The Battle of Borodino, fought on September 7,
1812, was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French
invasion of Russia and all Napoleonic Wars, involving more than
250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties. Napoleon’s
Grande Armée attacked near the village of Borodino and captured the
main positions on the battlefield, but failed to destroy the Russian
army despite heavy losses. About a third of Napoleon's soldiers were
killed or wounded; Russian losses were also heavy, but large forces
reinforcements close at hand.
The battle ended with the Russian Army out of
position. Poor intelligence led Napoleon to remain on the battlefield
with his army instead of the conducting forced pursuit as he had in
the past. Napoleon's Imperial Guard was still available but in
refusing to deploy it he lost his singular chance to destroy the
Russian army. The battle at Borodino was a pivotal point in the
campaign. By withdrawing, the Russian army preserved its combat
strength, eventually allowing it to force Napoleon out of the country.
Please contact the Society Chairman,
Stephen Drake-Jones for dates, pricing and other questions.
