Strategy was to not fight the French, but to lure them deep into Russia and let them all starve there to their death. Because why fight when you can just sit there and wait until their die on their own.
However, Emperor Alexander I, courtiers and civilians did not understand the strategy and complained that Russian army refuses to fight. To placate them Kutuzov gave them the fight and that was Borodino.
However, Kutuzov and command did not care to win the actual battle, they only cared that army survives as an organized cohesive unit to fight another day. After all they will need the army to later occupy France, when French troops will all die out and road to Paris will be open.
Napoleon only realized that this was the plan when he was chilling down in the burned down Moscow. But it was too late for him then. Winter was coming, his army was starving and there was no where to get food in Russia. Kutuzov even burned the entire Moscow down just to make sure Napoleon and French will not find any food there.
It was like a medieval castle warfare, where they do not really fight but simply wait until someone will run out of food and die of starvation. Then the reminder will be the winner and take the empty settlement. That is why 100 Years War took so long for example.
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