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Napoleon 25 Retreat

N:  "More battles are lost by loss of hope than by loss of blood."

After the battle, N's horse steps on Russian soldier. An aide says:  "It's only a Russian." N replies:  "After a victory, there are no enemies, only men."
N:  ""There is but a step from the sublime to the ridiculous."


Moscow abandoned . . . Soldiers believe they are safe, that they will live in the homes and eat the abandoned food . . . However, Tsar has left behind arsonists who burn their own city . . . winds help . . . French don't know where the fire trucks, etc. are located (Russians destroyed them) . . . Fires so bright people could read by the light . . . Napoleon:  It is their own work. So many palaces. What extraordinary resolution. What men! Later, when Paris is invaded, N. comments that the French would never burn Paris to keep invaders from ransacking it. .  . Russian troops in trouble  . . . food shortages, clothing shortages, illness, cold . . . N. approaches the Tsar with offers of peace treaty . . . . Napoleon leaves Moscow in mid-October, 1812 . . . Battle of Maloyaroslavets--French win the battle, but lose so many men so far from home in such miserable circumstances that the victory is hallow. . . Need to leave Moscow and go to Smolensk due to lack of provisions in Moscow . . . Winter, retreat: Russian plaque-- "End of offensive. Start of ruin and rout of the enemy." . . . retreating army tramping through cold . . . picked off as they retreat . . . starving, freezing . . . "Retreat reminiscent of Bosch's depiction of Hades."  November  -30 C . . . cannibalism . . .  Force down to 60,000 . . .  Smolensk provisions eaten in one day . . . Incredible engineering feat to get French army across freezing waters of Berezina River. Dutch engineers build a bridge and army crosses at Studzianka, which means "very, very cold . . . soldiers swear at N when they see him . . . whole army crosses on makeshift bridges in two days--amazing! . . . Trouble in Paris for N.  . . . he announces that he must return to Paris on December 5, and does so . . . needs to protect his political strength in the midst of disaster. . .
Napoleon had lost 525,000 men . . . 100,000 of these captured.  ... Many units at 5% of strength . . .

THE SPELL IS BROKEN--TSAR ALEXANDER

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