Maloyaroslavets, Battle of

During Napoleon Bonaparte's retreat from Moscow, an inconclusive battle of great ferocity between French and Russian forces on 24 October 1812 at Maloyaroslavets, about 95 km/60 mi southwest of Moscow. Although the battle was tactically a victory for Napoleon, the Russians had the better of it strategically since it multiplied the French problems in their retreat.

Disposition of forces Napoleon had left Moscow on 19 October and was aiming for Kaluga, about 160 km/100 mi to the southwest. A Russian patrol reported French troops at Forminskoe, about 65 km/40 mi from Moscow, and Marshal Kutuzov, thinking this to be a foraging party, sent General Docturov with about 23,000 troops and 84 guns to deal with it. After he had departed, another patrol alerted Docturov to the fact that this was actually Napoleon's main force, and he decided to take up a blocking position at Maloyaroslavets. By the time he arrived, the French had secured the town bridges and Docturov attacked.

Battle Fierce fighting continued all day, the town changing hands five times, before some 10,000 Russian reinforcements arrived and enabled Docturov to take the town, though he was unable to capture the bridges. The French threw in reinforcements of their own and drove the Russians out. As night fell, Kutuzov arrived and, deciding that the odds were too great, ordered his troops to fall back on Kaluga. The French realized that their projected route would bring them up against a strongly reinforced Russian force, so Napoleon changed his route, going northwest through Smolensk, a far more difficult route which he had hoped to avoid.