Bagration's flushes is a concept that has become a symbol of the heroism of a Russian soldier, his courage, military training. Eight times the famous commanders of Napoleon, having a tremendous superiority in manpower, tried to take these makeshift field fortifications. The battle for Bagration's flushes allowed Russian soldiers to stand on the Borodino field. Our illustrious ancestors made it clear to the invincible Napoleon that the Russian soldiers intend to fight to the end and did not intend to so easily let the enemy go to their capital.
The concept
Before covering in detail the battles for the Bagration flushes, let us briefly talk about the concept.
Flushes - an ancient type of field fortification, consisting of two faces. The approximate length of each was 20-30 meters. Each was located at an angle, forming an arrow directed towards the enemy. This is where the name came from: the term translated from French as “arrow”. Flushes were a kind of temporary field mini-fortresses, which were built in the most important directions. They housed a sufficient number of people and guns that could withstand the onslaught of superior enemy forces. In fact, fortified areas that needed to be taken by assault by superior forces grew out of the blue.
Historical and strategic names
Bagration's flushes - 4 field artillery fortifications at a height - were near the village of Semenovskoye. They were created to strengthen the position of the second Western army of Peter Ivanovich Bagration. On the strategic maps of the Russian command, they are called "Semenov Flushes", and their historical name - Bagration Flushes - received in honor of the illustrious hero of the battle. P.I. Bagration here was injured, which turned out to be fatal.
Bagration's flushes: the situation on the Borodino field
Why did Napoleon not abandon attempts to capture a powerful defensive redoubt? The fact is that the great French commander planned to deliver his main blow with infantry, with the support of artillery on the flank, near the village of Semenovskoye. With such decisive actions, he hoped to crush the Russian defenses on the flank and go to the rear of our army.
Forces of the parties
A successful flank attack in the rear of the Russian army would allow us to press our main forces to the river. This would allow them to be completely destroyed. Kutuzov also understood this: in a narrow strip, three artillery fortifications were created. In total, Bagration allocated 50 guns and 8 thousand soldiers for this section of the front.
Napoleon allocated 40 thousand people for a powerful flank attack. He believed that this should be enough to break through the defensive flanking. However, this time the Great Commander was greatly miscalculated: the narrow space in front of the defensive line did not allow taking proper advantage of the numerical advantage. Also, the French did not take into account the staunchness of Russian soldiers, who, unlike European campaigns, this time protect their native land from enemy aggression.
Flash Attacks
The battles for the Bagration flushes began simultaneously with the attack of the enemy near the village of Borodino - at about 6 a.m. Half a kilometer southwest of the fortifications was the village of Utitsa. Russian huntsmen lurked between her and the flushes in the forest to prevent the French from getting around the fortifications through the forest.
Even before the battle, Marshal Davout at the edge of the Utitsky forest began to build columns for the attack. Here, our artillery fired its first salvo at the enemy almost point blank, with a distance of 500 meters, preventing the enemy from freely forming in columns. The French began to suffer significant losses before the start of the battle. The enemy also organized three batteries of 102 guns a kilometer from the flushes and began shelling them. However, all the attention of Russian artillery was riveted to the columns of the infantry.
When approaching a distance of 200 meters, Russian artillery switched to frequent fire with buckshot. In fact, the guns turned into machine guns, which shot at point blank range enemy columns.
It must be understood that the tactics of the battle at that time were very different from subsequent eras: in the battle to the sound of the drums marched on parade march of the column of soldiers. If the French, for example, were crawling or running, they would have taken the fortified area immediately. However, battles always took place in open areas, the Napoleonic column system always gave advantages. Here the situation was different: in a narrow section of the terrain there were defensive redoubts, which, like a machine gun, “mowed down” enemy columns.
After the Russian guns began to exterminate the ranks of the French at point blank range, the latter doubted the expediency of a further attack. The last straw was the weapon volley of the rangers from the forest. The enemy began to retreat. However, the marshals and generals again sent the soldiers to attack.
And so the battle happened: the French attacked, retreated, rebuilt, then attacked again, suffering huge losses. The Russians, on the contrary, did not suffer heavy losses in the first hours of the battle. Our infantry was inspired to see that the enemy was suffering losses.
A total of eight attacks were launched against the Bagration flushes. The French not only lost their strength to take the defensive lines, but also used up all their reserves, which were necessary for the development of success in the event of a breakthrough in defense. The marshals were discouraged, Napoleon was greatly oppressed, and his troops lost faith in their invincibility. The Russians continued to hold their ground.
Eighth attack
By dinner, it became clear that the main blow of the French was aimed at the flashes of Bagration. About 400 guns began to draw towards the Russian defensive redoubts. An additional 45 thousand people were thrown. Bagration could put up only 15 thousand people and 300 guns.
Kutuzov also understood the importance of this sector of the front. He ordered the light cavalry to bypass the enemy from the flank and strike the rear of the enemy. This was necessary in order to hold down the French reserve, to prevent them from throwing all their forces into Bagration. At the same time, an order was given to transfer all forces to the flank, but this required time. The French rushed into a swift attack. This time, significant superiority allowed to break into flushes. Bagration also threw all his forces at them, a melee ensued, in which the commander himself was mortally wounded. The flushes were taken, but the whole plan of Napoleon became clear: after that, the Russian troops began to form a defense, based on the exact plans of the enemy.
Bagration's flushes: “War and Peace”
The most important events of the Battle of Borodino are reflected in the novel by L. N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”. Bagration's flushes in it were "lost" somewhere. The author connects all the main events of the Borodino battle with the battle of Raevsky’s battery, in which one of the main characters, Pierre Bezukhov, takes part.
In contradiction, the novel also speaks of Bagration himself: “He is stupid, but he has experience, an eye and determination ...” (Volume 3, part 1, chapter VI.), But at the same time “... the best is Bagration, himself Napoleon admitted this ... " In the novel, the concept of "stupidity" is contrasted with the concepts of "determination, courage." L.N. Tolstoy makes it clear to descendants that Bagration is a brave man, a brave warrior, but as a general, he is not capable of cold-blooded calculation and successful command. This was indirectly confirmed in the battle: Bagration threw all his reserves onto the flushes and went on the attack at the head of his army, having been mortally wounded.
Summary
In the article, we highlighted what Bagration’s flushes are: they gave a definition, described the significance of the battle for them for the outcome of the Battle of Borodino, and the strength of the parties. Yes, despite the heroism of the Russian soldiers, they lost the battle. However, this is the very case about which they say: "Lose the battle, but win the entire war."