Who led the battle of Borodino. "Borodino field" - Borodino state military-historical museum-reserve. The balance of forces and means

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

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

The number of armies and the location of Russian troops

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

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

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

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

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

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

Start of the battle (5:30–9:00)

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

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

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

Battle of Borodino (9:00–12:30)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

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

During the 12-hour battle, the French army captured the Russian positions in the center, as well as on the left wing, although after the battle ceased, the French army returned to their original positions. Given this, Russian historiography believes that the Russian army won the battle of Borodino. But, despite this, the next day an order was given to the commander-in-chief of the Russian army Kutuzov to retreat due to huge losses. It is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history.

Events leading up to the Battle of Borodino

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raevsky's battery showed courage in the defense of Russian soil.

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

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

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

Thus, by 18 o'clock the Russian army was still firmly in the Borodino position. The French troops did not succeed in any of the directions to achieve decisive success.

The end of the battle, the results of the battle

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

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

Connections with the loss of the archive during the retreat of the French army, the question of the losses of the French army still remains open.

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

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

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

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

THEM. Gerin. Wound P.I. Bagration in the Battle of Borodino. 1816

Napoleon, wishing to support the attacking efforts at Semyonov's flushes, ordered his left wing to strike at the enemy at Kurgan height and take it. The battery on high was defended by General's 26th Infantry Division. The troops of the corps of the Viceroy of Beauharnais crossed the river. Koloch and launched an attack on the Great Redoubt, which was occupied by them.

C. Vernier, I. Lecomte. Napoleon, surrounded by generals, leads the battle of Borodino. Colored engraving

At this time, generals and passed by the Kurgan height, occupied by the enemy. Taking command of the 3rd Battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment, Yermolov returned the height with a strong counterattack at about 10 o'clock. "The battle is furious and terrible" lasted half an hour. The French 30th line regiment suffered terrible losses, its remnants fled from the mound. General Bonnami was taken prisoner. During this battle, General Kutaisov died without a trace. French artillery began a massive bombardment of Kurgan height. Yermolov, 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 a fight for it and could not support those corps of the Napoleonic army that fought at the Semyonovsky flushes. The stumbling block for the advancing Poles was the defenders of the Utitsky barrow.

At about 12 noon, the parties regrouped their forces on the battlefield. Kutuzov gave help to the defenders of Kurgan height. Reinforcement from the army of M.B. Barclay de Tolly received the 2nd Western Army, which left the Semyonov Fleches completely destroyed. There was no point in defending them with heavy losses. The Russian regiments withdrew behind the Semyonovsky ravine, taking up positions on the heights near the village. The French launched attacks here with infantry and cavalry.

Battle of Borodino from 9:00 to 12:30

Battle of Borodino (12:30-14:00)

At about 13 o'clock in the afternoon, the Beauharnais corps resumed the attack on the Kurgan Heights. At this time, on the orders of Kutuzov, a raid of 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 raid of the Russian cavalry, the effectiveness of which historians argue to this day, forced Emperor Napoleon to stop all attacks for two hours, and send part of his guard to help 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. Roubaud. "Living Bridge" Canvas, oil. 1892 Museum-panorama "Battle of Borodino". Moscow

Battle of Borodino (14:00-18:00)

A cavalry battle took place in front of Kurgan height. The Russian hussars and dragoons of the general attacked the enemy cuirassiers twice and drove them "to the very batteries." When mutual attacks here ceased, the sides sharply increased the strength of artillery fire, trying to suppress the enemy's batteries and inflict maximum damage on him in manpower.

At the village of Semenovskaya, the enemy attacked guards brigade colonel (Life Guards Izmailovsky and Lithuanian regiments). The regiments, lined up in a square, repulsed several attacks of enemy cavalry with rifle volleys and bayonets. A general came to the aid of the guardsmen with the Yekaterinoslav and Order cuirassier regiments, who overturned the French cavalry. Artillery cannonade did not subside throughout the field, claiming thousands of human 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 repulsing the raid of the Russian cavalry, Napoleon's artillery concentrated a large force of its fire against Kurgan height. She became, in the words of the participants in the battle, the "volcano" of Borodin's day. At about 3 p.m., Marshal Murat ordered the cavalry to attack the Russians at the Great Redoubt with their entire mass. The infantry went on the attack on the height, which finally took possession of the battery position located there. The cavalry of the 1st Western Army bravely came out to meet the enemy cavalry, and a fierce battle of cavalry took place under the hill.

V.V. Vereshchagin. Napoleon I on the Borodino Heights. 1897

After that, the enemy cavalry for the third time strongly attacked the brigade of the Russian guards infantry near the village of Semenovskaya, but was repelled with great damage. The French infantry of the corps of Marshal Ney crossed the Semenovsky ravine, but its attack big forces had no success. At the southern end of the position of the Kutuzov army, the Poles captured the Utitsky Kurgan, but could not advance further.

Desario. Battle of Borodino

After 4 p.m., the enemy, who finally took possession of the Kurgan Heights, launched attacks on the Russian positions to the east of it. Here, the general's cuirassier brigade entered the battle as part of the Cavalier Guard and Horse Guards regiments. With a decisive blow, the Russian guards cavalry overturned the attacking Saxons, forcing them to retreat to their original positions.

To the north of the Great Redoubt, the enemy tried to attack with large forces, primarily cavalry, but had no success. After 17 hours only artillery operated here.

After 16 hours, the French cavalry tried to deliver a strong blow from the village of Semenovskoye, but stumbled upon the columns of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky and Finland regiments. The guards moved forward with drumming and overturned the enemy cavalry with their bayonets. After that, the Finns cleared the edge of the forest from enemy shooters, and then the forest itself. At 19 pm, the gunfight here subsided.

The last bursts of battle in the evening took place near the Kurgan Height and the Utitsky Kurgan, but the Russians held their positions, more than once turning into decisive counterattacks. Emperor Napoleon never sent his last reserve, the divisions of the Old and Young Guards, into battle to turn the tide in favor of French weapons.

By 6 p.m. the attacks had ceased along the entire line. Only artillery fire and rifle fire did not subside in the forward lines, where the jaeger infantry acted bravely. The sides spared no artillery charges that day. The last cannon shots sounded at about 22 pm, when it was already completely dark.

Battle of Borodino from 14:00 to 18:00

The results of the battle of Borodino

During the battle, which went from sunrise to sunset, the attacking "Great 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, the Russian troops retained the integrity of the front line and their communications, repelling many attacks by enemy infantry and cavalry, while themselves differing in counterattacks. Counter-battery fight for all its bitterness and duration, it did not give advantages to either side.

The main strongholds of the Russians on the battlefield remained in the hands of the enemy - the Semenov flushes and the Kurgan height. 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 entered the deserted Borodino field, which occupied command heights above the battlefield. Guarded by the actions of the enemy and enemy patrols: the French were afraid of attacks in the night of the 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 at night to the city of Mozhaisk. The retreat from the Borodino field took place in an organized manner, in marching columns, under the cover of a strong rearguard. Napoleon learned about the departure of the enemy only in the morning, but he did not dare to immediately go into pursuit.

In the "battle of the giants" the parties suffered huge losses, about which researchers are still discussing. It is believed that on August 24-26, the Russian army lost from 45 to 50 thousand people (primarily from massive artillery fire), and the "Great Army" - about 35 thousand or more. There are also other figures, also disputed, which need a certain correction. In any case, the losses in killed, wounded, wounded and missing amounted to about a third of the composition of the opposing armies. The Borodino field also became a real "graveyard" for the French cavalry.

The battle of Borodino in history is also called the “battle of the generals” because of the heavy losses in the highest command staff. In the Russian army, 4 generals were killed and mortally wounded, 23 generals were wounded and shell-shocked. IN " great army"12 generals were killed or died of 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: about 1 thousand people and one general from each side. Russians - about 700 people.

The result of the general battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 (or the Russian campaign of Napoleon) was that Bonaparte failed to defeat the enemy army, and Kutuzov did not defend Moscow.

Both Napoleon and Kutuzov on the day of Borodin demonstrated the art of great generals. The "Great Army" began the battle with massive attacks, starting continuous battles for the Semyonov flushes and Kurgan heights. As a result, the battle turned into a frontal clash of the parties, in which the chances of success for the attacking side were minimal. 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 on the battle that took place, declared the result of the confrontation on the day of August 26 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 refer to the opinion of the famous military theorist K. Clausewitz, who wrote that "victory lies not just in capturing the battlefield, but in the physical and moral defeat of the enemy forces."

After Borodin, the Russian army, whose morale had strengthened, quickly regained its strength and was ready to drive the enemy out of Russia. The “great” “army” of Napoleon, on the contrary, lost heart, 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 a final tragedy on the Berezina.

The material was prepared by the Research Institute ( military history)
Military Academy of the General Staff
Armed Forces Russian Federation

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

During the 12-hour battle, the French army managed to capture the positions of the Russian army in the center and on the left wing, but after the cessation of hostilities, the French army withdrew to its original positions. Thus, in Russian historiography, it is believed that the Russian troops won, but the next day, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, M.I. army.

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

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

It is considered the bloodiest in history among one-day battles.

background

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

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

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

The alignment of forces at the beginning of the battle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Battle for the Shevardino Redoubt

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

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

On the eve of the main battle, in the early morning of August 24 (September 5), the Russian rearguard under the command of Lieutenant General Konovnitsyn, located at the Kolotsky Monastery, 8 km west of the location of the main forces, was attacked by the enemy's vanguard. A fierce battle ensued, lasting several hours. After the news was received about the enemy's bypass movement, Konovnitsyn withdrew troops across the Kolocha River and joined the corps that occupied a position near the village of Shevardino.

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

The great army of Napoleon approached Borodino in three columns. The main forces: 3 cavalry corps of Marshal Murat, infantry corps of marshals Davout, Ney, division general Junot and guards - moved along the New Smolensk road. To the north of them, the infantry corps of the Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnais, and the cavalry corps of divisional general Pear advanced. The corps of divisional general Poniatovsky was approaching along the Old Smolensk road. 35 thousand infantry and cavalry, 180 guns were sent against the defenders of the fortification.

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

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

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

Starting position

All day on August 25 (September 6), the troops of both sides were preparing for the upcoming battle. The Shevardinsky battle gave the Russian troops the opportunity to gain time to complete the defensive work at the Borodino position, made it possible to clarify the grouping of the French forces and the direction of their main attack. Leaving the Shevardinsky redoubt, the 2nd Army pushed back its left flank across the Kamenka River, and the army's battle formation took the form of an obtuse angle. Both flanks of the Russian position occupied 4 km each, but were unequal. The right flank was formed by the 1st Army of Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, consisting of 3 infantry, 3 cavalry corps and reserves (76 thousand people, 480 guns), the front of his position was covered by the river Kolocha. The left flank was formed by the smaller 2nd Army of Infantry General Bagration (34,000 men, 156 guns). In addition, the left flank did not have such strong natural obstacles in front of the front as the right.

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

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

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

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

Napoleon understood that it was difficult to cover the Russian troops from the flanks, so he was forced to resort to a frontal attack in order to break through the defenses of the Russian army in a relatively narrow area near the Bagration Flushes, go to the rear of the Russian troops, press them to the Moscow River, destroy them and discover way to Moscow. In the direction of the main attack in the area from the Raevsky battery to the Bagration flushes, which had a length of 2.5 kilometers, the bulk of the French troops were concentrated: the corps of marshals Davout, Ney, Murat, division general Junot, and also the guard. To divert the attention of the Russian troops, the French planned to carry out auxiliary attacks on Utitsa and Borodino. The French army had a deep formation of its battle formation, which allowed it to build up its strike force from the depths.

Sources point to a special plan of Kutuzov, which forced Napoleon to attack precisely the left flank. Kutuzov's task was to determine for the left flank the necessary number of troops that would prevent a breakthrough of his positions. The historian Tarle quotes Kutuzov's exact words: “When the enemy ... uses his last reserves on the left flank of Bagration, then I will send him a hidden army on the flank and rear”.

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

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

The course of the battle

Beginning of the battle

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

“The French, encouraged by the occupation of Borodin, rushed after the chasseurs and almost crossed the river with them, but the guards chasseurs, reinforced by the regiments that had come with Colonel Manakhtin and the chasseur brigade of the 24th division under the command of Colonel Vuich, suddenly turned to the enemy and joined with those who came to they were hit with bayonets to help them, and all the French who were on our shore were the victims of their daring undertaking. The bridge on the Kolocha River was completely destroyed, despite strong enemy fire, and the French did not dare to make attempts at the crossing for a whole day and were content with a shootout with our rangers ".

Bagration flushes

Fleches on the eve of the battle were occupied by the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division under the command of General Vorontsov. At 6 o'clock in the morning, after a short cannonade, the French attack on Bagration's flushes began. In the first attack, the French divisions of Generals Desse and Kompan, having overcome the resistance of the rangers, made their way through the Utitsky forest, but, having barely begun to build on the edge opposite the southernmost flush, they came under shotgun fire and were overturned by the flank attack of the rangers.

At 8 o'clock in the morning the French repeated the attack and captured the southern flush. Bagration, to help the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division, sent the 27th Infantry Division of General Neverovsky, as well as the Akhtyrsky Hussars and the Novorossiysk Dragoons to strike on the flank. The French left the flushes, suffering heavy losses in the process. Both divisional generals Desse and Kompan were wounded, while falling from a dead horse, the corps commander Marshal Davout was shell-shocked, almost all brigade commanders were wounded.

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

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

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

The French were counterattacked by 3 cuirassier regiments, and Marshal Murat almost got captured by the Russian cuirassiers, barely managing to hide in the ranks of the Württemberg infantry. Separate parts of the French were forced to retreat, but the cuirassiers, not supported by the infantry, were counterattacked by the French cavalry and repulsed. After the wounding of Prince Bagration at about 10 o'clock in the morning, Lieutenant General P.P. took command of the troops. Konovnitsyn, who, having assessed the situation, gives the order to leave the flushes and withdraw their defenders behind the Semenovsky ravine to gentle heights.

The counterattack of the 3rd Infantry Division Konovnitsyn came to the rescue corrected the situation. In the battle, Major General Tuchkov 4th, who led the attack of the Revel and Murom regiments, died.

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

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

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

The direction of the main attack of the French shifted from the left flank to the center, to the Rayevsky battery. At the same time, Napoleon did not stop the attack on the left flank of the Russian army. To the south of the village of Semyonovsky, the cavalry corps of Nansouty advanced, north of Latour-Maubourg, while the infantry division of General Friant rushed from the front to Semenovsky. At this time, Kutuzov appointed the commander of the 6th Corps, Infantry General Dokhturov, as the head of the troops of the entire left flank instead of Lieutenant General Konovnitsyn. The Life Guards lined up in a square and for several hours repulsed the attacks of Napoleon's "iron horsemen". The cuirassier division of Duki was sent to help the guards in the south, the cuirassier brigade of Borozdin and the 4th cavalry corps of Sivers were sent in the north. The bloody battle ended with the defeat of the French troops, who were thrown back behind the ravine of the Semyonovsky stream.

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

Battle for the Utitsky Kurgan

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

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

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

Around 11 a.m., Poniatowski, having received support from Junot's 8th Infantry Corps on the left, concentrated fire from 40 guns against the Utitsky Kurgan and captured it by storm. This gave him the opportunity to act around the Russian position.

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

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

Raid of the Cossacks Platov and Uvarov

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

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

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

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

Raevsky battery

A high mound, located in the center of the Russian position, dominated the surrounding area. A battery was installed on it, which had 18 guns by the beginning of the battle. The defense of the battery was assigned to the 7th Infantry Corps of Lieutenant General Raevsky.

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

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

At that moment, the Chief of Staff of the 1st Army, Yermolov, and the Chief of Artillery Kutaisov, who followed Kutuzov's order to the left flank, were near Kurgan Heights. Having led the battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment and having attached the 18th Chasseur Regiment to it, Yermolov and Kutaisov hit with bayonets right on the redoubt. At the same time, the regiments of Major Generals Paskevich and Vasilchikov hit from the flanks. The redoubt was recaptured and Brigadier General Bonami was taken prisoner. Of the entire French regiment of 4,100 men under the command of Bonami, only about 300 soldiers remained in service. Major General of Artillery Kutaisov died in the battle for the battery.

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

After the fall of the Bagration fleches, Napoleon abandoned the development of an offensive against the left wing of the Russian army. The original plan to break through the defenses on this wing in order to reach the rear of the main forces of the Russian army lost its meaning, since a significant part of these troops failed in the battles for the fleches themselves, while the defense on the left wing, despite the loss of the fleches, remained intact . Drawing attention to the fact that the situation in the center of the Russian troops had worsened, Napoleon decided to redirect his forces to the Raevsky battery. However, the next attack was delayed for 2 hours, since at that time Russian cavalry and Cossacks appeared in the rear of the French.

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

The troops of Lieutenant General Osterman-Tolstoy joined the left flank of Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky guards regiments located south of the battery. Behind them were the cavalrymen of the 2nd corps and the approaching Cavalry and Horse Guards regiments.

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

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

As of 18:00, the Russian army was still firmly located in the Borodino position, and the French troops did not manage to achieve decisive success in any of the directions. Napoleon, who believed that a general who does not retain fresh troops by the day following the battle will almost always be beaten", and did not introduce his guard into the battle. Napoleon, as a rule, brought the guards into battle at the very last moment, when the victory was prepared by his other troops and when it was necessary to deliver the last decisive blow to the enemy. However, assessing the situation by the end of the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon saw no signs of victory, so he did not take the risk of bringing his last reserve into battle.

End of the battle

After the Raevsky battery was occupied by the French troops, the battle began to subside. On the left flank, Divisional General Poniatowski carried out unsuccessful attacks against the 2nd Army under the command of General Dokhturov (the commander of the 2nd Army, General Bagration, was seriously wounded by that time). In the center and on the right flank, the matter was limited to artillery fire until 7 pm. Following Kutuzov's report, they claimed that Napoleon had retreated, withdrawing troops from the captured positions. Having retreated to Gorki (where there was one more fortification), the Russians began to prepare for a new battle. However, at 12 o'clock at night, an order from Kutuzov arrived, canceling preparations for the battle scheduled for the next day. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army decided to withdraw the army beyond Mozhaisk in order to make up for human losses and better prepare for new battles. Napoleon, faced with the steadfastness of the enemy, was in a depressed and anxious frame of mind, as evidenced by his adjutant Armand Caulaincourt (brother the deceased general Auguste Caulaincourt):

Chronology of the battle

Chronology of the battle. Most significant fights

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

The result of the battle

Russian casualty estimates

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

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

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

French casualty estimates

A significant part of the documentation of the Grand Army was lost during the retreat, so the assessment of French losses is extremely difficult. The question of the total losses of the French army remains open.

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

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

• Retired Napoleonic General Segur determined the losses of the French at Borodino at 40,000 soldiers and officers. A. Vasiliev considers Segur's assessment tendentiously overestimated, pointing out that the general wrote during the reign of the Bourbons, while not denying her some objectivity.
• In Russian literature, the number of French casualties was often given as 58,478. This number is based on the false information of the defector Alexander Schmidt, who allegedly served in the office of Marshal Berthier. In the future, this figure was picked up by patriotic researchers, indicated on the Main Monument.

For modern French historiography, the traditional estimate of French losses is 30 thousand, with 9-10 thousand killed. The Russian historian A. Vasiliev points out, in particular, that the number of losses of 30 thousand is achieved by the following methods of calculation: losses in avant-garde affairs and the approximate number of sick and backward, and b) indirectly - by comparison with the Battle of Wagram, equal in number and in the approximate number of losses among the command staff, despite the fact that the total number of French losses in it, according to Vasilyev, is precisely known (33,854 people, including 42 generals and 1,820 officers; at Borodino, according to Vasilyev, 1,792 people are considered to have lost command personnel, of which 49 were generals).

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

However, V.N. Zemtsov showed that Vasiliev's calculations are unreliable, since they are based on inaccurate data. So, according to the lists compiled by Zemtsov, “ on September 5-7, 1928 officers and 49 generals were killed and wounded", that is, the total loss of command personnel amounted to 1,977 people, and not 1,792, as Vasiliev believed. The comparison of data on the personnel of the Great Army for September 2 and 20, carried out by Vasiliev, also, according to Zemtsov, gave incorrect results, since the wounded who returned to duty after the battle were not taken into account. In addition, Vasiliev did not take into account all parts of the French army. Zemtsov himself, using a technique similar to that used by Vasiliev, estimated the French losses for September 5-7 at 38.5 thousand people. Also controversial is the figure used by Vasilyev for the loss of French troops at Wagram 33,854 people - for example, the English researcher Chandler estimated them at 40 thousand people.

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

Grand total

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

The death toll, counting those who died of wounds, was much higher than the official number killed on the battlefield; the victims of the battle should also include the wounded, who later died. In the autumn of 1812 - in the spring of 1813, the Russians burned and buried the bodies that remained unburied on the field. According to military historian General Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, a total of 58,521 dead bodies were buried and burned. Russian historians and, in particular, employees of the museum-reserve on the Borodino field, estimate the number of people buried on the field at 48-50 thousand people. According to A. Sukhanov, 49,887 dead were buried on the Borodino field and in the surrounding villages (without including French burials in the Kolotsky Monastery).

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

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

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

Kutuzov in his report to Emperor Alexander I wrote:

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

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

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

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

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

Memory

Borodino field

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

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

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

On the territory of the modern museum-reserve with an area of ​​110 km² there are more than 200 monuments and memorable places. Every year on the first Sunday of September, more than a thousand participants recreate episodes of the Battle of Borodino in the course of a military-historical reenactment on the Borodino field.

Literature and art

The Battle of Borodino is devoted to a significant place in the works of literature and art. In 1829, D. Davydov wrote the poem "The Borodino Field". A. Pushkin dedicated the poem "Borodino Anniversary" (1831) to the memory of the battle. M. Lermontov published in 1837 the poem "Borodino". In the novel by L. Tolstoy "War and Peace", part of the 3rd volume is devoted to the description of the Battle of Borodino. P. Vyazemsky wrote in 1869 the poem "Commemoration for the Battle of Borodino."

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

100th anniversary of the battle

Borodino panorama

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, by order of Emperor Nicholas II, the artist F. Roubaud painted the panorama "The Battle of Borodino". At first, the panorama was located in the pavilion at Chistye Prudy, in 1918 it was dismantled, and in the 1960s it was restored and reopened in the building of the Panorama Museum.

200th anniversary of the battle

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

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

"RUSSIAN GOT THE GLORY TO BE UNDEFEATED"

After the battle near Smolensk, the retreat of the Russian army continued. This caused open discontent in the country. Under pressure 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 the tactics of retreat, 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 up to 8 km long was chosen. From the left flank, the Borodino field was covered by the impenetrable Utitsky forest, and on the right, passing along the bank of the river. Kolochi, Maslovsky flashes were erected - earthen arrow-shaped fortifications. Fortifications were also built in the center of the position, which received different names: Central, Kurgan height, or Raevsky battery. On the left flank, the Semyonov (Bagrationov) flushes were erected. Ahead of the entire position, from the left flank, near the village of Shevardino, a redoubt was also begun to be built, which was supposed to play the role of an advanced fortification. However, the approaching army of Napoleon, after a fierce battle on August 24, managed to capture it.

Location 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 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. Tuchkov. 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 bypass movement on the right. That is why a significant part of the corps of the 1st Army turned out to be in this direction. Napoleon, on the other hand, 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. Kolochu, leaving only a few cavalry and infantry units to cover their own left flank.

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

The struggle for the Rayevsky battery. After the capture of the flashes, the main struggle unfolded for the center of the Russian position - the Raevsky battery, which at 9 and 11 o'clock in the morning was subjected to two strong enemy attacks. During the second attack, the troops of E. Beauharnais managed to capture the height, 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. Yermolov.

At noon, Kutuzov sent the Cossacks to the cavalry general M.I. Platov and the cavalry corps of Adjutant General F.P. Uvarov to the rear of Napoleon's left flank. The raid of the Russian cavalry 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 put fresh troops on the front line. Only at two o'clock in the afternoon did the Napoleonic units make a third attempt to capture Raevsky's battery. The actions of the Napoleonic infantry and cavalry were successful, 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 withdrew, but the enemy could not break through the new front of their defense, despite the best efforts of two cavalry corps.

Results of the battle. The French were able to achieve tactical success in all major areas - the Russian armies were forced to leave their original positions and retreat about 1 km. But the Napoleonic units failed to break through the defense of the Russian troops. The thinned Russian regiments stood to the death, ready to repel new attacks. Napoleon, despite the insistent requests of his marshals, did not dare to throw 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. Here is what the Russian historian E.V. Tarle: “The feeling of victory was definitely not felt by anyone. The marshals talked among themselves and were dissatisfied. Murat said that he did not recognize the emperor all day, Ney said that the emperor forgot his craft. Artillery thundered from both sides until evening and bloodshed continued, but the Russians did not think not only to flee, but also to retreat. It was already very dark. There was a light rain. "What are the Russians?" asked Napoleon. "Stand still, Your Majesty." - “Intensify 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 inflamed 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 50,000 of the 130,000 that he had brought to the Borodino field. But that 47 (not 43, as they sometimes say, but 47) of his best generals were killed and seriously wounded, he learned this in the evening. The French and Russian corpses covered the ground so thickly that the imperial horse had to look for places where to lower its hoof between the mountains of the bodies of people and horses. The groans and cries of the wounded came from all over the field. The Russian wounded struck the retinue: “They did not emit a single groan,” writes one of the retinue, Count Segur, “perhaps, far from their own, they counted less on mercy. But it is true that they seemed more firm in bearing pain than the French."

In the literature there are 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 assigned to them: Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian army, Kutuzov - to defend Moscow. However, the enormous efforts made by the French army were, in the end, fruitless. Borodino brought Napoleon bitter disappointment - the outcome of this battle did not at all resemble either Austerlitz, or 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 number 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 in it 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 the military circumstances of our active armies, although preceded by initial successes, but the consequences of these do not reveal to me that 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 common commander-in-chief over all active armies, whose election, in addition to military talents, would be based on seniority itself.

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

In choosing you for this important work, I ask the almighty God to bless your deeds to glory Russian weapons and may the happy hopes that the fatherland places on you be justified.

REPORT OF KUTUZOV

“The battle of the 26th, the former, was the most bloody of all those that modern times known. The place of the battle was completely won by us, and the enemy then retreated to the position in which he came to attack us; but the extraordinary loss, and done on our part, especially by wounding the most necessary generals, forced me to retreat along the Moscow road. Today I am in the village of Nara and must retreat to meet the troops coming towards me from Moscow for reinforcements. The prisoners say that the enemy's loss is very great, and that the general opinion in the French army is that they lost 40,000 men killed and wounded. In addition to Divisional General Bonami, who was taken prisoner, there are others killed. By the way, Davoust is wounded. Rearguard action happens daily. Now, I learned that the corps of the Viceroy of Italy is located near Ruza, and for this, a detachment of Adjutanate General Vintsengerode went to Zvenigorod in order to close Moscow along that road.

FROM THE MEMOIRS OF CALENCOUR

“We have never 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 did not fall into disorder ... they bravely met death and only slowly yielded to our valiant attacks. Never before has an enemy position been attacked so fiercely and so systematically, and defended with such stubbornness. The emperor repeated many times that he could not understand how the redoubts and positions, which were captured with such courage and which we so stubbornly defended, 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, went straight to our front; approaching it, strong columns separated from its left flank, went straight to the redoubt and, despite the strong grapeshot fire of my guns, without a shot, their heads climbed over the parapet. At the same time, from my right flank, Major General Paskevich with regiments attacked with bayonets on the left flank of the enemy, located behind the redoubt. Major General Vasilchikov did the same on their right flank, and Major General Yermolov, taking a battalion of rangers of regiments led by Colonel Vuich, hit with bayonets right on the redoubt, where, having exterminated 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 to 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 extermination of the enemy, returning again to his places, he stayed in them until repeated attacks of the enemy, until he was reduced to complete insignificance by the dead and wounded and my redoubt was already occupied by Mr. 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 an important height until the evening, located on the left limb of our entire line ... "

GOVERNMENT MESSAGE ON LEAVING MOSCOW

“With the extreme and contrite heart of every son of the Fatherland, this sadness is proclaimed that the enemy of September 3rd entered Moscow. But let the Russian people not lose heart. On the contrary, let each and every one swear to boil with a new spirit of courage, firmness and undoubted hope that any evil and harm inflicted on us by enemies will finally turn on their head. The enemy occupied Moscow not because he overcame our forces or weakened them. The Commander-in-Chief, on the advice of the leading generals, found it useful and necessary to yield to necessity for a time, so that with the most reliable and best methods later, turn the short-term triumph of the enemy into inevitable death for him. No matter how painful it is for every Russian to hear that the capital city of Moscow contains the enemies of his fatherland; but she contains them in herself empty, naked from all treasures and inhabitants. The proud conqueror hoped, having entered it, to become the ruler of the entire Russian kingdom and prescribe for him such a world as he pleases; but he will be deceived in his hope and will not find in this capital not only ways to dominate, lower than ways to exist. Our collected and sometimes more accumulating forces 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 futile and that involuntarily he will have to open a way for himself from her by force of arms…”