The First Battle of Krasnoi was fought on 14 August between Ney's French troops and Neverovsky's Russian troops. It ended with a victory for the French, but the Russians retreated in good order to Smolensk.

Quick Facts Date, Location ...

First Battle of Krasnoi
Part of the French invasion of Russia
The crossing of the Dniepr by Christian Wilhelm von Faber du Faur
Date 14 August 1812 Location Krasnoi, southwest of Smolensk, Russian Empire 54°33′22″N 31°25′29″E Result French victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Michel Ney	Dmitry Neverovsky[1]
Strength
13,000[2]	6,000-7,000[3][2]
Casualties and losses
500 killed, wounded or captured[3][2]	1,500 killed, wounded or captured[3][2]

Close

French invasion of Russia

500km
300miles

Krasnoi

Pultusk

15

Gorodeczno

14

Drohiczyn

13

Tauroggen

12

Riga

11

Tilsit

10

Warsaw

9

Berezina

8

Maloyaro-
slavets

7

Moscow

6

Borodino

5

4

Vitebsk

3

Vilna

2

Kowno

1

  

  current battle

  Prussian corps

  Napoleon

  Austrian corps

Bagration had reinforced Neverovsky's troops with some cavalry and ordered him to cover Krasnoi (Krasny) and especially westwards the direction of Orsha.^[1]

Ney drove him out of Krasnoi and captured part of his artillery, the first trophies of the entire campaign. Neverovsky assembled his 6,000 to 7,000 men into a huge square Ney's cavalry could not break. The square moved across the field over a palisade fence and Ney's cavalry could not follow. Neverovsky's troops were able to get away in good order but left 1,500 men behind.^[2]

Neverovsky returned to Smolensk and reported.^[2] The battle of Smolensk started only two days later.

• "Second" Battle of Krasny mid-November 1812
• List of battles of the French invasion of Russia