Just before the US Labor Day weekend, I covered the rise of autocracy in Regency Europe by taking a quick look at the causes of the French Revolution here, and then honing in on the most famous autocrat of the period; Napoleon Bonaparte and his rise to power.
We last left him in 1814, down and out on the Isle of Elba - but before we explore the downfall of this dictator, it's pretty important to know how his first defeat came about - don't you think?
We'll pick it up from his crowning himself Emperor, and taking over a fair bit of Europe with his enormous French Army, known as Grande Armée, or The Great Army.
So, what do you do when you’re the brand new absolute dictator of a brand new empire? You piss off Russia, of course. (Is Napoleon any different to any other modern day narcissist? Seems not…)
Napoleon's Invasion of Russia (1812):
In June 1812, Napoleon launched his ill-fated invasion of Russia, aiming to force Tsar Alexander I to stay committed to the Continental System, a trade blockade designed to isolate Britain. Napoleon’s Grande Armée was a massive force of around 650,000 troops (half of whom were French, with the rest conscripted from allied nations or occupied territories), that crossed the Neman River on June 24.
Russia declared it a Patriotic War, while Napoleon called it a "Second Polish War." However, despite Polish support - almost 100,000 Polish soldiers joined the invasion - Napoleon avoided restoring the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as he hoped for future negotiations with Russia. He chose his enemies based on those he could easily overpower - and he selected his allies based on the power they could confer upon him once he brought them to heel. Remind you of anyone yet?
That’s the thing about poking the Russian bear: The bear can - and does - poke back, and he's not stupid about it.
When the Russians say ‘scorched earth’...
The Russian army retreated before the French, drawing the massive invasion force deeper and deeper into their territory. They used a scorched-earth strategy, destroying anything useful to Napoleon’s forces as they fell back. This involved massacring cattle, poisoning water supplies, and burning crops and shelters - often starving their own people in the service of halting the French advance.
The two sides eventually clashed at the Battle of Borodino on September 7, 1812. Though it was a tactical victory for Napoleon, the battle proved indecisive. Afterward, the Russians retreated again, leaving the road to Moscow open. By September 14, the French had entered Moscow, only to find it largely deserted and ablaze.
When the Russians go ‘scorched earth’ they do not dick about. With winter looming and no sign of Russian surrender, Napoleon faced a grim reality: Alexander I refused to capitulate, and the French were stranded in a ruined city with scarce food and little shelter.
Russian winter wins out:
Napoleon had no choice but to retreat from Moscow, marking the beginning of the catastrophic "Great Retreat." His army faced brutal conditions, including freezing temperatures, hunger, desertions, and relentless attacks from Russian forces under General Mikhail Kutuzov. The retreat was devastating - over 370,000 soldiers were lost to battle, starvation, and the harsh winter, while 200,000 were captured. By November, only 27,000 soldiers fit for duty managed to cross the Berezina River.
Napoleon left his army and returned to Paris to organise his defence against the advancing Russians. The Russian army had also suffered about 400,000 casualties. However, their shorter supply lines allowed them to replenish their forces more quickly. The French, on the other hand, lost irreplaceable cavalry and supplies.
In the space of a year, Napoleon had taken his empire from its peak in February 1812 to decimation by December of the same year - because his army was destroyed.
Narcissists are slow learners…
Over a century later, in June, 1941, Operation Barbossa spelled the beginning of the end for another autocrat. Barbossa was the name for the invasion of the Soviet Union by the forces of the Third Reich - the costliest and most deadly land offensive in military history.
Almost 4 million soldiers from the Axis powers (ie, the Nazis and their conscripts), invaded Russia in what was then Summer. They expected little resistance and a quick win. This was after the Reich had signed treaties with the Soviets agreeing not to do this.
(Trust a dictator? I don’t think so.)
Point is, the Germans et al were still there at the end of the year - and the Russian winter did its deadly work, just as in 1812.
The lesson?
To defeat a dictator, lead them deep into Russian territory - and wait for winter.
(Starving your own populace as the Tsar did in 1812 is, of course, optional and clearly shitty, creating just one of many reasons why the Russian people had their own revolution in 1917.)
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