The History and Deeds of Napoleon Bonaparte: Invasion of Russia and Occupation of Moscow (1812)

On June 22, 1812, Napoleon's Grande Armée traversed the Neman River and entered into the vast lands of the Russian Empire. The contingent of Cossacks that they encountered near Vilnius fled the battlefield after a short skirmish.

General Barclay, the commander of the Russian forces, resolved to retreat in the direction of Moscow with only minimal armed encounters so as to gather any troops that he would find along the way and organize an effective resistance force.

However, after Napoleon's successful siege of Smolensk, Barclay was relieved of his command by the impatient Alexander I and replaced by Mikhail Kutuzov, now a crippled, sick old man who nevertheless devised a most controversial strategy to counter Napoleon.

Kutuzov wished to disrupt Napoleon's three-year plan for the invasion of Russia. This crafty leader decided to lure the French into the heartland of the Russian Empire, stretching their supply lines, which partisans would attempt to disrupt even further.

In the meantime, the Russian armies mercilessly devastated their own cities and territories so as to destroy any use that they might have had to Napoleon. This scorched-earth policy took a heavy toll on the common man of Russia, and numerous militias, especially from the West of the country, resolved to join the French and contribute to the planned destruction of the Russian feudal regime and the liberation of the serfs that followed every one of Napoleon's conquests.

However, despite the incredible following that Napoleon had, it was of no avail against the starvation and disease that began to take its toll on the Grande Armée. On September 7, 1812, Napoleon drove the Russians from the field at Borodino, inflicting 44,000 casualties while incurring only 30,000. Kutuzov then executed an audacious move, the abandonment of Moscow. Prior to leaving the city, Russia's center of culture, the Russian army set fire to it so as to make it inhabitable for the French.