Sep 1, 2018 · 1 min read
Hey, I think your interpretation of the graphic missed a few things.
The black line is supposed to represent the retreat from Russian territory. The temperature graph, which flows from right to left, only applies to that black line. Also, the campaign began in the spring and ended (disastrously) in the winter.
Although it looks like the advance and retreat took different routes, their separation was a done for clarity’s sake. A more geographically accurate map, with a lot more nuance, can be found in this article: https://the-educational-blog.quora.com/Why-did-Napoleon-s-Russian-campaign-end-in-failure
Still a nice article with some good points :)