Moscow

14 September 1812 -- Napoleon Enters Moscow

Kutuzov intended to take a stand outside Moscow, but his position was unfavorable and expected reinforcements did not materialize. Napoleon entered an evaluated Moscow. As soon as the French took control of the city, Moscow began to burn. With pumps sabotaged, the conflagration continued for five days, destroying two-thirds of the city. Shelter and stocks being in short supply, several French corps had to bivouac in the suburbs. The French troops were exhausted. Looting was rife.[1] Only 95,000 effectives remained in the force and the allies were becoming unreliable.

In a flanking movement heading south of Moscow, near Kaluga, Kutuzov's Russian army had a strength of 100,000 troops. Camping near Tarutino, Kutuzov prepared to go on the offensive.

19 October 1812 -- Withdrawal from Moscow

Napoleon was encamped in Moscow facing enormous difficulties:

• Lines of communication were threatened at Polotsk by an army commanded by Count Ludwig Adolf Wittgenstein,
• The Russian army south of the Pripet Marshes was moving west and threatening the French flank at Brest Litovsk,
• His army was exhausted and short of supplies and shelter,
• Continual harrassment by Russian skirmishing forces caused depredations on logistics and communication, and
• Czar Alexander did not give Napoleon the satisfaction of a response to demands for a truce or armistice.

After five weeks of indecision, Napoleon decided to evacuate Moscow. The Russian capitol was liberated by Russian forces on 22 October 1812.

Borodino	Home	Maloyaroslavets

Credits

Last Updated Saturday, October 4, 1997.