Battle for Smolensk

The First Battle of Smolensk took place on August 16, 1812, between 175, 000 French led by Napoleon Bonaparte and 130, 000 Russians under Prince Petr Bagration. General Bagration's corps occupied the town of Smolensk, which Napoleon attacked, carrying two of the suburbs. During the night the Russians set fire to the place and evacuated it, having lost in the action about 11, 000 killed and wounded. The French lost around 10 thousand soldiers and officers.

Since almost the beginning of the Russian campaign Napoleon and the Grande Armee were engaged in fierce fights and fade battles with the Russians. Whenever encountered, the Russians would put up a defense for a short time before withdrawing. In an attempt to confront the enemy, Napoleon devised the Smolensk Maneuver in an attempt to sweep behind the enemy and defeat them once and for all. On August 14, 1812 French forces the river Dnepr at Rassna on bridges constructed in the middle of the night. The plot was to rush toward the city of Smolensk, take it without a fight, and march north to the rear of the main Russian forces which were under the overall command of General Barclay. This would have been the case, but conflicting orders and a breakdown in communication led the Russian General Bagration to disobey his orders to march west, instead he went south to Smolensk. When the French forces arrived at the town on August 16, they found it heavily garrisoned and packed with strong Russian troops.

Smolensk was a small town of 12, 600 inhabitants, and had no strategic value other then it being in the way of the French. It was enforced by some bastion towers and a thick stone wall, and occupied both sides of the river Dnepr, which prevented encirclement. The best way for the French to fight the battle would have been to cross the Dnepr further east, and come in from behind the city. This could have forced surrender from the Russians, and saved Napoleon countless men. However, Napoleon believed that the Russians would come out to protect their city as it housed a famous and ancient religious icon, and that they would not allow their holy town to be reduced to rubble. As it happened the Russian corps did not come out to fight, but Napoleon had by that time committed to taking the town by force.

The main battle began on August 16. An initial probing force carried two of the suburbs, but failed to bring the Russians out of the city, and Napoleon ordered a general assault with three corps of the Grande Armé e, supported by two hundred artillery guns. It was successful for some short time, but when the French forces reached the town walls, they had no ladders or climbing apparatus to scale them. They tried in vain to climb onto each others shoulders, all the time taking fire from the Russian artillery. Throughout the day the French still failed to make any progress. Predictably the intense artillery bombardment set the city on fire, and most of it was burning by nightfall. At the end of August 16, the French had made no ground, and had lost about 7, 000 men, while the Russians had lost about 11, 000.

At this point Barclay de Tolly made a wise decision to abandon the city in order to save the army. Before he did it, he set fire to all ammunition stores and destroyed all the bridges. He also left a small force to hold out for two more days to ensure his safe retreat. Around the dawn of August the 17th Polish forces within the Grande Armé e successfully breached the walls, and in a few hours the main French forces entered the city. Barclay de Tolly retained forces on the other side of the river preventing a French crossing until the night of August the 18th. The city of Smolensk was almost completely destroyed. Napoleon Bonaparte thought whether it was a victory or a loss for the first time.

Exercise № 43. Answer to the following sentences.

a. What strategic value did Smolensk have before the battle between the French and the Russians?

b. Why did the Russian army abandon Smolensk after the battle?

c. What was Napoleon Bonaparte thinking about after the battle for Smolensk? Why?

d. Why was it so important to possess Smolensk for the French?