Battles & Campaigns · 1812
Battle of Shevardino
Shevardino, near Borodino, Russia
What happened
French, Italian and Polish troops under Napoleon, Joachim Murat, Louis-Nicolas Davout and Józef Poniatowski attacked Russian troops under Pyotr Bagration and Andrei Gorchakov. As Napoleon's army neared Moscow, the Russians held a small earthwork redoubt at Shevardino in front of their main line. French cavalry, part of Davout's corps and Poniatowski's Poles attacked it, and after hard fighting the French took it.
Why it matters
Losing the redoubt threw the Russian left wing into disorder, and it had to pull back. Kutuzov said the redoubt was only meant to delay the French.
What came next
The great Battle of Borodino began two days later.
Did you know?
Kutuzov reportedly said the redoubt was manned 'simply to delay the advance of the French forces'.
Timeline
- 5 Sep 1812Battle of Shevardino begins.
- 6 Sep 1812Combat resumes.
- 7 Sep 1812Battle of Borodino.