Borodino, Russia - Undulating hills, white birch forests and fields of grass stretch out before Borodino, Russia, a village about 120 kilometres from Moscow that nestles on the right bank of the Moskva River. It was from the top of a hill here in September about 200 years ago that Napoleon Bonaparte gazed down on what would become a bloody battleground.
Napoleon was leading his forces against the Imperial Russian Army in the Battle of Borodino, a turning point in the French emperor's Russian campaign.
The Battle of Borodino is known as one of Napoleon's fiercest battles, with 132 000 French soldiers fighting 117 000 Russians. A combined total of 85 000 soldiers died in the battle.
Stone monuments of varying sizes now stand in places where Russian Army divisions set up their positions.
Aleksandra Pistnova, a guide of the State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve, which manages the war memorial sites, explained, “There are 37 monuments in a 50-square-kilometre area.”
Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 when he was at the peak of his power. Not only was he emperor of France, but also king of Italy, and he was married to an Austrian princess. Most of Europe was under his rule.
Napoleon was apparently confident that he would be victorious in Borodino. Aleksandra said Napoleon saw sunlight shining on the fields of grass and murmured, “It's the sun [that I saw] in Austerlitz.”
Napoleon was referring to the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, one of his most glorious victories.
In the Battle of Borodino, however, the French Army faced withering Russian cannon fire and lost at least 35,000 soldiers. Napoleon's army also had to contend with the Russian Army's scorched-earth campaign. In October 1812, the French Army began to retreat.
Hunger, guerrilla attacks and cold weather laid further waste to the French troops. Of the 600 000 French troops that invaded Russia, only 10 000 soldiers remained when they left Russian territory about 1½ months after the start of the retreat.
About 1½ years later, Napoleon was driven into exile by a European alliance that included German states.
Borodino was the spark that brought about Napoleon's downfall. In 1913, the French government built a six-meter-tall granite monument where Napoleon had set up his military headquarters.
Etched on the surface is the date of the battle and the statement: “This is dedicated to the grand army [of Napoleon] and soldiers who died [in the battle].” The curved inscription gives the impression that it is Napoleon's tomb.
The Battle of Borodino was the first time in Russian history for the country to suffer such a massive invasion. The scale of the impact on Russia left an indelible impression on literary giant Lev Tolstoy, who included details of the battle in his masterpiece “War and Peace.”
Because Borodino also felt the brunt of war when Germany invaded Russia in 1941, the place is regarded as a “holy site” in the defence of the homeland.
Valery Klimov, director of the museum, said, “This year, for some reason, more people visited with their children and the number of visitors has been increasing.”
Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and Western sanctions against Russia may have fuelled the people's patriotism. - Washington Post