The Patriotic War of 1812 was the greatest test for the Russian people and at the same time a turning point in the spiritual life of the entire country. The enemy's invasion of Russia, the Battle of Borodino, the fire of Moscow, and the intense struggle with Napoleon's armies caused a powerful popular upsurge.
Napoleon prepared for a long time and carefully for the war with Russia. Two operational plans for possible military actions were prepared. The first involved luring Russian armies beyond the borders of the Russian Empire, into the territory of the Duchy of Warsaw, dependent on Napoleon, encircling and defeating Russian troops. The second plan called for delivering a decisive blow to the Russians. The emperor intended to cross the Neman with the forces of a 610,000-strong army and defeat the enemy in one general battle.
The Russians chose a defensive plan of war, and the Military Command drew up a disposition for the deployment of three Western armies. 1st Western Army, the largest (commander-in-chief - Minister of War M.B. Barclay de Tolly; more than 120 thousand with 550 guns stood at the crossroads of the roads to St. Petersburg and Moscow, between the city of Vilna (Vilnius) and the upper reaches of the Neman River , occupying a defense line of 180-200 km.
Bagration's 2nd Western Army (about 45 thousand with 180-200 guns) defended a line 100 km south of the 1st Army. It was assumed that it would close the road to Moscow and Kyiv, acting on the flank of Napoleon's army. The 3rd Western Army of A.P. Tormasov (45 thousand with 170 guns) stood much further south, 200 km from Bagration in the Lutsk region in Volyn. Its main task is to protect Kyiv from a possible invasion by Austrian troops.
On June 11-18, the French “Grand Army” crossed the Russian border. On June 13, the city of Kovno was occupied, and on the 16th the French entered Vilna; On June 19, having ascertained the situation, Napoleon decided not to allow the Russian armies to unite. He brought out Murat's cavalry against Barclay de Tolly's army, and Napoleon - 3 columns of troops, which were subordinate to Marshal Davout, against Bagration's army. The French emperor hoped with this maneuver to strike the flank of the troops of the 2nd Army moving to the north.
Under the current conditions, both Russian armies were forced to begin a retreat to unite. By June 29, the 1st Army concentrated in the Dris camp, where it received reinforcements (10 thousand people) and rest.
The actions of the 2nd Army took place in a difficult situation. By 21, having covered 80 km, the army reached Nikolaev and the next day began crossing the Neman. But it soon became known that the enemy was trying to cut off all escape routes. Then Bagration decided to fight his way through. July 14 near the village. Saltanovka, Bagration, rushing out of encirclement, dealt Davout’s troops a serious blow, and on 13-14, when Bagration’s forces were crossing the Dnieper, the 1st Army fought several heated rearguard battles. On July 13, at Ostrovshchina, General Osterman-Tolstoy ordered his troops to “stand and die”, holding back Murat’s attacks. The next day the battle of Kakuvyachine took place. The Russians retreated to Vitebsk, where Napoleon approached on July 15.
However, the French failed to force a general battle here. On July 22, breaking away from the French, the 1st and 2nd Russian armies united near Smolensk. The initial period of the war is over. The enemy troops retreated beyond the Western Dvina-Dnieper line. Napoleon achieved great political success. Lithuania, Belarus and most of Courland were in his hands.
Napoleon had to abandon the attack on St. Petersburg. Having captured Riga, it was impossible to carry out attacks along the coast; The Kiev direction lost its meaning after Davout refused to speak out against Russia. The only possible option remained - an attack on Moscow. Napoleon regrouped his troops and also rebuilt the rear. The new operational line ran from Warsaw to Minsk, Orsha and further to Smolensk.
For the Russians, Moscow became the main operational area. It turned out that beyond the line of the Dvina and Dnieper the Russian army did not have a reserve base. The question of basing and new operational lines arose again. But it was no longer Barclay de Tolly, not Bagration, but Kutuzov who had to solve them.
The main event of the Patriotic War of 1812, undoubtedly, was the famous battle of August 26 (September 7) near Mozhaisk, near the village of Borodino.
Pursuing the retreating Russian troops, Napoleon always strived for a general battle, hoping to destroy the Russian army and end the war with one blow. At the beginning of the campaign, he had a great chance of achieving victory, since he had a significant superiority in forces. Having delved almost 1000 km into the vast expanses of Russia, Napoleon faced the fact of a gradual equalization of the balance of forces. However, before the Battle of Borodino, the French army was still numerically superior to the Russian one, and, in addition, Napoleon hoped for the qualitative superiority of his troops and command staff. Therefore, he was firmly confident in his victory and set himself the goal of completely defeating the Russians in a decisive battle and thereby opening the way to Moscow, after the capture of which he could quickly conclude peace. The Battle of Borodino clearly showed the failure of Napoleon's strategy.
Kutuzov, having taken command of the army stationed in Tsarevo-Zaimishche on August 17, also considered it necessary to give the French a general battle on the roads to Moscow. He knew that Napoleon still had a numerical superiority over the Russian army. He highly appreciated the military talent of Napoleon and his marshals, as well as the combat effectiveness of the French troops. But Kutuzov hoped to compensate for the superiority of the French by skillfully organizing the battle in a pre-selected position. The goal of the battle was the defeat of Napoleon's attacking army and the defense of Moscow.
Upon arrival in Tsarevo-Zaimishche, Kutuzov rode around the intended position on horseback and became convinced that it was impossible to accept a battle there. The commander-in-chief decided to continue the retreat until more favorable conditions.
On August 22, Kutuzov with his main forces approached the village of Borodino. The commander of the Russian rearguard, General P. P. Konovnitsyn, having withstood two heated battles with the French vanguard: at Gridnev, about 25 km from Borodin, and at the Kolotsky Monastery, about 10 km from Borodin, joined the main forces on the same day.
So, on the morning of August 22, 1812, the main forces of the Russian army began to concentrate in the area of the village of Borodino. M.I. Kutuzov carefully examined the area and ordered the construction of fortifications to begin.
The area in the Borodino region (located 12 km west of Mozhaisk) is very hilly and crossed by a significant number of rivers and streams that have formed deep ravines. The eastern part of the Borodino field is more elevated than the western part. The river flows through the village. Kolocha. It has a high and steep bank, which well covered the right flank of the Russian army position. The left flank approached a shallow forest, heavily overgrown with dense bushes and swampy in places. This forest presented serious difficulties for the movement of significant masses of enemy infantry and cavalry in the event of an attempt to make a flanking move. Most of the tributaries of the Kolocha - the Voina River, the Semenovsky, Kamenka, Ognik and other streams, the banks of which were densely overgrown with bushes, crossed the Borodino field from south to north and therefore could serve as a convenient position for riflemen. From west to east through the village. The Great, or New, Smolensk Road, which was of great strategic importance, passed through Valuevo. Almost parallel to it, about 4 km south of the village of Borodina, ran the Old Smolensk Road. Having taken a position at Borodino, the Russian army had the opportunity to cover both of these roads leading to Moscow. In the depths of the position, the area was also wooded. It made it possible to successfully position and well camouflage reserves.
On the right flank, well protected by the high banks of Kolocha and essentially impregnable to the enemy, as well as in the center, Kutuzov decided to deploy significant forces: three infantry, three cavalry corps and a large Cossack detachment of General M.I. Platov. By placing his troops in this way, the commander sought to force the French emperor to conduct a frontal attack with his main forces in a narrow defile between Koloch and the Utitsky forest, excluding the possibility of covering the flanks of the Russian position. The troops of the right flank, occupying a position near the New Smolensk road, represented a strong group of infantry and cavalry, which posed a serious threat to the left wing of Napoleonic army. These troops could also be used as a reserve. Kutuzov ordered the construction of bridges, crossings over ravines and streams so that, if necessary, the troops of the right flank could be transferred to the left at the moment when the enemy launched an offensive there with the main forces. The most vulnerable part of Borodino's position was its left flank. Kutuzov understood this well and took measures to strengthen the position with engineering structures. On the left flank, near the village. Semenovskoe, three flashes (earthen fortifications) were built, which later received the name “Bagration’s”, since during the Battle of Borodino they were defended by Bagration’s troops. To the west of the flashes there was a forward fortification - the Shevardinsky redoubt. On the right flank, near the village. Maslovo, the Russians erected a group of earthen fortifications, redoubts and lunettes. In the center, at the height of Kurgannaya, they built an 18-gun battery, which went down in history as the Raevsky battery.
By the time it approached Borodino, Napoleon's army suffered very heavy losses (killed, sick, deserters). Significant detachments were allocated to guard the extended communications supporting the flanks of the main forces advancing on Moscow. Only about 130 thousand soldiers of the “Great Army” reached Borodino. (Kutuzov M.I. Materials of the anniversary session of the military academies of the Red Army, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of M.I. Kutuzov, - Voenizdat, 1947. P. 88.) But these were selected soldiers, the strongest, most persistent, seasoned in battles, confident in their own invincibility, in the outstanding qualities of their generals and officers, and in the brilliant military talent of their leader. They believed Napoleon, who said that they would face the last crushing one; in Russian, after which they will find rich booty in Moscow, a choir of an apartment, generous rewards and a happy return home. Thus configured, the well-trained and organized French army at Borodino was a formidable force. She was eager to fight in order to overthrow the last obstacle - the Russian army, which was blocking the road to Moscow and to peace. Napoleon Bonaparte brought the best part of his army to the Borodino field: the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th corps, reserve cavalry, as well as the elite of the French troops - the Imperial Guard, led by Marshals Mortier and Bessières. But an equally formidable force confronted the French on the Borodino field. The Russian army, reorganized in the period 1807-1813, was not much inferior to the French. And in courage and boundless readiness to defend their Motherland from the conquerors, the Russians surpassed Napoleon’s army.
In the Patriotic War of 1812, the names of Bagration, Dokhturov, Barclay de Tolly, N.N. Raevsky, Konovnitsyn, Miloradovich, Platov and many others were covered with immortal glory. As for the soldiers, although there were many recruits in Kutuzov’s army, there were also veteran heroes of Suvorov’s and Kutuzov’s campaigns, especially non-commissioned officers. Many of them had already fought with the French in 1799, 1805 and 1807. These veterans, no less than Napoleon's Old Guard, had the right to consider themselves invincible, and the young soldiers of the Russian army looked up to them.
All the memoirs of contemporaries testify to the high patriotic upsurge in the ranks of the Russians on the Borodino field. The army had long been waiting for a decisive battle with the enemy and grumbled, complaining about constant retreats. When it became clear to everyone that the battle would really be given, that the retreat was over, the Russian troops began to prepare for battle. They decided to die rather than let the French get to Moscow. The officers asked Kutuzov's permission to dress in ceremonial uniforms for battle. The soldiers cleaned and sharpened their weapons, put their uniforms and equipment in order. The heroic Russian army was preparing for the last formidable parade. In front of the Russian position was the Shevardinsky redoubt, which had the character of a forward fortification. Behind him lay the entire left flank of the Russians, where near the village. Semenovskoe fortifications were erected. On August 24, a battle took place between the troops of General M.D. Gorchakov 2nd and the main forces of Napoleon for Shevardino. Until nightfall, the Russians held back the French attacks, thereby giving Bagration time to strengthen his positions.
After a tough battle on August 24, the Russians occupied the line of Maslovo, Borodino, Semenovskoye, Utitsa. The French began deploying to attack on the front west of Borodino, Aleksinka, Shevardino and to the south. On August 25, both sides prepared for battle, reconnaissance was completed and final orders were given. The French carried out a series of military operations (reconnaissance) north of Borodino and south of Utitsa, which confirmed Napoleon’s assessment of the terrain in these directions: it was unsuitable for the action of large masses of troops. Judging by the available data, on August 25, both commanders - Napoleon and Kutuzov - as a result of the battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt and reconnaissance, adopted the following battle plans.
NAPOLEON'S PLAN. With a massive blow of infantry and cavalry, supported by powerful artillery fire, break through the Russian combat position in the Semyonovsky flushes, Kurgan battery. Following this, introduce reserves into the breakthrough, direct a blow to the north at the flank of the Russian group covering the New Smolensk road, press it to the Moscow River and destroy it. At the same time, launch auxiliary attacks on the flanks against Borodino and Utitsa, of which the attack on Utitsa, which would facilitate a breakthrough from the Semyonov flushes from the south, was to be especially important.
KUTUZOV'S PLAN. By the evening of August 24, Kutuzov quite accurately determined the direction of the French main attack. In this regard, he made a partial regrouping on August 25, strengthening his left flank. In its final form, Kutuzov’s plan boiled down to inflicting the greatest possible losses on the enemy in the direction of his main attack through stubborn resistance from limited forces and frustrating him. At the same time, maintain complete freedom of maneuver for your reserves, positioning them out of reach of the enemy during the battle. Accordingly, Kutuzov deployed a large contingent of troops, reliably covering the New Smolensk road.
On August 26 at 5:30 a.m. the sun came out. Napoleon's order was read to the troops. It said: “Warriors! This is the battle you've been wanting. Victory depends on you. She is necessary for you, she will provide us with everything we need: comfortable apartments and a quick return to our homeland. Act as you acted at Austerlitz, Friedland, Vitebsk, Smolensk. Let later posterity proudly remember your exploits to this day. Let it be said about each of you: he was in the great battle near Moscow!” (Rastunov I.I. Patriotic War of 1812. M., 1987. P. 22.)
Dawn broke, the fog cleared, the first ray of sun flashed. “This is the sun of Austerlitz!” - Napoleon exclaimed. A heavy gun thundered from the direction of the Russian positions, as it seemed that the French were approaching. But there was no movement yet.
At about six o'clock in the morning an attack began against the Russian right flank on the village of Borodino. The soldiers of the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment entered into a shootout with the enemy, and then into hand-to-hand combat. In his report to Alexander I about the battle of Borodino, Kutuzov will write that the Life Guards of the Jaeger Regiment stopped the enemy and that for more than an hour, in full view of the entire army, they held back the onslaught of the French.
However, the Russians had to retreat across the river. Kolocha. The French, on the shoulders of the retreating troops, burst into their positions. But at that moment the 1st Jaeger Regiment arrived to the aid of the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment. Having united with the retreating forces, he rushed at the enemy. With a cry of “Hurray!”, the Russians not only drove the enemy from their positions, but also crossed the river themselves. Kolocha, they broke into the French positions. However, it was very risky to remain there, and the Russian soldiers moved back, and the last ones to leave set fire to the bridge over the river. During the entire Battle of Borodino in this sector, the French and Russians limited themselves to skirmishing. The attack on the village of Borodino ended. However, this enemy offensive was of a demonstrative nature. The main events unfolded at the Bagration flushes of the 1st battery of Raevsky.
At 6 o'clock, Marshal Davout's troops began attacking the flushes. The flushes were defended by the combined grenadier division of M. S. Vorontsov and the 27th infantry division of D. N. Neverovsky. Despite the enemy's triple superiority, the Russians fought courageously and were undaunted. They met the attacking columns of the French with powerful artillery fire, and after approaching, they rushed at the enemy with bayonets. The enemy could not stand it and, leaving piles of dead and wounded, retreated in disorder. The first French attack on flushes failed.
At this time, on the extreme left flank, near the village of Utitsa, the French attacked the Russians. Or rather, the Poles attacked, since the corps of I. A. Poniatovsky, who was entrusted with this section of the front, mainly consisted of Poles. Poniatowski managed to capture the village of Utitsa. The commander of the Russian troops in this sector, Tuchkov, moved to the Utitsky Kurgan and entrenched himself there.
At 7 o'clock the enemy resumed the attack on the flushes. With the aim of heavy losses, he managed to capture the left flank of the Semyonov fortifications. By order of Bagration, several battalions counterattacked the enemy on the flank. The taken aback, the French were driven back, suffering new heavy casualties. The second attack also ended in bloody French failure. Napoleon was amazed at the stubborn resistance of the Russians. Having reinforced Davout's troops with Ney's corps and Murat's cavalry, he gave the order to resume the onslaught. In turn, Bagration took the necessary measures to strengthen the defense. He promoted the 1st Grenadier and 3rd Cuirassier divisions from the reserve to the front line. Here he also sent 8 battalions from Raevsky’s 7th Corps, which defended north of the flashes and, in addition, stationed Konovnitsyn’s 3rd Infantry Division near the village of Semenovskoye. Kutuzov, who closely followed the progress of the battle, sent large reserves to reinforce Bagration’s troops. However, the transfer of these forces could be carried out no earlier than in 1.5-2 hours. It follows that when repelling the next attack of the French, Bagration had to rely only on his own strength.
At 8 o'clock, after an artillery preparation of 160 guns, the enemy launched a third attack. Coming out of the forest, the French lined up in several dense columns and moved towards Bagration's flushes. Russian artillerymen, having waited for the enemy for the nearest grape shot, opened deadly fire on him. At the same time, the infantry fired several volleys. The French fell in dozens. But we must note the courage of the enemy. Under grapeshot fire, the French calmly continued to move towards the flushes, where they, at the cost of incredible efforts, managed to break into. But at that moment Count Vorontsov with his grenadier battalions struck with bayonets. The strong onslaught mixed up the ranks of Napoleonic soldiers and forced him to retreat back in confusion. Then the French tried with a dashing cavalry charge to capture the flushes that had just been recaptured from them. The French cavalry, quickly rushing towards the Russians, was met by the Life Guards Izmailovsky, Lithuanian and Finnish regiments, which, lined up in a square, bristling with bayonets, were waiting for the enemy. Having let the enemy approach a rifle shot, they opened fire, which forced the enemy to retreat. The retreating French cavalry and the cuirassiers who arrived in time turned around and again rushed at the Russians. And again our soldiers, letting the enemy get closer, opened rifle fire on him. Those who were able to break through to the ranks were bayoneted.
At this time, Poniatowski tried several times to take the Utitsky mound. Having surrounded the mound on all sides, the enemy launched attacks on the 1st Grenadier Division. In his report, Kutuzov later wrote: “The brave grenadiers, having waited for the enemy, opened the most brutal fire on him and, without hesitating at all, rushed at him with bayonets. The enemy could not withstand such a rapid attack, left the battlefield with damage and disappeared into the nearby forests. Lieutenant General Tuchkov was wounded by a bullet in the chest, and Lieutenant General Alsufiev took command of him.” (Ibid., p. 141.)
Thus, the first stage of the battle ended with minor French successes in the areas of auxiliary attacks and a decisive failure in the direction of the main attack. Both commanders begin to bring in fresh forces here.
By order of Napoleon, at about 9 o'clock the attacks on Bagration's flushes were resumed.
During the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th attacks, the area around the Bagration flashes was littered with the corpses of Russians and French. The French attacked Bagration's flushes continuously. The infantry, which the Russians drove back with bayonet strikes, was replaced by cavalry, which was fired upon by several surviving Russian cannons. While the enemy cavalry and infantry were reorganizing and stocking up on ammunition, French artillery was constantly hitting the Russian positions.
Around 10 o'clock the French began a large attack of flushes. This time, against Bagration’s 18 thousand soldiers and 300 guns on a 1.5 km front, Napoleon moved 45 thousand of his soldiers and 400 guns. The Russians met the enemy with a crushing bayonet strike. An oncoming hand-to-hand fight ensued. A participant in the Battle of Borodino, Russian officer F.I. Glinka wrote: “...The picture was terrible of that part of the Borodino field near the village of Semenovskoye, where the battle was boiling like in a cauldron. Thick smoke and bloody steam obscured the midday sun. Some kind of faded, uncertain twilight lay over the field of horrors, over the field of death. In this twilight, nothing was visible except formidable columns, advancing and defeated, fleeing squadrons... The distance presents a view of complete chaos: torn, broken French squadrons crash, worry and disappear in the smoke, giving way to infantry marching orderly!.. Having comprehended the intention of the marshals and seeing the formidable movement of the French forces, Prince Bagration conceived a great deed. The orders were given, and our entire left wing, in its entire length, moved from its place and advanced at a rapid pace with bayonets. We agreed!.. “There is no language to describe this dump, this crash, this lingering crash, this last struggle of a thousand! Everyone grabbed the fatal scales to pull them to their side... And the Russians did not give up an inch of ground.” (Rastunov I.I. Patriotic War of 1812 - Knowledge, 1987. P. 23.)
In this battle, Bagration was wounded; a fragment of a French grenade hit him in the leg. The flashes have been captured. Immediately Ney’s corps and M.-V.’s cavalry. -N. Latour-Maubourg and E. -A. -M. The Nansoutis rushed into the resulting gap. The Russians had to retreat under enemy pressure. Konovnitsyn temporarily took command of the Semenov flushes. A very difficult task fell to his lot: until a new general was appointed to replace the wounded Bagration, while the forces allocated by the command from the reserve moved to the aid of the 2nd Army, he needed to hold back the enemy rushing forward at any cost.
Soon, Dokhturov, who was appointed to replace Bagration, arrived on the left flank and found the 2nd Army bleeding, but was ready to fight to the end.
At the same time, in the center of the Russian position, the French persistently stormed Raevsky’s battery; approximately in the middle of the 7th French attack on Bagration’s flushes, Barclay de Tolly noticed the enemy’s movement towards the center of the Russian position. To reinforce the Russian center, the commander of the 1st Army ordered the 4th Corps to join the right wing of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, which with the Semenovsky and Finland regiments remained in reserve. Behind these troops the 2nd and 3rd cavalry corps were located, and behind them were regiments of the cavalry guard and horse guards. As soon as the Russians settled in new positions, they were subjected to brutal artillery fire, after which the enemy advanced in dense columns towards Raevsky’s battery and overthrew the 26th Division, which could withstand its superior forces. A difficult situation has arisen.
Kutuzov ordered General Ermolov to go to the artillery of the left flank and put it in order. The chief of the main staff of the 2nd Army, Count E.F. Saint-Prix, was wounded, and Ermolov had to take command. Ermolov took with him three companies of horse artillery.
Driving past Raevsky's battery, Ermolov saw that the position had been captured by the French and the Russians were fleeing. Realizing the danger of the current situation, the brave general immediately began to act. He rushed to the 6th Corps, closest to the height, ordered the 9th Battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment to move quickly forward and stop the fleeing and retreating 18th, 19th and 40th Jaeger Regiments. The enemy could not use the guns of the captured battery, but, having pulled up his light artillery, began to shower Russian troops from the flanks. The three cavalry companies accompanying Ermolov stopped on the left flank of his small position and, diverting fire to themselves, made it possible to capture the lost battery. Ermolov recalled later: “The battery and the slope of the hill to the top were covered with enemy bodies. All those who resisted paid with their lives, only one was captured, Brigadier General Bonamy, who received twelve wounds with bayonets. Our lost guns were all returned, but the damage from my side to some of the people was terrible” (Borodino. Documents, letters, memories. P. 358.)
At this time, a fierce battle was going on on the Utitsky Kurgan for mastery of the height. Poniatowski first occupied this mound, but was soon driven out.
Thus, the 3rd stage of the battle ended with a major French success in the main direction. The Russian front was broken through, and the breakthrough was only weakly closed east of Semenovsky. It took time for new reinforcements sent here by Kutuzov to arrive. The position of the Russians was difficult. But the French also needed reserves and fresh forces. Napoleon reluctantly agreed to the use of the Young Guard to increase the breakthrough on the Semenov flushes.
But then Kutuzov makes a brilliant move. He sends the cavalry of Platov and F.P. Uvarov to the rear of the French. Uvarov's cavalry captured Bezzubovo, but was detained here by the French (more precisely, by the Italian units of the French Army). The Cossacks, breaking into the rear of the French, caused panic there. Napoleon stopped the 3rd attack of French troops on the Raevsky battery and the movement of the Young Guard, and he himself went to the left flank to clarify the situation. He spent about 2 hours on this, during which Kutuzov completed the regrouping of troops and firmly secured his left flank. Thus, the time for success was lost.
At about 2 p.m., the French attacked Raevsky’s battery for the third time. As a result of this attack, by 17:00 in the afternoon, the defenders of the battery were almost completely destroyed, and the French took possession of it. The Russians, without panic, retreated by order of the command. Next, the French tried to attack the Russians at their new position, but to no avail. At the end of the day, Poniatowski managed to capture the Utitsky Kurgan.
By 18 o'clock the Russians were firmly entrenched in the position of Gorki - Old Smolensk Road. Seeing the futility of further attacks, Napoleon ordered them to be stopped and the troops to be withdrawn to the river. Shooting at night. The Borodino battle is over.
The opponents dispersed, leaving mountains of corpses and wounded on the battlefield. In this battle, Russian losses were no less than French losses. Different sources give completely different figures for losses on both sides. However, it is officially known that after the flight of Napoleonic army from Russia, 58,520 human corpses and 35,478 horse corpses were found on the Borodino field. No wonder Borodino was called by contemporaries “the grave of the French cavalry.” (Levitsky N. War of 1812. M., 1938. P. 26.)
It is also difficult to determine the winner of this bloody battle. One can argue for a long time who won on this terrible day. But, despite the seemingly “indisputable” defeat of the Russians to many, Napoleon suffered a crushing moral defeat in the Battle of Borodino. After August 26, the combat energy of the French army began to decline steadily. The blow dealt to her by the Russians at Borodino ultimately proved fatal.
The Battle of Borodino went down in the history of the liberation struggle of the peoples of our country as one of its most striking pages. The legendary feat of Borodin's heroes became an inspiring example of patriotic fulfillment of duty to the Motherland for subsequent generations of Russian people.
The Battle of Borodino or the Battle of Borodino is the largest battle of the Patriotic War between Russia and 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 led 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 Battle of Borodino
Emperor Napoleon with a huge French army invaded the territory of the Russian Empire. At the same time, the Russian army was constantly retreating; panic in the ranks and a hasty retreat could not allow organizing the army for a decisive defense. Then the emperor assigns command of the Russian army to Kutuzov. He decided to continue retreating, hoping to exhaust the French army and receive reinforcements.
Deciding that there was no longer time to postpone the battle, Kutuzov decided to position his troops near Borodino. The Emperor demanded that Napoleon be stopped in front of Moscow, and only this area made it possible to do this. Before Napoleon's troops arrived, the Russian army managed to build the necessary fortifications.
Number of opponents
The Russian army in total consisted of about 120 thousand soldiers and more than six hundred artillery pieces. Among them there were also about 7-8 thousand Cossacks.
The French slightly defeated the Russian army in the number of troops, they had approximately 130-140 thousand soldiers, but a slightly smaller number of artillery pieces, no more than 600.
Progress of the Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino began with French artillery shelling of Russian army positions at half past six in the morning. At the same time, Napoleon ordered General Delzon's division to go into battle under the cover of fog. They went to the very center of Russian positions - the village of Borodino. This position was defended by a corps of rangers. The French were significantly outnumbered, but the rangers retreated only when there was a threat of encirclement. The rangers retreated across the Kolocha River, followed by Delzon's division. Having crossed the river, he tried to take up positions, but having received reinforcements, the rangers were able to repel the attacks of the French.
Then Napoleon, following the flank, began an attack on the Bagration flushes (fleshes are field fortifications, sometimes they can be long-term). First came the artillery bombardment, and then the attack began. The first attack was successful, and the Russian rangers retreated, but after coming under fire from grapeshot, the French army was forced to retreat.
At eight o'clock in the morning the attack on the southern flush was repeated and ended in success for the French army. Then General Bagration decides to make an attempt to knock the French out of their positions. Having gathered impressive forces for a counterattack, the Russian army manages to push back the enemy. The French retreated with heavy losses, many officers were wounded.
Napoleon decided to make the third attack more massive. The attacking forces were reinforced by Marshal Ney's three infantry divisions, Murat's cavalry and a large amount of artillery (about 160 guns).
Having learned about Napoleon's intentions, General Bagration decided to further strengthen the flushes.
Napoleon launched a third attack with a powerful artillery barrage, after which the French successfully occupied the southern flush. A bayonet battle ensued, as a result of which two Russian generals were wounded. The Russian army launched a counterattack with three cuirassier regiments and practically pushed the French back, but the French cavalry that arrived in time repelled the attack of the cuirassiers (heavy cavalry) and completely occupied the flush by ten o'clock in the morning.
Napoleon concentrated about 40 thousand soldiers and 400 guns in flushes. Bagration had to stop the French, but could not do this, since he had only 20 thousand soldiers, then he decides to counterattack on the left wing. This attack was stopped and hand-to-hand combat ensued, lasting about an hour. The Russian army gained an advantage, but when Bagration himself was wounded by a random shrapnel, the Russian army lost morale and began to retreat. Bagration was slightly wounded; he was hit by a shrapnel in the thigh and was carried away from the battlefield.
The flushes were abandoned, and the Russian army retreated beyond the Semenovsky Creek. There were still untouched reserves here, and Russian artillery numbering 300 guns well controlled the approaches to the stream. The French, seeing such a defense, decided not to attack for now.
Napoleon continued to attack the left flank of the Russian army, but ordered the main attack on the center of the Russian positions. A bloody battle ensued, which resulted in the withdrawal of the French troops; they never managed to dislodge the Russian army from the position of Semenovsky Creek. Here they remained until the very end of the Battle of Borodino.
At that moment, when the French army was fighting for the flushes, Napoleon ordered to bypass the Russian positions in the Utitsky forest area. The French managed to push the Russian army back from the Utitsky heights and placed artillery there. The French then launched a massive artillery attack. The Russian army was forced to retreat to the Utitsky Kurgan. But the massive fire of French artillery and a decisive assault allowed the French to push back the Russians and occupy the mound.
General Tuchkov tried to retake the mound and personally led the attack. In this battle, the mound was returned, but the general himself was mortally wounded. Kurgan was abandoned by the Russians when the main forces retreated beyond Semenovsky Creek.
The Battle of Borodino was not going in favor of the Russian army, and then Kutuzov attempted a cavalry raid into the rear of the French army. At first, the raid was successful, the cavalry managed to push back the French left flank, but after receiving reinforcements, the cavalry was driven back. This raid was successful in one thing: the enemy’s decisive strike was delayed for two hours, during which the Russian army was able to regroup.
In the center of the Russian positions there was a high mound on which an artillery battery was located, defended by the forces of General Raevsky.
Napoleon's army continued to attack, even despite heavy artillery fire. The French managed to occupy the redoubt, but the Russian army soon recaptured it. The French suffered serious losses. By this point, Raevsky’s troops were exhausted, and Kutuzov ordered him to retreat to the second line. Instead, General Likhachev was ordered to defend the artillery battery.
Noticing that the situation in the center of the Russian army was going badly for the Russians, he decided to concentrate the attack on the Raevsky battery, protected by Likhachev.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Napoleon began a powerful artillery barrage with more than 100 guns and then went on the attack. The French cavalry successfully bypassed the mound and attacked Raevsky's battery. The cavalry was forced to retreat. But the Russian army, distracted by the cavalry attack, left the front and flank uncovered, and it was there that the French delivered a crushing blow. The bloodiest clash of the Battle of Borodino ensued. General Likhachev, who was defending the battery, was seriously wounded and captured. An hour later the battery was broken.
This success did not force Napoleon to continue the offensive against the center of the Russian army, since he believed that its defenses were still strong. And after the capture of Raevsky’s battery, the Battle of Borodino began to gradually slow down. The artillery exchange continued, but Napoleon decided not to launch a new attack. The Russian army also decided to retreat to make up for their losses.
Results of the Battle of Borodino
LossesSources say that the Russian army lost about 40 thousand soldiers wounded and killed. More than fifty generals fell in this battle or were captured. These figures do not take into account the losses of the militia and Cossacks; if we take into account these figures, then the number of fallen can easily be raised to 45 thousand soldiers, of which 15 thousand were killed.
The number of deaths on the French side is quite difficult to determine, since most of the documentation was lost during the retreat. But most historians, based on surviving data, named the number - 30 thousand soldiers, of which about 10 thousand were killed. The number of dead French generals reaches fifty. The documents also state that many of the wounded died from their wounds, approximately 2/3. This means that the death toll can be increased to 20 thousand soldiers.
Grand total
The Battle of Borodino went down in history as the bloodiest one-day battle until the end of the nineteenth century. Before this, there was nothing like this in world history that could happen in one day. The total number of those killed in battle, as well as those who died from wounds, reached approximately 50 thousand. The Russian army lost almost a third of its entire army, while Napoleon lost 1/5 of his entire army.
It remains interesting that both commanders (Napoleon and Kutuzov) attribute the victory in the Battle of Borodino to their own account. Modern Russian historians assess the result of the Battle of Borodino as uncertain, but Western historians say that it was a decisive victory for Napoleon, because the entire Russian army was forced to retreat from its position near Borodino. Napoleon failed to completely break the Russian army, and it did not lose its fighting spirit.
The fact remains that Napoleon was unable to completely defeat the Russians, a decisive victory was not achieved, and later, due to the crisis of Napoleon’s strategy, his defeat followed. If Napoleon had completely defeated the Russians at Borodino, this would have been a decisive and crushing defeat for the Russian Empire, on the basis of which Napoleon would have been able to sign a peace beneficial to France. The Russian army, having retained its strength, was able to prepare for subsequent battles.
is a near-Earth object with a diameter of about 30 meters. It was discovered on August 29, 2006, when it was at a distance of 4.5 million km. from our planet. Scientists observed the celestial body for 10 days, after which the asteroid was no longer visible through telescopes.
Based on such a short observation period, it is impossible to accurately determine the distance at which asteroid 2006 QV89 will approach Earth on 09/09/2019, since the asteroid has not been observed since then (since 2006). Moreover, according to various estimates, the object may approach our planet not on the 9th, but on another date in September 2019.
As for whether 2006 QV89 will collide with Earth on September 9, 2019 or not - the likelihood of a collision is extremely low.
Thus, the Sentry System (developed by the JPL Center for NEO Studies) shows that the probability of a body colliding with the Earth is 1:9100 (those. about one ten thousandth of a percent).
The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates the chance of an asteroid crossing its orbit with our planet as 1 in 7300 (0,00014 % ). ESA placed 2006 QV89 in 4th place among celestial bodies posing a potential danger to Earth. According to the agency, the exact time of “flight” of the body on September 9, 2019 is 10:03 Moscow time.
In both Orthodoxy and Catholicism, Easter always falls on Sunday.
Easter 2020 is preceded by Lent, which begins 48 days before the Holy Day. And after 50 days they celebrate Trinity.
Popular pre-Christian customs that have survived to this day include dyeing eggs, making Easter cakes and curd Easter cakes.
Easter treats are blessed in the church on Saturday, the eve of Easter 2020, or after the service on the day of the Holiday itself.
We should greet each other on Easter with the words “Christ is Risen,” and respond with “Truly He is Risen.”
This will be the fourth game for the Russian team in this qualifying tournament. Let us remind you that in the previous three meetings, Russia “at the start” lost to Belgium with a score of 1:3, and then won two dry victories - over Kazakhstan (4:0) and over San Marino (9:0). The last victory was the largest in the entire existence of the Russian football team.
As for the upcoming meeting, according to bookmakers, the Russian team is the favorite in it. The Cypriots are objectively weaker than the Russians, and the islanders cannot expect anything good from the upcoming match. However, we must take into account that the teams have never met before, and therefore unpleasant surprises may await us.
The Russia-Cyprus meeting will take place on June 11, 2019 In Nizhniy Novgorod at the stadium of the same name, built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Start of the match - 21:45 Moscow time.
Where and what time do the national teams of Russia and Cyprus play:
* Venue of the match - Russia, Nizhny Novgorod.
* Game start time is 21:45 Moscow time.
THEM. Zherin. Injury of P.I. Bagration in the Battle of Borodino. 1816
Napoleon, wanting to support the attacking efforts at the Semyonov flushes, ordered his left wing to strike the enemy at Kurgan Heights and take it. The battery on the heights was defended by the general's 26th Infantry Division. The troops of the corps of the Viceroy of Beauharnais crossed the river. Koloch and began an attack on the Great Redoubt, which was occupied by them.
C. Vernier, I. Lecomte. Napoleon, surrounded by generals, leads the Battle of Borodino. Colorized engraving
At this time, generals and. Having taken command of the 3rd battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment, Ermolov regained the heights with a strong counterattack at about 10 o'clock. The “fierce and terrible battle” lasted half an hour. The French 30th Line Regiment suffered terrible losses, its remnants fled from the mound. General Bonnamy was captured. During this battle, General Kutaisov died unknown. French artillery began a massive shelling of Kurgan Heights. Ermolov, having been wounded, handed over command to the general.
At the southernmost tip of the Russian position, the Polish troops of General Poniatowski launched an attack on the enemy near the village of Utitsa, got stuck in the battle for it and were unable to provide support to those corps of the Napoleonic army that fought at the Semyonovsky flashes. The defenders of the Utitsa Kurgan became a stumbling block for the advancing Poles.
At about 12 noon, the sides regrouped their forces on the battlefield. Kutuzov helped the defenders of Kurgan Heights. Reinforcement from the army of M.B. Barclay de Tolly received the 2nd Western Army, which left the Semyonov flushes completely destroyed. There was no point in defending them with heavy losses. The Russian regiments retreated beyond the Semenovsky ravine, taking up positions on the heights near the village. The French launched infantry and cavalry attacks here.
Battle of Borodino from 9:00 to 12:30
Battle of Borodino (12:30-14:00)
At about 1 p.m., the Beauharnais corps resumed its attack on Kurgan Heights. At this time, by order of Kutuzov, a raid by the Cossack corps of the ataman and the cavalry corps of the general began against the enemy left wing, where the Italian troops were stationed. The Russian cavalry raid, the effectiveness of which historians debate to this day, forced Emperor Napoleon to stop all attacks for two hours and send part of his guard to the aid of Beauharnais.
Battle of Borodino from 12:30 to 14:00
During this time, Kutuzov again regrouped his forces, strengthening the center and left flank.
F. Rubo. "Living Bridge". Canvas, oil. 1892 Panorama Museum “Battle of Borodino”. Moscow
Battle of Borodino (14:00-18:00)
A cavalry battle took place in front of Kurgan Heights. The general's Russian hussars and dragoons attacked the enemy cuirassiers twice and drove them “all the way to the batteries.” When the mutual attacks here stopped, the parties sharply increased the force of artillery fire, trying to suppress the enemy batteries and inflict maximum damage on them in manpower.
Near the village of Semenovskaya, the enemy attacked the guards brigade of the colonel (Life Guards Izmailovsky and Lithuanian regiments). The regiments, forming a square, repelled several attacks by enemy cavalry with rifle salvoes and bayonets. The general came to the aid of the guards with the Ekaterinoslav and Order Cuirassier regiments, which overthrew the French cavalry. The artillery cannonade continued throughout the field, claiming thousands of lives.
A.P. Shvabe. Battle of Borodino. Copy from a painting by the artist P. Hess. Second half of the 19th century. Canvas, oil. TsVIMAIVS
After repelling the Russian cavalry raid, Napoleon's artillery concentrated a large force of its fire against the Kurgan Heights. It became, as the participants in the battle put it, the “volcano” of Borodin’s day. At about 15 o'clock in the afternoon, Marshal Murat gave the order for the cavalry to attack the Russians at the Great Redoubt with its entire mass. The infantry launched an attack on the heights and finally captured the battery position located there. The cavalry of the 1st Western Army bravely came out to meet the enemy cavalry, and a fierce cavalry battle took place under the heights.
V.V. Vereshchagin. Napoleon I on the Borodino Heights. 1897
After this, the enemy cavalry for the third time strongly attacked a brigade of Russian guards infantry near the village of Semenovskaya, but was repelled with great damage. The French infantry of Marshal Ney's corps crossed the Semenovsky ravine, but its attack with large forces was not successful. At the southern end of the position of the Kutuzov army, the Poles captured the Utitsky Kurgan, but were unable to advance further.
Desario. Battle of Borodino
After 16 hours, the enemy, who had finally captured Kurgan Heights, launched attacks on Russian positions to the east of it. Here the general's cuirassier brigade, consisting of the Cavalry and Horse Guards regiments, entered the battle. With a decisive blow, the Russian guards cavalry overthrew the attacking Saxons, forcing them to retreat to their original positions.
North of the Great Redoubt, the enemy tried to attack with large forces, primarily with cavalry, but had no success. After 5 p.m., only artillery was active here.
After 16 hours, the French cavalry tried to deliver a strong blow from the village of Semenovskoye, but ran into the columns of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky and Finland regiments. The guards moved forward with the beating of drums and overthrew the enemy cavalry with bayonets. After this, the Finns cleared the edge of the forest from enemy shooters, and then the forest itself. At 19:00 in the evening the gunfire here subsided.
The last bursts of battle in the evening took place at the Kurgan Heights and the Utitsky Kurgan, but the Russians held their positions, themselves more than once launching decisive counterattacks. Emperor Napoleon never sent his last reserve into battle - the divisions of the Old and Young Guards to turn the tide of events in favor of French weapons.
By 6 pm the attacks had ceased along the entire line. Only the artillery fire and rifle fire in the forward lines, where the Jaeger infantry acted bravely, did not subside. The sides did not spare artillery charges that day. The last cannon shots were fired at about 10 pm, when it had already become completely dark.
Battle of Borodino from 14:00 to 18:00
Results of the Battle of Borodino
During the battle, which lasted from sunrise to sunset, the attacking “Grand Army” was able to force the enemy in the center and on his left flank to retreat only 1-1.5 km. At the same time, Russian troops preserved the integrity of the front line and their communications, repelling many attacks by enemy infantry and cavalry, while at the same time distinguishing themselves in counterattacks. The counter-battery fight, for all its ferocity and duration, did not give any advantage to either side.
The main Russian strongholds on the battlefield - Semenovsky flashes and Kurgan Heights - remained in the hands of the enemy. But the fortifications on them were completely destroyed, and therefore Napoleon ordered the troops to leave the captured fortifications and retreat to their original positions. With the onset of darkness, mounted Cossack patrols came out onto the deserted Borodino field and occupied the commanding heights above the battlefield. Enemy patrols also guarded the enemy's actions: the French were afraid of attacks in the night by Cossack cavalry.
The Russian commander-in-chief intended to continue the battle the next day. But, having received reports of terrible losses, Kutuzov ordered the Main Army to retreat to the city of Mozhaisk at night. The withdrawal from the Borodino field took place in an organized manner, in marching columns, under the cover of a strong rearguard. Napoleon learned about the enemy’s departure only in the morning, but he did not dare to immediately pursue the enemy.
In the “battle of the giants,” the parties suffered huge losses, which researchers are still discussing today. It is believed that during August 24-26, the Russian army lost from 45 to 50 thousand people (primarily from massive artillery fire), and the “Grand Army” - approximately 35 thousand or more. There are other figures, also disputed, that require some adjustment. In any case, the losses in killed, died from wounds, wounded and missing were equal to approximately a third of the strength of the opposing armies. The Borodino field also became a real “cemetery” for the French cavalry.
The Battle of Borodino in history is also called the “battle of the generals” due to the large losses in the senior command. In the Russian army, 4 generals were killed and mortally wounded, 23 generals were wounded and shell-shocked. In the Grand Army, 12 generals were killed or died from wounds, one marshal (Davout) and 38 generals were wounded.
The fierceness and uncompromising nature of the battle on the Borodino field is evidenced by the number of prisoners taken: approximately 1 thousand people and one general on each side. Russians - approximately 700 people.
The result of the general battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 (or Napoleon’s Russian Campaign) was that Bonaparte failed to defeat the enemy army, and Kutuzov did not defend Moscow.
Both Napoleon and Kutuzov demonstrated the art of great commanders on the day of Borodin. The “Great Army” began the battle with massive attacks, starting continuous battles for the Semenovsky flushes and Kurgan Heights. As a result, the battle turned into a frontal clash of sides, in which the attacking side had minimal chances of success. The enormous efforts of the French and their allies ultimately proved fruitless.
Be that as it may, both Napoleon and Kutuzov, in their official reports about the battle, declared the result of the confrontation on August 26 as their victory. M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov was awarded the rank of field marshal for Borodino. Indeed, both armies showed the highest heroism on the Borodin field.
The Battle of Borodino did not become a turning point in the campaign of 1812. Here we should turn to the opinion of the famous military theorist K. Clausewitz, who wrote that “victory lies not simply in capturing the battlefield, but in the physical and moral defeat of the enemy forces.”
After Borodin, the Russian army, whose fighting spirit had strengthened, quickly regained its strength and was ready to expel the enemy from Russia. Napoleon’s “great” “army,” on the contrary, lost heart and lost its former maneuverability and ability to win. Moscow became a real trap for her, and the retreat from it soon turned into a real flight with the final tragedy on the Berezina.
Material prepared by the Research Institute (military history)
Military Academy of the General Staff
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
