Rare sources of the Presidential Library tell about the Battle of Borodino in which “the French army has completely hurt itself into the Russian one”

On September 7, 2017, Russia celebrates a significant date — 205 years since the Battle of Borodino — a great battle that lasted only one day, but, apart from an outcome of the complete war with France, also predetermined the significant changes in the geopolitical situation in Europe. It is generally believed that it was the Battle of Borodino in 1812 that was the beginning of the end of the great conqueror of Europe Napoleon. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army M. I. Kutuzov was appointed the Field Marshal right after this battle.

The Presidential Library has collected a large number of materials dedicated to this unprecedented battle — the electronic copies of historical documents, rare books, radio and TV programs. Getting familiar with all these materials from The Patriotic War of 1812 collection of the Presidential Library will help to recreate the events of those days in detail and to look at one of the bloodiest battles of the XIX century through the eyes of its participants and contemporaries.

In attempt to win over the territory of Russia Napoleon collected from the conquered Europe the army, which strength at the beginning of the invasion was approximately three times greater than the Russian forces. “Among these troops along with 587 guns were French, Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Poles, Austrians, Prussians, Dutch, Westphalians, Saxons, Burg Wurttemberg residents and Bavarians, — as E. Novitsky writes in of his book The Borodino battlefield: its past and the present (1902).

The army was quickly moving deeper into the Russian state, aiming to take Moscow and decentralize the controllability of the army. “The total strength of our forces was up to 103,000 regular troops (72,000 of which were an infantry) with 640 guns, —E. Novitsky writes. In addition, there were 7,000 Cossacks and 3,000 soldiers of Smolensk and 7,000 of Moscow militias.” And all of them, not accustomed to retreat, rumbled, forced to step back deeper in the country under the onslaught of the enemy. N. Mikhnevich writes this in his book entitled The Battle of Borodino (1912), an electronic copy of which is available on the Presidential Library website: “In the ranks of Russians, where for already two and a half months a discontent with a continuous retreat was raising, arose a hope on engagement with an assaulting enemy. Everyone from a soldier to a general wanted a critical battle.”

Both the French and the Russians were waiting for the general battle, the battle, from which General Barclay de Tolly (who understood its inopportuneness) by all means were backing out. The situation with him was too tough. Ignorant people considered Barclay de Tolly almost a betrayer of Russia, but he has borne his weighty cross… public opinion and even the Sovereign were unhappy with his actions.”

In mid-August of 1812, appointed the Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov has arrived in the army. “Kutuzov showed up to knock out French crap,” — the soldiers happily rhyme the words and pointed out as a happy sign that during the Kutuzov’s detour of the army a giant eagle rose above the head of the old leader and accompanied him along his entire walk,” — according the above-mentioned book The Battle of Borodino. “Napoleon… has already seen a lot of trouble from Kutuzov and knew him very well. On the way from Smolensk to Borodino he received news of his arrival to the army of and called Kutuzov the Old Northern Fox.

— I would very much like to prove to Napoleon that he was not mistaken, — His Highness said, when the words of Napoleon were repeated to him. And he fully justified himself as a wise strategist and tactician, delaying, just like Barclay de Tolly, with a day of the main battle. Both commanders tried to weaken the enemy army by “pinpoint” engagements with the partisans, waiting for the time for a decisive battle.

And this day came. The Russian troops, gathered near Borodino, consisted of the first army of Barclay de Tolly, who occupied the right flank and center position, and from the second army of Prince Bagration, who formed the left wing. Kutuzov's main quarters were originally in Tatarinov, and then were moved to Gorki. The main stages of the Battle of Borodino were in fact a chain of several consisting encounters with French troops, and they are described in detail in the rarities of the Presidential Library. “The Battle of Shevardino was one of the bloodiest… By the night three times passing from one hands to another redoubt was taken by the French, — we read in an electronic copy of the book entitled The Battle of Borodino. (Analysis of writings) (1872).

The large-scale battle, which began in the early morning of September 7 near the village of Borodino, ended by the night of the same day. “The losses suffered by both parties in this battle were really terrible. 58,000 fighters of the Russian army were killed and wounded, and the French army lost about 50,000,” — P. Adrianov quotes in his work “The Battle of Borodino” (1912) from the Presidential Library stock. N. Mikhnevich adds: “There was an amount of withdrawn generals: 22 in the Russian army, 43 in the French army, so the Battle near Moscow, that is, the Battle of Borodino, among the French also bears the name of the battle of generals.”

“Napoleon, who is called the geometer of battles, is the creator of a new system of actions, European newspapers enthusiastically wrote about the commander before his Russian campaign. Napoleon returned from there suppressed with the morale of the enemy — and no longer attempted to conquer the world. In his own notes he had to admit: “Out of fifty battles which I led, most bravery has been shown (by the French) in the battle of Moscow, and the smallest success has been earned.”

“Napoleon and his army felt that something unprecedented and extraordinary happened near Borodino, — N. Mikhnevich summed up the outcome of the battle in his book The Battle of Borodino. It was a massacre between the two armies, in which, according to General Ermolov's apt phrase, “the French army has completely hurt itself into the Russian one.”