raise reserves and the Russian army began to represent a truly formidable power. The French were forced to retreat from batteries, flushes and surrender captured positions.

In total, the Battle of Borodino lasted about twelve hours and during this time neither the vanquished nor the winners emerged. After lengthy retreats, a bloody battle with the enemy on the Borodino field was able to raise the morale of Russian soldiers. The army was again ready to engage in battle and stand to the end, but Kutuzov decided that other actions were necessary and, as it soon became clear, he was right. But still, after the long Battle of Borodino, the Russian army retreated and was forced to surrender Moscow to Napoleon.

The Patriotic War of 1812 ended more than 200 years ago, but interest in that glorious page Russian history is not lost even today. Indeed, thanks to the heroism of the Russian army, Napoleon’s troops were almost completely destroyed, and fighting moved outside of Russia. The turning point of the military campaign was the Battle of Borodino, which every self-respecting person is simply obliged to know about.

Events leading up to the battle

In June 1812, Napoleon's huge army invaded the territory of the Russian Empire. Thus began the war, which became one of the important events XIX century and known in Russian history as the Patriotic War of 1812 (more about it). In the first months of hostilities, Russian troops constantly retreated. One of the reasons for this was their fragmentation.

Therefore, the command decided to retreat to Smolensk with the aim of unification. Finally, on August 3, the 1st and 2nd armies united near this city. However, the general battle that was expected from the acting commander-in-chief, General Barclay de Tolly, did not follow. Anticipating that the French, having a numerical superiority, would be able to find themselves behind Russian lines, the general ordered the abandonment of Smolensk. But the prolonged retreat caused dissatisfaction among Russian society.

The need to transfer military power to one person also became apparent. Soon, the famous commander General M.I. was appointed as such commander-in-chief. Golenishchev-Kutuzov. Kutuzov's army continued its fighting retreat towards Moscow. She stopped only at the village of Borodino, where on September 7 the decisive battle of the War of 1812 took place.

Famous battle

The surroundings of the village of Borodino (location: 125 km from Moscow), consisting of ravines, small rivers, and streams, were ideally suited for a decisive battle. The battlefield itself was located at the intersection of the Old and New Smolensk roads leading to Moscow. It is the above components that are the main reasons for the Commander-in-Chief’s choice in favor of Borodino. At the site of the upcoming clash, Russian soldiers erected redoubts, flushes, and lunettes. Developing a battle plan, M.I. Kutuzov suggested:

• while defending, inflict heavy losses on the enemy;
• go on the offensive with fresh forces and defeat your opponent.

On the eve of the battle, the Russian army, including the Cossacks, numbered approximately 120 thousand people, and the French army consisted of approximately 140 thousand people.

Battle diagram

The French approached the Borodino field on September 5th. That day, Kutuzov’s men were still building fortifications at the main positions. Therefore, Gorchakov’s barrage detachment located in the village of Shevardino (3 km from Borodino) took the enemy’s blow. The defenders held back the enemy's onslaught until late at night and left the redoubt only after receiving the appropriate order.

On September 7 (August 26) at 6 am the Battle of Borodino began, which lasted about 12 hours. It was impossible to bypass Kutuzov’s troops on the right side; the positions there were covered by the Kolocha River. And the main hostilities began with the attack of the French corps under the leadership of the Duke of Davout on the left flank of the Russians, commanded by Prince Bagration.

Bagration's warriors repulsed seven of the eight fierce attacks, but the last attack forced them to retreat. The prince himself received a mortal wound during this battle. Around noon, his soldiers entrenched themselves in the village of Semenovskoye and, with powerful artillery fire, did not allow the French to go further than the Semenovsky ravine. Also, the cavalry sent here by Kutuzov forced Napoleon to temporarily stop his attacks.

In the central section of the Borodino field, Raevsky’s battery fought heroically. But in the afternoon, the general’s troops were forced to retreat and consolidated in a new location.

All evening the opposing forces maintained powerful artillery fire, and at night the French returned to their original positions without breaking their opponent.

The results of the battle near the village of Borodino affected the fate of all of Europe. Here Napoleon lost a quarter of his troops. French morale fell. Soon there will be no time invincible army began to “pursue” defeats.

Kutuzov's army lost up to 40 thousand people on September 7th. In order to save the remaining people and not lose Russia, the Commander-in-Chief decided to surrender Moscow. And then the cold came, and Russian troops, along with partisan detachments D. Davydov expelled Napoleon's exhausted army from their native land.

How it was in our time

Every year, a reconstruction of the famous battle that took place in 1812 is held on the Borodino field. It is created by members of military history clubs. So, dressed in Russian and French military uniform early XIX centuries, reenactors have been recreating the atmosphere that reigned on the battlefield more than 200 years ago. How grandiose it is this event videos and pictures of past years tell the story.

Soon, at the site where the famous battle took place, a reconstruction will take place in 2018. In front of the eyes of the spectators, hundreds of hussars, lancers, grenadiers, infantrymen, and artillerymen will desperately fight for victory. In short, the reconstruction program is rich in key points battle, where, among others, raids of Platov’s Cossacks and Uvarov’s cavalry. Spectators will be able to watch the progress of the battle from the stands.

Battle in Tolstoy's novel

The description of the battle at Borodino is occupied in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" twenty chapters of the third volume. The reader looks at the battle either through the eyes of the hereditary military prince Andrei, or through the eyes of a civilian Pierre Bezukhov. After all, Pierre, not knowing military affairs at all, considered it necessary to be on such an important day on the battlefield. During the battle, it seemed to Count Bezukhov, who found himself on the Raevsky battery, that the main events were taking place here. Through Pierre's perception, the tragedy of the war for each individual person is shown. At the same time, Pierre understood the strength that unites him, Prince Andrei, ordinary soldiers and General Kutuzov. And this strength lay in the desire to defend their native land.

Borodino also turns out to be the intersection of some of the main characters novel. Fate pits Bezukhov against Dolokhov, and the already mortally wounded Prince Bolkonsky forgives the dying Anatoly Kuragin.

Thus, through Tolstoy’s eyes the significance of the battle on the Borodino field is shown. After all, it was after this battle that the spirit of the Russian army strengthened, which greatly contributed to the final victory over the French.

Historians' assessments

The conclusions of historians about the results of the battle of Borodino have remained ambiguous at all times. Thus, the historian S. B. Okun believed that the Russian army on the Borodino field won one of its outstanding victories. The French historian J. Michelet wrote about the victory of the French troops, but emphasized that Napoleon did not take advantage of its fruits. Doctor of Historical Sciences Abalikhin expressed his opinion that the outcome of the battle was a draw.

In general, we can say that tactically it was a victory for Russian weapons, because the Russian army retained its combat capability, it simply retreated and then dealt crushing blows to the enemy. But strategically it was a victory for Napoleon, since he finally achieved his goal and entered Moscow. Then he probably did not imagine what awaited him, however, it was still far away.

One way or another, the date August 26 (September 7), 1812 is forever inscribed in “golden letters” in the history of Russia.

Battle of Borodino or Battle of Borodino - biggest battle The Patriotic War between Russia and Napoleonic France, which took place on September 7, 1812, near the village of Borodino.
Army Russian Empire General M. Kutuzov was in command, and the French army was led by the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself. It is still not clear who won this battle. The Battle of Borodino is rightfully considered the bloodiest one-day battle.

Causes of the Battle of Borodino

Emperor Napoleon with a huge French army invaded the territory of the Russian Empire. At the same time, the Russian army was constantly retreating; panic in the ranks and a hasty retreat could not allow organizing the army for a decisive defense. Then the emperor assigns command of the Russian army to Kutuzov. He decided to continue retreating, hoping to exhaust the French army and receive reinforcements.
Deciding that there was no longer time to postpone the battle, Kutuzov decided to position his troops near Borodino. The Emperor demanded that Napoleon be stopped in front of Moscow, and only this area made it possible to do this. Before Napoleon's troops arrived, the Russian army managed to build the necessary fortifications.

Number of opponents

The Russian army in total consisted of about 120 thousand soldiers and more than six hundred artillery pieces. Among them there were also about 7-8 thousand Cossacks.
The French slightly defeated the Russian army in the number of troops, they had approximately 130-140 thousand soldiers, but a slightly smaller number of artillery pieces, no more than 600.

Progress of the Battle of Borodino

The Battle of Borodino began with French artillery shelling of Russian army positions at half past six in the morning. At the same time, Napoleon ordered General Delzon's division to go into battle under the cover of fog. They went to the very center of Russian positions - the village of Borodino. This position was defended by a corps of rangers. The French were significantly outnumbered, but the rangers retreated only when there was a threat of encirclement. The rangers retreated across the Kolocha River, followed by Delzon's division. Having crossed the river, he tried to take up positions, but having received reinforcements, the rangers were able to repel the attacks of the French.
Then Napoleon, following the flank, began an attack on the Bagration flushes (fleshes are field fortifications, sometimes they can be long-term). First came the artillery bombardment, and then the attack began. The first attack was successful, and the Russian rangers retreated, but after coming under fire from grapeshot, the French army was forced to retreat.
At eight o'clock in the morning the attack on the southern flush was repeated and ended in success for the French army. Then General Bagration decides to make an attempt to knock the French out of their positions. Having gathered impressive forces for a counterattack, the Russian army manages to push back the enemy. The French retreated with heavy losses, many officers were wounded.
Napoleon decided to make the third attack more massive. The attacking forces were reinforced by Marshal Ney's three infantry divisions, Murat's cavalry and a large amount of artillery (about 160 guns).
Having learned about Napoleon's intentions, General Bagration decided to further strengthen the flushes.
Napoleon launched a third attack with a powerful artillery barrage, after which the French successfully occupied the southern flush. A bayonet battle ensued, as a result of which two Russian generals were wounded. The Russian army launched a counterattack with three cuirassier regiments and practically pushed the French back, but the French cavalry that arrived in time repelled the attack of the cuirassiers (heavy cavalry) and completely occupied the flush by ten o'clock in the morning.
Napoleon concentrated about 40 thousand soldiers and 400 guns in flushes. Bagration had to stop the French, but could not do this, since he had only 20 thousand soldiers, then he decides to counterattack on the left wing. This attack was stopped and ensued hand-to-hand combat, which lasted about an hour. The Russian army gained an advantage, but when Bagration himself was wounded by a random shrapnel, the Russian army lost morale and began to retreat. Bagration was slightly wounded; he was hit by a shrapnel in the thigh and was carried away from the battlefield.
The flushes were abandoned, and the Russian army retreated beyond the Semenovsky Creek. There were still untouched reserves here, and Russian artillery numbering 300 guns well controlled the approaches to the stream. The French, seeing such a defense, decided not to attack for now.
Napoleon continued to attack the left flank of the Russian army, but ordered the main attack on the center of the Russian positions. A bloody battle ensued, which resulted in the withdrawal of the French troops; they never managed to dislodge the Russian army from the position of Semenovsky Creek. Here they remained until the very end of the Battle of Borodino.
At that moment, when the French army was fighting for the flushes, Napoleon ordered to bypass the Russian positions in the Utitsky forest area. The French managed to push the Russian army back from the Utitsky heights and placed artillery there. The French then launched a massive artillery attack. The Russian army was forced to retreat to the Utitsky Kurgan. But the massive fire of French artillery and a decisive assault allowed the French to push back the Russians and occupy the mound.
General Tuchkov tried to retake the mound and personally led the attack. In this battle, the mound was returned, but the general himself was mortally wounded. Kurgan was abandoned by the Russians when the main forces retreated beyond Semenovsky Creek.
The Battle of Borodino was not going in favor of the Russian army, and then Kutuzov attempted a cavalry raid into the rear of the French army. At first, the raid was successful, the cavalry managed to push back the French left flank, but after receiving reinforcements, the cavalry was driven back. This raid was successful in one thing: the enemy’s decisive strike was delayed for two hours, during which the Russian army was able to regroup.
In the center of the Russian positions there was a high mound on which an artillery battery was located, defended by the forces of General Raevsky.
Napoleon's army continued to attack, even despite heavy artillery fire. The French managed to occupy the redoubt, but the Russian army soon recaptured it. The French suffered serious losses. By this point, Raevsky’s troops were exhausted, and Kutuzov ordered him to retreat to the second line. Instead, General Likhachev was ordered to defend the artillery battery.
Noticing that the situation in the center of the Russian army was going badly for the Russians, he decided to concentrate the attack on the Raevsky battery, protected by Likhachev.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Napoleon began a powerful artillery barrage with more than 100 guns and then went on the attack. The French cavalry successfully bypassed the mound and attacked Raevsky's battery. The cavalry was forced to retreat. But the Russian army, distracted by the cavalry attack, left the front and flank uncovered, and it was there that the French delivered a crushing blow. The bloodiest clash of the Battle of Borodino ensued. General Likhachev, who was defending the battery, was seriously wounded and captured. An hour later the battery was broken.
This success did not force Napoleon to continue the offensive against the center of the Russian army, since he believed that its defenses were still strong. And after the capture of Raevsky’s battery, the Battle of Borodino began to gradually slow down. The artillery exchange continued, but Napoleon decided not to launch a new attack. The Russian army also decided to retreat to make up for their losses.

Results of the Battle of Borodino

Losses
Sources say that the Russian army lost about 40 thousand soldiers wounded and killed. More than fifty generals fell in this battle or were captured. These figures do not take into account the losses of the militia and Cossacks; if we take into account these figures, then the number of fallen can easily be raised to 45 thousand soldiers, of which 15 thousand were killed.
The number of deaths on the French side is quite difficult to determine, since most of the documentation was lost during the retreat. But most historians, based on surviving data, named the number - 30 thousand soldiers, of which about 10 thousand were killed. The number of dead French generals reaches fifty. The documents also state that many of the wounded died from their wounds, approximately 2/3. This means that the death toll can be increased to 20 thousand soldiers.

Grand total

The Battle of Borodino went down in history as the bloodiest one-day battle until the end of the nineteenth century. Before this, there was nothing like this in world history that could happen in one day. Total number those killed in battle, as well as those who died from wounds, reached approximately 50 thousand. The Russian army lost almost a third of its entire army, while Napoleon lost 1/5 of his entire army.
It remains interesting that both commanders (Napoleon and Kutuzov) attribute the victory in the Battle of Borodino to their own account. Modern Russian historians assess the result of the Battle of Borodino as uncertain, but Western historians say that it was a decisive victory for Napoleon, because the entire Russian army was forced to retreat from its position near Borodino. Napoleon failed to completely break the Russian army, and it did not lose its fighting spirit.
The fact remains that Napoleon was unable to completely defeat the Russians, a decisive victory was not achieved, and later, due to the crisis of Napoleon’s strategy, his defeat followed. If Napoleon had completely defeated the Russians at Borodino, this would have been a decisive and crushing defeat for the Russian Empire, on the basis of which Napoleon would have been able to sign a peace beneficial to France. The Russian army, having retained its strength, was able to prepare for subsequent battles.

Tell me, uncle, is it not for nothing that Moscow, burned by fire, was given to the French?

Lermontov

The Battle of Borodino was the main battle in the War of 1812. For the first time, the legend of the invincibility of Napoleon's army was dispelled, and decisive contribution in the change in the size of the French army due to the fact that the latter, due to large-scale casualties, ceased to have a clear numerical advantage over the Russian army. In today's article we will talk about the Battle of Borodino on August 26, 1812, consider its course, the balance of forces and means, study the opinion of historians on this issue and analyze what consequences this battle had for the Patriotic War and for the fate of two powers: Russia and France.

➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤

Background of the battle

Patriotic War of 1812 initial stage developed extremely negatively for the Russian army, which constantly retreated, refusing to accept a general battle. This course of events was perceived extremely negatively by the army, since the soldiers wanted to take the battle as quickly as possible and defeat the enemy army. Commander-in-Chief Barclay de Tolly understood perfectly well that in an open general battle the Napoleonic army, which was considered invincible in Europe, would have a colossal advantage. Therefore, he chose a retreat tactic in order to exhaust the enemy troops, and only then accept the battle. This course of events did not inspire confidence among the soldiers, as a result of which Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief. As a result, several significant events occurred that predetermined the preconditions for the Battle of Borodino:

• Napoleon's army advanced deep into the country with great complications. Russian generals refused a general battle, but actively got involved in small battles, and partisans were also very active in fighting. Therefore, by the time Borodino began (late August - early September), Bonaparte’s army was no longer so formidable and significantly exhausted.
• Reserves were brought up from the depths of the country. Therefore, Kutuzov’s army was already comparable in size to the French army, which allowed the commander-in-chief to consider the possibility of actually entering the battle.

Alexander 1, who by that time, at the request of the army, had left the post of commander-in-chief, allowed Kutuzov to make his own decisions, insistently demanded that the general take the battle as soon as possible and stop the advance of Napoleon’s army deep into the country. As a result, on August 22, 1812, the Russian army began to retreat from Smolensk in the direction of the village of Borodino, which is located 125 kilometers from Moscow. The place was ideal to take the battle, since excellent defense could be organized in the Borodino area. Kutuzov understood that Napoleon was only a few days away, so she threw all her strength into strengthening the area and taking the most advantageous positions.

Balance of forces and means

Surprisingly, most historians who study the Battle of Borodino still argue about the exact number of troops on the warring sides. The general trends in this matter are such that the newer the research, the more data showing that the Russian army had a slight advantage. However, if we consider Soviet encyclopedias, then the following data is presented there, which presents the participants in the Battle of Borodino:

• Russian army. Commander - Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. He had at his disposal up to 120 thousand people, of which 72 thousand were infantrymen. The army had a large artillery corps, numbering 640 guns.
• French army. Commander - Napoleon Bonaparte. The French emperor brought a corps of 138 thousand soldiers with 587 guns to Borodino. Some historians note that Napoleon had reserves of up to 18 thousand people, which the French emperor retained until the last and did not use them in the battle.

Very important is the opinion of one of the participants in the Battle of Borodino, the Marquis of Chambray, who provided data that France fielded the best European army for this battle, which included soldiers with extensive experience in warfare. On the Russian side, according to his observations, they were basically recruits and volunteers, who, in their entirety, appearance indicated that military affairs was not the main thing for them. Chambray also pointed to the fact that Bonaparte had a large superiority in heavy cavalry, which gave him some advantages during the battle.

Tasks of the parties before the battle

Since June 1812, Napoleon had been looking for opportunities for a general battle with the Russian army. The catchphrase that Napoleon expressed when he was a simple general in revolutionary France is widely known: “The main thing is to force battles on the enemy, and then we’ll see.” This simple phrase reflects the entire genius of Napoleon, who, in terms of making lightning-fast decisions, was, perhaps, the best strategist of his generation (especially after the death of Suvorov). It was this principle that the French commander-in-chief wanted to apply in Russia. The Battle of Borodino provided such an opportunity.

Kutuzov's tasks were simple - he needed active defense. With its help, the commander-in-chief wanted to inflict the maximum possible losses on the enemy and at the same time preserve his army for further battle. Kutuzov planned the Battle of Borodino as one of the stages of the Patriotic War, which was supposed to radically change the course of the confrontation.

On the eve of the battle

Kutuzov took a position that represents an arc passing through Shevardino on the left flank, Borodino in the center, and the village of Maslovo on the right flank.

On August 24, 1812, 2 days before the decisive battle, the battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt took place. This redoubt was commanded by General Gorchakov, who had 11 thousand people under his command. To the south, with a corps of 6 thousand people, General Karpov was located, who covered the old Smolensk road. Napoleon identified the Shevardin redoubt as the initial target of his attack, since it was as far as possible from the main group of Russian troops. According to the plan of the French emperor, Shevardino should have been surrounded, thereby withdrawing the army of General Gorchakov from the battle. To do this, the French army formed three columns in the attack:

• Marshal Murat. Bonaparte's favorite led a cavalry corps to strike Shevardino's right flank.
• Generals Davout and Ney led the infantry in the center.
• Junot, also one of the best generals in France, moved with his guard along the old Smolensk road.

The battle began on the afternoon of September 5th. Twice the French tried unsuccessfully to break through the defenses. Towards evening, when night began to fall on the Borodino field, the French attack was successful, but the approaching reserves of the Russian army made it possible to repel the enemy and defend the Shevardinsky redoubt. The resumption of the battle was not beneficial for the Russian army, and Kutuzov ordered a retreat to the Semenovsky ravine.

Initial positions of Russian and French troops

On August 25, 1812, both sides carried out general preparations for the battle. The troops were engaged finishing touches defensive positions, the generals tried to learn something new about the enemy’s plans. Kutuzov's army took up defense in the form of a blunt triangle. The right flank of the Russian troops passed along the Kolocha River. Barclay de Tolly was responsible for the defense of this area, whose army numbered 76 thousand people with 480 guns. The most dangerous position was on the left flank, where there was no natural barrier. This section of the front was commanded by General Bagration, who had 34 thousand people and 156 guns at his disposal. The problem of the left flank became significant after the loss of the village of Shevardino on September 5. The position of the Russian army met the following tasks:

• The right flank, where the main forces of the army were grouped, reliably covered the path to Moscow.
• The right flank allowed for active and powerful attacks on the enemy’s rear and flank.
• The location of the Russian army was quite deep, which left ample opportunities for maneuver.
• The first line of defense was occupied by infantry, the second line of defense was occupied by cavalry, and the third line housed reserves. A widely known phrase

reserves must be maintained for as long as possible. Whoever retains the most reserves at the end of the battle will emerge victorious.

Kutuzov

In fact, Kutuzov provoked Napoleon to attack the left flank of his defense. Exactly as many troops were concentrated here as could successfully defend against the French army. Kutuzov repeated that the French would not be able to resist the temptation to attack a weak redoubt, but as soon as they had problems and resorted to the help of their reserves, it would be possible to send their army to their rear and flank.

Napoleon, who carried out reconnaissance on August 25, also noted the weakness of the left flank of the Russian army's defense. Therefore, it was decided to deliver the main blow here. In order to divert the attention of Russian generals from the left flank, simultaneously with the attack on Bagration’s position, an attack on Borodino was to begin in order to subsequently capture the left bank of the Kolocha River. After capturing these lines, it was planned to transfer the main forces of the French army to the right flank of the Russian defense and deliver a massive blow to the army of Barclay De Tolly. Having solved this problem, by the evening of August 25, about 115 thousand people of the French army were concentrated in the area of ​​​​the left flank of the defense of the Russian army. 20 thousand people lined up in front of the right flank.

The specificity of the defense that Kutuzov used was that the Battle of Borodino was supposed to force the French to launch a frontal attack, since the general front of the defense occupied by Kutuzov’s army was very extensive. Therefore, it was almost impossible to get around him from the flank.

It is noted that on the night before the battle, Kutuzov strengthened the left flank of his defense with the infantry corps of General Tuchkov, as well as transferring 168 artillery pieces to Bagration’s army. This was due to the fact that Napoleon had already concentrated very large forces in this direction.

Day of the Battle of Borodino

The Battle of Borodino began on August 26, 1812 in the early morning at 5:30 am. As planned, the main blow was delivered by the French to the left defense flag of the Russian army.

An artillery shelling of Bagration's positions began, in which more than 100 guns took part. At the same time, General Delzon’s corps began a maneuver with an attack on the center of the Russian army, on the village of Borodino. The village was under the protection of the Jaeger regiment, which could not resist the French army for long, the number of which on this section of the front was 4 times greater than the Russian army. The Jaeger Regiment was forced to retreat and take up defense on the right bank of the Kolocha River. The attacks of the French general, who wanted to move even further into the defense, were unsuccessful.

Bagration's flushes

Bagration's flushes were located along the entire left flank of the defense, forming the first redoubt. After half an hour of artillery preparation, at 6 o'clock in the morning Napoleon gave the order to launch an attack on Bagration's flushes. The French army was commanded by generals Desaix and Compana. They planned to strike at the southernmost flush, going to the Utitsky forest for this. However, as soon as the French army began to line up in battle formation, Bagration's chasseur regiment opened fire and went on the attack, disrupting the first stage of the offensive operation.

The next attack began at 8 o'clock in the morning. At this time, a repeated attack on the southern flush began. Both French generals increased the number of their troops and went on the offensive. To protect his position, Bagration transported the army of General Neversky, as well as the Novorossiysk dragoons, to his southern flank. The French were forced to retreat, suffering serious losses. During this battle, both generals who led the army in the assault were seriously wounded.

The third attack was carried out by the infantry units of Marshal Ney, as well as the cavalry of Marshal Murat. Bagration noticed this French maneuver in time, giving the order to Raevsky, who was in the central part of the flushes, to move from the front line to the second echelon of defense. This position was strengthened by the division of General Konovnitsyn. The attack of the French army began after a massive artillery preparation. The French infantry struck in the interval between the flushes. This time the attack was successful, and by 10 o'clock in the morning the French managed to capture the southern line of defense. This was followed by a counterattack launched by Konovnitsyn’s division, as a result of which they managed to recapture the lost positions. At the same time, General Junot's corps managed to bypass the left flank of the defense through the Utitsky forest. As a result of this maneuver, the French general actually found himself in the rear of the Russian army. Captain Zakharov, who commanded the 1st horse battery, noticed the enemy and struck. At the same time, infantry regiments arrived at the battlefield and pushed General Junot back to his original position. The French lost more than a thousand people in this battle. Further historical information There are contradictions about Junot's corps: Russian textbooks say that this corps was completely destroyed in the next attack of the Russian army, while French historians claim that the general participated in the Battle of Borodino until its very end.

The 4th assault on Bagration's flushes began at 11 o'clock. In the battle, Napoleon used 45 thousand troops, cavalry and more than 300 guns. By that time Bagration had less than 20 thousand people at his disposal. At the very beginning of this assault, Bagration was wounded in the thigh and was forced to leave the army, which negatively affected morale. The Russian army began to retreat. General Konovnitsyn took over command of the defense. He could not resist Napoleon, and decided to retreat. As a result, the flushes remained with the French. The retreat was carried out to the Semenovsky stream, where more than 300 guns were installed. Large numbers of the second echelon of defense, as well as a large number of artillery forced Napoleon to change the original plan and cancel the attack on the move. The direction of the main attack was transferred from the left flank of the Russian army's defense to its central part, commanded by General Raevsky. The purpose of this attack was to capture artillery. The infantry attack on the left flank did not stop. The fourth attack on the Bagrationov flushes was also unsuccessful for the French army, which was forced to retreat across the Semenovsky Creek. It should be noted that the position of the artillery was extremely important. Throughout the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon made attempts to capture enemy artillery. By the end of the battle he managed to occupy these positions.

Battle for Utitsky Forest

The Utitsky forest was of great strategic importance for the Russian army. On August 25, on the eve of the battle, Kutuzov noted the importance of this direction, which blocked the old Smolensk road. An infantry corps under the command of General Tuchkov was stationed here. The total number of troops in this area was about 12 thousand people. The army was positioned secretly in order to suddenly strike the enemy’s flank at the right moment. On September 7, the infantry corps of the French army, commanded by one of Napoleon’s favorites, General Poniatowski, advanced in the direction of the Utitsky Kurgan to outflank the Russian army. Tuchkov took up defensive positions on Kurgan and blocked the French from further progress. Only at 11 o'clock in the morning, when General Junot arrived to help Poniatowski, the French launched a decisive blow on the mound and captured it. Russian general Tuchkov launched a counterattack, and at the cost of his own life managed to return the mound. Command of the corps was taken by General Baggovut, who held this position. As soon as the main forces of the Russian army retreated to the Semenovsky ravine, the Utitsky Kurgan, a decision was made to retreat.

Raid of Platov and Uvarov

At the moment of the critical moment on the left flank of the defense of the Russian army at the Battle of Borodino, Kutuzov decided to let the army of generals Uvarov and Platov into battle. As part of the Cossack cavalry, they were supposed to bypass the French positions on the right, striking in the rear. The cavalry consisted of 2.5 thousand people. At 12 noon the army moved out. Having crossed the Kolocha River, the cavalry attacked the infantry regiments of the Italian army. This strike, led by General Uvarov, was intended to force battle on the French and divert their attention. At this moment, General Platov managed to pass along the flank without being noticed and go behind enemy lines. This was followed by a simultaneous attack by two Russian armies, which brought panic to the actions of the French. As a result, Napoleon was forced to transfer part of the troops that stormed the Raevsky battery in order to repel the cavalry attack Russian generals who went to the rear. The battle of the cavalry with the French troops lasted several hours, and by four o'clock in the afternoon Uvarov and Platov returned their troops to their original positions.

The practical significance of the Cossack raid led by Platov and Uvarov is almost impossible to overestimate. This raid gave the Russian army 2 hours to strengthen a reserve position for an artillery battery. Of course, this raid did not bring a military victory, but the French, who saw the enemy in their own rear, no longer acted so decisively.

Battery Raevsky

The specificity of the terrain of the Borodino field was determined by the fact that in its very center there was a hill, which made it possible to control and shell the entire adjacent territory. This was an ideal place to place artillery, which Kutuzov took advantage of. The famous Raevsky battery was deployed in this place, which consisted of 18 guns, and General Raevsky himself was supposed to protect this height with the help of an infantry regiment. The attack on the battery began at 9 am. By striking at the center of Russian positions, Bonaparte pursued the goal of complicating the movement of the enemy army. During the first French offensive, General Raevsky’s unit was deployed to defend Bagrationov’s flushes, but the first enemy attack on the battery was successfully repulsed without the participation of infantry. Eugene Beauharnais, who commanded the French troops in this sector of the offensive, saw the weakness of the artillery position and immediately launched another blow on this corps. Kutuzov transferred all the reserves of artillery and cavalry troops here. Despite this, the French army managed to suppress the Russian defenses and penetrate his stronghold. At this moment a counterattack was launched Russian troops, during which they managed to recapture the redoubt. General Beauharnais was captured. Of the 3,100 French who attacked the battery, only 300 survived.

The position of the battery was extremely dangerous, so Kutuzov gave the order to redeploy the guns to the second line of defense. General Barclay de Tolly sent an additional corps of General Likhachev to protect Raevsky's battery. Napoleon's original plan of attack lost its relevance. The French emperor abandoned massive attacks on the enemy's left flank, and directed his main attack on the central part of the defense, on the Raevsky battery. At this moment, the Russian cavalry went to the rear of the Napoleonic army, which slowed down the French advance by 2 hours. During this time, the battery's defensive position was further strengthened.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, 150 guns of the French army opened fire on Raevsky's battery, and almost immediately the infantry went on the offensive. The battle lasted about an hour and, as a result, Raevsky’s battery fell. Napoleon's original plan hoped that the capture of the battery would lead to dramatic changes in the balance of forces near the central part of the Russian defense. This did not turn out to be the case; he had to abandon the idea of ​​attacking in the center. By the evening of August 26, Napoleon's army had failed to achieve a decisive advantage in at least one sector of the front. Napoleon did not see significant prerequisites for victory in the battle, so he did not dare to use his reserves in the battle. He hoped to exhaust until the last Russian army with their main forces, achieve a clear advantage in one of the sectors of the front, and then bring fresh forces into battle.

End of the battle

After the fall of Raevsky's battery, Bonaparte abandoned further ideas of storming the central part of the enemy's defense. There were no more significant events in this direction of the Borodino field. On the left flank, the French continued their attacks, which led to nothing. General Dokhturov, who replaced Bagration, repelled all enemy attacks. The right flank of the defense, commanded by Barclay de Tolly, had no significant events, only sluggish attempts at artillery bombardment were made. These attempts continued until 7 pm, after which Bonaparte retreated to Gorki to give the army a rest. It was expected that this was a short pause before the decisive battle. The French were preparing to continue the battle in the morning. However, at 12 o'clock at night, Kutuzov refused to further continue the battle and sent his army beyond Mozhaisk. This was necessary in order to give the army a rest and replenish it with manpower.

This is how the Battle of Borodino ended. Until now, historians different countries they argue about which army won this battle. Domestic historians talk about the victory of Kutuzov, Western historians talk about the victory of Napoleon. It would be more correct to say that the Battle of Borodino was a draw. Each army got what it wanted: Napoleon opened his way to Moscow, and Kutuzov inflicted significant losses on the French.

Results of the confrontation

The casualties in Kutuzov's army during the Battle of Borodino are described differently by different historians. Basically, researchers of this battle come to the conclusion that the Russian army lost about 45 thousand people on the battlefield. This figure takes into account not only those killed, but also the wounded, as well as those captured. During the battle of August 26, Napoleon's army lost a little less than 51 thousand people killed, wounded and captured. The comparable losses of both countries are explained by many scholars by the fact that both armies regularly changed their roles. The course of the battle changed very often. First, the French attacked, and Kutuzov gave the order to the troops to take up defensive positions, after which the Russian army launched a counteroffensive. At certain stages of the battle, Napoleonic generals managed to achieve local victories and occupy the necessary positions. Now the French were on the defensive, and the Russian generals were on the offensive. And so the roles changed dozens of times during one day.

The Battle of Borodino did not produce a winner. However, the myth of the invincibility of Napoleonic army was dispelled. Further continuation of the general battle was undesirable for the Russian army, since at the end of the day on August 26, Napoleon still had untouched reserves at his disposal. total number up to 12 thousand people. These reserves, against the backdrop of a tired Russian army, could have a significant impact on the result. Therefore, having retreated beyond Moscow, on September 1, 1812, a council was held in Fili, at which it was decided to allow Napoleon to occupy Moscow.

Military significance of the battle

The Battle of Borodino became the bloodiest battle in the history of the 19th century. Each side lost about 25 percent of its army. In one day, the opponents fired more than 130 thousand shots. The combination of all these facts later led to the fact that Bonaparte in his memoirs called the Battle of Borodino the largest of his battles. However, Bonaparte failed to achieve the desired results. The illustrious commander, accustomed exclusively to victories, formally did not lose this battle, but did not win either.

While on the island of St. Helena and writing out his personal autobiography, Napoleon wrote the following lines about the Battle of Borodino:

The Battle of Moscow is the most important battle in my life. The Russians had an advantage in everything: they had 170 thousand people, an advantage in cavalry, artillery and terrain, which they knew very well. Despite this we won. The heroes of France are generals Ney, Murat and Poniatowski. They own the laurels of the winners of the Moscow Battle.

Bonaparte

These lines clearly show that Napoleon himself viewed the Battle of Borodino as his own victory. But such lines should be studied exclusively in the light of the personality of Napoleon, who, while on the island of St. Helena, greatly exaggerated events days gone by. For example, in 1817, the former Emperor of France said that in the Battle of Borodino he had 80 thousand soldiers, and the enemy had a huge army of 250 thousand. Of course, these figures were dictated only by Napoleon’s personal conceit, and have nothing to do with real history.

Kutuzov also assessed the Battle of Borodino as his own victory. In his note to Emperor Alexander 1 he wrote:

On the 26th, the world saw the bloodiest battle in its history. Never before recent history I haven't seen so much blood. A perfectly chosen battlefield, and an enemy who came to attack but was forced to defend.

Kutuzov

Alexander 1, under the influence of this note, and also trying to reassure his people, declared the Battle of Borodino as a victory for the Russian army. Largely because of this, in the future, domestic historians also always presented Borodino as a victory of Russian weapons.

The main result of the Battle of Borodino was that Napoleon, who was famous for winning all the general battles, managed to force the Russian army to take the fight, but failed to defeat it. The absence of a significant victory in the general battle, taking into account the specifics of the Patriotic War of 1812, led to the fact that France did not receive any significant advantages from this battle.

Literature

• History of Russia in the 19th century. P.N. Zyryanov. Moscow, 1999.
• Napoleon Bonaparte. A.Z. Manfred. Sukhumi, 1989.
• Trip to Russia. F. Segur. 2003.
• Borodino: documents, letters, memories. Moscow, 1962.
• Alexander 1 and Napoleon. ON THE. Trotsky. Moscow, 1994.

Panorama of the Battle of Borodino

Return