The battle of Borodino is short. The stages and course of the battle of Borodino briefly

	Borodino village, west of the Moscow region
	Uncertain
Opponents
	the Russian Empire
Duchy of Warsaw
Kingdom of Italy
Union of Rhine
Commanders
Napoleon I Bonaparte	M. I. Kutuzov
Forces of the parties
135 thousand regular troops, 587 guns	113 thousand regular troops, about 7 thousand Cossacks, 10 thousand (according to other sources - more than 20 thousand) militia, 624 guns
War losses
According to various estimates, from 30 to 58 thousand people killed and wounded	From 40 to 45 thousand killed, wounded and missing

(in French history - battle of the Moskva River, fr. Bataille de la Moskova) - the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 between the Russian army under the command of General M.I.Kutuzov and the French army of Napoleon I Bonaparte. It took place on August 26 (September 7), 1812 near the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow.

During the 12-hour battle, the French army managed to capture the positions of the Russian army in the center and on the left wing, but after the cessation of hostilities, the French army withdrew to its original positions. Thus, in Russian historiography, it is believed that the Russian troops won a victory, but the next day the commander-in-chief of the Russian army M.I.Kutuzov gave the order to retreat due to heavy losses and because of the large reserves of the Emperor Napoleon, who rushed to the aid of the French army.

Russian historian Mikhnevich reported the following opinion of the Emperor Napoleon about the battle:

According to the recollections of the French general Pele, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon often repeated a similar phrase: “ The battle of Borodino was the most beautiful and most formidable, the French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians deserved to be invincible».

Considered the bloodiest in history among one-day battles.

Background

Since the beginning of the invasion by the French army into the territory of the Russian Empire in June 1812, Russian troops have constantly retreated. The rapid advance and the overwhelming numerical superiority of the French made it impossible for the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, infantry general Barclay de Tolly, to prepare the troops for battle. The protracted retreat caused public discontent, so Emperor Alexander I removed Barclay de Tolly and appointed Infantry General Kutuzov commander-in-chief. However, the new commander-in-chief also chose the path of retreat. The strategy chosen by Kutuzov was based, on the one hand, on the exhaustion of the enemy, on the other, on the expectation of sufficient reinforcements for a decisive battle with Napoleon's army.

On August 22 (September 3), the Russian army, retreating from Smolensk, was located near the village of Borodino, 125 km from Moscow, where Kutuzov decided to give a general battle; it was impossible to postpone it further, since Emperor Alexander demanded that Kutuzov stop the advance of Emperor Napoleon towards Moscow.

On August 24 (September 5), the battle of the Shevardinsky redoubt took place, which delayed the French troops and made it possible for the Russians to build fortifications on the main positions.

The alignment of forces at the beginning of the battle

Assessment of the number of troops, thousand people
A source	Napoleon's troops	Russian troops	Year of assessment
Buturlin
Clausewitz
Mikhailovsky - Danilevsky
Bogdanovich
Grunwald
Bloodless
Nicholson
Troitsky
Vasiliev
Bezotless

The total number of the Russian army is determined at 112-120 thousand people:

• historian Bogdanovich: 103 thousand regular troops (72 thousand infantry, 17 thousand cavalry, 14 thousand artillerymen), 7 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand militia warriors, 640 guns. Total 120 thousand people.
• from the memoirs of General Tolya: 95 thousand regular troops, 7 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand militia warriors. A total of 112 thousand people under arms, "with this army 640 artillery pieces."

The size of the French army is estimated at about 136 thousand soldiers and 587 guns:

• According to the Marquis of Chaumbray, the roll call held on August 21 (September 2) showed the presence of 133,815 combat ranks in the French army (for some of the lagging soldiers, their comrades responded "in absentia", hoping that they would catch up with the army). However, this number does not take into account the 1,500 sabers of the cavalry brigade of the divisional General Pajol, who came up later, and the 3 thousand front ranks of the headquarters.

In addition, the registration of militias in the Russian army implies the addition to the regular French army of numerous non-combatants (15 thousand) who were present in the French camp and in terms of combat capability matched the Russian militias. That is, the size of the French army is also increasing. Like the Russian militias, the French non-combatants performed auxiliary functions - they carried out the wounded, carried water, and so on.

It is important for military history to distinguish between the total number of the army on the battlefield and the troops that were brought into battle. However, in terms of the balance of forces that took a direct part in the battle on August 26 (September 7), 1812, the French army also had a numerical superiority. According to the encyclopedia "The Patriotic War of 1812", at the end of the battle, Napoleon had 18 thousand in reserve, and Kutuzov had 8-9 thousand regular troops (in particular, the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky guards regiments). At the same time, Kutuzov said that the Russians brought into battle “ everything to the last reserve, even in the evening and the guard», « all reserves are already in action».

If we evaluate the qualitative composition of the two armies, then we can turn to the opinion of the participant in the events of the Marquis of Chaumbray, who noted that the French army had superiority, since its infantry consisted mainly of experienced soldiers, while the Russians had many recruits. In addition, the advantage of the French gave a significant superiority in heavy cavalry.

Battle for Shevardinsky Redoubt

The idea of \u200b\u200bthe commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, was to inflict the greatest possible losses on the French troops through active defense, change the balance of forces, save the Russian troops for further battles and for the complete defeat of the French army. In accordance with this plan, the battle formation of the Russian troops was built.

The position chosen by Kutuzov looked like a straight line running from the Shevardinsky redoubt on the left flank through a large battery on Red Hill, later called the Raevsky battery, the village of Borodino in the center, to the village of Maslovo on the right flank.

On the eve of the main battle, in the early morning of August 24 (September 5), the Russian rearguard under the command of Lieutenant General Konovnitsyn, located at the Kolotsky monastery, 8 km west of the location of the main forces, was attacked by the enemy vanguard. A stubborn battle ensued, which lasted several hours. After the news of the enemy's outflanking was received, Konovnitsyn withdrew his troops across the Kolocha River and joined the corps, which occupied a position in the area of \u200b\u200bthe village of Shevardino.

A detachment of Lieutenant General Gorchakov was deployed near the Shevardinsky redoubt. In total, under the command of Gorchakov, there were 11 thousand troops and 46 guns. To cover the Old Smolensk road, 6 Cossack regiments of Major General Karpov 2nd remained.

The great army of Napoleon approached Borodino in three columns. The main forces: 3 cavalry corps of Marshal Murat, infantry corps of Marshals Davout, Ney, divisional general Junot and the guard - moved along the New Smolensk road. North of them, the infantry corps of the Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnais, and the cavalry corps of divisional General Pears, were advancing. The corps of Division General Poniatovsky was approaching along the Old Smolensk Road. 35 thousand infantry and cavalry, 180 guns were sent against the defenders of the fortification.

The enemy, covering the Shevardinsky redoubt from the north and south, tried to encircle the troops of Lieutenant-General Gorchakov.

The French twice broke into the redoubt, and each time the infantry of Lieutenant General Neverovsky knocked them out. Twilight descended on the Borodino field, when the enemy once again managed to seize the redoubt and break into the village of Shevardino, but the approaching Russian reserves from the 2nd grenadier and 2nd combined grenadier divisions recaptured the redoubt.

The battle gradually weakened and finally stopped. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, ordered Lieutenant-General Gorchakov to withdraw the troops to the main forces behind the Semyonovsky ravine.

Starting position

All day on August 25 (September 6), the troops of both sides were preparing for the upcoming battle. The Shevardino battle gave the Russian troops an opportunity to gain time to complete the defensive work at the Borodino position, made it possible to clarify the grouping of the French forces and the direction of their main attack. Leaving the Shevardinsky redoubt, the 2nd Army pulled back the left flank across the Kamenka River, and the army's battle formation took the form of an obtuse angle. Both flanks of the Russian position occupied 4 km each, but were unequal. The right flank was formed by the 1st Army of Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, consisting of 3 infantry, 3 cavalry corps and reserves (76 thousand people, 480 guns), the front of his position was covered by the Kolocha River. The left flank was formed by the smaller 2nd Army of Infantry General Bagration (34 thousand people, 156 guns). In addition, the left flank did not have such strong natural obstacles ahead of the front as the right.

After the loss of the Shevardinsky redoubt on August 24 (September 5), the position of the left flank became even more vulnerable and relied only on 3 unfinished flushes.

Thus, in the center and on the right wing of the Russian position, Kutuzov placed 4 out of 7 infantry corps, as well as 3 cavalry corps and Platov's Cossack corps. According to Kutuzov's plan, such a powerful grouping of troops reliably covered the Moscow direction and at the same time made it possible, if necessary, to strike at the flank and rear of the French troops. The order of battle of the Russian army was deep and allowed for broad maneuvers on the battlefield. The first line of battle formation of the Russian troops consisted of infantry corps, the second line - cavalry corps, and the third - reserves. Kutuzov highly appreciated the role of reserves, pointing out in the disposition for the battle: “ The reserves should be protected for as long as possible, for the general who still retains the reserve is not defeated».

Emperor Napoleon, having discovered during the reconnaissance on August 25 (September 6) the weakness of the left flank of the Russian army, decided to deliver the main blow to him. Accordingly, he developed a battle plan. First of all, the task was set to seize the left bank of the Kolocha River, for which it was necessary to capture the village of Borodino in the center of the Russian position. This maneuver, according to Napoleon, was supposed to divert the attention of the Russians from the direction of the main attack. Then transfer the main forces of the French army to the right bank of the Kolocha and, relying on Borodino, which became, as it were, the axis of approach, push back the Kutuzov army with the right wing into the corner formed by the confluence of the Kolocha with the Moscow River, and destroy.

To accomplish this task, Napoleon on the evening of August 25 (September 6) began to concentrate the main forces (up to 95 thousand) in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Shevardinsky redoubt. The total number of French troops in front of the front of the 2nd Army reached 115 thousand. For distracting actions during the battle in the center and against the right flank, Napoleon allocated no more than 20 thousand soldiers.

Napoleon understood that the coverage of the Russian troops from the flanks was difficult, so he was forced to resort to a frontal attack in order to break through the defenses of the Russian army in a relatively narrow area near the Bagrationov flashes, go to the rear of the Russian troops, push them to the Moscow River, destroy them and open up way to Moscow. On the direction of the main attack in the section from the Raevsky battery to the Bagrationov flashes, which had a length of 2.5 kilometers, the bulk of the French troops was concentrated: the corps of Marshals Davout, Ney, Murat, divisional general Junot, as well as the guard. To divert the attention of the Russian troops, the French planned to carry out auxiliary strikes on Utitsa and Borodino. The French army had a deep formation of its battle formation, which allowed it to build up its striking power from the depths.

Sources point to a special plan of Kutuzov, which forced Napoleon to attack the left flank. Kutuzov's task was to determine the required number of troops for the left flank, which would prevent a breakthrough of his positions. Historian Tarle cites the exact words of Kutuzov: "When the enemy ... uses up his last reserves on the left flank of Bagration, then I will send his hidden army to the flank and rear.".

On the night of August 26 (September 7), 1812, based on the data obtained during the Shevardinsky battle, Kutuzov decided to strengthen the left flank of the Russian troops, for which he ordered to transfer from the reserve and transfer the 3rd Infantry Corps to the commander of the 2nd Army Bagration Lieutenant General Tuchkov 1st, as well as an artillery reserve of 168 guns, placing it near Psarev. According to Kutuzov's plan, the 3rd corps was to be ready to operate in the flank and rear of the French troops. However, the chief of staff of Kutuzov, General Bennigsen, withdrew the 3rd corps from the ambush and placed it in front of the French troops, which did not correspond to Kutuzov's plan. Bennigsen's actions are justified by his intention to follow a formal battle plan.

The regrouping of part of the Russian forces to the left flank reduced the disparity of forces and turned a frontal attack, leading, according to Napoleon's plan, to a swift defeat of the Russian army, into a bloody frontal battle.

The course of the battle

The beginning of the battle

At 5:30 am on August 26 (September 7), 1812, more than 100 French guns began artillery fire on the positions of the left flank. Simultaneously with the beginning of the shelling on the center of the Russian position, the village of Borodino, under the cover of the morning fog, General Delzon's division from the corps of the Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnais, moved into a distracting attack. The village was defended by the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment under the command of Colonel Bistrom. For about an hour, the huntsmen fought off a four-fold superior enemy, but under the threat of a flanking outflanking they were forced to retreat across the bridge across the Kolocha River. The 106th linear regiment of the French, encouraged by the occupation of the village of Borodin, followed the rangers across the river. But the guards rangers, having received reinforcements, repulsed all the enemy's attempts to break through the Russian defense here:

“The French, encouraged by Borodin's occupation, rushed after the rangers and almost with them crossed the river, but the guards rangers, reinforced by the regiments who had come with Colonel Manakhtin and the jaeger brigade of the 24th division under the command of Colonel Vuich, suddenly turned to the enemy and joined they were attacked with bayonets to help them, and all the French on our shore were the victims of their audacious enterprise. The bridge on the Kolocha River was completely destroyed, despite strong enemy fire, and the French did not dare to attempt to kill the crossing during the whole day and were content with a shootout with our huntsmen. ".

Bagration flushes

Flushes on the eve of the battle were occupied by the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division under the command of General Vorontsov. At 6 o'clock in the morning, after a short cannonade, the French attacked the Bagration flushes. In the first attack, the French divisions of Generals Desse and Compan, overcoming the resistance of the rangers, made their way through the Utitsky forest, but, barely starting to build on the edge opposite the southernmost flush, came under grape-shot fire and were overturned by the flank attack of the rangers.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, the French repeated their attack and captured the southern flush. Bagration sent the 27th Infantry Division of General Neverovsky, as well as the Akhtyr Hussars and Novorossiysk Dragoons to the aid of the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division, to attack the flank. The French left the flushes with heavy losses. Both divisional generals Dessay and Kompan were wounded, the corps commander Marshal Davout was wounded when falling from a killed horse, almost all brigade commanders were wounded.

For the 3rd attack, Napoleon reinforced the attacking forces with 3 more infantry divisions from Marshal Ney's corps, 3 cavalry corps of Marshal Murat and artillery, bringing its number to 160 guns.

Bagration, having determined the direction of the main attack chosen by Napoleon, ordered General Raevsky, who occupied the central battery, to immediately move the entire second line of troops of his 7th Infantry Corps to the flashes, and to General Tuchkov 1st to send the defenders of the flushes the 3rd Infantry Division of General Konovnitsyn. At the same time, in response to the demand for reinforcements, Kutuzov sent to Bagration from the reserve of the Life Guards the Lithuanian and Izmailovsky regiments, the 1st combined grenadier division, 7 regiments of the 3rd cavalry corps and the 1st cuirassier division. In addition, Lieutenant-General Baggovut's 2nd Infantry Corps began moving from the extreme right to the left flag.

After strong artillery preparation, the French managed to break into the southern flush and between flushes. In a bayonet battle, the division commanders, Generals Neverovsky (27th Infantry) and Vorontsov (2nd Grenadier), were seriously wounded and carried away from the battlefield.

The French were counterattacked by 3 cuirassier regiments, and Marshal Murat almost got captured by the Russian cuirassiers, barely having time to hide in the ranks of the Württemberg infantry. Separate parts of the French were forced to withdraw, but the cuirassiers, not supported by the infantry, were counterattacked by the French cavalry and repulsed. After Prince Bagration was wounded at about 10 a.m., Lieutenant General P.P. Konovnitsyn, who, assessing the situation, gives the order to leave the flushes and retreat their defenders behind the Semyonovsky ravine to gentle heights.

The counterattack of Konovnitsyn's 3rd Infantry Division, which had arrived in time, corrected the situation. Major General Tuchkov 4th, who led the attack of the Revel and Murom regiments, died in the battle.

At about the same time, the French 8th Westphalian Corps of Division General Junot made its way through the Utitsky Forest to the rear of the Flushes. The situation was saved by the 1st cavalry battery of Captain Zakharov, which at that time was heading to the area of \u200b\u200bthe flashes. Zakharov, seeing the threat of flushes from the rear, hastily deployed his guns and opened fire on the enemy, who was building up to attack. The 4 infantry regiments of Baggovut's 2nd corps that arrived in time drove Junot's corps into the Utitsky forest, inflicting tangible losses on it. Russian historians claim that during the second offensive, Junot's corps was defeated in a bayonet counterattack, but Westphalian and French sources completely refute this. According to the recollections of direct participants, Junot's 8th corps took part in the battle until the evening.

By the 4th attack at 11 o'clock in the morning, Napoleon concentrated about 45 thousand infantry and cavalry, and almost 400 guns against the flushes. Russian historiography calls this decisive attack the 8th, taking into account the attacks of Junot's corps on the flushes (6th and 7th). Bagration, seeing that the artillery of the flashes could not stop the movement of the French columns, led a general counterattack of the left wing, the total number of whose troops was only about 20 thousand people. The onslaught of the first ranks of the Russians was stopped and a fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued, which lasted more than an hour. The preponderance tended to the side of the Russian troops, but during the transition to a counterattack, Bagration, wounded by a shell fragment in the thigh, fell from his horse and was taken from the battlefield. The news of Bagration's injury instantly swept through the ranks of the Russian troops and had a huge impact on the Russian soldiers. Russian troops began to retreat.

General Konovnitsyn took command of the 2nd Army and was finally forced to leave the flushes for the French. The remnants of the troops, which almost lost control, were withdrawn by him to a new defensive line beyond the Semyonovsky ravine, along which the stream of the same name flowed. On the same side of the ravine, there were untouched reserves - the Life Guards Lithuanian and Izmailovsky regiments. Russian batteries of 300 guns kept the entire Semyonovsky brook under fire. The French, seeing a solid wall of Russians, did not dare to attack on the move.

The direction of the main attack of the French shifted from the left flank to the center, to the Raevsky battery. At the same time, Napoleon did not stop the attack on the left flank of the Russian army. South of the village of Semyonovskoye, the cavalry corps of Nansuti advanced, north of Latour-Mobourg, while the infantry division of General Friant rushed from the front to Semyonovskoye. At this time, Kutuzov appointed the commander of the 6th corps, Infantry General Dokhturov, as the chief of the troops of the entire left flank instead of Lieutenant General Konovnitsyn. The Life Guards lined up in squares and for several hours repulsed the attacks of Napoleon's "iron horsemen". To the aid of the guard were sent in the south the Cuirassier division of Duka, in the north the cuirassier brigade of Borozdin and the 4th Cavalry Corps of Sievers. The bloody battle ended in the defeat of the French troops, driven back over the ravine of the Semyonovsky brook.

Russian troops were never completely driven out of Semyonovsky until the end of the battle.

The battle for the Utitsky mound

On the eve of the battle on August 25 (September 6), by order of Kutuzov, the 3rd Infantry Corps of General Tuchkov of the 1st and up to 10 thousand warriors of the Moscow and Smolensk militias were sent to the area of \u200b\u200bthe Old Smolensk Road. On the same day, 2 more Cossack regiments of Karpov 2nd joined the troops. To communicate with the flashes in the Utitsky forest, the jaeger regiments of Major General Shakhovsky took up a position.

According to Kutuzov's plan, Tuchkov's corps was supposed to suddenly attack the flank and rear of the enemy from an ambush, fighting for the Bagrationov flushes. However, early in the morning, Chief of Staff Bennigsen pushed Tuchkov's detachment out of an ambush.

On August 26 (September 7), the 5th corps of the French army, consisting of Poles under the command of General Ponyatovsky, moved around the left flank of the Russian position. The troops met in front of Utitsa at about 8 o'clock in the morning, at the moment when General Tuchkov 1st, by order of Bagration, had already sent Konovnitsyn's division at his disposal. The enemy, coming out of the forest and pushing the Russian huntsmen away from the village of Utitsa, found himself on the heights. Having installed 24 guns on them, the enemy opened a hurricane of fire. Tuchkov 1st was forced to retreat to the Utitsky mound, a more advantageous line for himself. Poniatovsky's attempts to advance and capture the mound were unsuccessful.

At about 11 a.m. Ponyatovsky, having received support from the 8th Infantry Corps Junot on the left, concentrated fire from 40 guns against the Utitsky Kurgan and captured it by storm. This gave him the opportunity to bypass the Russian position.

Tuchkov 1st, trying to eliminate the danger, took decisive measures to return the mound. He personally organized a counterattack at the head of the Pavlovsk grenadier regiment. The Kurgan was returned, but Lieutenant General Tuchkov 1st himself received a mortal wound. He was replaced by Lieutenant General Baggovut, commander of the 2nd Infantry Corps.

Baggovut left the Utitsky barrow only after the defenders of the Bagrationov flushes retreated beyond the Semyonovsky ravine, which made his position vulnerable to flank attacks. He retreated to the new line of the 2nd Army.

Raid of the Cossacks Platov and Uvarov

At a critical moment in the battle, Kutuzov decided to raid the cavalry of the cavalry generals Uvarov and Platov to the rear and flank of the enemy. By 12 noon, Uvarov's 1st Cavalry Corps (28 squadrons, 12 guns, total 2,500 horsemen) and Platov's Cossacks (8 regiments) crossed the Kolocha River near the village of Malaya. Uvarov's corps attacked the French infantry regiment and the Italian cavalry brigade of General Ornano in the area of \u200b\u200bthe crossing of the Voina river near the village of Bezzubovo. Platov crossed the Voynu River to the north and, going to the rear, forced the enemy to change position.

The simultaneous blow of Uvarov and Platov caused confusion in the enemy's camp and forced the troops that had stormed the Raevsky battery at Kurgan height to be pulled back to the left flank. Viceroy of Italy Eugene Beauharnais with the Italian Guard and the Pear corps were sent by Napoleon against the new threat. Uvarov and Platov returned to the Russian army by 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

The raid of Uvarov and Platov delayed the decisive attack of the enemy by 2 hours, which made it possible to regroup the Russian troops. It was because of this raid that Napoleon did not dare to send his guard into battle. The cavalry sabotage, although it did not cause much damage to the French, caused Napoleon to feel insecure about his own rear.

« Those who were in the battle of Borodino, of course, remember that minute when the stubbornness of attacks decreased along the entire enemy line, and we ... could breathe more freely", - wrote a military historian, General Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky.

Raevsky's battery

A high mound, located in the center of the Russian position, dominated the surrounding area. A battery was installed on it, 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.

At about 9 o'clock in the morning, in the midst of the battle for the Bagration flushes, the French launched the first attack on the battery with the forces of the 4th corps of the Viceroy of Italy Eugene Beauharnais, as well as the divisions of Generals Moran and Gerard from the 1st corps of Marshal Davout. By influencing the center of the Russian army, Napoleon hoped to complicate the transfer of troops from the right wing of the Russian army to the Bagrationov flushes and thereby ensure a quick defeat of the left wing of the Russian army for his main forces. By the time of the attack, the entire second line of troops of Lieutenant General Raevsky, by order of Infantry General Bagration, was withdrawn to defend the flashes. Despite this, the attack was repelled by artillery fire.

Almost immediately, the Viceroy of Italy, Eugene de Beauharnais, re-attacked the mound. At that moment, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, brought in the entire horse-artillery reserve in the amount of 60 guns and part of the light artillery of the 1st army into battle for the Raevsky battery. However, despite heavy artillery fire, the French of the 30th regiment of Brigadier General Bonamisumeli broke into the redoubt.

At that moment, near the Kurgan Heights, the chief of staff of the 1st Army Yermolov and the chief of artillery Kutaisov, who followed Kutuzov's order to the left flank, were near. Leading the battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment and attaching the 18th Jaeger Regiment to it, Ermolov and Kutaisov fought with bayonets right at the redoubt. At the same time, the regiments of Major Generals Paskevich and Vasilchikov struck from the flanks. The redoubt was repulsed and Brigadier General Bonami was captured. Of the entire French regiment of 4,100 men under the command of Bonami, only about 300 soldiers remained in the ranks. Major General of Artillery Kutaisov died in the battle for the battery.

Kutuzov, noticing the complete exhaustion of Raevsky's corps, took his troops to the second line. Barclay de Tolly sent Major General Likhachev's 24th Infantry Division to the battery to defend the battery.

After the fall of the Bagration flushes, Napoleon abandoned the development of an offensive against the left wing of the Russian army. The original plan to break through the defense on this wing in order to reach the rear of the main forces of the Russian army lost its meaning, since a significant part of these troops were out of action in battles for the flashes themselves, while the defense on the left wing, despite the loss of flushes, remained unbroken ... Noticing that the situation in the center of the Russian troops had deteriorated, Napoleon decided to redirect his forces to the Rayevsky battery. However, the next attack was delayed by 2 hours, since at that time Russian cavalry and Cossacks appeared in the rear of the French.

Taking advantage of the respite, Kutuzov moved the 4th Infantry Corps of Lieutenant General Osterman-Tolstoy and the 2nd Cavalry Corps of Major General Korf from the right flank to the center. Napoleon ordered to increase the fire on the infantry of the 4th corps. According to eyewitnesses, the Russians moved like machines, closing ranks on the move. The path of the 4th corps could be traced by the trail of the bodies of the dead.

The troops of Lieutenant General Osterman-Tolstoy joined the left flank to the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky Guards Regiments, located south of the battery. Behind them were the cavalry of the 2nd corps and the approached Cavalier and Horse Guards regiments.

At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the French opened crossfire from the front and flashes of 150 guns at Raevsky's battery and launched an attack. 34 cavalry regiments were concentrated to attack the 24th division. The 2nd Cavalry Corps under the command of Divisional General Auguste Caulaincourt was the first to attack (the corps commander, Divisional General Montbrun, had been killed by this time). Callenkur broke through the hellish fire, walked around the Kurgan Hill to the left and rushed to the Rayevsky battery. Met from the front, flanks and rear with stubborn fire of the defenders, the cuirassiers were thrown back with huge losses (for these losses, the Raevsky battery received the nickname "the grave of the French cavalry" from the French). General Auguste Caulaincourt, like many of his associates, found death on the slopes of the mound. Meanwhile, the troops of the Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnais, taking advantage of the attack of Caulaincourt, which constrained the actions of the 24th division, broke into the battery from the front and flank. A bloody battle took place on the battery. The wounded General Likhachev was taken prisoner. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Raevsky's battery fell.

Having received news of the fall of the Raevsky battery, Napoleon moved to the center of the Russian army and came to the conclusion that its center, despite the retreat and contrary to the assurances of the retinue, was not shaken. After that, he refused requests to bring the guard into battle. The French attack on the center of the Russian army ceased.

As of 18:00, the Russian army was still firmly located in the Borodino position, and the French troops in none of the directions managed to achieve decisive success. Napoleon, who believed that “ a general who will not keep fresh troops for the day following the battle will almost always be beaten”, And did not bring his guard into battle. Napoleon, as a rule, brought the guards into battle at the very last moment, when victory was prepared by his other troops and when it was necessary to deliver the final decisive blow to the enemy. However, assessing the situation at the end of the Borodino battle, Napoleon did not see any signs of victory, so he did not take the risk of entering his last reserve into battle.

End of the battle

After the occupation of the Rayevsky battery by the French troops, the battle began to subside. On the left flank, Divisional General Ponyatovsky conducted unsuccessful attacks against the 2nd Army under the command of General Dokhturov (the commander of the 2nd Army, General Bagration, was seriously wounded by that time). In the center and on the right flank, the case was limited to artillery firefight until 7 pm. Behind the report of Kutuzov, it was claimed that Napoleon retreated, withdrawing the troops from the captured positions. Having retreated to Gorki (where there was one more fortification), the Russians began to prepare for a new battle. However, at 12 o'clock in the morning, Kutuzov's order arrived, canceling preparations for the battle scheduled for the next day. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army decided to withdraw the army beyond Mozhaisk in order to make up for human losses and better prepare for new battles. Napoleon, faced with the resistance of the enemy, was in a depressed and anxious mood, as evidenced by his adjutant Armand Colencourt (brother of the deceased General Auguste Colencourt):

Chronology of the battle

Chronology of the battle. Most significant battles

There is also an alternative point of view on the chronology of the Borodino battle.

The outcome of the battle

Estimates of Russian losses

The number of losses of the Russian army has been repeatedly revised by historians. Different sources give different numbers:

• According to the 18th Bulletin of the Great Army (September 10, 1812), 12-13 thousand killed, 5 thousand prisoners, 40 generals killed, wounded or taken prisoner, 60 captured guns. The total losses are estimated at about 40-50 thousand.
• F. Segur, who was at the headquarters of Napoleon, gives completely different data on trophies: from 700 to 800 prisoners and about 20 guns.
• The document entitled "Description of the battle at the village of Borodino, which took place on August 26, 1812" (presumably compiled by K. F. Tole), which in many sources is called "Kutuzov's report to Alexander I" and dated August 1812, indicates 25,000 people in common losses, including 13 killed and wounded generals.
• 38-45 thousand people, including 23 generals. The inscription " 45 thousand»Embossed on the Main Monument on the Borodino Field, erected in 1839, is also indicated on the 15th wall of the gallery of military glory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
• 58 thousand killed and wounded, up to 1000 prisoners, from 13 to 15 guns. The data on losses are given here on the basis of the summary of the general on duty of the 1st Army immediately after the battle, the losses of the 2nd Army are estimated by the historians of the 19th century quite arbitrarily at 20 thousand. These data were no longer considered reliable at the end of the 19th century, they are not taken into account in the ESBE, which indicates the number of losses "up to 40 thousand." Modern historians believe that the summary of the 1st Army also contained information about the losses of the 2nd Army, since there were no officers left in the 2nd Army responsible for reporting.
• 42.5 thousand people - the loss of the Russian army in the book by S.P. Mikheev, published in 1911.

According to the surviving records from the RGVIA archive, the Russian army lost 39,300 people killed, wounded and missing (21,766 in the 1st army, 17,445 in the 2nd army), but taking into account the fact that the data of the statements are incomplete for various reasons (does not include the loss of the militia and Cossacks), historians usually increase this number to 44-45 thousand people. According to Troitsky, data from the Military Registration Archives of the General Staff give a figure of 45.6 thousand people.

Estimates of French casualties

Much of the documentation of the Grand Army was lost during the retreat, so it is extremely difficult to assess the losses of the French. The question of the total losses of the French army remains open.

• According to the 18th Bulletin of the Grand Army, the French lost 2,500 killed about 7,500 wounded, 6 generals killed (2 divisional, 4 brigade) and 7-8 wounded. The total losses are estimated at about 10 thousand people. In the future, these data were repeatedly questioned, and at present none of the researchers considers them as reliable.
• "Description of the battle at the village of Borodino", made on behalf of M. I. Kutuzov (presumably K. F. Tolem) and dated August 1812, indicates more than 40,000 people in total losses, including 42 killed and wounded generals ...
• The most common in French historiography the number of losses of the Napoleonic army at 30 thousand is based on the calculations of the French officer Denier, who served as an inspector at the General Staff of Napoleon, who determined the total losses of the French for 3 days of the battle at Borodino at 49 generals, 37 colonels and 28 thousand lower ranks, of 6 550 of them were killed and 21 450 were wounded. These figures were classified by order of Marshal Berthier due to a discrepancy with the data of Napoleon's bulletin on losses of 8-10 thousand and published for the first time in 1842. The figure of 30 thousand given in the literature was obtained by rounding off Denier's data (taking into account that Denier did not take into account 1176 soldiers of the Great Army who were captured).

Later studies have shown that Denier's data are greatly underestimated. So, Denier gives the number of 269 killed officers of the Great Army. However, in 1899, the French historian Martinen, based on surviving documents, established that at least 460 officers, known by name, were killed. Subsequent research increased this number to 480. Even French historians admit that “ since the information on the generals and colonels who were out of action at Borodino given in the statement is inaccurate and underestimated, it can be assumed that the rest of Denier's figures are based on incomplete data».

• The retired Napoleonic general Segur determined the losses of the French at Borodino at 40 thousand soldiers and officers. A. Vasiliev considers Segur's assessment tendentiously overestimated, pointing out that the general wrote during the reign of the Bourbons, while not denying her some objectivity.
• In the Russian literature, the number of French casualties was often cited as 58,478. This number is based on the false information of the defector Alexander Schmidt, who allegedly served in the office of Marshal Berthier. Later this figure was picked up by patriotic researchers and is indicated on the Main Monument.

For modern French historiography, the traditional estimate of French losses is 30 thousand, with 9-10 thousand killed. The Russian historian A. Vasiliev points out, in particular, that the number of losses of 30 thousand is achieved by the following calculation methods: a) by comparing the data on the personnel of the surviving statements for September 2 and 20 (deducting one from the other gives a decrease of 45.7 thousand) minus losses in vanguard affairs and the approximate number of the sick and the backward and b) indirectly - by comparison with the Battle of Wagram, equal in number and in the approximate number of losses among the command staff, while the total number of French losses in it, according to Vasiliev, is precisely known (33 854 people, including 42 generals and 1,820 officers; at Borodino, according to Vasiliev, the losses of the command staff are considered 1,792 people, of which 49 are generals).

The losses of the generals of the parties in killed and wounded were 49 generals among the French, including the killed 8: 2 divisional (Auguste Caulaincourt and Montbrun) and 6 brigade generals. The Russians lost 26 generals, but it should be noted that only 73 active Russian generals took part in the battle, while in the French army there were 70 generals in cavalry alone. The French brigadier general was closer to the Russian colonel than to the major general.

However, V.N.Zemtsov showed that Vasiliev's calculations are unreliable, since they are based on inaccurate data. So, according to the lists compiled by Zemtsov, “ 1,928 officers and 49 generals were killed and wounded on September 5-7", That is, the total loss of command personnel amounted to 1,977 people, and not 1,792, as Vasiliev believed. According to Zemtsov, the comparison of the data on the personnel of the Great Army for September 2 and 20, carried out by Vasiliev, also gave incorrect results, since the wounded who returned to service during the time that had passed after the battle were not taken into account. In addition, Vasiliev did not take into account all parts of the French army. Zemtsov himself, using a technique similar to that used by Vasiliev, estimated the French losses for September 5-7 at 38.5 thousand people. Also controversial is the figure used by Vasilyev for the loss of the French troops at Wagram 33 854 people - for example, the English researcher Chandler estimated them at 40 thousand people.

It should be noted that the number of those who died from wounds should be added to the several thousand killed, and their number was huge. In the Kolotsk monastery, where the main military hospital of the French army was located, according to the testimony of the captain of the 30th line regiment S. Francois, during the 10 days following the battle, 3/4 of the wounded died. French encyclopedias believe that among the 30 thousand victims of Borodin, 20.5 thousand died and died from wounds.

The overall result

The battle of Borodino is one of the bloodiest battles of the 19th century and the bloodiest of all that happened before it. According to the most conservative estimates of the total losses, about 6,000 people were killed or injured every hour on the field, the French army lost about 25% of its strength, the Russian - about 30%. From the French side 60 thousand cannon shots were fired, from the Russian side - 50 thousand. It is no coincidence that Napoleon called the battle of Borodino his greatest battle, although its results are more than modest for a great commander who is accustomed to victories.

The death toll, including deaths from wounds, was much higher than the official battlefield death toll; among the victims of the battle should be attributed and the wounded, later dead. In the fall of 1812 - in the spring of 1813, the Russians burned and buried the remaining unburied bodies in the field. According to the military historian General Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, 58,521 bodies were buried and burned. Russian historians and, in particular, the staff of the museum-reserve in the Borodino field, estimate the number of people buried in the field at 48-50 thousand people. According to A. Sukhanov, 49,887 dead were buried in the Borodino field and in the surrounding villages (excluding the French burials in the Kolotsky monastery).

Both commanders chalked up the victory. According to the point of view expressed by Napoleon in his memoirs:

The Battle of Moscow is my greatest battle: the clash of the giants. The Russians had 170,000 men under arms; they had all the advantages: numerical superiority in infantry, cavalry, artillery, an excellent position. They were defeated! Undaunted heroes, Ney, Murat, Ponyatovsky - these are the glories of this battle. How many great, how many wonderful historical deeds will be noted in it! She will tell how these brave cuirassiers captured the redoubts, hacking the gunners with their guns; she will tell about the heroic self-sacrifice of Montbrun and Colencourt, who died in the prime of their glory; It will tell how our gunners, open on a flat field, fired against more numerous and well-fortified batteries, and about these fearless infantrymen who, at the most critical moment, when the general in command wanted to cheer them up, shouted to him: “Calm, all your soldiers have decided to win today and they will win! "

This paragraph was dictated in 1816. A year later, in 1817, Napoleon described the Battle of Borodino as follows:

With an army of 80,000 I rushed at the Russians, numbering 250,000, armed to the teeth and defeated them ...

Kutuzov, in his report to Emperor Alexander I, wrote:

Emperor Alexander I did not deceive about the actual state of affairs, but in order to support the people's hopes for an early end to the war, he announced the Battle of Borodino as a victory. Prince Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal general with the award of 100 thousand rubles. Barclay de Tolly received the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, Prince Bagration - 50 thousand rubles. Fourteen generals received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree. All the lower ranks who were in the battle were awarded 5 rubles for each.

Since then, in the Russian, and after it in the Soviet (except for the period of the 1920-1930s) historiography, an attitude has been established to the Battle of Borodino as to the actual victory of the Russian army. In our time, a number of Russian historians also traditionally insist that the outcome of the Battle of Borodino was uncertain, and the Russian army won a "moral victory" in it.

Foreign historians, to whom a number of their Russian colleagues have joined in our time, regard Borodino as an undoubted victory for Napoleon. As a result of the battle, the French took some of the forward positions and fortifications of the Russian army, while maintaining reserves, pushed the Russians out of the battlefield, and ultimately forced them to retreat and leave Moscow. At the same time, no one disputes that the Russian army retained its combat capability and morale, that is, Napoleon never achieved his goal - the complete defeat of the Russian army.

The main achievement of the general battle at Borodino was that Napoleon was unable to defeat the Russian army, and in the objective conditions of the entire Russian campaign of 1812, the absence of a decisive victory predetermined the final defeat of Napoleon.

The battle of Borodino marked a crisis in the French strategy of a decisive general engagement. During the battle, the French failed to destroy the Russian army, force Russia to surrender and dictate peace terms. Russian troops, on the other hand, inflicted significant damage on the enemy army and were able to save forces for the coming battles.

Memory

Borodino field

The widow of one of the generals who died in the battle founded a women's monastery on the territory of the Bagration flushes, in which the charter prescribed "to bring prayers ... for Orthodox leaders and soldiers who in these places for the faith, the sovereign and the fatherland laid their belly in battle in the summer of 1812" ... On the eighth anniversary of the battle on August 26, 1820, the first temple of the monastery was consecrated. The temple was erected as a monument to military glory.

By 1839, the lands in the central part of the Borodino field were bought by Emperor Nicholas I. In 1839, at the Kurgan Heights, on the site of the Raevsky battery, a monument was solemnly opened, at its base the ashes of Bagration were reburied. Opposite the Raevsky Battery, a gatehouse was built for veterans, who were supposed to look after the monument and the grave of Bagration, keep the Book of Visitors' Records, show the visitors the battle plan, finds from the battlefield.

In the year of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the battle, the gatehouse was rebuilt; 33 monuments to corps, divisions, and regiments of the Russian army were erected on the territory of the Borodino field.

On the territory of the modern museum-reserve with an area of \u200b\u200b110 km², there are more than 200 monuments and memorial sites. Every year, on the first Sunday of September, at the Borodino field, more than a thousand participants recreate episodes of the Borodino battle during the military-historical reconstruction.

Literature and art

A significant place in the works of literature and art is devoted to the Battle of Borodino. In 1829 D. Davydov wrote the poem "Borodino Field". A. Pushkin dedicated the poem "Borodino Anniversary" (1831) to the memory of the battle. M. Lermontov published in 1837 the poem "Borodino". In L. Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, part of the third volume is devoted to the description of the Battle of Borodino. P. Vyazemsky wrote in 1869 the poem "Commemoration for the Battle of Borodino".

Artists V. Vereshchagin, N. Samokish, F. Roubaud dedicated cycles of their paintings to the Battle of Borodino.

100th anniversary of the battle

Borodino panorama

For the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, by order of Emperor Nicholas II, the artist F. Roubaud painted the panorama "The Battle of Borodino". At first, the panorama was housed in a pavilion on Chistye Prudy, in 1918 it was dismantled, and in the 1960s it was restored and reopened in the building of the panorama museum.

200th anniversary of the battle

On September 2, 2012, solemn events dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the historical battle were held on the Borodino field. They were attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and former French President Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, as well as descendants of the participants in the battle and representatives of the Romanov dynasty. Several thousand people from more than 120 military history clubs in Russia, Europe, the USA and Canada took part in the reconstruction of the battle. More than 150 thousand people attended the event.

• On the eve of the battle, a meteorite fell at the location of the Russian artillery battery, later named after the battle "Borodino".

The Battle of Borodino or the Battle of Borodino is the largest battle of the Patriotic War of Russia with Napoleonic France, which took place on September 7, 1812 near the village of Borodino.
The army of the Russian Empire was commanded by General M. Kutuzov, and the French army was headed by the Emperor of France 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 Borodino battle

Emperor Napoleon with a huge French army invaded the territory of the Russian Empire. At the same time, the Russian army constantly retreated, panic in the ranks and a hasty retreat could not allow organizing an army for a decisive defense. Then the emperor appoints the command of the Russian army to Kutuzov. He decided to retreat further, hoping to exhaust the French army and get reinforcements.
Deciding that there is nowhere to postpone the battle, Kutuzov decides to deploy his troops at Borodino. The emperor demanded that Napoleon be stopped in front of Moscow, and only this area allowed such a thing to be done. Before Napoleon's troops approached, the Russian army managed to build the necessary fortifications.

The 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 about 130-140 thousand soldiers, but a slightly smaller number of artillery pieces, no more than 600.

The course of the Borodino battle

The battle of Borodino began from artillery shelling of the French artillery on the positions of the Russian army at half past five in the morning. Together with this, Napoleon commanded the division of General Delzon to go into battle under the cover of fog. They went to the very center of the Russian positions - the village of Borodino. This position was defended by a corps of rangers. The number of the French was much greater, but the huntsmen retreated only when the threat of encirclement arose. The huntsmen withdrew across the Kolocha River, followed by Delzon's division. Crossing the river, he tried to take positions, but having received reinforcements, the huntsmen were able to repel the attacks of the French.
Then Napoleon, following the flank, began an attack on the Bagration flushes (flashes are field fortifications, sometimes they can be long-term). First came the shelling, and then the attack began. The first attack was successful, and the Russian huntsmen retreated, but having come under grape-shot fire, 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 dislodge the French from their positions. Having collected impressive forces for a counterattack, the Russian army manages to push back the enemy. The French retreated with heavy losses, and 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 number of artillery (about 160 guns).
Upon learning of Napoleon's intentions, General Bagration decided to further strengthen the flushes.
Napoleon launched a third attack from 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 arrived in time to repulse the attack of the cuirassiers (heavy cavalry) and completely occupied the flash by ten in the morning.
Napoleon concentrated about 40 thousand soldiers and 400 guns in flushes. Bagration had to stop the French, but he 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 hand-to-hand fighting ensued, which lasted about an hour. The Russian army gained an advantage, but when Bagration himself was wounded by an accidental shrapnel, the Russian army lost its morale and began to retreat. Bagration's wound was light, a shrapnel hit him in the thigh and was carried away from the battlefield.
The flashes were abandoned, and the Russian army retreated beyond the Semyonovsky brook. There were still untouched reserves here, and the Russian artillery, numbering 300 guns, well controlled the approaches to the stream. The French, seeing such a defense, decided not to attack yet.
Napoleon continued to attack the left flank of the Russian army, but assigned the main blow to the center of the Russian positions. A bloody battle ensued, the result of which was the withdrawal of the French troops, they did not manage to knock out the Russian army from the position of the Semenovsky brook. Here they remained until the very end of the Borodino battle.
At the moment when the French army was fighting for the flush, Napoleon ordered to bypass the Russian positions in the Utitsky forest area. The French managed to push back the Russian army from the Utitsky heights, and deployed artillery there. Then the French opened a massive artillery strike. 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 the Russians back and occupy the mound.
General Tuchkov tried to reclaim the mound and personally led the attack. In this battle, the kurgan was returned, but the general himself was mortally wounded. The Kurgan was abandoned by the Russians when the main forces withdrew behind the Semyonovsky Creek.
The battle of Borodino was not 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 left flank of the French, but having received reinforcements, the cavalry was thrown back. This raid was successful in one, the decisive blow of the enemy was delayed by 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, protected 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 time, Raevsky's detachments were exhausted, and Kutuzov ordered him to withdraw to the second line. Instead, it was ordered to protect the artillery battery General Likhachev.
Noticing that the situation in the center of the Russian army was developing badly for the Russians, he decided to focus the blow on the Rayevsky 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, it was there that the French dealt a crushing blow. The most bloody clash of the Borodino battle ensued. General Likhachev, who was defending the battery, was seriously wounded and taken prisoner. An hour later, the battery was broken.
This success did not force Napoleon to continue the offensive in the center of the Russian army, since he believed that his defense was still strong. And after the capture of the Raevsky battery, the Borodino battle began to gradually slow down. Artillery fire continued, but Napoleon decided not to launch a new attack. The Russian army also decided to retreat to make up for the losses.

Results of the Borodino battle

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 taken prisoner. This figure does not take into account the losses of the militia and the Cossacks, if we take these figures into account, then the number of the dead can be safely raised to 45 thousand soldiers, of which 15 thousand were killed.
The death toll from the French side is difficult to determine, since most of the documentation was lost during the retreat. But most historians, on the basis of the surviving data, named the number - 30 thousand soldiers, of which about 10 thousand were killed. The death toll of French generals reaches fifty. The documents also state that many of the wounded died of their wounds, approximately 2/3. This means that the death toll can be increased to 20 thousand soldiers.

The overall result

The battle of Borodino went down in history as the bloodiest one-day battle until the end of the nineteenth century. Before that, there was nothing like this in world history that could happen in one day. The total number of those who died in battle, as well as those who died of 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.
An interesting fact remains 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 a position near Borodino. Napoleon did not succeed in completely crushing the Russian army, and it did not lose its fighting spirit.
The fact remains that Napoleon was not able 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, it would have been a decisive and crushing defeat for the Russian Empire, on the basis of which Napoleon could have signed a peace beneficial for France. The Russian army, retaining its strength, was able to prepare for the subsequent battles.

The largest event of the Patriotic War of 1812 took place on August 26, 125 kilometers from Moscow. The battle on the Borodino field is one of the bloodiest battles of the 19th century. Its significance in Russian history is colossal; the defeat of Borodino threatened the complete surrender of the Russian Empire.

The commander-in-chief of the Russian troops, MI Kutuzov, planned to make further French offensives impossible, while the enemy wanted to completely defeat the Russian army and capture Moscow. The forces of the parties were practically equal to one hundred thirty-two thousand Russians against one hundred and thirty-five thousand French, the number of guns 640 against 587, respectively.

At 6 o'clock in the morning, the French launched an offensive. In order to clear the road to Moscow, they tried to break through the center of the Russian troops bypassing their left flank, the attempt ended in failure. The most terrible battles took place on Bagration's flashes and General Raevsky's battery. The soldiers died at a rate of 100 people per minute. By six o'clock in the evening, the French captured only the central battery. Later Bonaparte ordered the withdrawal of forces, but Mikhail Illarionovich also decided to retreat to Moscow.

In fact, the battle did not give victory to anyone. The losses were enormous for both sides, Russia mourned the death of 44 thousand soldiers, France and its allies 60 thousand soldiers.

The tsar demanded to give one more decisive battles, so the entire general staff was convened in Fili near Moscow. This council decided the fate of Moscow. Kutuzov opposed the battle, the army was not ready, he believed. Moscow was surrendered without a fight - this decision was the most correct in the past.

Patriotic War.

Battle of Borodino 1812 (about the Battle of Borodino) for children

The Battle of Borodino in 1812 is one of the large-scale battles of the Patriotic War of 1812. It went down in history as one of the bloodiest events in the nineteenth century. The battle took place between the Russians and the French. It began on September 7, 1812, near the village of Borodino. This date is the personification of the victory of the Russian people over the French. The significance of the Battle of Borodino is enormous, since if the Russian Empire were defeated, this would result in complete surrender.

On September 7, Napoleon and his army attacked the Russian Empire without declaring war. Due to the unpreparedness for battle, the Russian troops were forced to retreat inland. This action caused complete misunderstanding and indignation from the people, and Alexander was the first to appoint M.I. Kutuzov.

At first, Kutuzov also had to retreat in order to gain time. By this time, the Napoleonic army had already experienced significant losses and the number of its soldiers had decreased. Taking advantage of this moment, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, the soldier decides to give the final battle near the village of Borodino. On September 7, 1812, early in the morning, a grand battle began. Russian soldiers held the enemy's blow for six hours. The losses were colossal on both sides. The Russians were forced to retreat, but were still able to preserve the ability to continue the battle. Napoleon did not achieve his main goal, he could not defeat the army.

Kutuzov decided to use small partisan detachments in the battle. Thus, by the end of December, Napoleon's army was practically destroyed, and its remainder was put to flight. However, the outcome of this battle is controversial to this day. It was not clear who was considered the winner, since both Kutuzov and Napoleon officially declared their victory. Nevertheless, the French army was expelled from the Russian Empire without capturing the desired land. Later, Bonaparte will remember the Borodino battle as one of the most nightmarish in his life. The consequences of the battle were much more difficult for Napoleon than for the Russians. The soldiers' morale was finally broken, and the huge losses of people were irreparable. The French lost fifty-nine thousand men, forty-seven of whom were generals. The Russian army lost only thirty-nine thousand men, of whom twenty-nine were generals.

At present, the day of the Battle of Borodino is widely celebrated in Russia. On the battlefield, reconstructions of these military events are regularly carried out.

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Napoleon Bonaparte had huge plans for Russia. The French emperor already imagined himself to be the master of the world, saying: "Only Russia is left, but I will crush it."

He went to crush Russia with an army of 600,000, which, indeed, was quite confidently advancing inland. But, the so-called peasant war significantly undermined the health and strength of Napoleon's troops. But the conquerors went, leaving a trail of ashes behind them. Moscow was ahead.

The French emperor hoped that he would conquer the country with one powerful blow in a short time, but the tactics of the Russian commanders were different: to strangle with small battles, so that later they would come! And Borodino became a turning point in the history of the war of 1812.

One hundred per minute

So much is said about the Battle of Borodino and its meaning that it seems that it was protracted. But the Battle of Borodino was included in the list of the brightest, most important, bloody one-day battles.

On September 7, at the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow, at 5.30 am the French began shelling, and then went on the attack. The battle lasted for about 12 hours. During this time, according to various sources, from 80 to 100 thousand French and Russians went to the other world. If you count, then in a minute, it turns out, a hundred soldiers died.

Heroes

The Battle of Borodino brought fame to the Russian commanders, who skillfully coped with their task. The surnames of Kutuzov, Raevsky, Ermolov, Bagration, Barclay de Tolly were included in history books. By the way, Barclay de Tolly was not so favored in the army, although it was he who proposed waging a partisan war against the French, which significantly reduced their numbers. At Borodino, the general changed his horse three times - bullets and shells killed three animals, but the general himself was not even wounded.

And, of course, Kutuzov became famous. Surely you immediately imagined a gray-haired old man with a closed eye. Nothing like this! Kutuzov at that time was a rather mobile elderly man, and did not wear an eye patch. A real eagle! By the way, about the eagles. There is a legend that an eagle soared over Kutuzov during the battle. Boris Golitsyn wrote about this in his memoirs.

Grave of the French cavalry

This is what the Raevsky battery was called. The French could not take it for seven hours. It was there that the largest number of Napoleonic cavalrymen died. Until now, historians argue why the Russian troops left the Shevardinsky redoubt. It can be assumed that Kutuzov, as it were, deliberately substituted his weakened, open left flank. He strengthened it with flushes, for which the battle broke out and there the French and Russians lost a lot. Kutuzov was very much afraid for his right flag, for the new Smolensk road. After all, it was a direct shortcut to Mozhaisk, and, accordingly, to Moscow.

By the way, the terrain also helped to conduct a competent battle. This is one of the few districts near Moscow, which is rather open fields. This, according to Kutuzov, was a significant plus for the Russian army. The Russians appeared on the Borodino field 4 days before the battle. Kutuzov wrote to Alexander the First that “the position at the village of Borodino is one of the best, which can be found in these flat places. I will try to correct the weak point of this position with art. But if the enemy maneuvers, then I will have to retreat again. "

Who is the victory for?

This is perhaps the main question so far. We used to think that the Russians won the battle of Borodino, of course. The French believe that the victory was theirs. In terms of strength of mind, power, endurance, the victory, of course, on the side of the Russians. Napoleon was extremely disappointed when he listened to the reports of his generals: there were only a few prisoners, guns captured once, twice - and there were too many. The positions that they so hard won, moving forward to Moscow, did not bring him prisoners. The Russians did not leave the wounded on the field, taking them with themselves if they had to retreat. The morale of the Russian army crushed Napoleon. He could not understand, moreover, with an obvious loss in numbers, he manages to hold on like that. But, after all, the next day Kutuzov ordered to retreat in order to replenish the ranks with new fighters, to save up forces.

Each of the generals chalked up the victory to their own account. It is known that Napoleon said about the battle: "The French have shown themselves worthy to win, and the Russians have earned the right not to consider themselves defeated."

But the Russian emperor Alexander I understood that the spirit of the people needed to be raised, and he declared the Battle of Borodino as an unconditional victory for the Russians, and made Kutuzov general-field marshal.

Hussar ballad

After the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, people felt that they had touched history. There was a creative explosion: artists, writers, poets, professionals, amateurs - everyone decided to portray this bloody battle. There was even a special alphabet with illustrations and small rhymes about that battle for children.

Many books have been written and filmed about Borodino. But, perhaps, the most beloved picture will remain "The Hussar Ballad". And the story behind this picture is quite real.

Indeed, it was not without women in the Battle of Borodino. Nadezhda Durova took part in it. Having cut off her hair and put on a uniform, Durova fled from her parents and devoted herself to military affairs, even entered the Ulan regiment. There is an opinion that it was from her that the author of the play "Once upon a time" and the script of the film "Hussar Ballad" Alexander Gladkov copied the main character Shurochka.

According to all the documents, Nadezhda was Alexander Andreevich Alexandrov, she was even promoted to an officer. Near Borodino, she was wounded, she got a cannonball in her leg, but the woman remained alive.

Love for military affairs was instilled in Nadyusha as a child, but not intentionally. Mother refused to take care of her upbringing - she wanted a boy-heir, not a girl - and she was raised by the hussar Astakhov. And at the age of 12, the girl was already deftly sitting in the saddle and dashingly handling the horse. All these skills were useful to her in the war.

Continuation after 100 years

In 1912, a French ship sank. An 8-meter post made of red granite was transported to Russia on it. It bore the inscription "Dead of the Great Army" (as Napoleon's army was called). It was supposed to be installed on the Borodino field. But despite the fact that the first monument never made it to Russia, a year later another was installed.

But in Russia, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, one of its participants was still alive. Pavel Yakovlevich Tolstoguzov was 117 years old!

Unique panorama

Russia has a unique panoramic museum located in Moscow on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. The building was erected for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino. It is there that the panorama of Franz Alekseevich Roubaud is exhibited, which the artist, by the way, with French roots, painted for the 100th anniversary.

The artist depicts the climax of the battle. The artist worked on the Panorama for almost three years. A special building was built for this panorama, but after the October Revolution it was given to a technical school, and the picture was rolled into a roll. It is clear that no one really cared about its safety. She was forgotten for 40 years. But in the fifties, the canvas was still able to be restored, and in 1962 it was placed in the rebuilt building of the Borodino battle panorama museum.

Another panorama was finished not so long ago by the Englishman Jerry West. he has been making it for 40 years. West specially came to Russia, visited the Borodino field, attended the reconstruction. The model of the battle is made on a scale of 1 to 72. It includes 21 thousand figures, their average height is only 25 millimeters.

Despite the fact that Napoleon considered this battle to be his success, it became fundamental for the Russian army, which, although it suffered huge losses, but retained the spirit of a winner, began to "squeeze" the French out of Russia.

Each of us still remembers the lines of this beautiful poem by Lermontov, memorized during school time: "It is not for nothing that all of Russia remembers about Borodin's day!" But what day was it? What happened that day near the village of Borodino, which is 125 kilometers from Moscow? And most importantly, who ultimately won the Battle of Borodino? You will find out about this and not only right now.

Prologue of the Battle of Borodino

Napoleon invaded Russia with a large force - an army of 600 thousand. The commander-in-chief of our army, Barclay, avoided decisive battles, since he believed that the Russian forces were still insufficient. Under the pressure of a patriotic mood in society, the tsar removed Barclay and installed Kutuzov, who, however, was forced to continue the strategy of his predecessor.

But the pressure of society increased, and Kutuzov finally decided to give the French a battle. He himself determined the place of the battle with Napoleon - the Borodino field.

The location was strategically advantageous:

1. The most important road to Moscow passed through the Borodino field.
2. On the field there was Kurgan Hill (on it the Raevsky battery was located).
3. Above the field towered a hill near the village of Shevardino (on which the Shevardinsky redoubt was located) and the Utitsky mound.
4. The field was crossed by the Kolocha River.

Preparing for the Battle of Borodino

On August 24, 1812, Napoleon with his army approached the Russian troops and immediately identified the weak points of their position. There were no fortifications behind the Shevardinsky redoubt; this was fraught with the danger of a breakthrough to the left flank and general defeat. Two days later, this redoubt was attacked by 35 thousand French, and defended by 12 thousand Russian soldiers under the command of Gorchakov.

About 200 guns fired at the fortifications, the French constantly attacked, but they could not take the redoubts. Napoleon chose the following battle plan: to attack the left flank - Semyonov flashes (lined up behind the Shevardinsky redoubts at the last moment), break through them, push the Russians back to the river and defeat them.

All this was to be accompanied by additional strikes on the Kurgan height and the advance of Poniatovsky's troops to the Utitskaya height.

Experienced Kutuzov foresaw this enemy plan. On the right, he positioned Barclay's army. At the Kurgan Heights he placed the Raevsky building. The defense of the left flank was under the jurisdiction of Bagration's army. Tuchkov's corps was placed near the Utitsky kurgan to cover the road to Mozhaisk and Moscow. However, the most important: Kutuzov left a huge reserve in reserve in case of unexpected changes in the situation.

The beginning of the Borodino battle

On August 26, the battle began. At first, the opponents spoke to each other in the language of guns. Later, the corps of Beauharnais unexpectedly invaded Borodino and from its location organized a massive shelling of the right flank. But the Russians were able to set fire to the bridge over the Kolocha, which prevented a French advance.

At the same time, the troops of Marshal Davout attacked Bagration's flashes. However, even here the Russian artillery was accurate and stopped the enemy. Davout pulled himself together and attacked a second time. And this attack was repulsed by the infantry of General Neverovsky.

In this case, enraged by the failure, Napoleon threw the main striking power to suppress the Bagration flushes: the corps of Ney and Zhenya with the support of Murat's cavalry. Such a force managed to push through the Bagration flushes.

Concerned by this fact, Kutuzov sent reserves there and the original position was restored. At the same time, the French units of Poniatovsky marched out and struck at the Russian troops near the Utitsky kurgan in order to enter the rear of Kutuzov.

Poniatowski managed to accomplish this task. Kutuzov had to weaken the right flank, transferring parts of Baggovut from it to the Old Smolensk road, which stopped Poniatovsky's troops.

At the same time, Raevsky's battery passed from hand to hand. At the cost of great efforts, the battery was defended. At about noon, seven French attacks were repulsed. Napoleon concentrated great forces at the flushes and threw them into the eighth attack. Suddenly Bagration was wounded, and his units began to retreat.

Kutuzov sent reinforcements to the flashes - the Platov Cossacks and Uvarov's cavalry, which appeared on the flank of the French. The French attacks stopped because of the outbreak of panic. Until evening, the French attacked, captured all Russian positions, but the cost of losses was so high that Napoleon ordered to stop further offensive actions.

Who won the battle of Borodino?

The question arises with the winner. Napoleon declared himself as such. Yes, he seems to have captured all the Russian fortifications on the Borodino field. But he did not achieve the main goal - he did not defeat the Russian army. She, although she suffered heavy losses, still remained very combat-ready. And Kutuzov's reserve generally remained unused and intact. The cautious and experienced commander Kutuzov ordered to retreat.

Napoleonic troops suffered terrible losses - about 60,000 people. And there could be no question of a further offensive. Napoleonic armies needed time to recover. In a report to Alexander I, Kutuzov noted the unparalleled courage of the Russian troops, who won a moral victory over the French that day.

The outcome of the Battle of Borodino

Reflections about who won and who lost on that day - September 7, 1812, do not stop to this day. The main thing for us is that this day forever entered the history of our state as the Day of Military Glory of Russia. And literally in a week we will celebrate another anniversary - 204 years from the day of the Battle of Borodino.

P.S. Friends, as you probably noticed, I did not set myself the task of painting this great battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 as fully developed as possible. On the contrary, I tried to squeeze it as much as possible in order to tell you briefly about that day, which, as it seems to me, lasted an eternity for the participants in the battle itself. And now I need your help.

Please give me feedback in the comments to the article about the format in which it is better to describe the other Days of Russian Military Glory in the future: briefly or in full, as I did with the battle at Cape Tendra? I am waiting for your comments under the article.

Peaceful sky overhead for everyone

reserve sergeant Suvernev.