Battle of Borodino

Borodino was 200 miles from Smolensk and only 70 miles from Moscow. Napoleon's troops marched towards Borodino in extreme heat and heavy rains, hungry and exhausted. The Russians had destroyed the villages on the way, so that horses and men continued to die in thousands due to lack of food. At Borodino, the two armies had an almost equal starting point. The Russians - now led by Kutuzov - had slightly fewer men and were not as experienced soldiers but they were better nourished, had more guns and had had time to prepare their positions. The main battle took place on September 7, at the end of which day both sides declared victory. Although the day ended with the French in slightly better positions, Napoleon was disappointed as he realized that the Russian spirit was far from broken. Kutuzov at first wanted to continue battle the next day but decided to withdraw as his army was short of ammunition and food. The Russians retreated to Moscow, uncertain what to do next. The French, in turn, had suffered great losses and there was a feeling of gloominess and depression among them despite their narrow victory.

(Image from Nicolson, plate 4)