Battle of Borodino (briefly)

Battle of Borodino (briefly)

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

Borodino is located one hundred and twenty kilometers from the capital of Russia and the Russian army of Kutuzov was able to take a position in which the Napoleonic soldiers were only able to carry out a frontal attack. The commander traveled around 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 built in three lines. The first of them was occupied by artillery and infantry, the next was the cavalry, and the third was the reserve. The French wanted to outwit Kutuzov by making the first blow to the village of Borodino, but the great Russian commander was able to unravel the Napoleonic plan. Then Napoleon had no choice but to lead his army in 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 the lightning work of cavalry, infantry and artillery. The next morning, the French soldiers rushed into battle, and by noon they managed to master 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 subsided briefly and Napoleon had a minute to consider his next steps. At this time, Kutuzov managed to pull up reserves and the Russian army began to represent a truly formidable power. The French were forced to withdraw from the batteries, flushes and surrender the captured positions.

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

These lines of the Russian poet Lermontov were taught at one time by every schoolchild. And someone, for example, I knew the whole poem "Borodino" from preschool times: my parents bought me a children's book, where there was only this work.

But among peers there are people who are one hundred percent sure that Borodino is famous exclusively for its Borodino bread. It is sad. Therefore, we made a trip to visit the historical legendary place for the subsequent promotion of Russian history and culture to the masses.

We tried to photograph as many monuments as possible. The weather on the day of the trip turned out to be sad and rainy, which added color. Now you can take a virtual tour of Borodino field.

How to get there

Borodino field on the map.

Getting to the Borodino field is very easy. It is enough to go along the Minsk highway, and after Mozhaisk near the village of Artemka turn right. Three kilometers along a country road - and now we are on the Utitsky mound. From here we will start.

Utitsky barrow

Russian troops under the command of General Tuchkov heroically fought off the attacks of the 5th Corps of the French army, which consisted of Poles under the command of General Poniatowski. General Tuchkov himself received a mortal wound during the battle.

Utitsky mound.

After wandering around the Utitsky Kurgan, we moved on - to the railway station Borodino. To get there, you need to pass an unregulated railway crossing, which is always dangerous. Behind the crossing, on a small hill, there is a monument to the Moscow and Smolensk militias. At the station there is a memorial in the form of a map of the Borodino field and a museum. Here you can feel the breath of history everywhere, and the station itself differs from all other stations in the Minsk direction not only in its status, but also in its external design.

Memorial in the form of a map of the Borodino field.

Railway station Borodino

Our next goal was the monument to the Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment. And behind it, at the turn to the village of Psarevo, there are three monuments at once: the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment, the Life Guards Artillery Brigade and Battery No. 2 and Light No. 2 companies of the Life Guards Artillery Brigade.

Monument to the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment.

Monument to the Life Guards Artillery Brigade.

At the entrance to the village of Semenovskoye, there is a monument to the 2nd cuirassier division of General I.M. Duka. From the hill on which the monument is located, there is a beautiful view of the Spaso-Borodino Monastery, where we immediately go. At the turn from the village of Semyonovskoye to the monastery there is a monument to the 4th Cavalry Corps of General Sievers.

Monument to the 2nd Cuirassier Division of General Duka I.M.

Spaso-Borodino Monastery

The convent was founded by the widow of General Tuchkov, who died on the Utitsky mound. According to legend, at this place the widow found her husband's severed finger with a ring. More about the monastery.

Spaso-Borodino Monastery on the Borodino field.

Bagration flushes

Behind the monastery are Bagration's flushes. On the way to the flushes we pass a chapel and wooden crosses. And we approach the grave of Lieutenant-General Neverovsky, the hero of the wars with Turkey and Poland, who commanded the 27th Infantry Division in the Battle of Borodino. His division pretty patted the Frenchman. The monument to the 27th Infantry Division of Neverovsky is located immediately behind the grave of Neverovsky. Nearby are two more monuments: Pioneer (engineering) troops and - under the arches of a huge oak tree - the 4th Infantry Division of General E. Württemberg.

The grave of Lieutenant-General Neverovsky on the Borodino field.

1st cavalry battery of the Life Guards artillery brigade of captain Zakharov and 3rd cavalry corps, brigade of General Dorokhov.

Near the Spaso-Borodino Monastery there are majestic monuments: the Tsarskaya (Alexandrovskaya) column (Grateful Russia - to its defenders) and the Murom Infantry Regiment.

Royal column. Placed by Nicholas II in honor of the centenary of the Battle of Borodino.

Monument to the Murom Infantry Regiment.

Shevardinsky redoubt

We drive further from the monastery to visit the Shevardinsky redoubt, where fierce battles took place on the eve of the main battle. There are two monuments on the redoubt: the 12th battery company and the monument to the "Dead of the Great Army". The monument stands on the site of Napoleon's headquarters.

Monument to French soldiers, officers, generals.

Kurgan height. Raevsky battery

And now we come to the culmination of our journey - a visit to the Raevsky Battery: a high mound located in the center of the Russian positions, which dominated the surrounding area. On the mound is the main monument to Russian soldiers, the heroes of the Battle of Borodino on the Raevsky Battery and the grave of General Bagration.

The main monument to Russian soldiers.

A path leads to the monument from the Borodino Museum through a birch alley. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm in summer (May - October) and from 10 am to 4.30 pm in winter (November - April). The museum houses the exposition "The Battle of Borodino in the Patriotic War of 1812".

The main battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 took place on August 26 (September 7) near the village of Borodino near Mozhaisk, 124 km from Moscow. In French historiography, this battle is called the Battle of the Moscow River. Most Serene Prince M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, having decided to enter the general battle, proceeded from several factors. He took into account the mood of the army, which was eager to engage the enemy in battle and the understanding of the fact that it was impossible to give up the ancient Russian capital without a fight.

For the place of the battle, it was necessary to choose a position that would satisfy the basic requirements of Kutuzov. The field had to contain the main forces of the army, be able to build them in deep order, allow the troops to maneuver, have natural obstacles for better defense. In addition, the army was supposed to be able to block the New and Old Smolensk roads leading to Moscow. Quartermaster General Tol discovered such a position in front of the city of Mozhaisk. In the center of the field stood the village of Borodino, from his name the battle got its name.

Napoleon on the Borodino Heights. Vereshchagin (1897).

The number of armies and the location of Russian troops

The Russian army (the combined 1st and 2nd Western armies of Barclay de Tolly and Bagration) consisted of about 120 thousand people: 103 thousand regular troops, about 7-8 thousand Cossack and other irregular cavalry, 10 thousand. warriors mainly of the Moscow and Smolensk militias (according to other sources, about 20 thousand militias) and 624 field artillery guns. It should also be taken into account that the regular troops included about 15,000 recruits who had received only basic military training.

The "Great Army" of the French emperor on the day of the battle consisted of about 135-136 thousand soldiers with 587 field artillery pieces. In addition, the French army had approximately 15 thousand auxiliary forces (non-combatants), in terms of combat effectiveness and functions they corresponded to the Russian militias. The number of opposing armies to this day causes debate among researchers. The French army had not only a numerical superiority, but also a qualitative one - the French infantry mainly consisted of experienced soldiers, Napoleon had superiority in heavy cavalry. However, these advantages were balanced by Russian morale and the high morale of the army.

The position of the Russian army on the Borodino field had a length of about 8 kilometers. In the south, it began at the village of Utitsa, and in the north, at the village of Maslovo. The right flank, about 5 km long, ran along the banks of the Koloch River and well covered the New Smolensk road. In the event of an unfavorable outcome of the battle, Mikhail Kutuzov could only withdraw troops along this road. Here the Russian position was defended from the flank by a dense forest, which excluded the enemy's detour maneuver. In addition, the terrain here was hilly, cut by rivers and streams. Natural obstacles were strengthened by a number of fortifications: Maslovsky flushes, gun positions, notches.

The position on the left flank was more open, so there were more field fortifications. Semyonovskie (Bagrationovskie) flushes were built on the left flank. Ahead of them was the Shevardinsky redoubt. However, by the beginning of the battle, the fortifications had not been completed. The center of the position of the Russian army was based on the Raevsky Battery (Kurgan height battery), the French called it the Big Redoubt.

The order of battle of the Russian army was composed of three lines: the first was for the infantry corps, the second for the cavalry, and the third for the reserves. The artillery of the army was evenly distributed throughout the position.

On August 24, the battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt took place. During it, it became clear that the enemy was going to deliver the main blow to the left flank of the Russian troops, which was defended by the 2nd Army under the command of Bagration. On August 25, there was a lull, both sides were preparing for a decisive battle, the construction of defensive structures continued. According to ancient tradition, the Russian army prepared for the decisive battle as if it were a holiday. The soldiers washed, shaved, put on clean linen, confessed, etc. Napoleon Bonaparte personally reconnoitered the positions of the Russian army.

The position of the troops before the battle of Borodino on August 26, 1812 (map source: http://www.mil.ru/).

Start of the battle (5:30–9:00)

At 5:30 am, about 100 French guns opened fire on the positions of the Russian left flank. Simultaneously with the shelling of Russian positions on the village of Borodino (the center of the Russian position), Delzon's division from the 4th Corps of Beauharnais moved. The first to meet the onslaught of the enemy of the Life Guards was His Majesty's Jaeger Regiment under the command of one of their bravest regimental commanders, Karl Bistrom. For about half an hour, the guards fought off the onslaught of superior enemy forces (the regiment lost more than a third of its composition). Then, under the threat of a detour from the flanks, they were forced to withdraw beyond the Kolocha River. The river was also crossed by one of the French regiments. Barclay de Tolly sent three regiments of chasseurs into battle. The huntsmen overturned the French (the French 106th regiment was almost completely destroyed) and burned the bridge across the river. The battle ended by 8 o'clock in the morning, the village of Borodino remained behind the French, but they could not cross the Koloch River.

The main actions unfolded on the Bagration flushes. Flesh called field fortifications, which consisted of two faces 20-30 m long each at an acute angle, the corner of the top was facing the enemy. They were defended by the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division of General Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov. Each flush was defended by one battalion. The French, after shelling, attacked the fleches. The divisions of Generals Desse and Kompan from the 1st Corps of Davout went on the offensive. From the very beginning, the battle took on a fierce and stubborn character. It is still not known exactly how many enemy attacks followed on the Semyonov flushes. The fortifications changed hands several times. Napoleon unleashed the main blow on the left flank, trying from the very beginning of the battle to turn its course in his favor. The battle was accompanied by an artillery duel, in which dozens of guns took part (the French constantly increased the number of guns in this direction). In addition, several large clashes of cavalry formations took place on the left flank. The Russian cavalry was not inferior to the enemy, and the "Great Army" lost up to half of its cavalry on the Borodino field. Subsequently, Napoleon was never able to restore the strength of his cavalry.

Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov.

In the first attack, the French infantry overcame the resistance of the chasseurs and made their way through the Utitsky forest. However, when the divisions of Generals Desse and Kompan began to form up on the edge opposite the southernmost flush, they came under heavy fire from Russian artillery and were overturned by a flank counterattack by Vorontsov's rangers. At 8 o'clock the French launched a second attack and captured the southern flush. The commander of the 2nd Army, Bagration, sent the 27th Infantry Division of General Dmitry Petrovich Neverovsky, as well as the Akhtyrsky Hussar and Novorossiysk Dragoon Regiments, to help Vorontsov's division to strike at the enemy's flank. The French were driven out of the fortifications and suffered heavy losses. So, Marshal Davout was shell-shocked, both divisional commanders, Desse and Kompan, and almost all brigade commanders were wounded. Russian troops also suffered severe losses: Vorontsov's consolidated grenadier division practically ceased to exist, only about 300 people remained in it. Vorontsov himself was wounded in the leg when he led the last battalion of the division into a bayonet charge.

Battle of Borodino from 5:00 to 9:00.

Battle of Borodino (9:00–12:30)

Napoleon increased the pressure on the left flank: three infantry divisions of Ney's 3rd corps and Murat's three cavalry corps went into the third attack. The number of artillery barrels in this direction was increased to 160 units.

Bagration expected an enemy strike and ordered the commander of the 7th infantry corps, Raevsky (he was defending the central position), to immediately advance the entire second line of his troops to the flushes. He also instructed the commander of the 3rd Infantry Corps, Tuchkov, to immediately send the 3rd Infantry Division, General Pyotr Petrovich Konovnitsyn, to the Semyonovsky Flesh. In addition, at the request of Bagration, Kutuzov sent the reserve Life Guards Lithuanian and Izmailovsky regiments, the 1st consolidated grenadier division, the regiments of the 3rd cavalry corps and the 1st cuirassier division to the left flank. At the same time, Baggovut's 2nd Infantry Corps from the 1st Army began moving from the right flank to the left.

The French, after a heavy artillery bombardment, broke into the southern flush. During this battle, General Neverovsky was wounded. The 2nd Cuirassier Division from Borozdin's 8th Corps overturned the enemy formations. Moreover, the Russian cavalry almost captured the king of the Kingdom of Naples and the commander of the French cavalry Joachim Murat, he was saved by the infantry. However, in a fierce battle, the French were able to defend the captured fortifications.

The situation was corrected by the attack of Konovnitsyn's division, he arrived at the flushes by 10 o'clock and knocked out the enemy with a bayonet. During this battle, brigade commander Alexander Alekseevich Tuchkov 4th died. He led the attack of the Revel and Murom regiments and was mortally wounded in the chest (they could not carry him out of the battlefield and bury him). After Bagration was wounded, Konovnitsyn led the defense of the left flank; the general, while repelling enemy attacks, was shell-shocked twice, but did not leave his soldiers.

At about the same time, Junot's 8th corps passed through the Utitsky forest in the rear of the Semenov fleches. The situation was saved by the 1st cavalry battery of Captain Zakharov, which at that time was moving towards the flushes. Finding the enemy, Zakharov deployed his guns and opened fire on the Westphalians who were under construction. The regiments of the 2nd corps of Baggovut, who arrived in time, hit with bayonets and overturned the enemy.

Napoleon at 11 o'clock threw in a new attack up to 45 thousand bayonets and cavalry, concentrating up to 400 guns against the Russian left flank. Bagration led his forces - about 20 thousand soldiers - in a counterattack. A fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued, which lasted for about an hour. During it, the advantage began to lean in favor of the Russian troops, but Bagration's wound - a fragment of the core crushed the hero's tibia of the left leg (the hero died from blood poisoning on September 12 (25), 1812) - led to the confusion of the troops and they began to retreat. Konovnitsyn took command. He took the soldiers behind the Semyonovsky ravine, the flashes remained with the French. Behind the ravine were reserve batteries and guards regiments, the French did not dare to attack the new Russian positions on the move. There was a brief lull on the left flank.

Pyotr Petrovich Konovnitsyn.

Battle for the Kurgan battery. Napoleon, in order to support the attack on the Semyonovsky flushes, to prevent the Russian command from transferring troops from the center to the left flank, ordered his left wing to strike at the Russian troops at Kurgan height and capture it. This position was defended by the 26th Infantry Division of General Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich from the 7th Raevsky Corps. By the beginning of the battle, the battery itself had 18 guns. Parts of the 4th Corps of the Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnais, went on the offensive. The enemy forces crossed the Koloch River and hit the Great Redoubt.

At this point, Raevsky sent his entire second line to the defense of the Semyonovsky flushes. The first enemy attack was repulsed by artillery fire. Beauharnais launched a second attack almost immediately. Kutuzov brought into battle the entire horse artillery reserve in the amount of 60 guns and part of the light artillery of the 1st Army. However, the enemy, despite heavy artillery fire, was able to break into the Russian positions.

At that time, the chief of staff of the 1st Western Army, Alexei Petrovich Yermolov, and the chief of artillery of the entire army, Alexander Ivanovich Kutaisov, were passing by the height. They organized and led the counterattack of the 3rd Battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment and the 18th Jaeger Regiment. At the same time, the regiments of Paskevich and Vasilchikov hit the enemy's flanks. Russian soldiers recaptured the redoubt with a bayonet attack, the enemy suffered heavy losses. Brigadier General Bonami was captured. Kutaisov died during the fight. Yermolov led the defense of the battery until he was shell-shocked, then he handed over command to General Pyotr Gavrilovich Likhachev. Paskevich's division was almost completely exterminated, Raevsky's corps was taken to the rear and replaced by Likhachev's 24th infantry division.

Battle for the Utitsky Kurgan. In the very south of the Russian position, the 5th Corps (Polish) of General Poniatovsky moved around the left flank of the Russian position and at about 8 o'clock in the morning near the village of Utitsa collided with the 3rd Infantry Corps of General N. A. Tuchkov 1st. At that moment, Tuchkov had already sent the 3rd Infantry Division of Konovnitsyn to Bagration's disposal and had only one division - the 1st Grenadier. The enemy pushed back Tuchkov's soldiers from Utitsa. Russian soldiers withdrew to the Utitsky barrow. All attempts by the Poles to move forward and capture the mound were repelled. However, at about 11 o'clock, Poniatowski, having received the support of Junot's 8th corps, was able to capture the Utitsky Kurgan. Tuchkov personally led the counterattack of the Pavlovsky Grenadier Regiment and recaptured the position. But in this attack, the brave commander received a mortal wound. He was replaced by Baggovut. He left the position only about one in the afternoon, when it became known about the fall of the Semenov flushes.

Nikolai Alekseevich Tuchkov.

At about 12 noon, Kutuzov and Napoleon regrouped their troops on the battlefield. Kutuzov sent reinforcements to the defenders of Kurgan Height and strengthened the left flank, where units of the 2nd Army withdrew behind the Semenovsky Ravine.

Battle of Borodino from 9:00 to 12:30.

To be continued…

The battle of Borodino in 1812 is a battle that lasted only one day, but has been preserved in the history of the planet among the most important world events. Napoleon took this blow, hoping to quickly conquer the Russian Empire, but his plans were not destined to come true. It is believed that it was the Battle of Borodino that became the first stage in the fall of the famous conqueror. What is known about the battle, which Lermontov glorified in his famous work?

Battle of Borodino 1812: prehistory

It was a time when Bonaparte's troops had already managed to subjugate almost all of continental Europe, the emperor's power even extended to Africa. He himself emphasized in conversations with those close to him that in order to gain world domination, he had only to acquire control over Russian lands.

To conquer the Russian territory, he gathered an army, the number of which was approximately 600 thousand people. The army was rapidly advancing deep into the state. However, Napoleon's soldiers, one after another, died under the blow of the peasant militias, their health worsened due to the unusually difficult climate and poor nutrition. Nevertheless, the advance of the troops continued, the goal of the French was the capital.

The bloody battle of Borodino in 1812 became part of the tactics used by the Russian commanders. They weakened the enemy army with minor battles, waiting for the time for a decisive blow.

Main stages

The battle of Borodino in 1812 was actually a chain consisting of several clashes with the French troops, which resulted in huge losses on both sides. The first was the battle for the village of Borodino, which is located about 125 km from Moscow. On the part of Russia, de Tolly participated in it, on the part of the enemy, the Beauharnais corps.

The battle of Borodino in 1812 was in full swing when the battle took place. It was attended by 15 divisions of French marshals and two Russians, led by Vorontsov and Neverovsky. At this stage, Bagration received a severe wound, which forced him to entrust command to Konovnitsyn.

By the time the Russian soldiers left the fleches, the Battle of Borodino (1812) had been going on for about 14 hours. A brief summary of further events: the Russians are located behind the Semenovsky ravine, where the third battle takes place. Its participants are the people who attacked the flushes and defended them. The French received reinforcements, which was the cavalry, under the leadership of Nansouty. Uvarov's cavalry hurried to help the Russian troops, and the Cossacks under the command of Platov also approached.

Raevsky battery

Separately, it is worth considering the final stage of such an event as the Battle of Borodino (1812). Summary: the battles for what went down in history as the "grave of the French cavalry" lasted about 7 hours. This place really became a grave for many soldiers of Bonaparte.

Historians are still puzzled as to why the forces of the Russian army abandoned the Shevadinsky Redoubt. It is possible that the commander-in-chief deliberately opened the left flank in order to divert the attention of the enemy from the right. His goal was to protect the new Smolensk road, using which Napoleon's army would quickly approach Moscow.

Many documents important for history have been preserved that shed light on such an event as the war of 1812. The Battle of Borodino is mentioned in a letter that Kutuzov sent to the Russian emperor even before it began. The commander informed the tsar that the terrain features (open fields) would provide the Russian troops with optimal positions.

Hundred per minute

The battle of Borodino (1812) is briefly and extensively covered in so many historical sources that it seems that it was very long in time. In fact, the battle, which began on September 7 at half past five in the morning, lasted less than a day. Of course, it turned out to be among the bloodiest of all the short battles.

It's no secret how many lives the Battle of Borodino claimed and made its bloody contribution. Historians failed to establish the exact number of those killed, they call 80-100 thousand dead on both sides. The calculation shows that at least a hundred soldiers were sent to the next world every minute.

Heroes

The Patriotic War of 1812 gave well-deserved fame to many commanders. The Battle of Borodino, of course, immortalized such a person as Kutuzov. By the way, Mikhail Illarionovich at that time was not yet a gray-haired old man who did not open one eye. At the time of the battle, he was still an energetic, albeit aging man, and did not wear his signature armband.

Of course, Kutuzov was not the only hero who glorified Borodino. Together with him, Bagration, Raevsky, de Tolly entered history. It is interesting that the last of them did not enjoy authority in the troops, although he was the author of a brilliant idea to put partisan forces against the enemy army. According to the legend, during the Battle of Borodino, the general lost his horses three times, which died under a barrage of shells and bullets, but he himself remained unharmed.

Who has the victory

Perhaps this question remains the main intrigue of the bloody battle, since both sides participating in it have their own opinions on this matter. French historians are convinced that Napoleon's troops won a great victory that day. Russian scientists insist on the opposite, their theory was once supported by Alexander the First, who proclaimed the Battle of Borodino an absolute victory for Russia. By the way, it was after him that Kutuzov was awarded the rank of Field Marshal.

It is known that Bonaparte was not satisfied with the reports provided by his military leaders. The number of guns recaptured from the Russians turned out to be minimal, as well as the number of prisoners whom the retreating army took with them. It is believed that the conqueror was finally crushed by the enemy's morale.

The large-scale battle that began on September 7 near the village of Borodino inspired writers, poets, artists, and then directors who covered it in their works for two centuries. One can also recall the painting “The Hussar Ballad”, and the famous creation of Lermontov, which is now taught at school.

What was the Battle of Borodino in 1812 really like and how did it turn out for the Russians and the French? Buntman, Eidelman - historians who created a concise and accurate text covering the bloody battle in detail. Critics praise this work for its impeccable knowledge of the era, vivid images of the heroes of the battle (on both sides), thanks to which all events are easy to imagine in the imagination. This book is a must read for those who are seriously interested in history and military affairs.

The battle of Borodino is the main battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 between the armies under the command of General M.I. Kutuzov, from the Russian side, and Napoleon I Bonaparte, from the French. This battle took place on August 26, according to the old style (at the time of the battle it corresponded to September 7, according to the new style; today, it corresponds to September 8, according to the new style), 1812, not far from the village of Borodino. Approximately 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 battle ceased, the French army returned to their original positions. Given this, Russian historiography believes that the Russian army won the battle of Borodino. But, despite this, the next day an order was given to the commander-in-chief of the Russian army Kutuzov to 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 Russia in 1812 in June, 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 at 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, 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 ​​​​the commander-in-chief Kutuzov was to lead an active defense, inflict the greatest possible losses on the French troops, that is, change the balance of power, and also save the Russian army for further battles, for the complete defeat of the French army.

On the night of August 26 (September 7), 1812, using the data obtained during the Shevardinsky battle, Kutuzov decides to regroup the 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, with the beginning of the shelling on the Russian position, the village of Borodino, the division of General Delzon went on a distracting attack. Borodino was defended by the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment, commanded by Colonel Bistrom. For more than an hour, the huntsmen fought off a superior enemy, but under the threat of a flank bypass, they were forced to retreat across the Kolocha River. But the guards chasseurs were able to get reinforcements and repelled all enemy attempts to break through the Russian defenses.

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

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

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

As a result, the bloody battle ended in the defeat of the French troops, who were thrown back behind the ravine of the Semyonovsky stream.

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

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

Raevsky's battery showed courage in the defense of 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 of Lieutenant General Raevsky.

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

Despite some successes, the French army 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 firmly in the Borodino position. The French troops did not succeed in any of the directions to achieve decisive success.

The end of the battle, the results of the battle

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

The losses of the Russian army have been repeatedly reviewed by historians. Different sources give different data.

Connections with 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 are very modest for this great commander.

And although there are many assessments of this battle, the Battle of Borodino, both commanders recorded the victory in it at their own expense ...

Established the Day of Military Glory dedicated to the battle of Borodino

In Russia, the day of military glory is set on September 8 - the Day of the Borodino battle of the Russian army under the command of M. I. Kutuzov with the French army.