Napoleon’s Disastrous Invasion of Russia
In 1812, when he invaded Russia, Napoleon bestrode Europe and was at the height of his power. By year’s end, he had suffered an epic defeat, and began a slide that ended two years later in his exile to St. Helena. His first blunder was his poor choice of subordinates. Napoleon wanted to decisively defeat the Russian army as soon as possible. However, he appointed his unqualified stepson, Prince Eugene, to a major command. The inexperienced youth allowed the Russians to retreat. Napoleon then plunged into Russia, and followed the Tsar’s army. The Russians retreated for hundreds of miles, refused to give battle, and scorched the countryside in Napoleon’s path.
Napoleon had planned to halt at Smolensk, go into winter quarters, and resume the campaign the following year. But once in Smolensk, he made another blunder when he decided to continue on to Moscow. Near Moscow, the Russians finally offered battle at Borodino. Napoleon won a hard-fought engagement, but at the decisive moment, he made yet another blunder uncharacteristic of his usually aggressive style. He wavered, and held off from his usual tactic of sending in the elite Imperial Guard, kept in reserve, to finish off the enemy. He thus missed out on a decisive victory, and the battered Russians lived to fight another day.