1. Invasion of Russia, 1812.
- - - Causes of war. >
- - - The Second Polish War. >
- - - The Great Patriotic War. >
- - - "The majestic migration'". >
2. Armies at Borodino.
- - - French Order of Battle. >
- - - Russian Order of Battle. >
3. "The Chessmen Are Set Up,
- - the Game Will Begin Tomorrow !"
- - - After the Battle of Shevardino, the Russians
- - - found themselves without a position for
- - - their left flank, and were forced to bend it back. > - -'The approaches, the ditches and the redoubt itself had disappeared
- - - Kutuzov. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - under a mound of dead and dying, of an average depth of 6 to 8
- - - Napoleon. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - men, heaped one upon the other."
- - - Map. >
4. The battle begins.
- - - Northern Flank: Eugene attacks Borodino village. >
- - - Southern Flank: Davout attacks Bagration Fleches. >
5. Six attacks on Bagration Fleches.
6. Fight for Raievski Redoubt.
7. Charge of the Saxons.
8. Russian Guard Infantry.
9. Poniatowski on the flank.
10. Breakthrough ?
11. Cossacks' Raid.
12. Grand Cavalry Charge. Capture of Raievski Redoubt.
13. Napoleon was in the state of extreme depression.
- - - Casualties. >
- - - March on Moscow. >
14. Sources and Links.
Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, 1812
The year of 1812 was full of events taking place all around the world.
In February Russia established fur trading colonies in California and Oregon.
Only few countries in Europe remained independent from France. England and Sweden were protected by water, but Russia not. "In 1811 the Emperor's power over the continent, as far as the frontier of Russia, was, in fact, absolute; and in France internal prosperity was enjoyed with external glory. But the Emperor of Russia, stimulated by English diplomacy and by a personal discontent, in dread also of his nobles, who were impatient under the losses which the continental system inflictem upon them, was plainly in opposition to the ascendency of France ... " (Napier - Vol III, p 192)
In 1812 France's position was one of unprecedented power.
It was, in all probability, the highest point of Napoleon's glory.
"Now begins the finest epoch of my reign" - he exclaimed.
Over the past decade he had turned France into an Empire which included the whole of
Belgium, Holland and the North Sea coast uo to Hamburg, the Rhineland, the whole
Switzerland, Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany, the Papal States, Illyria and Catalonia,
and ruled directly over some 45 million people. The French Empire was surrounded
by a number of dependent states.
Russia's commitment to Napoleon's Continental System was a mere lip-service.
Differences between France and Russia over influence in Poland and the Balkans.
'The Second Polish War'
Napoleon proclaimed 'Second Polish war' but against expectations of Poles that gave 100,000 soldiers to his army he avoided any concessions toward Poland having in mind further negotations with Russia. But with the reconquered Russian lands, Poland would have recovered all of her former domains. The Duchy of Warsaw became a bastion of France, and 100,000 Polish troops stood ready to fight for Napoleon and independence. The Poles waited for the moment when Napoleon would pronounce the sacred words "independent Poland" but he never uttered these words.
In spite of his continuous assurances that "the dangerous Polish dreams" as Alexander called them, would never be permitted realization, the Russian monarch was forever restive. He demanded that the word "Poles" be not used in public documents, that Polish orders be abolished and that the Polish army be considered as a part of that of Saxony. When Napoleon appeared at Kovno he wore the cap and uniform of a Polish officer. The dispersion, however, of the Polish regiments among the various French corps was strongly resented by the Poles.
For nowhere else had Napoleon a more loyal and devoted ally than the Poles who stood by him through thick and thin and did not abandon him until his very last hour. They formed a striking contrast to the Prussians under Yorck, who as soon as Napoleon's defeat became known joined the Russians, as did also the Austrians.] The Polish populace considered Napoleon and his troops as friends and liberators. This is confirmed by many French offices who campaigned in Poland. Parquin writes: "After our passage of the [Vistula] river ... the enemy [Russians] gave way and we occupied the Polish villages, where we were received like brothers by the people, miserably poor though they were." (Parquin - "Napoleon's Victories" p 63)
Actually Russia fought two great patriotic wars, one against Napoleon and his Grand Army in 1812, another against Hitler and the mighty German Wehrmacht between 1941-5.
In 1812 the Russian armies opposing Napoleon sought to avoid open battle and turned to attrition warfare. They left nothing behind that was of use, burned crops and villages, while the bold Cossacks constantly harassed the invaders. Chlapowski of Guard Lancers writes: "As the Russian Army retreated, they were burning most of the villages and forcing the inhabitants to load up their carts with their pitiful belongings and flee with their livestock to Moscow." (Chlapowski, - p 115)
Russian strategy of retreat and scorched earth was very tough on Napoleon's soldiers. The Russians fell back but as the summer wore on, Napoleon's supply and communication lines were stretched to maximum. By September without having engaged in a major battle, Napoleon's army had been reduced by more than half from fatigue, hunger, desertion, and relentless raids by Cossacks.
Napoleon's Grande Armee of 1812 included Germans from the states of the Confederation of the Rhine, Poles, Spanish, Portuguese, Austrians, Prussians and Italians, by 'fear or favor' all allied with the French under the 'Emperor of Battles' to fight the eastern nemisis.
The massive Napoleonic army moved from Germany to Prussia and Poland.
In March the main Napoleon's forces were massed between Gdansk (Danzig) and Warsaw, along the banks
of the Vistula River. "On 23 June 1812 a closed carriage drawn by 6 horses suddenly appeared in the middle of the bivouac of the 6th (Polish) Uhlan Regiment.
The troopers were even more startled when it stopped and Napoleon, himself, climbed out.
Spotting a major, Napoleon approached him, asking to see the regiment's commander. ... Napoleon asked the route to the Niemen River
and the location of the most advanced Polish outposts. The next request was the most surprising.
Napoleon requested Polish uniforms for himself and his staff. ... Napoleon did not wish to warn the Russians of the pending invasion.
Napoleon and his staff quickly exchanged their uniforms with some very surprised Polish
officers and headed for the border. ... Napoleon carefully examined the terrain. ...
Grande Armée, 600,000 men (270,000 French) strong was assembled along the line of the Niemen River. These troops were all well provisioned and mounted and all flushed with the successes of the previous campaigns. "The 'majestic migration' - in the words of Louis Madelin - advanced eastward in silence, if not in secret. " (Lachoque - "The Anatomy of Glory" p 217)
Armies at Borodino.
Napoleon's army at Borodino was very strong, 120.000-135.000 men and 584 guns.
Below we have averaged army's strength from several western sources:
General Petr Bagration commanded the Second Western Army. He was descendant of the Georgian royal family of the Bagrations. Bagration was born in northern Caucasus and entered the Russian army in 1782. According to Alexander Mikaberidze, the Russian soldiers called him "The Eagle." Everything about him seemed to evoke vigilance, self-reliance, and the grim business of war. Bagration was a master of rear-guard fighting, and was a tactically aggressive commander. In April 1799, Bagration captured Brescia in Italy, then defeated French general Serurier and forced Moreau to retreat to Marengo. At Trebia he commanded advance guard. In 1805 Bagration commanded advance guard of Kutuzov's army and then its rear guard. In 1806 and 1807 he was placed in the most dangerous situations, where everybody knew it would be necessary to fight against overwhelming odds.
"The Chessmen Are Set Up,
While pursuing the Russian rear guard Napoleon's advance guard came at Shevardino. It was on the left flank of the Russian army deployed behind Kolocha River to prevent the French from advancing along the Smolensk road to Moscow. Davout's and Murat's troops attacked the Russian rear guard at Shevardino. Poniatowski drove the Russians out of Yelnia and joined Davout and Murat. Murat, Poniatowski and Compans (of Davout's corps) attacked Russian rear guard and the redoubt the greencoats occupied. They fight was long and bitter.
Night fell, but it did not end the battle. The French began to turn the redoubt's flank. By this time the redoubt had been half destroyed by the French artillery. Prince Bagration received the order to withdraw his troops. The withdrawal was made under the cover of a cuirassier division and a single infantry battalion. The Russian battalion raised their voices and beat their drums as loudly as possible in an effort to exaggerate their numbers in the darkness, while the cuirassiers advanced to meet the French. The engagement was fought in total darkness, and in its confusion the Russians managed to complete their withdrawal.
March of the French troops to Shevardino (reenactment).
"Napoleon, riding to Valuievo on the twenty-fourth, did not see (as the history books say he did) the position of the Russians from Utitsa to Borodino (he could not have seen that position because it did not exist), nor did he see an advanced post of the Russian army, but while pursuing the Russian rearguard he came upon the left flank of the Russian position- at the Shevardino Redoubt- and unexpectedly for the Russians moved his army across the Kolocha. And the Russians, not having time to begin a general engagement, withdrew their left wing from the position they had intended to occupy and took up a new position which had not been foreseen and was not fortified. By crossing to the other side of the Kolocha to the left of the highroad, Napoleon shifted the whole forthcoming battle from right to left (looking from the Russian side) and transferred it to the plain between Utitza, Semenovskaia, and Borodino .." ( - Leo Tolstoy)
After the Battle of Shevardino, the Russians found themselves on the next morning without a
position for their left flank, and were forced to bend it back and hastily entrench it where
it chanced to be.
Kutuzov ordered Bagration to defend the southern part of the front. Here were built several v-shaped field fortifications known as the 'Bagration Fleches'. The fourth earthwork was slightly to the north, by Semonovskaia village. The village of Semenovskaia being of totally wooden construction it had been dismantled and burned to provide a clear field of fire.
North of Bagration Fleches stood so-called Raievski Redoubt, also called Great Redoubt or Death Redoubt. Tolstoy descrided it: "... on to the high knoll on which militiamen were at work excavating. This was the redoubt, as yet unnamed, afterwards called Raievski's redoubt, or the battery on the mound." and "The redoubt consisted of a mound, with trenches dug out on three sides of it. In the entrenchments stood 10 cannons, firing through the gaps left in the earthworks. In a line with the redoubt on both sides stood cannons."
Lieutenant Bogdanov (of pioneers) left us more detailed description of the most known redoubt
of the Napoleonic Wars: "At 11 PM, I was ordered to ride to general raievski. I found him at a battery built in
consequence of an order he had issued. The battery was completely finished, and artillery pieces were in their places;
it comprised almost a straight line, so that its front angle was more than 160 degrees and was pointed to the
junction of the Eemenovskii Brook with the Kolocha River. Its right face extended in the direction of two batteries near Gorki village and the artillery of ythe VI Infantry Corps,
and on the left face, it dropped to the line of the VII Infantry Corps where it was protected by its artillery pieces and by an open
battery of 60 pieces placed near Semonovskoie village; because of all this, the whole space in front of it
was protected by a heavy crossfire.
In front of Bagration Fleches stood the Shevardino Redoubt. It was erected to provide early warning of French advance from that direction. During battle of Borodino here was Napoleon's headquarter.
Before the battle, on the Russian side, took place a religious ceremony.
It was great for the morale of the Russian soldiers.
"A church procession was coming up the hill from Borodino. First along the dusty road came the infantry in ranks,
bareheaded and with arms reversed. From behind them came the sound of church singing.
Soldiers and opolchenie ran bareheaded toward the procession. ....
The opolchenie, both those who had been in the village and those who had been at work on the battery,
threw down their spades and ran to meet the church procession. Following the battalion that marched along the dusty
road came priests in their vestments- one little old man in a hood with attendants and singers.
Behind them soldiers and officers bore a large, dark-faced icon with an embossed metal cover.
... Behind, before, and on both sides, crowds of opolchenie with bared heads walked, ran, and bowed to the ground.
Kutuzov was in front of the village of Gorki, sitting on a folding chair brought by a
Cossack. He could not see the battlefield from where he was, but his mere presence was
enough. Officer Mitarevski wrote about Kutuzov: "It was as though some kind of power
emanated from the venerable commander, inspiring all those around him."
In 1812 Napoleon put on weight, and he developed a paunch. Those close to him noted that his eyes grew less piercing and he spoke more slowly. He also took longer to make decisions. Those used to his fits of fury were surprised to find him growing more pensive. His enemies noted that his victories were no longer as resounding as they had been.
Caulaincourt's Itineraire records that the Emperor that day rode three of his horses:
Luzelberg, Emir and Courtois.
"Napoleon was in the saddle by 3 am in the morning, and rode over to the Shevardino redoubt.
The troops were already moving up to their positions, cheering as they passed their Emperor.
'It's the entusiasm of Austerlitz !' Napoleon observed to Rapp.
By half past 5, all the units were in their designated positions, drawn up as if on parade.
'Never has there been a finer force than the French army had on that day' - recalled Colonel
Seruzier ... The commanding officers of every unit then read out a proclamation penned by
Napoleon the night before ... "Soldiers ! This is the battle that you have looked forward to
so much ! Now victory depends on you: we need it. ... "
Lejeune writes: "The appearance of all these crack troops, beautiful to behold in their impatience to go into action and secure a victory, made a most imposing spectacle." Despite the devastating losses earlier in the war, French morale remained excellent. Indeed, the battle looked like an easy victory for Napoleon and his Guard being present. Napoleon spent the previous day on horseback inspecting the own troops, considering plans and giving commands to generals. At dawn the Emperor mounted and rode to the front line where he had a good view of the Russian positions. The Emperor reviewed the Russian positions and returned to his staff. He listened to a suggestion from Davout to outflank the Russian left wing but said it should not be done.
Napoleon ordered to place all the 16 howitzers of the III and VIII Corps, on the flanks of the 40-gun battery that is to bombard the fleches. He also ordered Sorbier to be ready to advance with all the howitzers of the Guard`s artillery against either one or other of the fleches. On returning from a second inspection of the lines, Napoleon said "The chessmen are set up, the game will begin tomorrow!" In the night he anxiously asked whether the Russians had not withdrawn, and was told that the enemy`s campfires were still in the same place. Satisfied he went to sleep.
Thousands of smoking campfires could be seen everywhere.
Map of the Battle of Borodino, 1812.
N - Napoleon, K - Kutuzov,
Ext.links: maps of Borodino - 1 , - 2 , - 3 .
The battle begins.
The sun brightly lit up the enormous panorama which, rising like an amphitheater, extended before both armies. The Smolensk highway with two rows of birches on both sides passed through the village of Borodino where stood a white church. Below Borodino the highway crossed the Kolocha river by a bridge and, winding down and up, led to the village of Valuievo, where Napoleon was then stationed. The ground along the Kolocha River was broken. The rest of the battlefield was carpeted with meadows and small fields of rye. Only the southern part - around the village of Utitza - was wooded. In every direction were seen indefinite masses of infantry and the clatter of horses` hoofs was heard everywhere. In the sea of men and animals groups of birches shined in the sunshine, with their green and yellow foliage and white bark.
"Before dawn on 7 Sept the bands on the right flank began playing the reveillle to wake up the infantry, and it was gradually picked up all along the line. They pleyed the most rousing pieces. Music does a great deal to prepare the spirit for battle. ... As soon as it was light, a short imperial proclamation was read out to each battalion. Soon after, the cannon opened fire on the left flank ..." (Chlapowski, - p 116)
The deep-throated ‘boom’ of cannons rang out across the countryside.
The first shots had not yet ceased to reverberate before others rang out and yet more were
heard mingling with and overtaking one another.
"At 6 AM, the French guns opened up, the Russians answered, and as nearly a thousand
cannon spewed out their charges, to those present, even those who had been in battle before,
it seemed as though all hell had been let loose." (Zamoyski - "Moscow 1812" p 267)
It was quickly discovered the 102 guns Napoleon had ordered formed on the 6th were too far
away from the Russians. The guns were limbered up and moved forward.
The artillery fire quickly spread down the line to the I and III Corps and the Russian Second
Western Army. It was without doubt the heaviest concentrated cannonade of the war so far. The
gun smoke spread out over the whole space.
Borodino was a small village of several wooden buildings and a white church. The Smolensk highway passed through the village. Below Borodino the highway crossed the river by a bridge and, winding down and up, rose higher and higher to the village of Valuievo visible about 4 miles away, where Napoleon was then stationed. Beyond Valuievo the road disappeared into a forest on the horizon. Above Borodino was the village of Gorki.
Eugene sent part of his cavalry to the east, near the villages of
Loginovo and Bezzubovo, to protect his flank. It was an open area although partially marshy.
Delzon's 13th Division advanced with elan, despite the musketballs hissing and whistling everywhere. They drove the Russians out of the village and pursued across the river. The Lifeguard Jagers suffered very heavy casulaties before the crossing was completed. They were so hard-pressed by the enemy that they were unable to destroy the bridges.
According to Zhmodikov, it was the 1st Jagers that was ordered to attack the French and
drive them back behind Kolocha River. The commander of this regiment, went forward, together with both his battalion commanders, Petrov and Sibirtsev, to observe the French
and the point of attack from behind a narrow and long mound not far from the bridge.
The Lifeguard Jagers were moved back to the reserves were they joined Yermolov's Guard Infantry Division. Then the 1st Jagers were ordered to abandon Borodino village, to go back across the river and to destroy the bridges, and that was done under heavy enemey artillery and musket fire.
Eugene ordered to bring more artillery and formed a large battery to fire on the Russians. In the next hour Kaptzevich's VI Infantry Corps (7th and 24th Infantry Division) suffered substantial casualties. The artillery of VI Infantry Corps answered the French guns immediately. Vasili Grigorievich Kostenetzki was the chief of artillery in this sector of the battlefield. He was very popular among the gunners. This colossus could break a horseshoe with his bare hands ! He also carried a pallash of enormous size and length which he used at Borodino against the French infantry.
The Russians heavily defended the Fleches. In the right fleche stood Taube's III Position Battery, in the left and center fleches
stood Boguslavski's XI Position Battery, and in the left fleche stood Billingshausen's XXXII Position Battery.
Thse forces were supported by 4 guns of XXI Light Battery. On both sides of the redoubt behind the stream stood
artillery: Apuskin's XXXI Position Battery (to left) and half of Bogdanovich's superb I Position Battery (to right).
Near the fleches was a road winding through a thick, low-growing birch woods. The woods and small ravines were occupied by jagers. In front of Bagration's flank was a knoll not occupied by the troops and Bennigsen (chief-of-staff) criticized it. The troops were hidden behind the knoll and Bennigsen on his own authority ordered them to deploy on the knoll without even mentioning the matter to Kutuzov ! Bennigsen didn't know that the troops were in a concealed position as an ambush, that they should not be seen and might be able to strike an approaching attackers unexpectedly.
The French attacked fleches with part of Davout's I Army Corps (Dessaix's, Compans' and Friant's Infantry Divisions). The famous 57th Line Regiment was part of Compans' division and was nicknamed "The Terrible" for their ferocity in combat. Another splendid unit of Compans' division was the 25th Light Infantry Regiment.
About half an hour after the initial cannon shots had been fired MdE Davout’s I Corps attacked the southern most of the Bagration Fleches. Compans' 5th Infantry Division and 30 guns moved against these earthworks. The infantry columns disappeared amid the smoke but their rapid musketry firing could still be heard. They moved through the wood, their voltigeurs brushed aside Russian skirmishers, and the entire division pushed along the southern edge of the wood. The trees gave some protection against artillery fire and musketry and the attackers got very close to the earthworks. (As we see Davout made some good use of terrain, in contrast Ney will attack head on, frontally.)
Russian 24 cannons and musket fire shattered the advancing French infantry. The gun smoke spread out covering big part of the battlefield. Shouts were heard through the firing, but for a while it was impossible to tell what was being done there. GdD Compans was wounded, MdE Davout's horse was hit and threw to the ground. The Iron Marshal was stunned. The 57th Regiment "The Terrible" advanced far ahead and took the westernmost earthwork. One of the Frenchmen wrote: "A brave officer of that nation [Russia], seeing his men about to fall back, placed himself across the entrance to the redoubt and did everything he could to prevent them leaving it, but was shot through the body. Our men rushing forward with the bayonet, I ran towards this officer to protect him if he was still alive, but he died shortly after."
The 57th Regiment couldn't hold the earthwork and was thrown back. Compans' division was in disorder,
scattered around in the wood, bushes and folds of the ground. The wounded men staggered
along or were lying with their heads thrown awkwardly back and their shakos off.
Compans' battered 5th Division was replaced by Dessaix's 4th Division.
During the cannonade and Davout's first attack on the fleches, Poniatowski advanced along the road
from Elnia to Utitza and through the large forest to turn the Russians' position.
(Before battle Marshal Davout proposed an outflanking
movement by his I Corps and Poniatowski's V Corps to roll up the Russian line but Napoleon
agreed only on the V Corps).
Six Attacks on 'Bagration Fleches'
The booming cannonade was growing more intense over the whole battlefield. Approx. 100 French cannons targeted Bagration Fleches, Raievski Redoubt and the village of Borodino. Approx. 40 more guns were deployed against Bagration Fleches. The number of artillery pieces rapidly increased within next few hours. Part of the battlefield was covered with gun smoke. The French infantry rushed against the Russian field fortifications. The Russians did not however obligingly sit and wait and launched their own attack against the enemy. Prince of Wirtemberg's infantry division (8 battalions formed in two line of columns) eagerly counterattacked. The Prince wrote: "Actually, it was a walk into Hell. ... In this order we went straight for the enemy mass, while the huge battery hurled its balls at us."
GM Karl-Karlovich Sievers' IV Cavalry Corps (16 dragoon, 8 uhlan and 8 hussar squadrons) having ridden in the smoke past the infantry, which had been moved forward and was in action, attacked Compans' division. The Russian horsemen captured 12 guns and sabered the infantry. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by Sievers' cavalry, Vorontzov's division of converged grenadiers re-established themselves in the fleches.
The Wirtembergian cavalry charged and recaptured the 12 lost guns. They also pushed Sievers' cavalry back but the fleches remained in Russian hands. Behind Davout's and Ney's infantry appeared mass of German, French, and Polish cavalry. Antoni Rozwadowski of Polish 8th Uhlans described fighting with the Russian cavalry: “On that day (Sep 5th) the 6th Uhlans formed the first line, and we the 8th were formed in echelon” when Russian dragoons attacked. According to Rozwadowski the soil was dry and a huge, thick cloud of dust made his 8th invisible to the enemy. The Russians continued their advance against the 6th before the 8th attacked the left flank of the dragoons. The enemy fled in disorder.
After this action the 8th and 6th Uhlans moved to a new position behind a wood. There the regiments were formed in column, one after another and only the brigades stood in echelon. Soon the uhlans noticed Russian cavalry again charging against them. At a long distance the enemy looked similar to the dragoons just recently defeated and the Poles rushed forward certain of victory. When both sides were closer the uhlans realized that these “dragoons” were cuirassiers and the 6th fled toward the 8th. The 8th became disordered and both regiments fled and broke the Prussian hussars who stood in the rear. Only the next cavalry brigade who stood in echelon to the Poles counterattacked and threw the Russian cuirassiers back. (Rozwadowski - “Memoir” Biblioteka Zakladu Ossolinskich, rekopis 7994)
Artillery on both sides went beserk relentlessly punding the infantry. By now the French had deployed approx. 200 guns against Bagration Fleches. The Russians responded with 150 pieces. Prince Petr Bagration had Konovnitzin's 3rd Infantry Division and Neverovski's 27th Infantry Division. (During the army maneuvers in May 1812 the 3rd Infantry Division under Konovnitzin was held up as a model for the army.) He also brought up the second line of Raievski's Corps: Vasilchikov's 12th Division, and Paskevich's 26th Division. These forces deployed behind Vorontzov's 2nd Converged Grenadiers Division that defended the earthworks. Prince von Mecklenburg-Schwerin's 2nd Grenadier Division began moving behind the village of Semonovskaia. It was one of the top divisions of the Russian infantry with such regiments like Moscow Grenadiers, Kiev Grenadiers and the Siberian Grenadiers. The 2nd Grenadier Division was deployed in two lines east of Semenovskaia.
Now it was Ney's time to attack. At Borodino Ney complained bitterly about being made to 'take the bull by the horns'. Marshal Ney was called Le Rougeaud ("the ruddy") and le Brave des Braves ("the bravest of the brave"). He is known for epitomizing the soldierly virtue of "leading from the front". Octave Levavasseur writes: "Nature had given Ney an iron body, a soul of fire. His build was athletic.... His physiognomy was reminiscent of the Nordic type. His voice resonant. He only had to give an order for you to feel brave. ... No matter how brave you were or wished to appear, if this man was near you in the midst of a fight you had to confess him your master. Even under grapeshot his laughter and pleasantries seemed to defy the death all around him. His recognized superiority made everyone obey his orders." But Ney was an average tacticians and a hothead. Jomini wrote: "Ney's best qualities ... diminished in the same proportion that the extent of his command increased his responsibility."
Around 9 am GdD Ledru's 10th Division of Ney's III Army Corps attacked the fleches from the north. In the same time half of 4th Division attacked from the south. The two divisions disappeared as the others had done into the smoke of the battlefield. The fight went on for a while before Ledru's men drove off the converged grenadiers and captured the two or three fleches. (Bagration Fleches consisted of two big and one small earthwork). The French realized that there was a fourth earthwork, and not far away from the fleches.
Bagration saw the converged grenadiers being pushed out the fleches and quickly decided the time was ripe for a strong counterattack. Masses of Russian infantry poured into the combat zone under a withering fire, bending their faces before the seething storm of lead. They were supported by part of Sievers' cavalry and the 2nd Cuirassier Division. Ledru's infantry division rapidly fell back and the Russians retook much ground. The Wirtembergian cavalry under Beurmann and some French light cavalry did all they could to protect Ledru's and Dessaix's divisions. They charged and brought to a halt the Russian infantry.
Part of Duja's 2nd Cuirassier Division then came forward and swept them away. The Russian heavies captured 6 guns and sabered Desaix's infantry. The French and the Wirtembergians fled with the cuirassiers hot on their heels. French artillery fired canister at the pursuers. GdD Rózniecki’s Polish uhlans with fluttering pennants took on the Russians. Lance is not a very effective weapon in a jammed fight, especially against the armor. The fight was desperate but short and no quarters were given. The uhlans suffered badly and were thrown back. It seemed as disaster had befallen as the Russians could congratulate themselves with raised sabers and loud cheers if they had a moment to do that. The time was not handed to them and the French cuirassiers led by GdD Nansouty and 100 volunteers from the Polish 6th Uhlans dashed at Duka's heavies, ovethrew and pursued them.
The French artillery fire cut furrows in the packed Russian battalions. The flat ground allowed the cannonballs to ricochet or to roll unimeded. The Russian cuirassiers attacked several times the artillery. Girod de l’Ain described one of such episodes: “… we saw a charge of Russian cuirassiers coming at us like a tempest. They weren’t aiming exactly at us but at a battery of 30 of our guns…. Although this charge suffered from our fire as it passed us, it didn’t slow them down, any more than discharges of grapeshot from our battery, which they overthrew... But soon they were thrown back by cavalry squadrons….”
Over fields the balls of smoke were continually appearing and the sun's rays struck straight into Napoleon's face as, shading his eyes with his hand, he looked through a field glass at the Bagration Fleches. He saw smoke and men, sometimes his own and sometimes Russians, the smoke of the firing made it difficult to distinguish anything.
Around 10 am Ledru's division again attacked and captured one fleche.
A few minutes later disordered troops followed by groups of wounded men
uttering cries came back from that direction. Russian 3rd Infantry Division and Sievers' two dragoon
and two hussar regiments counterattacked and retook the earthwork.
Because Ney's two divisions (Ledru's 10th and Marchand's 25th) made no progress, Napoleon ordered Friant's 2nd Infantry Division to support them. At 11 am Friant's men stormed into the earthworks amid savage fighting and heavy losses and captured them. It was the fifth attempt against Bagration Fleches and short lived. Bagration counter-attacked with 2nd Grenadier and 27th Infantry Division. Friant's infantrymen were thrown out of the fleches. The officers re-formed them and brought them back to the fire. The French infantry ran forward over the killed comrades and abandoned weapons, stumbling, tripping up and shouting. At 11:30 am the earthworks were finally captured.
The 4 hours of savage fighting against Davout's and Ney's infantry took a heavy toll on the Russians. Approx. 300 French guns inflicted horrible casualties on the defenders of the fleches, the fourth earthwork and Semenovskaia village. (For comparison, at Waterloo Napoleon had 246 guns spread along the entire frontline. They divided their fire between Hougoumont, La Haye Sainte, and Plancenoit where Blucher's Prussians attacked.)
Bagration withdrew the 3rd Infantry Division some distance to the rear. This unit was commanded by
GL Petr Konovnitzyn (see picture) one of the best divisional commanders. During the army maneuvers in May
his 3rd Division was held up as a model for the army.
Fight for the Raievski Redoubt.
Raievski's VII Infantry Corps had been assigned to defend the Great Redoubt and the area
to the south. Raievski's artillery chief was GM Otto Ivanovich Bucholtz (Baron Karl Fedorovich Klodt von
Urgensburg was quartermaster of the corps). The VII Infantry Corps had two divisions; Vasilchikov's 12th
and GM Paskevich's 26th. Raievski occupied the ravine of Semenovskaia Stream and the wood in front with jagers
formed in thick skirmish chain. The remaining battalions were formed in columns in two lines.
When Prince Bagration was wounded and the Fleches were captured by the French, Raievski assumed his command and
began to move to the village of Semenovskaia. He also took the battalion columns of second
line. Soon however the French opened fire on his troops and the Redoubt and he decided it
was too dangerous for him to leave his corps.
Before 10 AM the French artillery opened fire and their skirmishers advanced against the Russians.
Raievski's jagers threw back the French reconnaissance in force.
Captain Francois writes: "A great number of Frenchmen fall into the wolfpits pell-mell with Russians who're in them already." The attackers swept through and beyond the redoubt, chasing the Russian gunners and some infantry. Three jager regiments (previously deployed as skirmishers) were fleeing. Chief-of-Staff of Russian army, General Ermolov, was nearby and saw the French already in the redoubt. He immediately brought three horse batteries and 2 infantry battalions and counterattacked. Two other battalions attacked from the right. In the fight was killed General Kutaisov, chief of artillery. Raievski rallied his VII Infantry Corps and moved against the enemy in and around the redoubt. The French fled. Only a handful resisted for no more than 10 minutes. Kreutz's III Cavalry Corps advanced against the Italians, stopping their progress. The redoubt was back in Russian hands. Ermolov took a handful of crosses of the Order of St. George and threw them into the redoubt to encourage the defenders.
Captain Francois of 30th Line Infantry Regiment described one of the attacks on Raievski
GM Fedor Karlovich Korf noticed a strong column of enemy’s infantry, and supported by cavalry moving against the Raievski Redoubt. The Russian foot skirmishers who were in advanced position fled toward their own columns and the situation was getting tense. Korf ordered the Izoum Hussars and the Polish Uhlans to attack the French. The two regiments were about to end their quick preparations and move forward when they were strucked by GdD Grouchy’s dragoons. The situation would quickly get worse if not the timely arrival of the Pskov and Moscow Dragoons. According to Korf these fresh forces threw back and pursued the enemy as far as the positions of the Italian infantry. (Korf’s raport: “Gen. Adj. Baron Korf - Gen. Barklayu de Tolli” in book “Otechestvennaya Voina 1812 Goda.” 1911, Volume XVIII, pages 37-39)
The French attacked again, while the blue-clad infantry marched toward the redoubt with
outstretched bayonets, Grouchy's III Cavalry Corps trotted around the fortification.
GdD Emmanuel Grouchy had two cavalry divisions in his disposal; Lahussaye's with 7th, 23rd, 28th and 30th Dragoon Regiment,
and Chastel's division with 6th Hussars, 6th, 8th and 25th Chasseurs-a-Cheval Regiment.
GdD Chastel also had Bavarian and Saxon lighthorsemen.
In this moment Olsufiev's 17th Division (of Baggovout's II Infantry Corps from the
extreme northern flank) was moving south, toward the hard pressed Bagration Fleches.
The 17th Division halted by the redoubt and was resting when Grouchy's cavalry strucked them.
Fedor Karlovich Korf's cavalry advanced to assist the infantry and Ermolov turned his guns
in the redoubt to fire on Grouchy's cavalrymen to his rear.
Grouchy's men had enough and rode away leawing behind the mauled 17th Division.
Killed and wounded men and horses carpeted the meadows.
Charge of the Saxons.
As the fight for Bagration Fleches and Raievski Redoubt raged, Napoleon ordered Marshal Joachim Murat to take Latour-Maubourg's IV Cavalry Corps and strike the enemy center. In the same time Friant's 2nd Infantry Division was about to attack the village of Semenovskaia in Russian center.
Meanwhile Bagration regrouped his forces. The remains of the 2nd Grenadier Division (formed in two squares) and 2nd Converged Grenadier Division were in and around Semenovskaia. Behind the village stood 6 battalions of Guard formed in squares. They were supported by the splendid 1st Cuirassier Division. The Russian artillery was still strong, numerous batteries were deployed in front of the infantry. There was however a lot of damaged equipment and injured and killed horses.
The French artillery opened tremendous fire and Latour-Maubourg's IV Cavalry Corps - formed into two columns - slowly moved forward. The right column consisted of GdD Lorge's 7th Heavy Cavalry Division (8 squadrons of Saxon, 8 Westphalian and 2 squadrons of Polish cuirassiers). The left column was made up of GdD Rozniecki's (see picture) 4th Light Cavalry Division. Rozniecki had 9 squadrons of Polish uhlans, three of them were from the fine 3rd Uhlan Regiment.
The Russian grenadiers and artillery were presented with the amazing sight of several thousands of cavalrymen coming towards them. The green-clad infantry formed squares to create fortresses out of which musket fire could be poured to disrupt or halt the cavalry charge. The square was the classic formation to resist cavalry as horses could not be enticed to charge into tightly formed troops bristling with bayonets. Between and in front of the squares Bagration had deployed artillery. Faced with the enormous force of cavalry massing but 1 km away, the infantry could do nothing but stay in their squares and wait.
In front of the cavalry rode the elite Saxon Garde du Corps, one of the best heavy cavalry regiments in Europe. The Garde du Corps were followed by another Saxon unit, the Zastrow cuirassiers, and then by two regments of Westphalian cuirassiers and two squadrons of Polish heavies. In peacetime the Garde du Corps rode large black horses, officers rode golden bays. In 1812 however the Saxon Garde du Corps and Zastrow Cuirassiers had smaller, though sturdy horses, either black or dark-brown, supplied by dealers as Mecklenburgers. The Garde du Corps wore brass helmets and pale buff tunics. Officers wore gold epaulettes.
The Saxons got under canister fire from horse battery, broke one square and pursued the
fleeing enemy. Sievers' dragoons counterattacked to save the infantry but were thrown back.
The Saxons went around the village of Semonovskaia and attacked from the rear
two Guard infantry regiments (3 battalions each). For an instant the generals had the
impression that the Guard had disappeared under the countless whirling sabers.
The Guard opened galling fire at close range. Panic-stricken horses, without riders,
came neighing and circling the troops.
General Borosdin-II brought two crack regiments of Russian heavy cavalry; His Majesty Cuirassiers and Her Majesty Cuirassiers, and threw them at the Saxons. The Astrahan Cuirassiers joined the fight. The Ahtyrka Hussars charged with the utmost fierceness against the flank of the enemy. The clash was very violent. For Officer Glinka it was an unforgettable spectacle: “What a bloody fighting! What a cram!” (Kak oni rezhutsia! Kakaya tesnota!). It was like a clash of armored knights with a frenzy of cutting and thrusting and the fighters going mental. The most miserable however were those who fell under the hooves where their bodies turned into unrecognized bloody pulp. The Saxons suffered in this "cram" for they have left armor in Germany.
While the whole air was reeking with gun smoke, the earth was shaking from
thousands of hooves, the Russian 2nd Cuirassier Division drew their sabers,
and strucked the Saxons, Poles and Westphalians from the flank and rear.
Lorge's cuirassiers resisted the enemy for a few moments before being driven back.
Much credit for the timely cavalry attack belong to the commander of the Russian cavalry, GL Dmitrii Vladimirovich Prince Golitzyn-V (1771-1844). Golitzyn was a seasoned officer, in 1797 became colonel, in 1798 general-major, and in 1800 general-lieutenant. He distingished himself in 1807 at Heilsberg against the French and in 1808-1809 in the war against the Swedes. King of Prussia was so impressed with Golitzyn that he awarded the Russian general with Black Eagle medal. At Borodino Prince Golitzin had his radar twitching for opportunities to use his armored cavalry: 1st and 2nd Cuirassier Division.
Russian Guard Infantry in Combat.
The Russian Guard Infantry - in contrast to the French Guard - participated in the battle.
They badly suffered from artillery fire and were repeatedly attacked by large number of
Saxon and French cuirassiers.
Ivan Fedorovich Udom-I reported to General Lavrov: “… the Lifeguard Lithuanian Regiment was sent to the Second Western Army of
General of Infantry Prince Bagration near the village [of Semeyonovskoie] … On regiment's arrival to this site, the enemy made
a strong attack on our battery and, upon being informed by Artillery Colonel Taube, I led the II Battalion of the regiment
and drove the enemy back, which, however, was soon reinforced and compelled our entire line to retreat for 50 paces.
The enemy showered us with cannonballs and canister and attacked with cavalry.
My three battalions were arranged in squares awaiting cavalry and despite being surrounded by
a superior enemy, they met him gallantly, allowing him to approach to close range before
delivering a battalion volley, and, yelling 'Hurrah!';
Poniatowski on the Flank.
On the extreme southern flank Prince Poniatowski's weak corps had advanced to their
positions early in the morning. Poniatowski had two infantry divisions led by General
Krasinski, and the battle-hardened General Kniaziewicz. The light cavalry was superb and included
some of the best regiments: 13th 'Silver' Hussars and the 5th Chasseurs.
Officer Chlapowski of Old Guard Lancers writes: "I was most impressed by the appearanace of
Prince Sulkowski's cavalry division. They had a good soldierly appearance and their horses were magnificent.
... the 5th Chasseurs, who were very fine and even better mounted than the 13th 'Silver' Hussars."
The Polish artillery was numerically weak, but it was superbly led by French General Pelletier.
Tuchkov had been weakened when the 3rd Division was detached north to aid the defenders of Bagration Fleches. He had only the 1st Grenadier Division (12 battalions). commanded by GM Pavel Aleksandrovich Prince Stroganov. This division consisted some of the best regiments in the Russian army: Tzar's Grenadiers and Pavlovsk Grenadiers.
The Pavlovsk Grenadiers (see picture -->) wore old-fashioned mitre-caps until the end of Napoleonic Wars.
In 1807 for their gallant fight at Friedland Tzar Alexander ordered that, alone of the infantry, this regiment should henceforth
retain its mitres "in the state in which they left the battlefield as visible mark of its bravery and Our grace."
J. S. Stanhope wrote: "and the marks made by the musket balls in these caps are considered as so many decorations,
and , therefore are never repaired."
In 1812 at Loshmiana they met French infantry and soon there were only scattered debris of the enemy.
At Kliastitzi the depot battalion of this regiment, while under hail of fire, passed through a flaming bridge at full speed
and took by storm all the building defended by the Swiss infantry.
In 1813 for their valor in combat the Pavkovsk Grenadiers and Tzar's Grenadiers (Leib Grenadiers)
were admitted to the Guard.
The battle began with a sharp firefight between the Polish and Russian skirmishers. The Poles pushed the enemy skirmishers out of the wood and at 10:30 a.m. Poniatowski moved his artillery forward. More than 20 guns were deployed and directed their fire on Utitza. Kutusov learned about Poniatowski's advance and ordered Baggovout's II Infantry Corps from the extreme northern flank to march south and join Tuchkov's force. II Infantry Corps' Quartermaster was Gabbe, and Officer of the Day was Olszewski. Baggovout left 12 jager battalions along the Kolocha River and with the remaining 16 battalions (GM Prince von Württemberg's 4th and GL Olsufiev's 17th Infantry Division) he moved south. On their way south however Olsufiev's 17th Division was attacked by Grouchy's dragoons.
The rapid advance of the Poniatowski's Poles forced the Russian artillery to withdraw.
Polish artillery, and two batteries detached from the artillery of the French Imperial Guard, engaged in a 3 hour duel with the numerous Russian guns while Poniatowski prepared a two column attack against the mound. The southern column was a diversion only. Baggovout counterattacked with everything he had: his II Infantry Corps, the 1st Grenadier Division, and Karpov's Cossacks. This force halted the Polish column. But this action exposed Baggovout's northern flank and here was Poniatowski's second column. Poniatowski outsmarted Baggovout. This maneuver obliged the Russian general to fall back and abandon his positions to to the Poles.
Poniatowski's infantry attacked the Utitza Mound while the Polish 'Silver Hussars, and the green-clad chasseurs-a-cheval deployed to the south, facing Karpov's Cossacks. The drums could be heard in the distance as the Polish infantry moved forward. They brushed off enemy skirmishers and advanced against the artillery. While the situation near Utitza became dangerous for the Russians - it was not precarious yet. Baggovout had several battalions in reserve and the militia in the wood. Especially his artillery was powerful.
Karpov's Cossacks caused no real problems and Poniatowski's light cavalry moved along the road. With Bagration mortally wounded, Davout capturing the Fleches, and Poniatowski's strong pressure on the flank, GL Baggovout fell back.
After battle the Red Lancers of Napoleon's Guard spent the night in woods taken by Poniatowskki's infantry. "This part of the field had been taken by the Polish troops of Prince Poniatowski's V Corps. The ground between the trees was so choked with dead men and horses that the Lancers had to lift scores of corpses out of their way before they could clear a space to make their bivouac." (Ronald Pawly - "The Red Lancers" pp 37-38)
The cavalry withdrew and Friant brought forward half of his 2nd Division near the ruins
of Semenovskaia. The village was almost captured before 4 grenadier battalions arrived
and put on impressive resistance.
Friant's battalions were very discouraged and some wanted to withdraw
but Murat arrived with these words "Soldiers, about face ! Let's go and get killed !"
Friant's men crushed the grenadiers and swept over the smoking ruins of the village.
Meanwhile Bagration was mortally wounded and Konovnitzin, and then Dohturov took command
of his army. The Russina troops were shaken and moved back few hundred paces, with some
decimated units withdrawing into the woods in the rear. The casualties were horrific,
for example the 6 grenadier battalions that had defended Bagration Fleches were reduced to
a total of about 300 men !
Napoleon was unsure of the situation on the smoke-obscured battlefield. "He sat very still most of the time, showing little emotion, even when listening to the reports of panting officers who, without dismounting, retailed news from the front line. He would dismiss them without a word, and then go back to surveying the battlefield through his telescope. He had a glass of punch at 10 am, but brusquely refused all offers of food. He seemed very absorbed ..." (Zamoyski - "Moscow 1812" pp 271-272)
Instead of infantry Napoleon sent Sorbier's 60 pieces of Guard artillery to support Friant.
The Guard artillery swiftly deployed and began an enfilading fire on Tolstoy's IV Infantry
Corps maneuvering in front of Friant and covering the gap in Russian line.
Despite the fire, the Russians marched as if they were on parade ground,
filling the gaps the cannonballs and canister ripped in their ranks.
Their suffering was incredible.
The plain between Friant and Tolstoy was a hideous charnel house, strewn with human remains,
and corpses of horses whose stiffened limbs reach up towards the heavens.
But not only the Russians suffered from artillery fire.
Latour-Maubourg's IV Cavalry Corps, those magnificent Saxon, Westphalian and Polish heavy
cavalry were used to hold the line. They were put under fire of the Russian artillery and
were badly mauled as they stood in the open. There was not much infantry around, the foot
soldiers took cover in the ravines, woods, folds of terrain etc.
Russian cannonballs also reached Montbrun's II Cavalry Corps. The horse carabiniers with
their copper armor attracted the attention of enemy gunners. GdD Montbrun was killed and
replaced by Gen. August de Caulaincourt.
On the northern flank stood Platov's Cossack Corps formed in three lines. Platov had 5,600 men in several regiments of Cossacks, Bashkirs and Tartars. The Simferopol Tatars were under Prince Kaya Bey. In contrast to Platov's jackass cavalry, Uvarov had regular troops, including the flower of Russian light cavalry; Lifeguard Hussars and Elisavetgrad Hussars, and the fine horse artillery under Peter Göring.
Karl von Clausewitz writes: "General Platoff had been employed with some 2,000 Cossacks to discover a ford of the Kolotscha on the Russian right, had passed over,
and was astonished where he had expected to find the entire left wing of the enemy to meet with few or no troops.
... In short, Platoff despatched the Prince of Hesse Philipsthal, who was with him as a volunteer,
to General Kutusov to acquaint him with the discovery he had made, and to make the proposal to throw a considerable body of cavalry over the river by the ford, and fall on the exposed flank of the enemy.
About 11 am Platov's Cossacks and Uvarov's I Cavalry Corps moved against French northern flank and rear. These forces moved across the Kolocha River and soon encountered the enemy. Uvarov was halted at Bezzubovo by French 84th Line Infantry (4 battalions) and half of Ornano's cavalry division. The Russian Lifeguard Hussars attacked 84th three times without artillery preparation or success. The Russian guns finally arrived and forced the French to withdraw behind the river. It allowed the remainder of Uvarov's cavalry to drive back the Bavarian and Italian cavalry.
Prussian officer, Clausewitz, rode with Uvarov: "He [Uvarov] passed the Kolotscha by a ford above Staroie, then brought his right shoulder forward, and took a direction towards Borodino,
in pursuing which, however, he was obliged, on account of some marshy rivulets which fall into the Kolotscha, to incline sensibly to the right.
The village lay on his left, in which the troops of the vice-king had established themselves; before him was the brook, which runs through swampy meadows.
On his side of it stood a couple of regiments of cavalry, and a mass of infantry, which might be a
regiment or a strong battalion.
The French cavalry retired immediately over a dam, which crosses the brook at about 2000 paces
from Borodino. The infantry however, was bold enough to remain and form square with the dam in their rear.
General Uvarov attacked.
Initially Platov's Cossacks moved without major problems, they crossed the Voina River
("War River") further north than Uvarov, and made raid on French rear.
Word the much feared Cossacks were to the rear had spread terror as far south as Napoleon's
headquarters in Shevardino Redoubt.
The Emperor also sent the infantry of Vistula Legion into Eugene's rear. The Young Guard had made ready to receive the enemy. Napoleon also shifted his position north, remaining there until about 3:00 p.m. These forces halted the rampaging Cossacks and threw them back. The diversion however had paralyzed the French left and part of the center from about noon to 2:00 p.m.
Kutuzov probably expected more, Platov and Uvarov were the only top commanders which were not submitted by Kutuzov to awards for Borodino. Britten-Austin writes "Ouvarov was severely reprimanded for making such a mess of his diversion. It was only years afterwards that he and his fellow Russian generals realized that he had saved Russia from the disaster which would have overtaken its army had Napoleon, in his usual manner, thrown in the Imperial Guard through the hole that, between 11 and 1 o'clock, had been blasted in the Russian centre. Only the Prussians' timely arrival at Waterloo would save Wellington from exactly the same catastrophe." (Britten-Austin - "1812 The March on Moscow" p 381)
Karl von Clausewitz writes: "A diversion by 2,500 horse could not possibly have a decisive influence on a battle delivered on one side by 130,000 men - it could at best put a spoke in the wheel of their plans for a moment, and astonish them more or less."
Grand Cavalry Charge
Approx. 175 French guns directed its fire on the Redoubt and troosp positioned near it.
The earth forming the Raievski Redoubt was blown back into the trench, filling it in.
At 2:00 p.m. Eugene's infantry and Grouchy's cavalry were involved in the final attack on
Chlapowski of Guard Lancers writes: "The redoubt had been so ruined by cannon
fire that the Emperor rightly judged cavalry capable of taking it.
So we watched the beautiful sight of our cuirassier charge."
Before long the Russian gunners and infantrymen heard a new sound.
It grew in intensity until suddenly, from the smoke, a huge body of armored cavalry burst onto
the plain. The sight chilled Russians' blood.
The Redoubt was attacked from the right by:
One can well imagine what it must have been like inside that redoubt as Russian gunners and infantrymen
prepared to defend themselves against an attack that was imminent: desperation on the faces
of some, determination on others.
The cavalrymen pressed on with sabers drawn. The 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division was one of the units which, by-passing the redoubt to its right, have galloped towards a line of Russian guns, supported only 60 or 80 metres away by a line of Russian cuirassiers and dragoons. The cannons are spewing a rolling fire of grape and caseshot at the French. Thirion writes: "Rarely, I declare, have I found myself in so hot a spot. Immobile in front of the Russian guns, we see them loading the projectiles they're going to fire at us ... Happily, they aim too high. ... Finally a Westphalian division puts itself behind us. Separated from the Russians by our two ranks of horses, it imagines itself under cover. But when we, by moving off by platoons to the right, open up a gateway for them to move ahead of us between each platoon, these poor Westphalians, partly recruits, surprised to find themselves so close to thundering guns and to see us making to move off, begin shouting: 'Wir bleiben nicht hier !' [we're not staying here !], and try to follow our withdrawal, which obliges us to retrace our footsteps to support, or rather comfort, this infantry, at whose heels our horses were marching."
Tolstoy's IV Infantry Corps of 16 battalions was attacked by enemy cavalry. (At Borodino, Russian infantry battalion when attacked by cavalry was to form a closed column or battalion square.) The Pernau Infantry and the 33rd Jagers let the enemy come up to 60 paces and then threw them in disorder by a volley. The Pernau Infantry then itself attacked and routed the cavalry with bayonets, some men in the first rank even threw their muskets as javelins at the backs of the cavalrymen ! (Zhmodikov - "Tactics of the Russian Army in the Napoleonic Wars" Vol. II)
Wathier's 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division arrived at the redoubt first, and as they were about to enter its rear they were greeted by a heavy volley from the infantry inside. General Caulaincourt Caulaincourt had been killed at the gorge of the redoubt, as he led the charge. (He was buried in the redoubt he had so nobly won.) Wathier's cuirassiers were repulsed and Lorge's Saxon, Westphalian and Polish heavies and Rozniecki's uhlans moved to fill the gap. The cavalrymen were met by Russian musketry at 60 paces. The fire brought them to a short halt before they resumed their advance. The Saxons drew out to the left and poured up and over the redoubt's earthen walls.
GdD Defrance and GdD Wathier led 16 squadrons of French cuirassiers and 8 squadrons of horse carabiniers.
These iron-clads together with 2 squadrons of the Polish cuirassiers forced their way through the
rear and embrasures of the breastwork. A bloody fight ensued in which all discipline and organization disappeared.
Three infantry divisions came into the redoubt too: Morand's, Gerard's and Broussieres'.
The Raievski Redoubt was captured by cavalry, a feat never repeated !
The achievement of Saxon heavy cavalry at Borodino was belittled by Napoleon's comment
"I only see blue cuirassiers". (French cuirassiers wore dark blue).
Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Loeffelholtz von Colberg and his proud Garde du Corps,
and Günther von Selmitz with the Zastrow Cuirassiers, pushed through the screening Russian infantry
and forced their way into the Redoubt. The victory had, however, been dearly bought.
Only few men of the Saxon Heavy Cavalry Brigade survived to rally around their standards.
The French and German cavalry repeatedly attacked Kaptzevich's 7th Infantry Division but without success and had to fall back all along their front. Murat brought up Defrance's 4th Heavy Cavalry Division and finally the giant French carabiniers (8 squadrons) broke two squares and sabered the gunners of Guard horse battery. Thier victory was however very short-lived as Russian 8 Guard squadrons (4 sq. of Guard Cavalry Regiment and 4 sq. of Lifeguard Horse Regiment) counter-charged and retook the battery. The Russian Guard charged and drove the French carabiniers and the Saxons back.
According to the Russians, the Guard Cavalry (Chevaliers) stood in squadron columns with intervals; in the first line were I and IV Squadron, and in the second the III and V. The Lifeguard Horse was deployed to the left of the Guard Cavalry. Its four (I, III, IV, V) squadrons were formed in one line, squadron by squadron with intervals. When the trumpets crashed out with brazen voice the two outfits began their magnificient advance. The fighting itself took place on a rye field and the onrush on both sides was so terrific that some of the most forward horses and men went down like poppies in a hurricane. The two squadrons of Poles moved to the right in an attempt to protect the flank of the Saxons against the Guard Cavalry (Chevaliers). The Saxons and Poles were utterly discomfited. They were pursued until the positions of the French artillery and to make things worse the fleeing Saxon Zastrow cuirassiers were mistakenly attacked by the French horse carabiniers.
Korf's II Cavalry Corps arrived and attacked Wathier's and Defrance's cuirassiers and
carabiniers but without success. The French iron-clads threw them back. After this combat a
large cavalry battle ensued around Raievski Redoubt.
In the end of battle Napoleon was in a state of extreme depression.
Benedikt Peter from the Jäger-Regiment zu Pferd König No 4, wrote that in the last
stages of the battle Murat’s cavalry stood behind French artillery. They were
under heavy cannonade from the Russian guns and looked like “smashed battleship
of which only separate and broken parts are seen on the water.”
The acrid odor of expended gunpowder, mingled with the stench of smoldering grass, combined to
create a thirst among the soldiers.
General de Tolly was on horseback, erect, unmoved by all confusion among the hundreds of retreating and well-nigh worn out
soldiers. He sent officer to Kutusov to inform him of the dramatic situation on the
battlefield. De Tolly asked the officer to be sure to get any orders in writing, fearing Kutusov might otherwise give
instructions he would later deny having issued, in an effort to blame de Tolly for any
failure that might result.
The only Russian troops still in good shape were: Lavrov's V Infantry Corps (the remaining 12 Guard battalions), Platov's Cossack Corps,
1st Cuirassier Division, and 8-12 jager battalions that were detached to defend the Kolocha River along the northern flank.
These 15.000-20.000 troops had either not taken part in the battle, or if they did it was on small scale.
On the following morning Kutusov decided to retreat, he explained his action to the Tzar as necessary for regrouping and reforming his troops after such intense, day long battle. The next day the Russians actually returned several troops to the battlefield.
At daybreak, de Tolly (see picture), seeing the French had abandoned the Raievski Redoubt, sent several battalions and a battery, to reoccupy the fortification. Zamoyski wrote: "Although the Russian front line had been withdrawn that evening some 2 km back from its positions in the morning, the French did not follow it, and as soon as night fell Cossacks, singly or in groups, ranged over the battlefield in search of booty ... The French did not post forward pickets or fortify their line, as, having beaten and pushed back the Russians, they felt no need to do so. They just camped where they were. For obvious reasons, nobody bedded down in the charnel house of the Raievski Redoubt, and this permitted a small party of Russian troops to 'reoccupy it briefly." (Zamoyski - "Moscow 1812" p 285)
Meanwhile the Russian baggages, ammunition wagons and artillery had slowly moved down the road to Mozhaisk.
They were followed by the exhausted infantry. Some cavalry however stayed behind,
ready to fend off any pursuit.
The battlefield was covered with blood, with horses and men lying singly or in heaps. Dumonceau wrote: "Passing behind the Grand Redoubt we saw its broad interior sloping sharply down towards us, all encumbered with corpses and dead horses jumbled up with overturned cannon, cuirasses, helmets and all sorts of scattered wreckage in an indescribable confusion and disorder." It was not until the end of battle that many of the bodies could be recovered from No Man's Land having laid there for several hours. Neither Napoleon nor any of his generals had ever before seen such horrors or so many slain in such a small area.
David Chandler writes: "The French had lost an estimated 33,000
casualties; the Russians all of 44,000. It had been a desperate day, and the result was inconclusive."
(Chandler - "Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars" p 67)
The battle was a bloody meat grinder, devoid of the subtle strokes so common in Napoleon's earlier victories in Italy, at Austerlitz, Jena and Friedland. Later, during his exile, the deposed French Emperor stated that out of the 50 battles he had fought, it was at Borodino that "The greatest valour was displayed and the least success gained."
During the next weeks Kutuzov needed to get Napoleon off his tail, and he could only do that by distracting him with something else. "In the only brilliant decision he made during the whole campaign, Kutuzov resolved to sacrifice Moscow in order to save his army. 'Napoleon is like a torrent which we are still too weak to stem' he explained to Toll. 'Moscow is the sponge which will suck him in.' He therefore fell back on Moscow." (Zamoyski - "Moscow 1812" p 289)
The Polish 10th Hussar Regiment was the first Napoleonic unit to enter Mocow in 1812. They were followed by Prussian uhlans, Wirtembergian chasseurs and Pajol's French hussars and chasseurs. The French entered Moscow in good marching order but the city itself was deserted and there was hardly anyone in the streets. The gates and shops were all closed.
Moscow was in Napoleon's hands but Tzar Alexander refused to negotiate a truce. Napoleon left Moscow and began a long retreat. Napoleon suffered his first of this scale defeat and the old general Kutuzov was the first general before whom Napoleon was fleeing. Russia had withstood Napoleon's best punch and returned to him a deathblow in the next years crowned with marching into Paris and occupation of France.
Sources and Links.
Reenactment of the battle of Borodino, with tens of thousands of spectators
and with reenactors from Russia, France, Poland and Germany