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As Napoleon advanced into the heart of Russia,
General Mikhail Kutuzov (1745–1813) decided to meet
the French army near the village of Borodino on the outskirts
of
Moscow on September
7, 1812. The fierce battle lasted only one day, but each
side lost about half their troops. At the end of the day,
even though
the Russians still held some of their positions, Kutuzov
ordered a withdrawal. The road to Moscow was now open to
Napoleon,
but the battle had severely damaged his forces, and the French
army entered an evacuated and burning city, which would yield
none of the provisions the troops needed.
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