The Battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812

The Patriotic War of 1812 is one of the most heroic pages of our history, fully demonstrating the ability of the Russian people to consolidate in the face of external danger. And although its main event is considered to be the Battle of Borodino, it was the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812 that forced Napoleon to abandon the plan to conquer the southern provinces and forced him to retreat along the Smolensk road. As a result, the French army was destroyed, and Russian troops liberated Europe and entered Paris.

Prehistory

Almost immediately after September 14, 1812, the Napoleonic army entered Moscow, a guerrilla war unfolded in its rear . Particularly much concern was given to the enemy by the detachments led by I. Dorokhov, A. Seslavin, D. Davydov and A. Figner, as they destroyed the convoys with provisions and fodder. At the same time, losses resulting from attacks by partisans on units of the French army were often quite comparable to the number of victims in major battles. In particular, on October 11, Dorokhov's detachment liberated Vereya, having beaten the battalion of the Westphalian Regiment, and the guerrillas received a convenient base for further attacks both on the Kaluga and Smolensk roads. The lack of supplies and fodder led to the fact that the French began to lose their fighting ability and even started throwing guns because of the lack of horses. Given all the above and the silence of the Russian Tsar in response to the proposal for peace, Napoleon decided to leave Moscow and move to Smolensk through Kaluga.

Actions before the battle

Before you tell us about the Battle of Maloyaroslavets, you need to understand how the armies of opponents were in general near this small and unremarkable town, where at that time there were only about 1,500 people. So, the army of Napoleon emerged from the ruined Russian capital on October 19 and moved along the old Kaluga road. However, the next day the emperor ordered to turn off from the village of Troitskoe to the New Kaluga road and sent forward the vanguard under the command of his stepchild Eugene Bogarne, who on October 21 seized the village of Fominskoye. After the report that the enemy follows towards Maloyaroslavets, Kutuzov ordered Dokhturov to block the way to Kaluga. At the same time, Napoleon mistakenly understood the maneuver of the Russian troops for preparing for the battle and ordered Bogartne to stop advancing, placing this mission on the small division of General Delzon.

The capture of the French by Maloyaroslavets

When Delzen approached the city, the mayor P. Bykov ordered to destroy the bridge across the Luzhu. However, this did not prevent the enemy infantrymen from crossing the other side of the pontoon bridge built by them and occupying Maloyaroslavets, who at that time had no one to defend. In this case, the emperor himself with the main forces settled for the night in Borovsk.

The Battle of Maloyaroslavets: the date and main events

As you know, historians are most interested in the questions of "when" and "where." So, the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812, the date of which was October 24, began at 5 o'clock in the morning, when Dokhturov sent Colonel A. Bystroma to attack the rangers. Thousands of soldiers of this regiment managed to knock out the French on the outskirts of the city, but by 11 o'clock the shelves of Bogarne, and later Napoleon himself with the main forces, had come to the aid of the defenders. The Russians also received reinforcements, so by noon 9 thousand people from each side had already taken part in the hostilities. A few more hours passed, but the battle not only did not subside, but it became even more fierce, as all the new regiments hurried to help the armies.

At four o'clock in the afternoon the battle near Maloyaroslavets entered its decisive stage. The fact is that Kutuzov managed to occupy a favorable position at altitudes located 1-3 km south of the city, which allowed to control the way to Kaluga. In this case, the battle for the burning city lasted until 10 pm.

Events October 25-26

The next morning, instead of Maloyaroslavets, there was an ashes, and both sides again prepared for battle. However, unexpectedly, Field Marshal MI Kutuzov ordered to retreat to the positions prepared from the evening, causing his actions to be perplexed by the enemy. This maneuver was accompanied by the secret movement of several regiments of Platov, who crossed the other bank of the Puddle and attacked the French. Moreover, Napoleon himself narrowly escaped capture and was forced to convene a council in Gorodnya, which alone decided to "think only of saving the army." Thus, the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812, the date of its withdrawal on October 26, ended with the retreat of Napoleon's army to Mozhaisk, which did not bode well for her.

Results

Judging by the reports of the French commanders, which differ significantly, the army of Napoleon lost from 3,500 to 6,000 people. According to the Russian side, about 6,700 soldiers and officers were killed and wounded. And no one took into account the losses among the militia, which certainly also was a lot. Despite all the sacrifices, the battle of Maloyaroslavets during the Patriotic War of 1812 was subsequently unanimously recognized by historians as a major strategic victory by Kutuzov. As for the French, it only delayed their retreat and deprived the army of Napoleon of the last hope to resume the military campaign in 1813.

Russian commanders, who played a decisive role in the battle for the bridgehead on the bank of the Puddle

Talking about any battle, and even more so, such as the battle of Maloyaroslavets during the Patriotic War of 1812 (occurred in the first days after the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow), it is impossible not to say a few words about the generals who took part in it. So, in the battle for the Luga bridgehead, an exceptional role was played by:

• M. Kutuzov. Even before the start of this battle, the Field Marshal General showed exceptional foresight and accomplished the famous Tarutin maneuver that made Napoleon play according to the rules of the Russians. The next action Kutuzov, which led to the retreat of the French, was the occupation of positions along the way to Kaluga, which the enemy could not occupy because of the lack of strong cavalry and artillery.
• M. Platov and D. Dohturov . Among the generals, thanks to whom the battle of Maloyaroslavets (1812) marked the beginning of the end of Napoleon's Great Army, these two generals stand out especially - their merits are truly invaluable. Moreover, as is known, randomness plays a huge role in history, and it happened the day before this battle. After all, the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812 (date: October 24) was not planned at all, and if the French did not accept the movement of Dokhturov's corps for preparing for the battle of genius and did not suspend the progress of the units to Beauharnais, it remains to be seen what would have ended. Conversely, in the case of Platov, Providence was on the side of Napoleon, whom the Cossacks could not capture. But the war could have ended already on October 25, 1812!
• A. Seslavin . Not the least role is that the battle of Maloyaroslavets (date - 1812, October 24) had a positive outcome for the Russian troops, and the partisans also played. In particular, the detachment of Lieutenant-General Seslavin. The fact is that if his scouts had not noticed the movement of the French army, then the corps of Dokhturov, preparing to attack the village of Fominskoye, would have been defeated before the battle began.

French commanders who distinguished themselves in the battle of Maloyaroslavets

Among the generals of Napoleon in this battle were distinguished:

• Eugene Beauharnais . It was the vice-king of Italy who occupied Fominskoye, preparing the capture of Maloyaroslavets by the troops of his foster father, and he, with his 4th Corps, again entered this city after he was freed by the ranger of Bistroma.
• Alexis Delzen . To General Delzon belongs the honor of seizing the city, from which the battle began near Maloyaroslavets. In addition, he personally led one of the attacks and died in battle, as befits a brave soldier.

Little-known heroes of the battle

For the exploits committed in the battle for Maloyaroslavets, several hundred lower ranks were awarded. Among them, there were especially many soldiers of the 19th Jaeger Regiment, with whom Archpriest V. Vasilkovsky also went to attack. This pastor is famous for being the first Russian priest to be awarded the Order of St. George of the fourth degree. A big part is that the Battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812 ended in favor of Kutuzov's army, and S. Belyaev also played, who at that time was a local court raiser. When the French wanted to set up a pontoon bridge, this young man dismantled the dam, and the pouring water delayed the invaders.

Nikolaevsky Chernoostrozhsky monastery is a silent witness of history

To date, there has been only one "eyewitness" of the battles with Napoleon, which occurred on the banks of the river Luzha. The fact is that since the end of the 16th century there was a monastery in Maloyaroslavets, in 1812 it turned out to be in the very center of military operations. After the famous battle, the townspeople noticed that the Blue Gate of the monastery with the image of the Savior was entirely covered with traces of bullets and canister, but the face of Christ was not damaged by a single bullet. This was perceived as a miracle, and during the reign of Nicholas I, at the behest of the emperor, the inscription "Ulcers in memory of the French war" appeared on the gate. Unfortunately, this tablet was not preserved, but today at the Blue Gate you can consider the bullet traces, which the restorers left to the descendants.

Monuments in honor of the heroes of the Battle of Maloyaroslavets, established in the 19th century

Almost immediately after the end of the Patriotic War with Napoleon, the Russian people began to establish memorials that were supposed to perpetuate the memory of the fallen. The battle of Maloyaroslavets was not an exception, it is rather difficult to tell about it briefly.

The first monument in honor of the heroes of this battle was the St. Nicholas Cathedral, built on the donations of Russians and consecrated in 1843. In addition, on the 30th anniversary of the victory of the Russian army in the war with Napoleon, Nicholas the First ordered the erection of monuments on the ground of all the most famous battles, including in Maloyaroslavets. The monument was cast according to the sketch of architect A. Adamini, and its installation on the main square of the city was completed in October 1844. Unfortunately, this monument has not reached our days, as it was destroyed in the 30s of last century.

Monuments to the heroes of the battle, established in the 20-21th centuries

In the 1950s, it was decided to smash the square in the city in memory of the victims of the Patriotic War with Napoleon. It was arranged around two mass graves, in which soldiers were buried, thanks to which the battle of Maloyaroslavets during the Patriotic War of 1812 was an important turning point. Earlier, in honor of the 100th anniversary of this event, two monuments were erected over the crypts.

The first of them rises on a hill. In the center of the composition, designed to perpetuate the memory of those who won the battle of Maloyaroslavets, the pedestal with the rock on which the cross is erected rises. To his foot lies a wreath of soldiers of the Polotsk regiment, and on the site in front of the monument you can see 3 field guns of the 1812 model and a pyramid of cores.

As for the second monument, it is in the same square and represents a rock with a cross on top of which the year is indicated (the battle near Maloyaroslavets occurred in 1812) and a commemorative plaque with the inscription: "Valiant great-grandfathers Fifth Army Corps" was installed.

In addition, on the outskirts there is another mass grave with a modest obelisk, also dating from 1812.

The memory of the events that took place in Maloyaroslavets and in its environs more than 200 years ago is still venerated today. In particular, on October 5, 2014, the monument was erected in the city by Archpriest V. Vasilkovsky, whose author is the artist S. Shcherbakov.

Reconstruction of the Battle of Maloyaroslavets, 2014.

Remember the feats of the grandfathers - this is a good tradition. Within its framework, several decades around the world, various battlefield rebuildings have been carried out. In our country, the first such events began to be organized from the late 80's, and most often they are dedicated to the famous battles of two Patriotic wars. This year, the reconstruction of the battle of Maloyaroslavets (2014) took place on October 26, and, except for episodes of battles, recreated in great detail, the audience also saw a colorful parade, master classes in making ammunition and took part in various competitions.

Many battles of the war of 1812 have forever entered the textbooks of military art. And although, as the poet said, all of Russia remembers Borodin's day, the battle near Maloyaroslavets also deserves that the descendants remember her heroes.