Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812Foord, Edward (Edward A.)
History
Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812
Foord, Edward (Edward A.)
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Military leadership; Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815 -- Campaigns -- Russia
Napoleon gave his loss at 10,000. French writers admit the suspicious
round number of 28,000--6547 killed and 21,453 wounded--but Martinien’s
lists show 49 generals and 1934 officers killed and wounded, and even
allowing for the fact that many of the effectives were now low, and
the proportion of officers to rank and file therefore higher than
usual, this can scarcely imply less than 43,000 casualties. Even the
troops which had never been sent forward had suffered somewhat from the
cannonade.
[Illustration: BATTLE OF BORODINO (September 7th, 1812)]
The losses of the First Russian Army from the 4th to the 7th of
September are stated by Bogdanovich at 9252 killed and 19,226 wounded.
Those of the Second Army may perhaps, since it contained only 54
battalions and 52 squadrons as against Barclay’s 122 battalions and 112
squadrons, be estimated at 12,000. Adding the losses of the militia,
a total is obtained of possibly 41,000 or 42,000. Sir Robert Wilson
estimates it at 1500 officers and 36,000 men. Buturlin gives 15,000
killed and 30,000 wounded.
Prisoners there were few--perhaps 1000 or 1200 French and 2000
Russians. The estimates of guns captured are somewhat vague. Kutuzov’s
official figure of French guns taken and carried off by the Russians is
8. There may, of course, have been others disabled. The Russians seem
to have lost about 18 in all.
On the field Borodino can scarcely be described as anything but a drawn
battle. Napoleon had gained a little ground, but the Russian army was
unbroken and apparently quite willing to renew the contest next day.
Strategically the French appeared to have obtained a slight success,
since they were able to continue their advance to Moscow. On the other
hand, the battle, which ruined the cavalry and seriously shattered the
infantry, brought ultimate ruin distinctly nearer. Perhaps its most
noteworthy result was the extent to which the morale of the Napoleonic
army was broken.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 5: This is not absolutely certain, but appears to be proved
by the statements of eyewitnesses of the campaign. De Fezensac, for
example, says that the 3rd Corps had not yet exhausted its supplies
when it entered Moscow.]
[Footnote 6: Uvarov had 32 squadrons in all.]
CHAPTER VIII
THE OCCUPATION AND DESTRUCTION OF MOSCOW
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