Editing Battle of Borodino (section)

==Background==
===Napoleon's invasion of Russia===
{{Main|French invasion of Russia}}
Napoleon with the French ''Grande Armée'' began his invasion of Russia on 24 June 1812 by crossing the [[Neman|Niemen]].{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=166}}
As his Russian army was outnumbered by far, [[Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly]] successfully used a "delaying operation", defined as an operation in which a force under pressure trades space for time by slowing down the enemy's momentum and inflicting maximum damage on the enemy without, in principle, becoming decisively engaged,{{sfn|US DoD|2021}} using a [[Fabian strategy]] as a [[defence in depth]] by retreating further eastwards into Russia without giving battle.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=220}} 

After the Battle of Smolensk, the Tsar replaced the unpopular Barclay de Tolly with Kutuzov, who on 18 August took over the army at [[Tsaryovo-Zaymishche]] and ordered his men to prepare for battle.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=235}} Kutuzov understood that Barclay's decision to retreat had been correct, but the Tsar, the Russian troops and Russia could not accept further retreat. A battle had to occur in order to preserve the morale of the soldiers and the nation. He then ordered not another retreat eastwards but a search for a battleground eastwards to [[Gzhatsk]] on 30 August, thus using Barclay's delaying operation again, by which time the ratio of French to Russian forces had shrunk from 3:1 to 5:4.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=237}} The main part of Napoleon's army had entered Russia with 286,000&nbsp;men,{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=259}} but by the time of the battle was reduced mostly through starvation and disease.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=253}}
[[File:Vereshagin.Napoleon near Borodino.jpg|thumb|306px|''Napoleon I on the Borodino Heights'', by [[Vasily Vereshchagin]] (1897)]]

Kutuzov's army established a defensive line near the village of [[Borodino (village), Mozhaysky District, Moscow Oblast|Borodino]].{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=238}} Although the Borodino field was too open and had too few natural obstacles to protect the Russian center and the left flank, it was chosen because it blocked both Smolensk–Moscow roads and because there were simply no better locations.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=243}} Starting on 3 September, Kutuzov strengthened the line with earthworks, including the Raevski redoubt (named after [[Nikolay Raevsky]]) in the center-right of the line and three open, arrow-shaped "[[Bagration flèches]]" (named after [[Pyotr Bagration]]) on the left.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=244}}

===Battle of Shevardino===
{{main|Battle of Shevardino}}
The initial Russian position, which stretched south of the new Smolensk Highway (Napoleon's expected route of advance), was anchored on its left by a pentagonal earthwork redoubt erected on a mound near the village of Shevardino.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=33}} The Russian generals soon realized that their left wing was too exposed and vulnerable,<ref name = "lvq"/>{{page needed|date=September 2022}} so the Russian line was moved back from this position, but the Redoubt remained manned, Kutuzov stating that the fortification was manned simply to delay the advance of the French forces. Historian [[Dmitry Buturlin]] reports that it was used as an observation point to determine the course of the French advance. Historians Witner and Ratch, and many others, reported it was used as a fortification to threaten the French right flank, despite being beyond the effective reach of guns of the period.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=33}}

The Chief of Staff of the Russian [[First Western Army|1st Army]], [[Aleksey Yermolov (general)|Aleksey Yermolov]], related in his memoirs that the Russian left was shifting position when the French Army arrived sooner than expected; thus, the Battle of Shevardino became a delaying effort to shield the redeployment of the Russian left. The construction of the redoubt and its purpose is disputed by historians to this day.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=33}}

The conflict began on September 5 when Marshal [[Joachim Murat]]'s French forces met [[Pyotr Konovnitsyn]]'s Russians in a massive cavalry clash, the Russians eventually retreating to the Kolorzkoi Cloister when their flank was threatened. Fighting resumed the next day but Konovnitsyn again retreated when Viceroy [[Eugène de Beauharnais]]' Fourth Corps arrived, threatening his flank. The Russians withdrew to the Shevardino Redoubt, where a pitched battle ensued. Murat led [[Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty|Nansouty]]'s First Cavalry Corps and [[Louis-Pierre Montbrun|Montbrun]]'s Second Cavalry Corps, supported by [[Jean Dominique Compans|Compans]]'s Division of [[Louis-Nicolas Davout]]'s First Infantry Corps against the redoubt. Simultaneously, Prince [[Józef Poniatowski]]'s Polish infantry attacked the position from the south. Fighting was heavy and very fierce, as the Russians refused to retreat until Kutuzov personally ordered them to do so.<ref name="lvq"/>{{page needed|date=September 2022}} The French captured the redoubt, at a cost of 4,000–5,000&nbsp;French and 6,000&nbsp;Russian casualties.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=47}} The small redoubt was destroyed and covered by the dead and dying of both sides.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=45}}

The unexpected French advance from the west and the fall of the Shevardino redoubt threw the Russian formation into disarray. Since the left flank of their defensive position had collapsed, Russian forces withdrew to the east, constructing a makeshift position centered around the village of Utitsa. The left flank of the Russian position was thus ripe for a flanking attack.{{sfn|Stoker|2015}}