Editing Battle of Borodino (section)

==Battle==
===Position===
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According to [[Carl von Clausewitz]], although the Russian left was on marginally higher ground, this was but a superficial matter and did not provide much of a defensive advantage. The positioning of the Russian right was such that for the French the left seemed an obvious choice.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=26}} The Russian position at Borodino consisted of a series of disconnected earthworks running in an arc from the [[Moskva River]] on the right, along its tributary, the Kolocha (whose steep banks added to the defense), and towards the village of Utitsa on the left.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=244}} Thick woods interspersed along the Russian left and center (on the French side of the Kolocha) made the deployment and control of French forces difficult, aiding the defenders. The Russian center was defended by the Raevsky Redoubt, a massive open-backed earthwork mounting nineteen 12-pounder cannons which had a clear field of fire all the way to the banks of the Kolocha stream.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Kutuzov was very concerned that the French might take the New Smolensk Road around his positions and on to Moscow{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=26}} so placed the more powerful 1st&nbsp;Army under Barclay on the right, in positions which were already strong and virtually unassailable by the French. The 2nd&nbsp;Army under Bagration was expected to hold the left. The fall of Shevardino unanchored the Russian left flank but Kutuzov did nothing to change these initial dispositions despite the repeated pleas of his generals to redeploy their forces.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=244}}

Thus, when the action began and became a defensive rather than an offensive battle for the Russians, their heavy preponderance in artillery was wasted on a right wing that would never be attacked, while the French artillery did much to help win the battle.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=244}} Colonel [[Karl Wilhelm von Toll]] and others would make attempts to cover up their mistakes in this deployment and later attempts by historians would compound the issue.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=77}} Indeed, Clausewitz also complained about Toll's dispositions being so narrow and deep that needless losses were incurred from artillery fire. The Russian position therefore was just about {{convert|8|km|0}} long with about 80,000 of the 1st Army on the right and 34,000 of the [[Second Western Army|2nd Army]] on the left.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=79}}

===Bagration's {{lang|fr|flèches}}===
{{Main|Bagration flèches}}
[[File:Lejb Guard Litov attack at Borodino.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Russian [[Leib-Guard]] attacking at Borodino]]
The first area of operations was on the [[Bagration flèches|Bagration {{lang|la|cat=no|flèches}}]], as had been predicted by both Barclay de Tolly and Bagration. Napoleon, in command of the French forces, made errors similar to those of his Russian adversary, deploying his forces inefficiently and failing to exploit the weaknesses in the Russian line. Despite Marshal Davout's suggestion of a maneuver to outflank the weak Russian left, the Emperor instead ordered Davout's First Corps to move directly forward into the teeth of the defense, while the flanking maneuver was left to the weak Fifth Corps of Prince Poniatowski.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=243}}

[[File:Battle of Borodino panorama - detail 05.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty|Nansouty]]'s heavy cavalry attacks squares of Russian guardsmen to the left of Semyanovskaya (background) to support [[Michel Ney|Ney]]'s attack. Detail from the ''[[Borodino Panorama]]'' by [[Franz Roubaud]], 1912.]]

The initial French attack was aimed at seizing the three Russian positions collectively known as the Bagration {{lang|fr|[[Redan|flèches]]}}, three arrowhead-shaped, open-backed earthworks which arced out to the left {{lang|fr|en échelon}} in front of the Kolocha stream. These positions helped support the Russian left, which had no terrain advantages. There was much to be desired in the construction of the flèches, one officer noting that the ditches were much too shallow, the [[embrasure]]s open to the ground, making them easy to enter, and that they were much too wide, exposing infantry inside them.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=81}} The {{lang|fr|flèches}} were supported by artillery from the village of Semyanovskaya, whose elevation dominated the other side of the Kolocha.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=244}}

The battle began at 06:00 with the opening of the 102-gun French grand battery against the Russian center.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=245}} Davout sent Compans's Division against the southernmost of the {{lang|fr|flèches}}, with [[Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix|Dessaix]]'s Division echeloned out to the left.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=243}} They were opposed by [[Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov|Vorontsov]]'s and [[Dmitry Neverovsky|Neverovsky]]'s divisions. When Compans exited the woods on the far bank of the Kolocha, he was hit by massed Russian cannon fire; both Compans and Dessaix were wounded, but the French continued their assault.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=246}}
Davout, seeing the confusion, personally led the 57th Line Regiment ({{lang|fr|Le Terrible}}) forward until he had his horse shot from under him; he fell so hard that General [[Jean-Barthélemot Sorbier|Sorbier]] reported him as dead. General [[Jean Rapp|Rapp]] arrived to replace him, only to find Davout alive and leading the 57th forward again. Rapp then led the 61st&nbsp;Line Regiment forward when he was wounded (for the 22nd&nbsp;time in his career).{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}

By 07:30, Davout had gained control of the three {{lang|fr|flèches}}. Prince Bagration quickly led a counterattack that threw the French out of the positions, only to have Marshal [[Michel Ney]] lead a charge by the 24th&nbsp;Regiment that retook them.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=246}} Although not enamoured of Barclay, Bagration turned to him for aid, ignoring Kutuzov altogether; Barclay, to his credit, responded quickly, sending three guard regiments, eight [[grenadier]] battalions and twenty-four 12-pounder cannon at their best pace to bolster Semyаnovskaya.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=246}} Colonel Toll and Kutuzov moved the Guard Reserve units forward as early as 09:00 hours.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=107}}

[[File:Roubaud fleshes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|Ney's infantry push Russian [[grenadier]]s back from the {{lang|fr|flèches}} (which can be seen from the rear in the background). Detail from the ''Borodino Panorama''.]]
During the confused fighting, French and Russian units moved forward into impenetrable smoke and were smashed by artillery and musketry fire that was horrendous even by Napoleonic standards. Infantry and cavalrymen had difficulty maneuvering over the heaps of corpses and masses of wounded. Murat advanced with his cavalry around the {{lang|fr|flèches}} to attack Bagration's infantry, but was confronted by General [[Ilya Duka|Duka's]] 2nd&nbsp;[[Cuirassier]] Division supported by Neverovsky's infantry.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2021}}

The French carried out seven assaults against the {{lang|fr|flèches}} and each time were beaten back in fierce close combat. Bagration in some instances was personally leading counterattacks, and in a final attempt to push the French completely back he got hit in the leg by cannonball splinters somewhere around 11:00 hours. He insisted on staying on the field to observe Duka's decisive cavalry attack.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2021}}

This counter-punch drove Murat to seek the cover of allied Württemberger infantry. Barclay's reinforcements, however, were sent into the fray only to be torn to pieces by French artillery, leaving [[Louis Friant|Friant]]'s Division in control of the Russian forward position at 11:30. Dust, smoke, confusion and exhaustion all combined to keep the French commanders on the field (Davout, Ney and Murat) from comprehending that all the Russians before them had fallen back, were in confusion, and ripe for the taking.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=247}}

The 2nd Army's command structure fell apart as Bagration was removed from the battlefield and the report of his being hit quickly spread and caused morale to collapse. Napoleon, who had been sick with a cold and was too far from the action to really observe what was going on, refused to send his subordinates reinforcements. He was hesitant to release his last reserve, the Imperial Guard, so far from France.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=247}}

=== First attacks on the Raevsky redoubt ===
[[File:Battle of Borodino panorama - detail 04.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Saxon cuirassiers and Polish lancers of [[Victor de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg|Latour-Maubourg]]'s cavalry corps clash with Russian cuirassiers. The rise of Raevsky redoubt is on the right, the steeple of Borodino church in the background. Detail from the ''Borodino Panorama''.]]
Prince Eugène de Beauharnais advanced his corps against Borodino, rushing the village and capturing it from the [[Egersky Guards Regiment|Russian Guard Jägers]].{{sfn|Hourtoulle|2000|p=33}} However, the advancing columns rapidly lost their cohesion; shortly after clearing Borodino, they faced fresh Russian assault columns and retreated back to the village. General [[Alexis Joseph Delzons|Delzons]] was posted to Borodino to prevent the Russians retaking it.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=248}}

[[Charles Antoine Morand|Morand]]'s division then crossed to the north side of the Semyenovka stream, while the remainder of Eugène's forces traversed three bridges across the Kolocha to the south, placing them on the same side of the stream as the Russians. He then deployed most of his artillery and began to push the Russians back toward the Raevsky redoubt. [[Jean-Baptiste Broussier|Broussier]] and Morand's divisions then advanced together with furious artillery support. The redoubt changed hands as Barclay was forced to personally rally Paskevitch's routed regiment.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=249}}

Kutuzov ordered Yermolov to take action; the general brought forward three horse artillery batteries that began to blast the open-ended redoubt, while the 3rd Battalion of the Ufa Regiment and two {{lang|de|italic=no|Jäger}} regiments brought up by Barclay rushed in with the bayonet to eliminate [[Charles Bonnamy|Bonnamy]]'s brigade.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=249}} The Russian reinforcements' assault returned the redoubt to Russian control.

[[File:Battery of Raevsky.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|French and Russian cavalry clash behind the Raevsky redoubt. Details from Roubaud's panoramic painting.]]
Eugène's artillery continued to pound Russian support columns, while Marshals Ney and Davout set up a crossfire with artillery positioned on the Semyonovskaya heights.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=250}} Barclay countered by moving the Prussian General [[Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1788–1857)|Eugen]] over to the right to support [[Mikhail Miloradovich|Miloradovich]] in his defense of the redoubt.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=251}} The French responded to this move by sending forward General [[Jean-Barthélemot Sorbier|Sorbier]], commander of the [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Imperial Guard]] artillery. Sorbier brought forth 36 artillery pieces from the Imperial Guard Artillery Park and also took command of 49 horse artillery pieces from [[Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty|Nansouty]]'s Ist Cavalry Corps and [[Victor de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg|La Tour Maubourg]]'s IV Cavalry Corps, as well as of Viceroy Eugène's own artillery, opening up a massive artillery barrage.{{sfn|Smith|2003|p=126}}

When Barclay brought up troops against an attacking French brigade, he described it as "a walk into [[Hell]]".{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=250}} During the height of the battle, Kutuzov's subordinates were making all of the tactical decisions for him; according to Colonel Carl von Clausewitz, famous for his work ''[[On War]]'', the Russian commander "seemed to be in a trance".{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=251}} With the death of General Kutaisov, Chief of Artillery, most of the Russian cannon sat useless on the heights to the rear and were never ordered into battle, while the French artillery wreaked havoc on the Russians.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=251}}

===Cossack raid on the northern flank===
[[File:Borodino-Desarno-Large.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|General Uvarov behind French lines, by [[Auguste-Joseph Desarnod]]]]
On the morning of the battle at around 07:30, [[Don Cossack]] patrols from [[Matvei Platov]]'s ''pulk''{{clarify|reason=unexplained jargon|date=April 2023}} had discovered a ford across the Kolocha river, on the extreme Russian right (northern) flank. Seeing that the ground in front of them was clear of enemy forces, Platov saw an opportunity to go around the French left flank and into the enemy's rear. He at once sent one of his aides to ask for permission from Kutuzov for such an operation. Platov's aide was lucky enough to encounter Colonel von Toll, an enterprising member of Kutuzov's staff, who suggested that General Uvarov's 1st Cavalry Corps be added to the operation and at once volunteered to present the plan to the commander-in-chief.<ref name="lvq"/>{{page needed|date=September 2022}}

Together, they went to see Kutuzov, who nonchalantly gave his permission. There was no clear plan and no objectives had been drawn up, the whole manoeuvre being interpreted by both Kutuzov and Uvarov as a feint. Uvarov and Platov thus set off, having just around 8,000 cavalrymen and 12 guns in total, and no infantry support. As Uvarov moved southwest and south and Platov moved west, they eventually arrived in the undefended rear of Viceroy [[Eugène de Beauharnais|Eugène]]'s IV Corps. This was towards midday, just as the Viceroy was getting his orders to conduct another assault on the Raevski redoubt.<ref name="lvq"/>{{page needed|date=September 2022}}

The sudden appearance of masses of enemy cavalry so close to the supply train and the Emperor's headquarters caused panic and consternation, prompting Eugène to immediately cancel his attack and pull back his entire Corps westwards to deal with the alarming situation. Meanwhile, the two Russian cavalry commanders tried to break what French infantry they could find in the vicinity. Having no infantry of their own, the poorly coordinated Russian attacks came to nothing.<ref name="lvq"/>{{page needed|date=September 2022}}

Unable to achieve much else, Platov and Uvarov moved back to their own lines and the action was perceived as a failure by both Kutuzov and the Russian General Staff (chief –9 [[Levin August von Bennigsen|Bennigsen]]{{sfn|Polovtsov|1900|p=710}}). As it turned out, the action had the utmost importance in the outcome of the battle, as it delayed the attack of the IV Corps on the Raevski redoubt for a critical two hours. During these two hours, the Russians were able to reassess the situation, realize the terrible state of [[Piotr Bagration|Bagration]]'s 2nd Army and send reinforcements to the front line. Meanwhile, the retreat of Viceroy Eugène's Corps had left [[Louis-Pierre Montbrun|Montbrun]]'s [[II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|II French Cavalry Corps]] to fill the gap under the most murderous fire, which used up and demoralized these cavalrymen, greatly reducing their combat effectiveness. The delay contradicted a military principle the Emperor had stated many times: "Ground I may recover, time never".{{sfn|Smith|2003|pp=122–129}} The Cossack raid contributed to Napoleon's later decision not to commit his Imperial Guard to battle.<ref name="lvq"/>{{page needed|date=September 2022}}

===Final attack on Raevsky redoubt===
[[File:Adam-Borodino French cuirassiers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|French [[cuirassier]]s charge into the Raevsky redoubt.]]
At 14:00, Napoleon renewed the assault against the redoubt, as Broussier's, Morand's and [[Étienne Maurice Gérard|Gérard]]'s divisions launched a massive frontal attack, with [[Louis Pierre Aimé Chastel|Chastel]]'s light cavalry division on their left and the II&nbsp;Reserve Cavalry Corps on their right.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=251}}

The Russians sent Likhachov's 24th Division into the battle, who fought bravely under Likhachov's motto: "Brothers, behind us is [[Moscow]]!" But the French troops approached too close for the cannons to fire, and the cannoneers fought a pitched close-order defence against the attackers.<ref name="lvq">{{cite book |editor1=Lê Vinh Quốc |author1=Nguyễn Thị Thư |author2=Lê Phụng Hoàng |title=Các nhân vật Lịch sử Cận đại, Tập II: Nga |trans-title=Characters of Modern History, Volume II: Russia |publisher=Giáo dục |location=Ho Chi Minh City |language=vi |year=1997 |chapter=Chapter IV: Cutudốp}}{{page needed|date=September 2022}}</ref> General [[Auguste-Jean-Gabriel de Caulaincourt|Caulaincourt]] ordered [[Pierre Watier|Watier]]'s cuirassier division to lead the assault. Barclay saw Eugène's preparations for the assault and attempted to counter it, moving his forces against it. The French artillery, however, began bombarding the assembling force even as it gathered. Caulaincourt led Watier's cuirassiers in an assault on the opening at the back of the redoubt; he was killed as the charge was beaten off by fierce Russian musketry.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=252}}

General [[Johann von Thielmann|Thielmann]] then led eight Saxon and two Polish cavalry squadrons against the back of the redoubt, while officers and sergeants of his command actually forced their horses through the redoubt's embrasures, sowing confusion amongst the defenders and allowing the French cavalry and infantry to take the position. The battle had all but ended, with both sides so exhausted that only the artillery was still at work.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=253}} At 15:30, the Raevsky redoubt fell with most of the 24th Division's troops. General Likhachov was captured by the French.{{sfn|Duffy|1972|p=131}} However, the French attempts to break through further were thwarted by the [[Russian Imperial Guard|Russian Guard Cavalry]], which charged and repelled the French assault.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

=== Utitsa ===
The third area of operations was around the village of Utitsa. The village was at the southern end of the Russian positions and lay along the old Smolensk road. It was rightly perceived as a potential weak point in the defense as a march along the road could turn the entire position at Borodino. Despite such concerns the area was a tangle of rough country thickly covered in heavy brush well suited for deploying light infantry. The forest was dense, the ground marshy, and Russian Jaegers were deployed there in some numbers. Russian General [[Nikolay Tuchkov]] had some 23,000 troops but half were untrained Opolchenye (militia) armed only with pikes and axes and not ready for deployment.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=136}}

Poniatowski had about 10,000 men, all trained and eager to fight, but his first attempt did not go well. It was at once realized the massed troops and artillery could not move through the forest against Jaeger opposition so had to reverse to Yelnya and then move eastward.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=136}} Tuchkov had deployed his 1st Grenadier Division in line backing it with the 3rd division in battalion columns. Some four regiments were called away to help defend the redoubts that were under attack and another two {{lang|de|italic=no|Jäger}} regiments were deployed in the Utitsa woods, weakening the position.

The Polish contingent contested control of Utitsa village and Utitsa [[Burial mound|mound]], capturing them with their first attempt. Tuchkov later ejected the French forces from mound and village by 08:00, and was mortally wounded while leading this counter-attack. General [[Jean-Andoche Junot]] led the Westphalians to join the attack and again captured Utitsa village, which was set on fire by the departing Russians. After the village's capture, Russians and Poles continued to skirmish and cannonade for the rest of the day without much progress. The heavy [[undergrowth]] greatly hindered Poniatowski's efforts but eventually he came near to cutting off the Russian left from the rest of the Russian forces.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=254}}
General Barclay sent help in the form of [[Karl Gustav von Baggovut]] with [[Pyotr Konovnitsyn]] in support.{{sfn|Riehn|1990|p=254}} Baggovut took command of the Russian left flank in place of the wounded Tuchkov. Any hope of real progress by the Poles was lost.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2007|p=137}}

===Napoleon's refusal to commit the Guard===
Towards 15:00, after hours of resistance, the Russian army was in dire straits, but the French forces were exhausted and had neither the necessary stamina nor will to carry out another assault. Both armies were exhausted after the battle and the Russians withdrew from the field the following day. Borodino represented the last Russian effort at stopping the French advance on Moscow, which fell a week later. At this crucial juncture, Murat's [[chief of staff]], General [[Augustin Daniel Belliard]] rode straight to the Emperor's Headquarters and, according to General [[Philippe Paul, comte de Ségur|Ségur]] who wrote an account of the campaign, told him that the Russian line had been breached, that the road to [[Mozhaysk]], behind the Russian line, was visible through the gaping hole the French attack had pierced, that an enormous crowd of runaways and vehicles were hastily retreating, and that a final push would be enough to decide the fate of the Russian army and of the war. Generals [[Pierre Daru|Daru]], [[Guillaume-Mathieu Dumas|Dumas]] and [[Marshal of the Empire|Marshal]] [[Louis Alexandre Berthier]] also joined in and told the Emperor that everyone thought the time had come for the [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Guard]] to be committed to battle.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Given the ferocity of the Russian defense, everyone was aware that such a move would cost the lives of thousands of Guardsmen, but it was thought that the presence of this prestigious unit would bolster the morale of the entire army for a final decisive push. A notable exception was Marshal [[Jean-Baptiste Bessières|Bessières]], commander of the Guard cavalry, who was one of the very few senior generals to strongly advise against the intervention of the Guard. As the general staff were discussing the matter, General [[Jean Rapp|Rapp]], a senior {{lang|fr|[[aide-de-camp]]}} to the Emperor, was being brought from the field of battle, having been wounded in action.{{sfn|Sokolov|2005|pp=454–455}}

Rapp immediately recommended to the Emperor that the Guard be deployed for action at which the Emperor is said to have retorted: "I will most definitely not; I do not want to have it blown up. I am certain of winning the battle without its intervention."{{sfn|Sokolov|2005|pp=454–455}} Determined not to commit this valuable final reserve so far away from France, Napoleon rejected another such request, this time from Marshal [[Michel Ney|Ney]]. Instead, he called the commander of the "[[Young Guard (Napoleon)|Young Guard]]", Marshal [[Édouard Mortier, Duke of Trévise|Mortier]] and instructed him to guard the field of battle without moving forward or backward, while at the same time unleashing a massive cannonade with his 400 guns.{{sfn|Pigeard|2004|p=585}}