Describe the Battle of Borodino. The most interesting facts about the Battle of Borodino

Even Borodin’s contemporaries and eyewitnesses assessed the results of the battle differently; everything was considered controversial: from the number of losses to the tactical and strategic results.

Number of armies and number of losses
If we take the average figure, then in total about 140-150 thousand people took part in the battle on the French side. The number of Russian troops is even more controversial, since it is unclear exactly how many militias and Cossacks were in the army. But on average the Russian army numbered 120-130 thousand people. The overall numerical superiority of the French remained, although at the time of the general battle it no longer looked so noticeable. But all researchers and contemporaries are unanimous on one thing - the number of personnel, regular troops was higher among the French.

The number of losses suffered by the parties in the battle of September 7, 1812 on the Borodino field is an even more controversial issue than the question of the size of the armies. The French estimate the number of Russian losses at 50 thousand people. Modern researchers generally agree with this, believing that Russian troops lost from 40 to 50 thousand people killed and wounded. French losses amounted to about 35-40 thousand people.

Results of the French, or the Discouragement of the Grand Army

Napoleon on the Borodino Heights. Hood. V.V. Vereshchagin, 1897
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Even more difficult is the issue of assessing the results of the battle. By the end of the battle, the French managed to take possession of both flushes, the village of Semenovskoye, and Kurgannaya Heights. From a tactical point of view, this could be perceived as a victory for French weapons, as another major battle that would be included in the treasury of Napoleon’s great victories. The French themselves thought so, calling this battle “The Battle of the Moscow River.” But those who were close to Napoleon that day were perplexed and upset. The marshals noticed that Napoleon behaved very strangely during the battle and made several very uncharacteristic mistakes for him. In particular, he threw Ney into flushes when his troops should have been thrown at Kurgan Heights. This decision of Napoleon led to the fact that almost all of his available infantry, which should have been used in other sectors of the battle, was drawn into the battles for the flushes. There were other miscalculations that the marshals noticed.

These mistakes of Napoleon look doubly strange if we remember how the French emperor behaved on the night of September 7th. The main question that interested him was whether Kutuzov had left. After all the attempts to force a general battle on the Russians, it seemed incredible that Kutuzov himself agreed to give it. This was a unique chance to destroy the Russian army, a chance that had to be taken at all costs. That is why, on the eve of the general battle, he rejected Davout’s proposal to flank the Russian position, fearing that he would thereby “scare off” Kutuzov. Napoleon counted on the offensive impulse of his troops and his own military genius. But the Russian troops held the defense very stubbornly, and only in the afternoon they were driven out of the defensive lines. But no matter how hard the French tried, they only managed to push back the Russian ranks, but not break through them, much less destroy them.

In this regard, the situation did not change at all for Napoleon. Before the battle, he saw a combat-ready Russian army in front of him, but even after the battle he saw the same one in front of him. Thinned and withdrawn, but still not broken. On the evening of September 7, Napoleon did not yet know exactly how many troops he had lost, but he knew already then that he had lost 50 of his best generals.

Refusal of the captured Russian general Likhachev to accept the sword from Napoleon's hands. Chromolithography by A. Safonov (early 20th century)
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Napoleon himself summed up the battle with the words: “The Battle of the Moscow River was one of those battles where the greatest merit was demonstrated and the least results were achieved.”

After the battle Grand Army was in despondency. Even the veterans could not remember such bloody battles ending with such a frivolous result. The French saw victory, saw that the positions were captured, but there were absolutely no attributes of this victory. There were practically no prisoners, no captured banners, no captured guns.

All this had an extremely negative impact on the morale of the French army. A general battle took place, and they were unable to defeat the enemy. Before Borodin, at the decisive moment, the Russians retreated and did not allow the French to express themselves. This gave rise to the feeling that the campaign was dragging on, but did not give rise to doubts about the final victory. Now the same confidence in own strength the soldiers and officers did not have a Great Army.

Russian results, or inspired retreat

Mikhail Kutuzov during the Battle of Borodino. Hood. A.P. Shepelyuk, 1952
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The position of the Russian army was no easier. There were 27 generals left on the battlefield, including the young and promising A.I. Kutaisov, General P.G. Likhachev, wounded and captured by the French. But the hardest thing was all about the injury of the “2nd commander” - Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration.

True, the morale of the army strengthened so much that everyone expected the battle to continue the next day. Kutuzov had a plan to continue the battle the next day if circumstances turned out well for him. But in the battle he made several mistakes, and the results exceeded all his fears. Too fearful for the right flank, Kutuzov did not send reinforcements to Bagration for too long. This led to large losses in the Second Western Army, so almost every French attack ended in the occupation of flushes, and only successful counterattacks carried out by Bagration made it possible to regain the fortifications. At critical moments, this could lead to the defeat of the entire left flank, and in such cases Barclay de Tolly saved the situation by transferring part of his troops from the center to the flushes. As a result, at the cost of incredible efforts, the French were able to occupy all the Russian defensive points, and, starting in the afternoon, Russian losses became higher than French losses.

Taking all this into account, Kutuzov decided to retreat to Moscow. By giving this battle, he assured everyone, from Alexander to the common soldier, that the fate of Moscow was being decided in this battle. But with all this, Kutuzov could not help but understand that a general battle cannot become a turning point, but it can become an event that will create the preconditions for such a turning point in the future. From this point of view on this moment he succeeded. Russian troops responded to the challenge of a formidable enemy and were not defeated. It was a good start, but main question- the fate of Moscow - has not yet been finally decided. And the results of the Battle of Borodino did not allow Kutuzov to avoid this issue. Sooner or later this issue will appear on the agenda, and it will appear categorically. A decision will have to be made, and the decision is clear.

But for now, the Russian troops continued to retreat with a feeling of victory. Many wondered why the army continued to retreat, but no one doubted that another major battle would take place near Moscow. What Kutuzov was thinking at that moment, no one could say.

Chronicle of the day: Rearguard battle at Mozhaisk

Contrary to the expectations of many, Kutuzov did not continue the battle. At midnight, Russian troops left their position at Borodino and began to retreat through Mozhaisk towards Moscow. The withdrawal of Russian troops was covered by Platov’s rearguard, located in Mozhaisk. Napoleon continued the pursuit and ordered Murat's vanguard to move to Mozhaisk. At about five o'clock in the afternoon the French opened artillery fire and the rearguard battle at Mozhaisk. The French attacked the Don Cossacks with light cavalry, but Russian artillery fire stopped their advance. The battle turned into an artillery duel that lasted until the evening. Platov's rearguard remained in its original position, while the main forces continued to retreat.

Person: Tuchkov Nikolay Alekseevich (First)

Tuchkov Nikolai Alekseevich (First) (1761/1765-1812)
Of the four Tuchkov brothers, Nikolai Alekseevich had probably made the most impressive career by 1812. Being recorded with early years a conductor in an engineering regiment, entered service only in 1778 as an adjutant, in 1783 he became a second lieutenant of the Gunner Regiment. For the first time he took part in hostilities during the Russian-Swedish War (1788-1790). After graduation, he transferred to the Murom Infantry Regiment, commanded a battalion during the suppression Polish uprising Tadeusz Kosciuszko, for which he received the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and the rank of colonel with transfer to the Belozersky Musketeer Regiment. In 1797, Nikolai received another promotion (major general) and was appointed chief of the Sevsky Musketeer Regiment, with which he fought in almost all possible European campaigns until 1812.

Nikolai Alexandrovich especially distinguished himself in the famous Swiss campaign of A.S. Suvorov, when, having got together with the corps of A.M. Rimsky-Korsakov was surrounded near Zurich, formed his forward detachment in a dense column and broke through the encirclement with a bayonet strike, for which he was promoted to lieutenant general.

During the Prussian campaign, Nikolai Alekseevich commanded one of the divisions and in the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau he managed not only to repel enemy attacks, but also to go on a counter-offensive. For this war he receives his second George.

In 1808 N.A. Tuchkov took part in the Russian-Swedish War and, among other things, managed to repel a Swedish landing near Abo; in 1811 he was appointed military governor of the Podolsk and Volyn provinces.

During the War of 1812, he commanded the 3rd Infantry Corps and took part in the battles of Ostrovno, Smolensk, and Valutina Gora. IN Battle of Borodino his corps blocked the Old Smolensk Road and defended the Utitsky Kurgan. In fact, the general's corps had to hold back the entire onslaught of Poniatowski's division. At one point in the battle, when the French managed to capture the mound after a hurricane of artillery shelling, Nikolai Alekseevich personally led the counterattack of the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment. Kurgan was taken, but Tuchkov was seriously wounded in the chest and was forced to leave the battlefield, transferring command to Baggovut.

After the battle he was sent to Mozhaisk, and then to Yaroslavl, where he died at the end of October. Nikolai Alekseevich was buried in the Tolga Monastery.

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

Battle of Borodino 1812: background

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

To conquer Russian territory, he assembled an army of approximately 600 thousand people. The army rapidly advanced deeper into the state. However, Napoleon's soldiers died one after another under the attack of peasant militias, their health deteriorated due to the unusually difficult climate and poor nutrition. Nevertheless, the advance of the army continued, the French goal being the capital.

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

Main stages

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

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

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

Battery Raevsky

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

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

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

Hundred per minute

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

It’s no secret how many lives the Battle of Borodino took and its bloody contribution. Historians have not been able to establish the exact number of those killed; they call 80-100 thousand dead on both sides. Calculations show that every minute at least a hundred soldiers were sent to the next world.

Heroes

The Patriotic War of 1812 gave many commanders well-deserved glory. The Battle of Borodino, of course, immortalized a man like Kutuzov. By the way, Mikhail Illarionovich at that time was not yet a gray-haired old man whose one eye did not open. At the time of the battle, he was still an energetic, albeit aging man, and was not wearing his signature headband.

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

Who has the victory?

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

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

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

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

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

Napoleon, wanting to support the attacking efforts at the Semyonov flushes, ordered his left wing to strike the enemy at Kurgan Heights and take it. The battery at the height was protected by the 26th infantry division general The troops of the corps of the Viceroy of Beauharnais crossed the river. Koloch and began an attack on the Great Redoubt, which was occupied by them.

C. Vernier, I. Lecomte. Napoleon, surrounded by generals, leads the Battle of Borodino. Colorized engraving

At this time, generals and. Having taken command of the 3rd battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment, Ermolov regained the heights with a strong counterattack at about 10 o'clock. The “fierce and terrible battle” lasted half an hour. The French 30th Line Regiment suffered terrible losses, its remnants fled from the mound. General Bonnamy was captured. During this battle, General Kutaisov died unknown. French artillery began a massive shelling of Kurgan Heights. Ermolov, having been wounded, handed over command to the general.

At the southernmost tip of the Russian position, the Polish troops of General Poniatowski launched an attack on the enemy near the village of Utitsa, got stuck in the battle for it and were unable to provide support to those corps of the Napoleonic army that fought at the Semyonovsky flashes. The defenders of the Utitsa Kurgan became a stumbling block for the advancing Poles.

At about 12 noon, the sides regrouped their forces on the battlefield. Kutuzov helped the defenders of Kurgan Heights. Reinforcement from the army of M.B. Barclay de Tolly received the 2nd Western Army, which left the Semyonov flushes completely destroyed. There was no point in defending them with heavy losses. The Russian regiments retreated beyond the Semenovsky ravine, taking up positions on the heights near the village. The French launched infantry and cavalry attacks here.

battle of Borodino from 9:00 to 12:30

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

At about 1 p.m., the Beauharnais corps resumed its attack on Kurgan Heights. At this time, by order of Kutuzov, a raid by the Cossack corps of the ataman and the cavalry corps of the general began against the enemy left wing, where the Italian troops were stationed. The Russian cavalry raid, the effectiveness of which historians debate to this day, forced Emperor Napoleon to stop all attacks for two hours and send part of his guard to the aid of Beauharnais.

Battle of Borodino from 12:30 to 14:00

During this time, Kutuzov again regrouped his forces, strengthening the center and left flank.

F. Rubo. "Living Bridge". Canvas, oil. 1892 Panorama Museum “Battle of Borodino”. Moscow

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

A cavalry battle took place in front of Kurgan Heights. The general's Russian hussars and dragoons attacked the enemy cuirassiers twice and drove them “all the way to the batteries.” When the mutual attacks here stopped, the sides sharply increased the force of artillery fire, trying to suppress the enemy batteries and inflict damage on them. maximum damage in manpower.

Near the village of Semenovskaya the enemy attacked guards brigade Colonel (Life Guards Izmailovsky and Lithuanian Regiments). The regiments, forming a square, repelled several attacks by enemy cavalry with rifle salvoes and bayonets. The general came to the aid of the guards with the Ekaterinoslav and Order Cuirassier regiments, which overthrew the French cavalry. The artillery cannonade continued throughout the field, claiming thousands of lives.

A.P. Shvabe. Battle of Borodino. Copy from a painting by the artist P. Hess. Second half of the 19th century. Canvas, oil. TsVIMAIVS

After repelling the Russian cavalry raid, Napoleon's artillery concentrated a large force of its fire against the Kurgan Heights. It became, as the participants in the battle put it, the “volcano” of Borodin’s day. At about 15 o'clock in the afternoon, Marshal Murat gave the order for the cavalry to attack the Russians at the Great Redoubt with its entire mass. The infantry launched an attack on the heights and finally captured the battery position located there. The cavalry of the 1st Western Army bravely came out to meet the enemy cavalry, and a fierce cavalry battle took place under the heights.

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

After this, the enemy cavalry for the third time strongly attacked a brigade of Russian guards infantry near the village of Semenovskaya, but was repelled with great damage. The French infantry of Marshal Ney's corps crossed the Semenovsky ravine, but its attack large forces was not successful. At the southern end of the position of the Kutuzov army, the Poles captured the Utitsky Kurgan, but were unable to advance further.

Desario. Battle of Borodino

After 16 hours, the enemy, who had finally captured Kurgan Heights, launched attacks on Russian positions to the east of it. Here the general's cuirassier brigade, consisting of the Cavalry and Horse Guards regiments, entered the battle. With a decisive blow, the Russian guards cavalry overthrew the attacking Saxons, forcing them to retreat to their original positions.

North of the Great Redoubt, the enemy tried to attack with large forces, primarily with cavalry, but had no success. After 5 p.m., only artillery was active here.

After 16 hours the French cavalry attempted to attack swipe from the village of Semenovskoye, but came across columns of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky and Finland regiments. The guards moved forward with the beating of drums and overthrew the enemy cavalry with bayonets. After this, the Finns cleared the edge of the forest from enemy shooters, and then the forest itself. At 19:00 in the evening the gunfire here subsided.

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

By 6 pm the attacks had ceased along the entire line. Only the artillery fire and rifle fire in the forward lines, where the Jaeger infantry acted bravely, did not subside. The sides did not spare artillery charges that day. The last cannon shots were fired at about 10 pm, when it had already become completely dark.

Battle of Borodino from 14:00 to 18:00

Results of the Battle of Borodino

During the battle, which lasted from sunrise to sunset, the attacking “Grand Army” was able to force the enemy in the center and on his left flank to retreat only 1-1.5 km. At the same time, Russian troops preserved the integrity of the front line and their communications, repelling many attacks by enemy infantry and cavalry, while at the same time distinguishing themselves in counterattacks. The counter-battery fight, for all its ferocity and duration, did not give any advantage to either side.

The main Russian strongholds on the battlefield - Semenovsky flashes and Kurgan Heights - remained in the hands of the enemy. But the fortifications on them were completely destroyed, and therefore Napoleon ordered the troops to leave the captured fortifications and retreat to their original positions. With the onset of darkness, mounted Cossack patrols came out onto the deserted Borodino field and occupied the commanding heights above the battlefield. Enemy patrols also guarded the enemy's actions: the French were afraid of attacks in the night by Cossack cavalry.

The Russian commander-in-chief intended to continue the battle the next day. But, having received reports of terrible losses, Kutuzov ordered Main army at night retreat to the city of Mozhaisk. The withdrawal from the Borodino field took place in an organized manner, in marching columns, under the cover of a strong rearguard. Napoleon learned about the enemy’s departure only in the morning, but he did not dare to immediately pursue the enemy.

In the “battle of the giants,” the parties suffered huge losses, which researchers are still discussing today. It is believed that during August 24-26, the Russian army lost from 45 to 50 thousand people (primarily from massive artillery fire), and the “Grand Army” - approximately 35 thousand or more. There are other figures, also disputed, that require some adjustment. In any case, the losses in killed, died from wounds, wounded and missing were equal to approximately a third of the strength of the opposing armies. The Borodino field also became a real “cemetery” for the French cavalry.

The Battle of Borodino in history is also called the “battle of the generals” due to the large losses in the senior command. In the Russian army, 4 generals were killed and mortally wounded, 23 generals were wounded and shell-shocked. In the Grand Army, 12 generals were killed or died from wounds, one marshal (Davout) and 38 generals were wounded.

The fierceness and uncompromising nature of the battle on the Borodino field is evidenced by the number of prisoners taken: approximately 1 thousand people and one general on each side. Russians - approximately 700 people.

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

Both Napoleon and Kutuzov demonstrated the art of great commanders on the day of Borodin. The “Great Army” began the battle with massive attacks, starting continuous battles for the Semenovsky flushes and Kurgan Heights. As a result, the battle turned into a frontal clash of sides, in which the attacking side had minimal chances of success. The enormous efforts of the French and their allies ultimately proved fruitless.

Be that as it may, both Napoleon and Kutuzov, in their official reports about the battle, declared the result of the confrontation on August 26 as their victory. M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov was awarded the rank of field marshal for Borodino. Indeed, both armies showed the highest heroism on the Borodin field.

The Battle of Borodino did not become a turning point in the campaign of 1812. Here we should turn to the opinion of the famous military theorist K. Clausewitz, who wrote that “victory lies not simply in capturing the battlefield, but in the physical and moral defeat of the enemy forces.”

After Borodin, the Russian army, whose fighting spirit had strengthened, quickly regained its strength and was ready to expel the enemy from Russia. Napoleon’s “great” “army,” on the contrary, lost heart and lost its former maneuverability and ability to win. Moscow became a real trap for her, and the retreat from it soon turned into a real flight with the final tragedy on the Berezina.

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

After the enemy captured Smolensk on August 6, a general battle seemed inevitable. Commander-in-Chief Barclay de Tolly no longer tried to avoid him, and all movements of the army from that moment were aimed at finding a convenient position for battle.

On August 17 (29), 1812, both Russian armies (Barclay and Bagration) arrived at Tsarev-Zaimishch, where Barclay decided to stop. On the same day, a new commander-in-chief, Prince Golenishchev-Kutuzov, arrived to the army. He understood the benefits of avoiding a decisive battle, so that, by dragging the French deeper into the country, he could weaken their strength, but, yielding to the public mood, he still decided to take the fight. Kutuzov recognized the position at Tsarev-Zaimishche as inconvenient and on August 22 withdrew his troops to the village of Borodino.

Battle of Borodino. Video

Two days later, Napoleon attacked the Shevardinsky redoubt, which constituted the forward position, and on August 26, 1812, the main position at Borodino. This position stretched from the Moscow River to the village of Utitsa for 7 miles. The Kolocha River flowed in front of the right flank, while the left was completely open. In the center lay the height on which Raevsky's battery was built; to the south, near the village of Semenovskaya, 3 small fortifications were built (Bagration's flashes). Barclay’s First Army was located on the right flank and in the center of the position up to Raevsky’s battery, and Bagration’s Second Army was located on the left flank. After the Battle of Shevardin, Tuchkov’s corps from the First Army was transferred to the extreme left flank to Utitsa. The 5th Corps of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich constituted the general reserve, and the village of Psarevo had an artillery reserve (about 300 guns).

On August 26 at 6 o'clock in the morning the cannonade began. In the Battle of Borodino, the French attacked almost simultaneously at three points: 1) the troops of Viceroy Eugene Beauharnais quickly attacked Borodino, knocked out the guards rangers from it and crossed the Kolocha River, but there two regiments from Dokhturov’s corps overturned them and destroyed the bridges across Kolocha; 2) Davout with three divisions moved to the Semenov fortifications, but was upset by the strong fire of the Russian batteries; 3) Poniatowski began his actions on the old Smolensk road against the left flank, but managed to advance only to the village of Utitsa. At 7 o'clock Ney's corps moved forward to join Davout's left flank. Behind him was Junot's corps, and Davout's troops were followed by three reserve cavalry corps. Thus, eight infantry divisions and three cavalry corps were preparing to attack one point occupied by the 6th battalions of the combined grenadier division of Count Vorontsov, behind which was another 27th infantry division of Neverovsky.

Despite the terrible fire, the French reached the Semenov fortifications and captured them, destroying Vorontsov’s division. Soon the 27th Infantry Division and Konovnitsyn's division sent by Tuchkov arrived. The fortifications changed hands twice. Chief Defender their Bagration was wounded, and the Russian troops retreated beyond the ravine near the village of Semenovskaya. Having captured the fortifications, the French tried to shoot down our troops positioned behind the ravine, but a number of attacks by Murat’s cavalry were repulsed by volleys from the Izmailovsky and Lithuanian Guards regiments.

At about 11 o'clock they moved away cannon shot from the ravine. The French, having occupied Semenovskaya, opened strong cannon fire on the Russian troops fighting in the center near the Raevsky battery. Viceroy Eugene crossed the Kolocha River somewhat higher than Borodino and moved his corps to Raevsky’s battery. There were 8 battalions here that successfully repelled the attack. But during the second attack, the Russians did not have enough charges, and the artillery weakened its fire at the decisive moment. Thanks to this, the French captured Raevsky's battery and broke through the center of the Russian army. However, the chief of staff of the 1st Army, Ermolov, with the first battalion he came across, rushed to the lost battery, and it again found itself in Russian hands.

At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Napoleon decided to strike the final blow in the direction of Raevsky's battery, but an unexpected attack by Platov's Cossacks and Uvarov's cavalry corps on the French left flank slowed down the attack of the battery until 2 o'clock in the afternoon, thanks to which the Russian troops managed to settle in and receive reinforcements. By 3 o'clock in the afternoon, after a stubborn battle, Raevsky's battery fell to the French. Then a large cavalry battle broke out south of the battery, under the cover of which the Russians retreated.

The Battle of Borodino at its different stages. Plan

At 4 o'clock Napoleon himself arrived at the Semenovsky Heights. The order in which the Russians retreated showed him that the Battle of Borodino was far from being decided. He did not dare to bring his last reserve, the guard, into battle; however, the other corps became so exhausted that they could no longer continue the attacks. Having deployed up to 400 guns on occupied heights, the French limited themselves to cannonade, which lasted until 9 pm. By nightfall they retreated back to old places, leaving only forward posts at the heights.

None of the battles of those times can compare with Borodino either in the ferocity and tenacity of the battle, or in mutual losses, which reached up to a third of the fighting troops. The Battle of Borodino did not change the course of the war: Napoleon’s movement to Moscow continued. But this battle still gave the Russians significant benefits: the French army, frustrated and weakened by the losses it had suffered, could no longer replenish them, while the Russian troops were only approaching their reinforcements. Napoleon, who dreamed of ending the war with one blow, became convinced that it had only just begun with this battle. The tenacity with which the Russians defended every step showed the French what they had to expect ahead, and instilled in their army such despondency as usually only resulted from complete defeat.

Near the village of Semenovskaya, where Major General Tuchkov 4th fell, his widow built a church in the name of the Image Not Made by Hands and founded it convent. Before the 1917 revolution, every year on August 25th procession from the village of Borodino to this church, where a memorial service was held in memory of the Russian soldiers who died in the Battle of Borodino. The tsarist government erected a monument on the site of Raevsky's battery.

The Battle of Borodino briefly

In any war there were battles that became a turning point in it. For the Patriotic War in 1812, such a moment was the battle that took place on August 26 (September 7 according to the new style) and was called Borodino. On the one hand, the Russian army took part in this battle, in which at that time the commander-in-chief was General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. On the other hand, there was an international army, the basis of which was French troops, under the command of Napoleon I Bonaparte. The main reason why Russian troops fought at Borodino was the desire to weaken the French army and delay its advance towards Moscow. To do this, Kutuzov blocked the New Smolensk road, where the French were advancing, concentrating almost three-quarters of their forces in this area.

The general battle itself was preceded by a battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt, which lasted all day on August 24. During this day, the redoubt alternated between moving to one side and then to the other, but in the evening he ordered Gorchakov’s troops defending the redoubt to retreat to the main forces. In fact, the task of defending the Shevardinsky redoubt was to cover the strengthening of the main lines of defense and determine the movement of Napoleon’s army. Historians estimate the size of both armies differently, but everyone agrees on one thing - before the general battle, Kutuzov and Napoleon had approximately the same number of people at their disposal, with a slight advantage on the side of the French. If we take an average estimate, then for the Russians this number reached 110 thousand regular army and about 19 thousand militia, and Bonaparte had about 135 thousand regular military personnel.

The Battle of Borodino itself, in short, consisted of several bloody battles:

Battle for the village of Borodino - here the French corps of Beauharnais fought against the Russian chasseur regiments of Barclay de Tolly;

The battle for Bagration's flushes, in which 15 divisions of Marshals Ney, Davout, Murat and General Junot were advanced against two divisions under the command of Neverovsky and Vorontsov. It was here that General Konovnitsyn was wounded and took command.

After the Russians abandoned the flushes and secured themselves behind the Semenovsky ravine, a third battle took place here, which involved troops attacking and defending the flushes. The heavy cavalry of General Nansouty joined the French, Platov’s Cossacks and Uvarov’s cavalry joined the Russian troops.

This was followed by battles for the Raevsky battery and battles on the old Smolensk tract. And although the French captured all key positions, by the evening of August 26, they were forced to retreat and leave the territory to the Russians. But Kutuzov, realizing that he had a little more than half the original number of people left (by the way, the French lost even more - almost 60 thousand people) decided to retreat to Moscow.

Because of this retreat, long disputes continued about who won the Battle of Borodino, but no one will argue that this battle was the beginning of the end of Napoleon’s army. And briefly assessing the Battle of Borodino, it must be said, that it was the beginning of a series of victories for Russian weapons.