Monday, August 18, 2008

Battle of Borodino




Pondering the value of posting images I find attractive to put in breaks between lengthy posts or to fill in on slow news days. Thoughts?

Posted by Byzantine, TX

9 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 18, 2008 at 8:41 PM

    That is half the reason I like to do "Saint of the day!"

    A post without SOME graphics seems naked to me.

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  2. AndrewAugust 19, 2008 at 9:21 AM

    My fondness for graphics is well documented =)

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  3. RachelAugust 20, 2008 at 9:13 AM

    I would love to know what that picture's all about. :)

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  4. UnknownAugust 20, 2008 at 9:23 PM

    Yes, please keep the pictures coming. Also, I second Rachel's question: What was the Battle off Borodino?

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  5. UnknownAugust 20, 2008 at 9:24 PM

    Oops..I meant "The Battle OF Borodino

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  6. An Anxious AnglicanAugust 21, 2008 at 6:28 PM

    From the original website whence this image was taken: The Battle of Borodino (7 September 1812) was the pivotal battle in the First Great Patriotic War of 1812-14 (one of the conflicts that made up the “Napoleonic Wars”). It was the largest single-day battle in the Napoleonic Wars, and it was the last offensive battle fought by Napoleon in Russia. Over 250,000 troops were engaged on both sides, and there were over 70,000 casualties in total. It ended in a draw, with both sides withdrawing from the field. Marshal Kutuzov, the Russian commander (you can see him kneeling before the icon of the Mother of God in the above painting), decided to withdraw to maintain his forces in being so he could strike the French at an opportune moment. The Russians destroyed all stocks of provisions and followed a “scorched earth” policy. The French occupied Moscow for a short time, but, they could not hold it, as all the supplies were destroyed. Furthermore, the city was put to the torch by its inhabitants, so the French were forced to withdraw during the worst weather of the Russian winter. The offensive power of the French was destroyed, and the Russian forces led the coalition that defeated Napoleon and entered Paris in triumph in 1814. Tsar Aleksandr Pavlovich dictated the peace the followed the war, and no major war amongst the Great Powers erupted in Europe for a century (although there were many “minor” conflicts).

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  7. AnonymousAugust 21, 2008 at 11:16 PM

    Tolstoy goes into some detail about the Battle of Borodino in War & Peace, and if I'm not mistaken he makes references to a scene not unlike this painting.

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  8. UnknownAugust 22, 2008 at 2:05 PM

    Thanks, Mr. Anglican! That was a great summary of the battle. I appreciate you taking the time to write it.

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  9. AnonymousDecember 6, 2015 at 1:03 PM

    Does anyone know who painted that picture?

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