Conflict: Napoleonic Invasion of Russia
Combatants: French vs. Russians
Location: Russia
Outcome: French victory
The initial strategy of the Russian army during Napoleon's invasion involved strategic withdrawal rather than battle with the superior French forces. On August 17th of 1812, however, Napoleon struck the Russians at Smolensk before they could retreat. Each side fielded roughly 50,000 soldiers in the engagement. The French took 9,000 casualties and inflicted slightly more on the Russians. Fearing a direct drive on Moscow, General Mikhail Barclay de Tolly pulled all Russian forces out of Smolensk.
Points of Interest:
A week after the evacuation from Smolensk, Barclay de Tolly was replaced by General Mikhail Kutuzov as commander of the Russian army.
Barclay de Tolly returned to a smaller command and did well at Borodino the following month. He would be re-promoted to commander of the Russian army during the Hundred Days.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1990). The Napoleonic Source Book. New York: Facts on File.
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