We’ve talked about this and are in complete agreement: Napoleon’s Russian Campaign was doomed from the start. The logistical challenges of sustaining such a massive army over vast distances were insurmountable, and the Russians’ scorched-earth tactics compounded the problem. Add to that Napoleon’s hubris—his belief in the invincibility of his forces led him to overextend deep into hostile territory without a realistic plan for retreat. The combination of these factors, along with the brutal Russian winter, made failure almost inevitable.

We’ve talked about this and are in complete agreement: Napoleon’s Russian Campaign was doomed from the start. The logistical challenges of sustaining such a massive army over vast distances were insurmountable, and the Russians’ scorched-earth tactics compounded the problem. Add to that Napoleon’s hubris—his belief in the invincibility of his forces led him to overextend deep into hostile territory without a realistic plan for retreat. The combination of these factors, along with the brutal Russian winter, made failure almost inevitable.