NEWSWATCH Deseret News: This week in history: Napoleon invades Russia
Deseret News marks the anniversary of Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia.
On June 24, 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte made perhaps his greatest blunder by invading Russia. Though he recognized the dangers of invading such a huge country, political factors demanded that he move against Russia or risk losing French domination of Europe.
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After the Battle of Borodino in September, French forces captured Moscow, believing that the campaign had been won and that Alexander would now surrender. The Russians, however, did not surrender. After fires engulfed the Russian capital, Napoleon was forced to retreat. As an early winter set in and Russian harassment increased, Napoleon’s army began to dissolve. Far from strengthening his position, the invasion of Russia exposed French vulnerabilities and the limits of Napoleon’s military leadership.
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