The Battle That Doomed Napoleon’s Invasion Of Russia
The bloodiest day in Napoleonic history
In 1812, the great French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte learned one of the most enduring lessons in military history — don’t invade Russia. And especially don’t do it during the winter. Most people know about Napoleon’s folly in Russia. Napoleon’s famed Grande Armée was forced to make a disastrous retreat from the Russian capital during the winter of 1812–1813. This lesson was deeply remembered after Hitler’s failed attempt to follow in the same footsteps over a hundred years later during World War II.
The failure of the French in Russia during 1812 remains one of the most remembered moments in recent military history. What isn’t remembered is the battle that set up Napoleon’s ultimate failure.
While it is easy to look back and shake our heads and click our tongues at Napoleon’s insatiable ambition, defeat was not a sure thing at the time. Napoleon’s original plan was for his army to reach Moscow before hunkering for the winter within the relative safety and warmth of the Russian capital. That plan never came to pass because of one battle and some clever maneuvering by the Russian army.
On September 7th, 1812, Napoleon engaged the Imperial Russian army outside of the village of Borodino. It was the latest in a series…
