Battle of Borodino (1812) One of the most fierce battles of the Napoleonic wars. Russian troops under the command of Kutuzov, showing unparalleled tenacity and courage, were not broken and overturned by Napoleon's no less courageous soldiers. The French Emperor

9. Battle of Borodino And so the quartermaster of the army, Colonel Toll, laid before Kutuzov a plan of the area, in the center of which, on the banks of the Kolocha River, was the village of Borodino, and he decided to give battle there. The place was chosen for the battle “one of the best,

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

Lermontov

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

Background of the battle

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

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

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

Balance of forces and means

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

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

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

Tasks of the parties before the battle

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

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

On the eve of the battle

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

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

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

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

Initial positions of Russian and French troops

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

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

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

Kutuzov

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

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

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

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

Day of the Battle of Borodino

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

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

Bagration's flushes

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

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

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

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

Battle for Utitsky Forest

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

Raid of Platov and Uvarov

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

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

Battery Raevsky

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

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

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

End of the battle

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

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

Results of the confrontation

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

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

Military significance of the battle

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

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

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

Bonaparte

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

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

On the 26th, the world saw the bloodiest battle in its history. Never before has recent history seen so much blood. A perfectly chosen battlefield, and an enemy who came to attack but was forced to defend.

Kutuzov

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

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

Literature

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

Panorama of the Battle of Borodino

THEM. Zherin. Injury of P.I. Bagration in the Battle of Borodino. 1816

Napoleon, wanting to support the attacking efforts at the Semenov 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 Semenov 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 13:00, 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 repulsed 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 Borodino 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

“The RUSSIANS HAVE THE GLORY OF BEING UNDEFEATED”

After the battle of Smolensk, the retreat of the Russian army continued. This caused open discontent in the country. Under pressure from public opinion, Alexander I appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army. Kutuzov’s task was not only to stop Napoleon’s further advance, but also to expel him from Russian borders. He also adhered to retreat tactics, but the army and the whole country expected a decisive battle from him. Therefore, he gave the order to look for a position for a general battle, which was found near the village. Borodino, 124 kilometers from Moscow.

The Russian army approached the village of Borodino on August 22, where, at the suggestion of Colonel K.F. Tolya, a flat position with a length of up to 8 km was chosen. On the left flank, the Borodino field was covered by the impenetrable Utitsky forest, and on the right, which ran along the bank of the river. Kolochi, Maslovsky flashes were erected - arrow-shaped earthen fortifications. In the center of the position, fortifications were also built, which received different names: Central, Kurgan Heights, or Raevsky’s battery. Semenov's (Bagration's) flushes were erected on the left flank. Ahead of the entire position, on the left flank, near the village of Shevardino, a redoubt also began to be built, which was supposed to play the role of a forward fortification. However, the approaching army of Napoleon, after a fierce battle on August 24, managed to take possession of it.

Disposition of Russian troops. The right flank was occupied by the battle formations of the 1st Western Army of General M.B. Barclay de Tolly, on the left flank there were units of the 2nd Western Army under the command of P.I. Bagration, and the Old Smolensk Road near the village of Utitsa was covered by the 3rd Infantry Corps of Lieutenant General N.A. Tuchkova. Russian troops occupied a defensive position and were deployed in the shape of the letter "G". This situation was explained by the fact that the Russian command sought to control the Old and New Smolensk roads leading to Moscow, especially since there was a serious fear of the enemy’s outflanking movement from the right. That is why a significant part of the corps of the 1st Army was in this direction. Napoleon decided to deliver his main blow to the left flank of the Russian army, for which on the night of August 26 (September 7), 1812, he transferred the main forces across the river. I pound, leaving only a few cavalry and infantry units to cover my own left flank.

The battle begins. The battle began at five o'clock in the morning with an attack by units of the corps of the Viceroy of Italy E. Beauharnais on the position of the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment near the village. Borodin. The French took possession of this point, but this was their diversionary maneuver. Napoleon launched his main blow against Bagration's army. Marshal Corps L.N. Davout, M. Ney, I. Murat and General A. Junot were attacked several times by Semenov flushes. Units of the 2nd Army fought heroically against an enemy superior in numbers. The French repeatedly rushed into flushes, but each time they abandoned them after a counterattack. Only by nine o'clock did Napoleon's armies finally capture the fortifications of the Russian left flank, and Bagration, who at that time tried to organize another counterattack, was mortally wounded. “The soul seemed to fly away from the entire left flank after the death of this man,” witnesses tell us. Furious rage and a thirst for revenge took possession of those soldiers who were directly in his environment. When the general was already being carried away, cuirassier Adrianov, who served him during the battle (giving him a telescope, etc.), ran up to the stretcher and said: “Your Excellency, they are taking you to treatment, you no longer need me!” Then, eyewitnesses report, “Adrianov, in sight of thousands, took off like an arrow, instantly crashed into the ranks of the enemy and, having hit many, fell dead.”

The fight for Raevsky's battery. After the capture of the flushes, the main struggle unfolded for the center of the Russian position - the Raevsky battery, which at 9 and 11 a.m. was subjected to two strong enemy attacks. During the second attack, E. Beauharnais' troops managed to capture the heights, but soon the French were driven out of there as a result of a successful counterattack by several Russian battalions led by Major General A.P. Ermolov.

At noon, Kutuzov sent the Cossacks, cavalry general M.I. Platov and the cavalry corps of Adjutant General F.P. Uvarov to the rear of Napoleon's left flank. The Russian cavalry raid made it possible to divert Napoleon's attention and delayed a new French assault on the weakened Russian center for several hours. Taking advantage of the respite, Barclay de Tolly regrouped his forces and placed fresh troops on the front line. Only at two o'clock in the afternoon did Napoleonic units make a third attempt to capture Raevsky's battery. The actions of Napoleonic infantry and cavalry led to success, and soon the French finally captured this fortification. The wounded Major General P.G., who led the defense, was captured by them. Likhachev. The Russian troops retreated, but the enemy was unable to break through the new front of their defense, despite all the efforts of two cavalry corps.

Results of the battle. The French were able to achieve tactical successes in all main directions - the Russian armies were forced to leave their original positions and retreat about 1 km. But Napoleonic units failed to break through the defenses of the Russian troops. The thinned Russian regiments stood to the death, ready to repel new attacks. Napoleon, despite the urgent requests of his marshals, did not dare to throw in his last reserve - the twenty thousandth Old Guard - for the final blow. Intense artillery fire continued until the evening, and then the French units were withdrawn to their original lines. It was not possible to defeat the Russian army. This is what the domestic historian E.V. wrote. Tarle: “The feeling of victory was absolutely not felt by anyone. The marshals were talking among themselves and were unhappy. Murat said that he did not recognize the emperor all day, Ney said that the emperor had forgotten his craft. On both sides, artillery thundered until the evening and bloodshed continued, but the Russians did not think not only of fleeing, but also of retreating. It was already getting very dark. A light rain began to fall. “What are the Russians?” - asked Napoleon. - “They are standing still, Your Majesty.” “Increase the fire, it means they still want it,” the emperor ordered. - Give them more!

Gloomy, not talking to anyone, accompanied by his retinue and generals who did not dare to interrupt his silence, Napoleon drove around the battlefield in the evening, looking with sore eyes at the endless piles of corpses. The emperor did not yet know in the evening that the Russians had lost not 30 thousand, but about 58 thousand people out of their 112 thousand; He also did not know that he himself had lost more than 50 thousand of the 130 thousand that he led to the Borodino field. But that he had killed and seriously wounded 47 (not 43, as they sometimes write, but 47) of his best generals, he learned this in the evening. French and Russian corpses covered the ground so thickly that the imperial horse had to look for a place to put its hoof between the mountains of bodies of people and horses. The groans and cries of the wounded came from all over the field. The Russian wounded amazed the retinue: “They did not emit a single groan,” writes one of the retinue, Count Segur, “perhaps, away from their own, they counted less on mercy. But it is true that they seemed more steadfast in enduring pain than the French.”

The literature contains the most contradictory facts about the losses of the parties; the question of the winner is still controversial. In this regard, it should be noted that none of the opponents solved the tasks set for themselves: Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian army, Kutuzov failed to defend Moscow. However, the enormous efforts made by the French army were ultimately fruitless. Borodino brought Napoleon bitter disappointment - the outcome of this battle was in no way reminiscent of Austerlitz, Jena, or Friedland. The bloodless French army was unable to pursue the enemy. The Russian army, fighting on its territory, was able to restore the size of its ranks in a short time. Therefore, in assessing this battle, Napoleon himself was most accurate, saying: “Of all my battles, the most terrible is the one I fought near Moscow. The French showed themselves worthy of victory. And the Russians have gained the glory of being undefeated.”

RESCRIPT OF ALEXANDER I

“Mikhail Illarionovich! The current state of military circumstances of our active armies, although it was preceded by initial successes, the consequences of these do not reveal to me the rapid activity with which it would be necessary to act to defeat the enemy.

Considering these consequences and extracting the true reasons for this, I find it necessary to appoint one general commander-in-chief over all active armies, whose election, in addition to military talents, would be based on seniority itself.

Your well-known merits, love for the fatherland and repeated experiences of excellent feats acquire you a true right to this power of attorney of mine.

Choosing you for this important task, I ask Almighty God to bless your deeds for the glory of Russian weapons and may the happy hopes that the fatherland places on you be justified.”

KUTUZOV'S REPORT

“The battle of the 26th was the bloodiest of all those known in modern times. We completely won the battlefield, and the enemy then retreated to the position where he came to attack us; but an extraordinary loss on our part, especially due to the fact that the most necessary generals were wounded, forced me to retreat along the Moscow road. Today I am in the village of Nara and must retreat further to meet the troops coming to me from Moscow for reinforcements. The prisoners say that the enemy loss is very great and that the general opinion in the French army is that they lost 40,000 people wounded and killed. In addition to Divisional General Bonami, who was captured, there were others killed. By the way, Davoust is wounded. Rearguard action occurs daily. Now, I learned that the corps of the Viceroy of Italy is located near Ruza, and for this purpose the detachment of the Adjutant General Wintzingerode went to Zvenigorod in order to close Moscow along that road.”

FROM CAULAINCUR'S MEMOIRS

“Never before have we lost so many generals and officers in one battle... There were few prisoners. The Russians showed great courage; the fortifications and territory which they were forced to cede to us were evacuated in order. Their ranks were not disorganized... they faced death bravely and only slowly succumbed to our brave attacks. There has never been a case where enemy positions were subjected to such furious and systematic attacks and that they were defended with such tenacity. The Emperor repeated many times that he could not understand how the redoubts and positions that were captured with such courage and which we defended so tenaciously gave us only a small number of prisoners... These successes without prisoners, without trophies did not satisfy him... »

FROM THE REPORT OF GENERAL RAEVSKY

“The enemy, having arranged his entire army in our eyes, so to speak, in one column, walked straight to our front; Having approached it, strong columns separated from its left flank, went straight to the redoubt and, despite the strong grapeshot fire of my guns, climbed over the parapet without firing their heads. At the same time, from my right flank, Major General Paskevich with his regiments attacked with bayonets into the left flank of the enemy, located behind the redoubt. Major General Vasilchikov did the same thing to their right flank, and Major General Ermolov, taking a battalion of rangers from the regiments brought by Colonel Vuich, struck with bayonets directly at the redoubt, where, having destroyed everyone in it, he took the general leading the columns prisoner . Major Generals Vasilchikov and Paskevich overturned the enemy columns in the blink of an eye and drove them into the bushes so hard that hardly any of them escaped. More than the action of my corps, it remains for me to describe in a nutshell that after the destruction of the enemy, returning again to their places, they held out in them until against repeated attacks of the enemy, until the killed and wounded were reduced to complete insignificance and my redoubt was already occupied by the General. -Major Likhachev. Your Excellency himself knows that Major General Vasilchikov gathered the scattered remnants of the 12th and 27th divisions and, with the Lithuanian Guards Regiment, held until the evening an important height, located on the left limb of our entire line ... "

GOVERNMENT NOTICE ABOUT LEAVING MOSCOW

“With extreme and crushing heart of every son of the Fatherland, this sadness announces that the enemy entered Moscow on September 3rd. But let the Russian people not lose heart. On the contrary, let each and every one swear to be inflamed with a new spirit of courage, firmness and undoubted hope that all the evil and harm inflicted on us by our enemies will ultimately turn on their head. The enemy occupied Moscow not because he overcame our forces or weakened them. The commander-in-chief, in consultation with the leading generals, decided that it would be useful and necessary to give in for the time of necessity, in order to use the most reliable and best methods to turn the short-term triumph of the enemy into his inevitable destruction. No matter how painful it is for every Russian to hear that the capital city of Moscow contains within itself the enemies of its fatherland; but it contains them empty, naked of all treasures and inhabitants. The proud conqueror hoped, having entered it, to become the ruler of the entire Russian kingdom and prescribe to it such peace as he saw fit; but he will be deceived in his hope and will not find in this capital not only ways to dominate, but also ways to exist. Our forces gathered and now increasingly accumulating around Moscow will not cease to block all his paths and the detachments sent from him for food were exterminated daily, until he sees that his hope of defeating the minds of the capture of Moscow was in vain and that, willy-nilly, he will have to open a path for himself from her by force of arms..."