The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812: results, table

The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812 determined the victory of Russian troops over the enemy. The course of the campaign on the part of the Russian forces was determined at the first stage by the strategy of the Commander-in-Chief Barclay de Tolly, and at the second stage - by Kutuzov’s plan to lure the enemy inland with the aim of weakening his forces. At first, Napoleon’s army was a success: in June of the year under review, his troops unexpectedly launched an invasion of Russian land. However, already the first major battle demonstrated the enormous potential of the domestic army, which, although at first retreating, was able to greatly weaken the enemy.

Fight near Smolensk

The list of "The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812" should begin with the first serious clash of opponents under this old and strategically important city. On August 4, the first French corps approached the walls and tried to attack them on the move, but soon retreated with considerable losses. In the middle of the day the main forces of the French approached and the shelling of fortifications began, which, however, did not suffer too much.

By the end of the day, additional forces approached the city. The commander set out to exhaust the enemy in battle and not allow him to cut off the Moscow road. On the first day of the battle, the Russians achieved victory, but on the second day the French launched a massive bombardment of the walls, and the city caught fire. The enemy took possession of the suburbs. Under these conditions, Barclay de Tolly ordered a retreat in order to preserve the army. So, the main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812 began with the defense of Smolensk. Society and government were unhappy with the withdrawal of Russian troops. After this battle, Emperor Alexander I appointed commander of Kutuzov, who was very popular in the army.

The beginning of the battle of Borodino

This was the most famous battle during the war of Russia with Napoleon. It happened on August 26, in a village located 125 km from Moscow. The battle lasted 12 hours with varying success, and therefore is considered one of the most bloody in history.

When studying the topic "The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812" at the school, we should especially dwell on this event, since it determined the further course of the confrontation. The main blow of the French fell on the left flank and center. They managed to take control of the village, but could not finally break through the defenses here.

Battle for flushes

The second strong onslaught fell on the Bagration earthen fortifications. During the first attacks, the French were forced to retreat for some time due to heavy losses. After receiving reinforcements, they began a massive shelling. The main blow was taken by Raevsky’s battery. The Russians launched a series of counterattacks, during one of them Marshal Murat himself was almost captured. There was a fierce struggle for the flashes, they constantly changed hands. The Patriotic War of 1812, the main battles of which are the subject of this review, showed the boundless heroism and courage of Russian soldiers. During the eighth flush attack, a hand-to-hand fight ensued. Despite the fact that the French units were reinforced with artillery and guns, the preponderance leaned toward the Russians. A tragic event did not allow to develop this success. In the midst of the battle, Bagration, who led a counterattack, was wounded by a fragment of a nucleus. He was taken away from the field, the news of this quickly spread among the Russian soldiers, and this demoralized them, after which they began to retreat. After that, General Konovnitsyn gave the order to leave the flushes.

Fight for the mound

Of great importance for understanding the reasons for the victory of the Russian army is the study of how the main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812 developed . Briefly speaking about the main events, it is necessary to dwell in more detail on the battle near Borodin. After moving away from the flushes, fierce battles unfolded behind the Utitsky mound. In this area, Kutuzov located an ambush regiment, which was supposed to attack the enemy from the rear during his attack on the fortifications of Bagration. However, the plan was not implemented. However, after numerous attacks, the Russians nevertheless restrained the mound, but the commander of the army, Tuchkov, was killed.

The further course of the battle and the result

The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812, the results of which ultimately ensured the success of the Russian army, need to be studied in particular detail. During the battle of Borodino, the Cossack raid of Uvarov and Platov behind enemy lines was of great importance. This is a very skillful maneuver that delayed the French attack for about two hours.

A particularly fierce battle unfolded over Raevsky’s battery. Despite heavy fire and an ongoing attack, the center maintained its position, and Napoleon was forced to abandon the further attack. In Western European historiography, it was established that the French won the Borodino battle, although this statement is accepted with reservations. In modern domestic science, it is generally accepted that the battle ended in a draw, since none of the parties achieved the goal.

Battles near Maloyaroslavets and Berezin

The skill of the Russian army was demonstrated by the main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812. The table of the main battles is presented in this review in chronological order. On October 12, a new battle took place near Maloyaroslavets, which showed the readiness of the Russian army for a general battle.

Several times the small town was taken by the enemy, but in the end Napoleon decided to retreat, as he almost got captured.

The significance of this Kutuzov’s maneuver is difficult to overestimate: he did not allow the enemy into the southern provinces, forcing him to retreat along the devastated Smolensk road. The last major clash occurred at the end of November, when Napoleon was forced to hastily retreat from the country across the river.

In the course of this retreat, the French suffered huge losses, and nevertheless, the emperor managed to save the combat-ready parts of his army.

Chronology

In two lessons, it is advisable to study the topic "The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812." Briefly (the table below mentions some of the battles that were not mentioned in this paper) it is better to present this material in a compressed form by date.

So, the battles of the Patriotic War of 1812 prove the strategic skill of the commanders of the Russian army and the courage of ordinary soldiers who achieved victory over Napoleon's considered invincible army.