The 1812 Invasion of Russia: The Burning of Moscow and The Fall of Napoleon
In the summer France’s Grande Armee marched on Moscow, but by winter the few who survived were running for their lives
Many North Americans might hear ‘war’ and ‘1812’ together and instantly think of their own war with the British, which ran until 1815 and ended in victory for the US.
However, across the Atlantic a different sort of war also took place, and was one that the British were perhaps more interested in, with far reaching affects over the entire European continent and globe.
This was a war between Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire and Tsar Alexander I’s Russian Empire — a war involving a standing army larger than any the world had ever seen at that point, with nationals from 13 different countries taking part, some of which had been hoovered up by Napoleon’s growing Empire, and others of which had been sent along to keep the Little General happy.
Britain watched on eagerly. For them, Napoleon stood against their ideals of monarchy and democracy. He challenged the well established norms of war, trade and politics, and his existence and success sent a bad message to the remaining monarchs across the continent they called allies: a civilian calling himself…
