In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia with the largest army Europe had ever seen. As he advanced, the Russian army retreated, and by September, Napoleon's army had marched 470 miles deep into Russia. 70 miles west of Moscow, near the village of Borodino, the Russian army, under a new commander, General Kutuzov, finally stood its ground. The ensuing battle was the bloodiest single-day fighting of the Napoleonic Wars and proved to be one of the most infamous battles in history.