From rommelshq@yahoogroups.com
October 19th 1812 - Napoleon retreats from Moscow
One month after French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's massive invading force entered a burning and deserted Moscow, the starving French army is forced to begin a hasty retreat out of Russia.
Following the rejection of his Continental System by Czar Alexander
I, French Emperor Napoleon I invaded Russia with his Grande Armée on
June 24, 1812. The enormous army, featuring more than 500,000
soldiers and staff, was the largest European military force ever
assembled to that date.
During the opening months of the invasion, Napoleon was forced to
contend with a bitter Russian army in perpetual retreat. Refusing to
engage Napoleon's superior army in a full-scale confrontation, the
Russians under General Mikhail Kutuzov burned everything behind them
as they retreated deeper and deeper into Russia. On September 7, the
indecisive Battle of Borodino was fought, in which both sides
suffered terrible losses. On September 14, Napoleon arrived in Moscow
intending to find supplies but instead found almost the entire
population evacuated, and the Russian army retreated again. Early the
next morning, fires broke across the city set by Russian patriots,
and the Grande Armée's winter quarters were destroyed. After waiting
a month for a surrender that never came, Napoleon, faced with the
onset of the Russian winter, was forced to order his starving army
out of Moscow.
During the disastrous retreat, Napoleon's army suffered continual
harassment from a suddenly aggressive and merciless Russian army.
Stalked by hunger and the deadly lances of the Cossacks, the
decimated army reached the Berezina River late in November but found
its route blocked by the Russians. On November 26, Napoleon forced a
way across at Studienka, and when the bulk of his army passed the
river three days later, he was forced to burn his makeshift bridges
behind him, stranding some 10,000 stragglers on the other side. From
there, the retreat became a rout, and on December 8 Napoleon left
what remained of his army to return to Paris with a few cohorts. Six
days later, the Grande Armée finally escaped Russia, having suffered
a loss of more than 400,000 men during the disastrous invasion.
October 19th 1812 - Napoleon retreats from Moscow
One month after French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's massive invading force entered a burning and deserted Moscow, the starving French army is forced to begin a hasty retreat out of Russia.
Following the rejection of his Continental System by Czar Alexander
I, French Emperor Napoleon I invaded Russia with his Grande Armée on
June 24, 1812. The enormous army, featuring more than 500,000
soldiers and staff, was the largest European military force ever
assembled to that date.
During the opening months of the invasion, Napoleon was forced to
contend with a bitter Russian army in perpetual retreat. Refusing to
engage Napoleon's superior army in a full-scale confrontation, the
Russians under General Mikhail Kutuzov burned everything behind them
as they retreated deeper and deeper into Russia. On September 7, the
indecisive Battle of Borodino was fought, in which both sides
suffered terrible losses. On September 14, Napoleon arrived in Moscow
intending to find supplies but instead found almost the entire
population evacuated, and the Russian army retreated again. Early the
next morning, fires broke across the city set by Russian patriots,
and the Grande Armée's winter quarters were destroyed. After waiting
a month for a surrender that never came, Napoleon, faced with the
onset of the Russian winter, was forced to order his starving army
out of Moscow.
During the disastrous retreat, Napoleon's army suffered continual
harassment from a suddenly aggressive and merciless Russian army.
Stalked by hunger and the deadly lances of the Cossacks, the
decimated army reached the Berezina River late in November but found
its route blocked by the Russians. On November 26, Napoleon forced a
way across at Studienka, and when the bulk of his army passed the
river three days later, he was forced to burn his makeshift bridges
behind him, stranding some 10,000 stragglers on the other side. From
there, the retreat became a rout, and on December 8 Napoleon left
what remained of his army to return to Paris with a few cohorts. Six
days later, the Grande Armée finally escaped Russia, having suffered
a loss of more than 400,000 men during the disastrous invasion.