Battle of Maloyaroslavets

In an attempt to retreat southward, Napoleon advanced Eugène's troops toward Kaluga. At Maloyaroslavets they faced Russian forces in fierce urban combat. The town changed hands several times. Although the French gained the advantage, Napoleon chose to withdraw along the already devastated Smolensk route.

After the capture of Moscow, Napoleon sought a more fertile retreat route. The southern option through Kaluga was blocked at Maloyaroslavets. This battle marked a turning point: it pushed Napoleon back onto the northern route, already devastated, accelerating the collapse of the Grande Armée.

Fierce fighting in a burning town: taken and retaken seven times in one day. Delzons's brigade attacked at dawn but suffered heavy losses. Eugène committed Broussier's division. French artillery finally dominated the battlefield, but the Russians held the surrounding heights.

Strategically, the Russians succeeded in diverting Napoleon from the southern route. The choice to return via Smolensk condemned the French to a retreat in extreme conditions under constant harassment. It was a decisive moment in the disaster to come.