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

The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812 determined the victory of the Russian troops over the enemy. The course of the campaign by the Russian forces was determined at the first stage by the strategy of Commander-in-Chief Barclay de Tolly, and in the second stage - by Kutuzov's plan to lure the enemy deep into the country in order to weaken his forces. In the beginning, Napoleon's army was promoted by success: in June of the year under review, his troops unexpectedly launched an invasion of Russian soil. However, already the first major battle demonstrated the great potential of the national army, which, although initially retreated, managed to weaken the enemy severely.

The battle 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. 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 the fortifications began, which, however, did not suffer too much.

By the end of the day, additional forces came up to the city. The commander set himself the goal of exhausting the enemy in battle and not letting him cut off the Moscow road. On the first day of the battle, the Russians won, but on the second day the French launched a massive bombardment of the walls, and the city caught fire. The enemy seized the suburbs. In these circumstances, Barclay de Tolly ordered the 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 power were unhappy with the withdrawal of Russian troops. After this battle, Emperor Alexander I appointed commanders of Kutuzov, who was very popular in the army.

The Beginning of the Battle of Borodino

This was the most famous battle in the war of Russia with Napoleon. It happened on August 26, in a village 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" in the school, we should particularly focus 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 seize the village, but they could not break the defense here.

Battle for flushes

The second strong impact occurred on the Bagrationov earthworks. At the first attacks, the French were forced to retreat for some time due to large losses. After receiving reinforcements, they began a massive bombardment. Rayevsky's battery took the main blow. The Russians took a number of counterattacks, in the course of one of them Marshal Murat himself was nearly captured. For the flush was a fierce struggle, they constantly passed from hand to hand. The Patriotic War of 1812 , whose main battles are the subject of this review, showed the boundless heroism and courage of Russian soldiers. During the eighth attack, a hand-to-hand fight ensued. Despite the fact that the French units were reinforced with artillery and guns, the preponderance leaned to the side of the Russians. The tragic case did not allow to develop this success. In the midst of the battle, a fragment of the nucleus wounded Bagration, who led the counterattack. He was carried off the field, the news spread rapidly among the Russian soldiers, and this demoralized them, after which they began to retreat. After that, General Konovnitsyn gave the order to leave flushes.

The battle for the mound

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 . To put it briefly about the main events, we should elaborate on the battle near Borodino. After retreating from flushes, fierce fights turned around Utitsky mound. In this area Kutuzov arranged an ambush regiment, which was to attack the enemy from the rear during his offensive against the fortifications of Bagration. However, the plan was not implemented. However, after numerous attacks, the Russians still retained 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, must be studied in particular detail. During the Battle of Borodino, the Cossack raid of Uvarov and Platov played a big role in the enemy's rear. This is a very skillful maneuver, which delayed the attack of the French about two hours.

A particularly fierce battle unfolded for Rayevsky's battery. Despite strong fire and an ongoing offensive, the center retained its positions, and Napoleon was forced to abandon further offensives. In Western European historiography, the opinion was established that the French won the Borodino battle, although this statement is accepted with reservations. In modern domestic science, it is commonly believed that the battle ended in a draw, as neither side has achieved its goal.

The Battle of Maloyaroslavets and the Berezina

The skill of the Russian army demonstrated 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 given to the enemy, but in the end Napoleon made a decision on the retreat, since he himself almost fell into captivity.

The significance of this maneuver Kutuzov can not be overestimated: he did not allow the enemy in the southern provinces, forcing him to retreat along the ruined Smolensk road. The last major clash occurred at the end of November, when Napoleon was forced to retreat from the country hastily across the river.

During this withdrawal, the French suffered huge losses, but nevertheless the emperor managed to keep the combat-ready parts of his army.

Chronology

On two lessons it is desirable to study the topic "The main battles of the Patriotic War of 1812". Briefly (the table below shows some battles that were not mentioned in this paper), this material should be better summarized in dates.

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