Saturday, December 15, 2012

Who Really Defeated Napoleon?

"Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow". Painting by Adolph Northen/Wiki Commons.

Napoleon Wasn’t Defeated By The Russians -- Joe Knight, Slate

Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture gives too much credit to cannons.

History has taught us that Napoleon, in his invasion of Russia in 1812, marched into Moscow with his army largely intact and retreated only because the citizens of Moscow burned three-fourths of the city, depriving the army of food and supplies. The harsh Russian winter then devastated the army as it retreated. The Russians’ victory, commemorated by Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, was one of the great upsets of military history.

But no one recognized the truly great power in this war.

Read more ....

My Comment
: Had to learn this in Russian school .... but it is true that disease, winter, partisan actions, and running out of food is what destroyed the French army .... and this was the Russian strategy.

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