Battle of Tarutino

Battle of Tarutino

Part of: Napoléon's Russian campaign

date	October 18, 1812
place	Tarutino , Russia
output	Russian Army Victory
consequences	Napoleon's departure from Moscow

Parties to the conflict
France	Russia
Commander
Joachim Murat	Mikhail Kutuzov
Troop strength
20,000	36,000, 12,000 actually used
losses
2,500–4,000 38 guns	1,000-1,200

The Battle of Tarutino ( Russian Тарутинский бой , French Bataille de Winkowo ) was a battle between the French Grande Armée and the Imperial Russian Army during Napoleon's Russian campaign . It occurred on October 18, 1812 near the town of Tarutino near Moscow and ended with a heavy defeat for the French.

prehistory

While Napoléon and his army were standing in Moscow and considering the approaching winter, the Russian public finally demanded a decisive battle after a six-week break. Kutuzov had not yet received the letter from Emperor Alexander I dated October 14 with the “Supreme Order for Offensive Operations” . Many generals spoke out in favor of attacking Joachim Murat's avant-garde, which stood outside the city .

The attack was to take place on the morning of October 17th. General von Toll had scouted Murat's positions on October 16 and recommended an attack. Kutuzov was against it. He didn't want a fight. In the afternoon he gave in to the urging of Generals Toll, Bennigsen , Baggehufwudt, and Platow , examined and approved Toll's plans. Kutuzov's chief of staff, General Yermolov, was responsible for the other events . That was nowhere to be found. After Lieven he was at another Russian general's headquarters for dinner. On the morning of October 17, Kutuzov found the soldiers of the armed forces scheduled for the attack still in the camp.

The Russian historian Yevgeny Viktorovich Tarle wrote: “This caused a terrible fit of anger in the field marshal, who was already dissatisfied with having to do something he considered useless and now insulted the first two officers who were unlucky in the most terrible way to meet him. One of the two, Lieutenant Colonel Eichen, left Kutuzov's army after this incident: the other, Captain Brodin, who was treated like a dog by Kutuzov, stayed anyway. In the first anger, Kutuzov ordered the removal of Yermolov, but later, when he had calmed down, he took it back. "

Murat's troop association, which also included Józef Poniatowski's Polish troops , numbered around 12,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry. It was located on the Nara River about 100 km from the capital. On its left flank was a large forest that the French hardly patrolled at all. Murat's troops included, in addition to the Polish troops under Poniatowski (about 3,000 men), the Vistula Region , which also consisted of Poland, under General Claparède and the Dufour division (formerly Friant).

Russian plan of attack

According to Danilewsky, the plan of attack was as follows: “On October 4th (October 16th) at seven o'clock in the evening, the army is to break out of the camp with the right flank in six columns and cross the Nara on five bridges at Spaskoje and Tarutino. The first column of Count Orlov-Denisov, consisting of ten Cosaken regiments, a company of Donian artillery and the 20th Jäger Regiments, has Adjutant General Müller-Sakomelsky, with the light guard cavalry division, the Rheshin's Dragoon Regiments and half a company of mounted artillery in support. This column is destined to get in the rear of the enemy left wing, to seize the Moscow road, and to cut off Murat's retreat.

The second Colonne Baggehufwuds, consisting of his own and Count Stroganov's Corps, fell on Murat's flank and, advancing to the right, maintained communication with the first column. Count Ostermann's corps forms the third column and connects Baggehufwud's operations with the rest of the army on the left. These three columns, or the right wing, will be under Bennigsen's leadership. Dochturow and his corps form the center of the army and also take command of Count Ostermann's corps as soon as the latter joins him.

Miloradowitsch, with the guard, the corps of Rajewsky and Borosdin, the reserve cavalry and the artillery, forms the left wing, with which Prince Kutuzov also wants to be personally. All troops must arrive behind the Vedettenkette (chain of outposts) that night and stay there even in the utmost silence until daybreak, in anticipation of three signal shots. Then Bennigsen has to pass quickly through the forest and begin the attack on the enemy left wing; But Miloradowitsch, with the cavalry corps who had arrived that night, attacked everything that was in front of him, with his infantry having to follow the cavalry in rapid steps.

Dorokhov , who is operating with a patrol corps to the left of the army on the new Kalugas Street, has to march to Voronovo and cut Murat off the road to Moscow. A large number of musicians and drummers are to be left behind in the camp, who will strike the tattoo at the appropriate time. Watch fires are to be put on no more and no less than usual, the barracks are not to be set on fire and a non-commissioned officer from each company with three commons and one officer from each regiment are to be left behind for observation in the camp.

battle

The Russian army approached the French in the evening. General Denisov-Orlov opened the attack. There was nothing to be seen of Osterman-Tolstoy's troops and only part of the Baggehufwudt contingent appeared on the battlefield, with only the Pillar Jäger Brigade and half an artillery company. In addition, there was the Tobolsk Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division under the leadership of the Division Commander Eugen von Württemberg . The march of the Baggehufwudt Corps had been stopped in the forest by contradicting orders. Two regiments of the 4th Division and the 17th Division following them had lost their way in the woods. Baggehufwudt was supposed to give the three signal shots that were supposed to open the battle. He did not do this because his troops were not complete and Ostermann's were completely absent.

When General von Toll saw the chaos, he had a fit of anger. After making insulting statements against him and other generals, Baggehufwudt resigned his command and only took over the command of the 4th Jägerregiment, of which he was chief. According to Eugen von Württemberg, Baggehufwudt said: “Make all arrangements according to your understanding; but I stay here with my hunters; the people grew up with me and can die with me too. I'm the first on the enemy battery. ”The surprise attack succeeded on the Russian right wing. The French who were there fled. The rich booty proved to be an obstacle to the further battle: the Cossacks began to loot the camp and did not prevent the French from further withdrawal.

Murat's main forces rallied to counterattack. Heavy artillery fire soon began. Baggehufwudt attacked with his 4th and 48th Jägerregiment. This densely packed mass was immediately caught by massive French artillery fire. After Eugen von Württemberg, Baggehufwudt was killed by the second cannonball. The hunters dispersed and attacked in smaller swarms. Part of it was cut down by French cuirassiers.

The Russian troops under Eugen von Württemberg and those under Bennigsen hindered each other. Bennigsen thought he saw a targeted attack by the French in all the confusion. He withdrew the Volhynia and Kremenchuk regiments, which had followed the Tobolsk regiment under Eugene of Württemberg, and preferred the 17th division.

These disagreements among the attacking armies of the Russians allowed Murat to regroup his troops and initiate an orderly withdrawal. The French generals Claparède and Latour-Maubourg fought back Platov, who tried to cut off Murat's way back. Miloradovich had orders not to attack until the other three detachments had started their attack. That was not the case. Since Kutuzov did not want to take any chances, especially since a large part of the guard was with Miloradowitsch, he forbade him to attack after learning of the chaos on the battlefield. He also banned the pursuit of Murat's army and gave the order for the forces deployed to withdraw.

Result

“Bennigsen was furious. Why hadn't Kutuzov wanted to help him, why had he let Murat slip away so nicely and withdrew in good order? I don't get it! This great, shiny day could have had unpredictable consequences if I had received support. In view of the whole army, Kutuzov forbids sending a single man to my aid; these are his own words. General Miloradovich, in command of the left wing, was dying to jump at me, but Kutuzov forbade him. You can imagine how far away from the battlefield our age was. His cowardice goes beyond what rabbits' feet are allowed to do; He has already proved that enough with Borodino. In doing so he has incurred general contempt and has become ridiculous in the eyes of the army "

- Bennigsen : on October 22nd in a letter to his wife, according to Tarle, p. 293 f.

Bennigsen and Kutuzov were spider enemies even before this battle. The mood in the Russian headquarters was poisoned by various intrigues, in which Bennigsen was also actively involved. This situation worsened after the battle and only improved when Bennigsen left the army.

Due to a lack of coordination on the Russian side, Murat was able to avoid complete defeat. In reality, only about 12,000 men took part on the Russian side. It also had an impact on Kutuzov's reluctance to lead the battle, believing active fighting to be harmful while time was playing into the hands of Russia.

Even so, Tarutino was an important achievement for the Russians. The French lost 4,000 men, including 2,500 dead and 1,500 prisoners. Murat lost two generals: General Pierre César Dery and the Polish general Stanislaw Fiszer (also called Fischer in some sources) were killed in action. The French lost significant parts of their provisions and other supplies. In addition, the Russians captured 38 French guns, which neither side succeeded in the battle of Borodino . The Russians lost almost 1,200 men. After Tarlé, the French lost 2,500 men. According to his information, the losses of the Russians amounted to 1,000 to 1,200 men. Lieven puts the losses of the French at 3,000 men. The Russian general Eugen von Württemberg, who took part in the battle, put the losses on the French side at 500 to 1000 dead and 1500 prisoners.

After six weeks without a fight, the Battle of Tarutino marked the beginning of the second part of the fighting in the Russo-French War. It had a great psychological effect on the Russians, who now began to believe in the successful outcome of the war and the expulsion of the French. Murat's defeat forced Napoleon to leave Moscow more quickly. The withdrawal of the French began immediately after the news of the outcome of the Battle of Tarutino arrived.

reception

After the battle, the settlement founded in Bessarabia in 1814 was named Tarutino , which was the first colony of German emigrants in the area.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Tarle, p. 292.
2. ^ Michailowsky Danilewsky: History of the patriotic war in the year 1812. Third part. Edmund Götschel, Riga & Leipzig 1840, p. 200 f.
3. ^ Lieven, p. 305.
4. ↑ Fiszer was born in Warsaw, his father was German and was called Karl Fischer.

literature

• Богданович М. И .: История Отечественной войны 1812 года по достоверным источникам. Т. 2. -СПБ., 1860, с. 648.
• Dominic Lieven : Russia against Napoleon The battle for Europe. C. Bertelsmann Verlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-570-10050-9 .
• Eugen Tarlé: Napoleon in Russia 1812. 2nd edition. Steinberg Verlag, Zurich 1944.
• Memoirs of Duke Eugene of Württemberg, Part Two. Frankfurt a. O. 1862