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Battle of Valutino

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Battle of Valutino
Part of the French invasion of Russia

French infantry at the Battle of Valutino, by Christian Wilhelm von Faber du Faur
Date19 August 1812[a]
Location54°49′23″N 32°14′28″E / 54.8231°N 32.2411°E / 54.8231; 32.2411
Result Indecisive[b]
Belligerents
First French Empire French Empire Russian Empire Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Michel Ney
First French Empire Jean-Andoche Junot
First French Empire Charles Gudin 
Russian Empire Barclay de Tolly
Russian Empire Nikolay Tuchkov
Strength
35,000[2] 25,000[2]
Casualties and losses
7,000[2]–9,000[1][c] 6,000[2][3]
Map
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500km
300miles
Valutino
Pultusk
15
Gorodeczno
14
Battle of Gorodechno 12 August 1812: Schwarzenberg's Austrians
Drohiczyn
13
Tauroggen
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Tauroggen 30 December 1812: Ludwig Yorck's Prussians signed the Convention of Tauroggen
Riga
11
Siege of Riga 24 July – 18 December 1812: Macdonald's Prussians
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10
Warsaw
9
Berezina
8
Battle of Berezina 26–29 November 1812: Napoleon, Chichagov, Wittgenstein, Kutuzov only pursuit
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slavets
7
Battle of Maloyaroslavets 24 October 1812: Kutuzov, Napoleon
Moscow
6
Moscow 14 September to 19 October 1812: Napoleon
Borodino
5
Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812: Kutuzov, Napoleon October 1812: Napoleon's Retreat
4
Battle of Smolensk 16 August 1812: Napoleon November 1812: : Napoleon's retreat
Vitebsk
3
Battle of Vitebsk 26 July 1812: Napoleon
Vilna
2
Kowno
1
  current battle
  Prussian corps
  Napoleon
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The Battle of Valutino (also called the battle of Lubino)[d] took place on 19 August 1812, between a corps of French and allied troops led by Marshal Ney, about 35,000 strong, and a strong rear-guard of General Barclay de Tolly's Russian army of about 25,000,[2] commanded by the general himself. The Russians were strongly posted in marshy ground, protected by a small stream, about 20 kilometers east of Smolensk. The French, attacking resolutely, captured the Russian position in the face of considerable physical obstacles.[3][4]

Prelude

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Napoleon's hopes of trapping General Barclay's army were dashed when he discovered that the Russian force awaiting the French was a rearguard under General Tuchkov. Barclay's main force of three infantry and one cavalry corps was strung out near Smolensk, trying to get away from the French after the Battle of Smolensk. The rearguard then turned around to fight the French on the Stragan river.[3][4]

Battle

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After a heavy bombardment, Ney launched an assault against the Russians, crossing the Stragan but failing to capture the crest. Murat's cavalry attacks were bogged down in marshy ground and accomplished nothing. General Junot's force was close to the battlefield and was urged to attack the Russians by Murat. Junot did not engage, and the opportunity for a decisive victory passed.[3][4]

When Napoleon heard of Junot’s failure to attack, they had been friends since their early twenties, he is said to have shouted in frustration “[Junot] will now never earn his Marshal’s Baton!”

A few hours later, Ney launched the last French attack. General Gudin led the assault and was hit by a cannonball, which removed one leg. He died three days later from infection. The French managed to capture the crest after hard fighting. By that point the majority of Barclay's army had escaped and was heading towards Lubino.[3][4]

Aftermath

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The French suffered around 7,000-8,800 casualties.[2][3] The Russians lost about 6,000.[2][3] Napoleon was furious after the battle, realizing that another good chance to trap and destroy the Russian army had been lost.

See also

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Reference

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  1. ^ a b Егоршина 2023, p. 259.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bodart 1908.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Palmer 2003, p. 81.
  4. ^ a b c d Riehn 1990, pp. 224–225.

Bibliography

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  • Егоршина, Петрова (2023). История русской армии [The history of the Russian Army] (in Russian). Moscow: Edition of the Russian Imperial Library. ISBN 978-5-699-42397-2.
  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  • Palmer, Alan Warwick (2003) [1967]. A brief history of Napoleon in Russia. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  • Riehn, Richard K. (1990). 1812 : Napoleon's Russian campaign. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070527317. Retrieved 7 April 2021.

Notes

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  1. ^ 7 August according to the old style
  2. ^ The French captured the Russian positions, but were unable to prevent the corps from moving to the compound in Moscow[1]
  3. ^ 8,800[3]
  4. ^ Russian: Битва у Валутиной горы, French: Bataille de Valutino
[edit]
Preceded by
First Battle of Polotsk
Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Valutino
Succeeded by
Battle of Mesoten