Battle of Borodino
Borodino, Russia
What happened
Emperor Napoleon led the French Grande Armée against the Russian army of Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, with generals Pyotr Bagration and Barclay de Tolly. Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 with a huge army, and the Russians kept retreating until Kutuzov made a stand at Borodino, west of Moscow. In a day of terrible fighting, the French captured the Russian earth forts called the Raevsky redoubt and the Bagration flèches. Napoleon refused to send in his elite Imperial Guard, and at the end of the day the Russian army withdrew in order rather than being destroyed.
Why it matters
Result: See § Aftermath. Leaders: Napoleon I / L.-N. Davout against Mikhail Kutuzov / Michael A. Barclay de Tolly. Why it matters: It was the bloodiest single day of the Napoleonic Wars. Historians disagree on who won; many call it a draw or a very costly French victory, while Russia claimed victory.
What came next
Kutuzov decided to give up Moscow without a fight, and the French entered the city about a week later to find it abandoned and burning.
Did you know?
The battle appears in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture celebrates Russia's defence against Napoleon.
Timeline
- 1812Napoleon invades Russia.
- 7 September 1812French and Russian armies fight at Borodino.
- September 1812The French enter an abandoned, burning Moscow.