ut uz ov ▁highly . ▁Therefore , ▁when ▁K ut uz ov ▁was ▁appointed ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁in ▁late ▁August ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁army ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁August ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁Rus si ans ▁supported ▁his ▁appointment . ▁Only ▁Alexander , ▁rep uls ed ▁by ▁K ut uz ov ’ s ▁phys ique ▁and ▁ir r ation ally ▁holding ▁him ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defeat ▁at ▁Aust er l itz , ▁did ▁not ▁celebr ate ▁K ut uz ov ’ s ▁commission . ▁ ▁Within ▁two ▁weeks ▁K ut uz ov ▁decided ▁to ▁give ▁major ▁battle ▁on ▁the ▁approaches ▁to ▁Moscow . ▁He ▁with d rew ▁the ▁troops ▁still ▁further ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁deploy ing ▁them ▁for ▁the ▁up coming ▁battle . ▁Two ▁huge ▁arm ies ▁cl ashed ▁near ▁Bor od ino ▁on ▁ 7 ▁September ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁in ▁what ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁greatest ▁battle ▁in ▁human ▁history ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁date , ▁involving ▁nearly ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁soldiers . ▁The ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁was ▁incon clus ive , ▁with ▁near ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁army ▁killed ▁or ▁wounded . ▁After ▁a ▁conference ▁at ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Fil i , ▁K ut uz ov ▁fell ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁strategy ▁of ▁his ▁prede cess or : ▁withdraw ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁Russian ▁army ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁possible . ▁ ▁This ▁came ▁at ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁losing ▁Moscow , ▁whose ▁population ▁was ▁ev acu