Why Is Russia Hard to Invade?

Since the early eighteenth century, Russia has been a major power in Europe, but its influence on a global scale has consequently made Russia a matter of desire for power hungry oppressors. However, history has shown that Russia possesses certain traits that have acted as a deterrent to invading forces. Most notably, Napoleon’s disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 and its association with Hitler’s failed Operation Barbarossa are prime examples; their failures were caused by a number of factors such as; faulty logistics, Russian weather and geography, which led to the overall downfall of their invasions. The word logistics originated from the Greek word logistikos; meaning “skilled at calculating”. In military terms it can be defined as the supply, movement and maintenance of an armed force. The importance of military logistics can be verified through both Napoleon and Hitler’s failed invasions of Russia. Napoleon and Hitler took advantage of the summer by commencing their invasions in June. Like previous operations in central Europe, Napoleon acquired a method to supply his massive Grand Army; by foraging the farms to feed his troops. This method worked very well as the sluggish supply lines often slowed down mass marches which gave the enemy ample time to assemble a counter-attack or mount a defence. Napoleon’s method of foraging provided a rapid and swift concentration of troops, allowing him to commit a decisive blow to the enemy. Central Europe also provided a stable network of roads that could be used in conjunction with his foraging tactic for maximum speed.
Hitler’s tactics were quite the same; the blitzkrieg was used to great effect throughout central Europe. A turn of the 20th century obviously introduced new technology which hadn’t existed in Napoleon’s time; but the underlying idea of their tactics were very much the same, as they were centred around massive troop concentration alongside speed and mobility.
However, unlike central Europe, Russian