Napoleon's Bloodiest Day: Borodino 1812

this epic history TV video is brought to you by Magellan TV the documentary streaming service [Music] [Applause] rusha 1812 Napoleon invades his former ally with the largest army Europe has ever seen but for the French Emperor the decisive blow remains frustratingly be long reach Russia's resilience is unlike anything he's ever encountered and as winter closes in his army begins the most infamous retreat in history September 18 1210 weeks had passed since Napoleon invaded Russia with more than half a million men the French Emperor wanted a quick victory over the Russians one that would force Emperor Alexander to make peace and agree to French terms but had Vitebsk and then Smolensk the outnumbered Russian army had narrowly escaped his clutches the holy city of Smolensk had been virtually destroyed Napoleon had advanced deep into Russia and months of marching had left his army decimated by disease and exhaustion it was now half its original strength and summer was nearly over but finally 70 miles west of Moscow near the village of Borodino the Russians had turned to offer battle Napoleon would have a chance to win the decisive victory that he believed would end the war in 1812 Napoleon was master of Europe but his meteoric rise to power had nearly been cut short several times by cannonballs bullets even by madame guillotine his early years are brilliantly retold in the drama documentary napoleon available now on documentary streaming service Magellan TV generous sponsors of this video Magellan TV offers access to more than 2,000 documentaries on history science space and true-crime available through you TV computer phone or tablet from as little as $5 a month new documentaries are added weekly and many are available in glorious 4k and if you visit Magellan tv.com slash epic history TV you can try out their surface for a whole month for free Magellan TV has dozens of programs we'd happily recommend from a history of aviation to world war ii z eastern front so if you're a history fan we think this is a great offer thanks to Magellan TV for supporting the channel [Music] the Russian army commanded by the 67 year old one-eyed veteran general Kutuzov occupied a defensive position across the two main roads leading from Smolensk to Moscow general Barclay de Tolly first Army was on the right its front protected by the Kalasha River a steep banked but shallow and easily forded Prince Bagration second army was on the left a more open position but reinforced by major earthworks the greater redoubt and what the French nicknamed for their shape the flesh the arrows another forward redoubt at shevardino was expected to delay the enemy's advance historians still dispute the size of the Russian army but it's likely Kutuzov had around 121 thousand men and 680 guns at Borodino on the 5th of September Napoleon's army began to arrive from the West around 130,000 men and 585 guns Napoleon quickly saw that the shevardino redoubt would have to be taken before he could deploy his army and ordered an immediate assault the attack was led by company's fifth division of the 1st Corps supported by the Polish 5th Corps to the south in several hours of heavy fighting the readout changed hands more than once but late that evening the Russians finally withdrew to their main light and the redoubt fell to the French its capture had cost them an estimated 4,000 casualties while the Russians lost around 6,000 men Napoleon noted how few prisoners were taken a worrying sign of the enemy's unbroken resolve both sides spent the next day preparing for battle Marshall davu commanding French first corps and widely considered Napoleon's most able subordinate appealed to the Emperor to use his core to make a wide out flanking attack to the south but Napoleon dismissed the idea as too risky and instead began preparing for a massive frontal assault on the Russian defenses [Music] shortly after dawn the 7th of September Orthodox priests paraded one of Russia's holiest icons Our Lady of Smolensk before the Russian army it was a stirring sight for many devout Russian soldiers thousands of who would not live to see dusk the battle began at 6:00 a.m. as French batteries opened the deafening cannonade against the Russian defenses versions forth core advanced on polity no village lightly held by Yeager's of the Russian Imperial Guard after clearing the village is infantry crossed the Kalasha and advanced towards the great redoubt but were driven back with heavy losses the russians burned the bridge across the river but did not launch a counter-attack and our shen was able to move cannon into the village to put flanking fire on the great redoubt [Music] in the center Davos first Corps began its advance against the flesh coming under heavy fire one of the right the Polish fifth Corps ordered to take ooh tits ax got held up in the woods and ravines their slow advance allowed to scoffs 3rd Corps to send a division north to reinforce the flesh defenses cut us off at his headquarters in Gorky took little part in the battle leaving tactical decisions to his subordinates Barclay and by gratia had spent most of the summer arguing furiously over strategy but in the hour of crisis they put their differences aside they could see the main French attack was falling on the Russian center and left so Barclay ordered general Berger votes 2nd Corps South to reinforce Bhagwat Ian [Music] fighting around the flesh intensified as the French captured one of the earthworks only to be driven out by a Russian counter-attack de vous himself was injured in the fighting as he fell from his dying horse but he refused to leave the field when Russian cavalry counter-attacks marshal Marat himself led the French cavalry forward to meet them nay's third corn now joined the attack of the flesh a charge by Russian cuirassiers forced Marat to take shelter in a square of Burton burg infantry Marat with his flamboyant dress and reckless courage but now even made a name for himself among the Russians the Cossacks in particular saw him as a kindred spirit and were eager to capture him alive if they could to the South Polish troops now talk hoot it sir which the Russians set ablaze before withdrawing but general Baga votes reinforcements arrived just in time to shore up the Russian flank around 10 a.m. ocean launched another attack on the great readout it was briefly captured by bombs first division before his men were thrown out by a ferocious Russian counter-attack the Russian Army's twenty-seven-year-old artillery commander general katase off was killed leading one of these counter-attacks a heroic death but a blow to the organization of Russian artillery for the rest of the day fighting continued to rage around the flesh earthworks some counted as many as six major French assaults involving forty five thousand troops with hundreds of cannon on both sides pouring fire into the packed ranks more than once French infantry fought their way into one of the Russian positions only to be driven out again at banners point Juno's Westphalian core was sent forward in support helping to clear russian skirmishes from the woods to the south general ba gua Thien was close to the action overseeing the defense of the flesh leading forward reinforcements and ordering counter-attacks around 10:00 a.m. he was hit in the leg by shell fragments mortally wounded he was carried from the field shaken by the loss of their iconic commander the exhausted Russian infantry began to fall back the French finally took the flesh marshal Murat then led forward freons division first cause last reserve supported by waves of heavy cavalry on both flanks Russian Grenadier has formed squares to ward off the French couriers while their own Guard cavalry fought the French in a giant confused melee with heavy losses on both sides [Music] the Russians resisted doggedly but the combined onslaught of French artillery cavalry and infantry' proved irresistible as the Russians pulled back three L's infantry fought their way into the village of Simeonov skia the Russian center was in disarray and seemed close to breaking surely now was the time for Napoleon to deliver the knockout blow [Music] [Music] for most of the day Napoleon remained at his headquarters near shevardino those around him later said that illness as well as the exertions of the long campaign had left him tired and irritable as the Russian center buckled Marat and his staff urged him to send forward his last reserve the Imperial Guard the Emperor refused if there is another battle tomorrow he asked them where is my army but he did make one exception Barclay was continuing to move troops from his unengaged right wing to bolster the center as Osterman Tolstoy's fourth corps arrived behind the russian center french observers feared they were massing for an attack so Napoleon ordered forward general Serbia's guard artillery his batteries opened a devastating fire on the enemy yet even as they were moaned down in their ranks the Russian infantry stood their ground on the Russian right wing all remained quiet so general plot of commander of the Don Cossacks proposed that he lead an attack on the lightly defended Borodino village permission received generals plot off and afar off led a force of 8,000 cossacks and cavalry across the kolache river they fell off French and Italian troops around Borodino with complete surprise spreading panic and disorder guru she's 3rd cavalry Corps had to be pulled back across the river to drive off the Russians Russian commanders saw this raid as a missed opportunity but it had delayed the next French attack by two hours and may have persuaded Napoleon that he was right to hold back his reserve around 3:00 p.m. the French launched their biggest assault yet on the great redoubt Russian Gunners targeted the French infantry advancing to their front allowing French cavalry to outflank the redoubt and charge it from the rear Saxon cavalry were first in cutting down Russian infantry and Gunners almost to the last man it was an astonishing feat by the horsemen against all the rules of war and testament to the ferocity of the fighting as Oh Jen's infantry consolidated their hold on the redoubt he ordered forward all the available cavalry to exploit this success but they were met and checked by the last Russian cavalry reserves [Music] Oh Jen now implored Napoleon to commit the Imperial Guard but again the Emperor refused I will not destroy my guard he told his staff I am eight hundred leagues from France and I will not risk my last reserve [Music] by 5:00 p.m. both armies were in a state of utter exhaustion the battlefield was strewn with dead and wounded some infantry battalions could muster only a third of their strength cavalry could advance no faster than a trot gun crews were collapsing with fatigue as dusk approached fighting slowly died out across the battlefield Napoleon and the French army expected the fighting to resume the next day but by Dawn were too soft having learned the full horrifying scale of Russian losses had ordered a withdrawal [Music] the losses on both sides were enormous Russian casualties are estimated at 44,000 French losses around 30,000 including 49 generals 12 of them killed Borodino would prove to be the bloodiest single-day of the Napoleonic Wars the Russian army could not fight another battle until it had received major reinforcements and so could rusev decided that he must abandon Moscow on the 15th of September a week after his victory at Borodino Napoleon entered the city he would find it virtually deserted and already the first fires starting to burn thank you to the artists Alexander every on/off and yagahl sites off' for kind permission to use their artwork in this video and thanks as always to all our patreon supporters for making this series possible find out how you too can support the channel and get Ad free early access to new videos by visiting our patreon page

Channel: Epic History TV

Views: 1,307,852

Keywords: epic history tv, history, epic history, napoleon, napoleonic, borodino, military history, russia, 1812, bagration

Id: mGAPEckPXzs

Length: 18min 41sec (1121 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 15 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/ASpellingAirror]

This is the battle that tchaikovsky 1812 overture is about, so put that on in the background and rock out to some cannons.

[u/VegemiteSucks]

Please be aware that EpicHistoryTV is based in Russia. As such, their account of the event might vary in accuracy and objectivity.

[u/ASpellingAirror]

What did it cost?