The Battle of Borodino was fought on September the 7th, 1812, during the Napoleonic Wars, between a French army under Napoleon and a Russian army under Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov in and around the village of Borodino, about 110 km south-west of Moscow. To halt Napoleon's advance on Moscow, about 125, 000 Russians had built earthworks along the highway at Borodino. The French army, about 130,000 men, reached the position on September the 6th and began an assault early the next day. After manoeuvring the enemy commander into massing his strength in the centre, Napoleon ordered a fierce bombardment and then a cavalry attack that broke through the lines. The Russians retired, and the French occupied Moscow without further resistance. Russian casualties in the battle, generally regarded as the costliest of the 19th century, were about 42,000 men. Napoleon lost about 32,000 men. The battle is described in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. Research Battle of Borodino
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Research Battle of Borodino
