---
title: "Battle of Borodino"
year: 1812
country: "Russia"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1812/battle-borodino"
slug: "battle-borodino"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1812-09-07"
---

# Battle of Borodino

> Battle of Borodino

On 7 September 1812, Napoleon's Grande Armée clashed with the Russian Imperial Army near the village of Borodino, west of Moscow. Neither side achieved a decisive victory, but the battle proved a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars-the Russian army's survival meant Napoleon could not knock Russia out of the conflict, and his invasion ultimately collapsed.

## Summary

The Battle of Borodino or the Battle of Moscow took place on the outskirts of Moscow near the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812, during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The Grande Armée fought against the Imperial Russian Army.

## Key facts

- **Date**: 7 September 1812
- **Location**: approximately 120 km west of Moscow
- **French force**: ~135,000–140,000 troops
- **Russian force**: ~120,000–130,000 troops
- **Estimated combined casualties**: 50,000–70,000 killed, wounded, or missing
- **French commander**: Napoleon Bonaparte
- **Russian commander**: Mikhail Kutuzov
- **Days until Moscow occupied**: 5 days after battle

## Timeline

- **1812-06-24** - Napoleon crosses the Neman River
  The Grande Armée launches its invasion of Russia with approximately 680,000 men, the largest military force assembled to that point.
- **1812-08-26** - Kutuzov assumes Russian command
  General Mikhail Kutuzov is appointed commander-in-chief of Russian forces, replacing Mikhail Barclay de Tolly.
- **1812-09-05** - Russians position at Borodino
  The Russian army takes defensive positions along the Moskva River near the village of Borodino, choosing ground to halt Napoleon's advance.
- **1812-09-07** - Battle of Borodino fought
  The Grande Armée and Russian Imperial Army engage in daylong combat. French gain ground but fail to achieve a decisive breakthrough or force Russian capitulation.
- **1812-09-12** - Kutuzov orders retreat to Moscow
  Despite holding defensive lines, Kutuzov orders a strategic withdrawal toward Moscow to preserve the army and deny Napoleon a trapped opponent.
- **1812-09-14** - Napoleon enters Moscow
  French forces occupy Moscow, but find the city largely evacuated. Extensive fires break out across Moscow in the following days, destroying much of the city.
- **1812-10-19** - Grande Armée begins retreat
  Napoleon orders withdrawal from Moscow as supplies run critically low and winter approaches, beginning a catastrophic retreat that decimates his army.
- **1812-12-14** - Remnants of Grande Armée cross Neman River
  The invasion officially ends as survivors recross the river into Lithuania; estimated 400,000+ men are dead, captured, or missing.

## Consequences

- **1812 - Grande Armée retreat from Moscow begins**: On 19 October, Napoleon ordered withdrawal from an abandoned Moscow, beginning a catastrophic retreat through winter conditions that would decimate his remaining forces over the following two months.
- **1813 - Treaty of Teplitz signed**: On 9 September, Russia, Prussia, and Austria formed a formal coalition against Napoleon, directly emboldened by their success in repelling the 1812 invasion and the Grande Armée's proven vulnerability.
- **1813 - Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations)**: Fought 16-19 October near Leipzig, Germany, this larger engagement involved roughly 600,000 troops combined and resulted in Napoleon's decisive defeat, effectively ending his control of continental Europe and directly flowing from the momentum gained at Borodino and Moscow.
- **1814 - Abdication of Napoleon**: On 11 April, Napoleon formally abdicated and was exiled to Elba, directly resulting from the coalition's advance following their 1812 victory and subsequent military successes through 1813-1814.
- **1814 - Congress of Vienna convenes**: Beginning in September, European powers met to reshape the continent after Napoleon's defeat. Russian territorial gains and influence, secured partly through their 1812 defensive victory, became central to the new balance of power.

## Then vs now

- **Estimated combatant strength (Grande Armée)**: 1812: ~130,000 → 2024: Total Russian Army personnel ~~1,000,000 - Direct numerical comparison is imprecise; reflects relative scale of military forces across two centuries
- **Distance from field to Moscow**: 1812: ~110 kilometers → 2024: ~110 kilometers - Geography unchanged; travel time reduced from weeks to hours by modern transport
- **Estimated casualties as percentage of force engaged**: 1812: ~20-27% in single day → 2024: Typical modern combat operations: 5-15% daily casualty rates for engaged units - Reflects differences in firepower dispersion, fortification engineering, and medical evacuation

## Impact

Borodino marked the beginning of the end for Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Though tactically inconclusive, the battle's strategic outcome-a Russian army that refused to break-forced Napoleon into Moscow with no way to end the war on favorable terms. The Grande Armée's subsequent retreat through winter sealed his fate.

## Sources

- [Battle of Borodino]() - Wikipedia

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Canonical: https://recap.at/1812/battle-borodino