Borodino, Battle of

Borodino, Battle of
(Sept. 7, 1812) Bloody battle of the Napoleonic Wars, fought during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, near the town of Borodino, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Moscow.

Napoleon's 130,000 troops won a narrow victory over 120,000 Russians under Mikhail Kutuzov. The Russians suffered about 45,000 dead and wounded, while the French lost about 30,000 men. The victory allowed Napoleon to occupy Moscow.

* * *

▪ European history
      (Sept. 7 [Aug. 26, Old Style], 1812), bloody battle of the Napoleonic Wars, fought during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Moscow, near the river Moskva. It was fought between Napoleon's 130,000 troops, with more than 500 guns, and 120,000 Russians with more than 600 guns. Napoleon's success allowed him to occupy Moscow. The Russians were commanded by General M.I. Kutuzov (Kutuzov, Mikhail Illarionovich, Prince), who had halted the Russian retreat at the town of Borodino and hastily built fortifications, to block the French advance to Moscow. Napoleon feared that an attempt to outflank the Russians might fail and allow them to escape, so he executed a crude frontal attack. From 6 AM to noon the fierce fighting seesawed back and forth along the three-mile (five-kilometre) front. By noon the French artillery began to tip the scales, but the successive French attacks were not strong enough to overwhelm Russian resistance. Napoleon, distant from, and perhaps unsure of, the situation on the smoke-obscured battlefield, refused to commit the 20,000-man Imperial Guard and 10,000 other practically fresh troops. Because Kutuzov had already committed every available man, Napoleon thus forfeited the chance of gaining a decisive, rather than a narrow, victory. Both sides became exhausted during the afternoon, and the battle subsided into a cannonade, which continued until nightfall. Kutuzov withdrew during the night, and a week later Napoleon occupied Moscow unopposed. The Russians suffered about 45,000 casualties, including Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, commander of the 2nd Russian army. The French lost about 30,000 men. Although the Russian army was badly mauled, it survived to fight again and, in the end, drove Napoleon out of Russia.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Borodino, Battle of — (1812)    A bloody and critical battle of the Napoleonic Wars fought between French and Russian troops on Russian soil. As Napoleon Bonaparte ’s forces moved across the European continent, Russian Tsar Alexander I formed an alliance with Britain …   Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800–1914

  • Borodino, Battle of — …   Useful english dictionary

  • battle — battle1 battler, n. /bat l/, n., v., battled, battling. n. 1. a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces: the battle of Waterloo. 2. participation in such hostile encounters or engagements: wounds received in battle. 3. a… …   Universalium

  • Battle of Moscow — For the 1812 battle during the Napoleonic Wars, see Battle of Borodino. Battle of Moscow Part of the Eastern Front of World War II …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Tsushima — Part of the Russo Japanese War …   Wikipedia

  • Borodino (disambiguation) — Borodino is a village of Russia famous for the Battle of Borodino.Borodino may also refer to one of the following.*Borodino class battleship, a class of Russian pre dreadnought battleships *Borodino class battlecruiser, a class of Russian… …   Wikipedia

  • Borodino (poem) — Borodino ( ru. Бородино) is a poem by Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov which describes the Battle of Borodino, the turning point of the Napoleon s invasion of Russia. It was first published in 1837 in literary magazine Sovremennik on the occasion… …   Wikipedia

  • Borodino — ( ru. Бородино) is a village in Moscow Oblast, Russia, 12 km southwards of Mozhaysk.The village is famous as the location of the Battle of Borodino, which occurred in what is now known as the Borodino Battlefield (Бородинское поле). The State… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Maloyaroslavets — Part of the French invasion of Russia (1812) Battle of Maloyaroslavets, by Piter von Hess …   Wikipedia

  • Borodino — [bôr΄ə dē′nō] Russian village just west of Moscow: site of a battle (1812) in which the Russian army retreated before Napoleon s army …   English World dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”