Battle of Smolensk

Battle of Smolensk
08/18/1812 AD defeated

The first major battle of the French invasion of Russia. It took place on 16–18 August 1812 and involved about 45,000 men of the Grande Armée under Emperor Napoleon I against about 30,000 Russian troops under General Barclay de Tolly.

Napoleon occupied Smolensk by driving out Prince Pyotr Bagration's Second Army. The French artillery bombardment burned the city to the ground. Of 2,250 buildings, 84% were destroyed with only 350 surviving intact. Of the city's 15,000 inhabitants, about 1,000 were left at the end of the battle inside the smoking ruins.

With over 15,000 casualties, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the invasion. Napoleon had now lost half of his invading force the men because of the extreme weather conditions, disease and hunger, and this battle.

Smolensk

Lattitude: 54.7827° N
Longitude: 32.0452° E
Region: Russia and Eastern Bloc

Modern Day Russia

Events in 1812 MORE