The Battle At Maloyaroslavets
(The picture by Hess)
Maloyaroslavets was a small town of the Kaluga gubernia (province) 118 versts (1 vest=3500 feet) far from Moscow. The battle that ran high here on October,12 (October,24) 1812 exerted influence on the whole of the future campaign. And if this battle had been successful for Napoleon's army, it would be possible for the French army to retreat in full order and to leave Russia without such terrible losses. But the results of the battle forced Napoleon to retreat along the old Smolensk road, there the country had been already devastated during the military actions before. So it was just impossible to find provision anywhere and this made the French retreat much harder.
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