Napoleon's Invasion Of Russia Research Paper

Napoleon’s invasion of Russia

In June of 1812, Napoleon began his deadly Russian campaign, a landmark in the history of the caustic potential of warfare. All mainland Europe was under his control, and the invasion of Russia was an effort to force Tsar Alexander planned once again to the terms of a treaty that Napoleon had enforced upon him four years earlier. Having collected nearly half a million soldiers, from France as well as all of the states of Europe, Napoleon entered Russia at the lead of the largest army ever seen. The Russians, under the power of Marshal Kutuzov, could not hope to defeat him in a direct conflict.

Instead, they begin a defensive campaign of strategic retreat, damaging the land as they fell back and bothering the flanks of the French. As summer began, Napoleon's massive supply lines were stretched even thinner, and his force began to decline. By September, without having involved in a single battle, the French Army had been reduced by more than two thirds from exhaustion, hunger, disappearance, and raids by Russian forces.
However, it was clear that unless the Russians engaged the French Army in a general battle, Moscow would be Napoleon's in a matter of weeks or months.
By the end of the day, around 100,000 men had already died, but neither side had gained a victory. Kutuzov realized that any further defense of the city would be ridiculous, and he left his forces, telling the citizens of Moscow to begin a massive and freaked migration. When Napoleon's army arrived on September 14, they found a city not that populated and a lot of supplies for the city, an insufficient comfort in the face of the approaching winter. Much worse, fires broke out in the city that night, and by the next day the French were missing shelter as
well.

Napoleon Bonaparte is generally considered as one of history’s top military planners. But 200 years ago this Sunday, he dedicated a serious error by leading his army. One of the largest European armed forces ever assembled to that fact through the Niemen River into Russia. While it never lost a leaning battle there, the Grande Army was almost totally spread out within six months or more by cold temperatures, food lacks, disease and Russian assaults. This is demonstrated to be the beginning of the end for Napoleon, who was forced into leaving in April 1814.

Angry by the defeat Austria, Prussia and Sweden re-joined Russia and Great Britain in the fight against Napoleon. While the French emperor was able to raise another big army, this time it was short on both cavalry and experience. Napoleon won some early victories against his enemies, but he suffered a serious defeat in October 1813 at the Battle of Leipzig. By the following March, Paris had been taken and Napoleon was forced to enter the island of Elba. In 1815 Napoleon made one more try to take power but was surprised at the Battle of Waterloo. “Charles XII said he tried it, Napoleon said he tried it, Hitler said tried it,” Bell said he tried it. “It never looks to work out attacking Russia.”

Napoleon's invasion of Russia. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.geographia.com/russia/rushis05.htm