Reasons for the Defeat of Napoleon in Russia in the Campaign of 1812

This essay volition examine the actors that led to pile and his large troops hash overing from Russia and sluicetually losing a heavy(p) majority of soldiers as easy as their notoriety of being invincible aft(prenominal) invading Russia in 1812. It will also consider the effects that that particular war had on the downfall of snoozes pudding stone in the subsequent age. The tally of 1812 was to be cat sleeps crowning achievework forcet. His gibibyte Armee of over 600,000 workforce from all corners of his empire was the largest he had ever assembled. The emperor of France was notorious to his enemies.His armies were verbalize to be invincible and his tactics in shin were second to none. This was at least how he was perceived at the time. On the 23rd of June, 1812 he invaded Russia with the hopes of ultimately dominating atomic number 63. nap did not anticipate, however, the harsh Russian survive that they had to face takeoverled with the adust-earth policy tha t the Russians employed. He also overlooked the adjudicate of Tsar Alexander in that the Russian Tsar would not leave to short sleep under any circumstances. catnap was also bit a losing battle within himself.His age was beginning to get the better of him and his buckram potency in himself blinded him from making correct decisions. The bunk of 1812 was a disaster for sleep. Worse than the loss of over 500,000 manpower in Russia was the actualization of Frances enemies that snooze was no continuing the Invincible conqueror that he was. forty winkss Russian rouse failed due to the culmination of these unhomogeneous particularors, merely above all, it was snoozes faulty judgment and unwavering confidence in himself that led to his demise.Furthermore, this great defeat exposed cat sleeps impuissance to his enemies and as a precede his reign as emperor came to an end. The go was a worthy opponent to Napoleon and his Grand Armee during his campaign in Russia. However, casualties could have been prevented if Napoleon prep ard properly for this grand campaign. Russia experiences extremely chilliness winters that arrive rapidly. It also gets really hot in the summer months. At the start of Napoleons campaign his soldiers experienced very hot weather. As the campaign entered July the heat became unbearable.Napoleon and many of his men were struck with diseases. 1 Napoleon was losing soldiers to exhaustion, sickness and desertion at a run of 5,000 per day. It is reported that after two months, with extinct even fighting a battle Napoleon had lost 150,000 soldiers. 2 General Cla make use ofwitz wrote, The bad water and the air-borne insects caused dysentery, typhus, and diarrhea. 3 However, if Napoleon had think to bring more doctors and medicine with him then many thousands of lives would have been saved. I believe this is Napoleons first in a serial of mistakes that stems from faulty planning.Napoleons army suffered even worse during their ret reat from Moscow. The soldiers were shattered by the bitter frosty of the harsh Russian winter. Again, Napoleon had not planned properly for this. In fact, he had not even planned that he would be in Russia during the winter, another fatal mistake. Napoleon proclaimed before the campaign began that he expected it to last 20 old age. 4 And according to another source he prep bed 40 days worth of food for his army. 5 Either way this gross miscalculation by Napoleon in the preparation stages of his campaign.It is evident that Napoleon did not thoroughly plan for the Russian campaign, nor did he make the correct calculations that would ensure a determinant victory. I think that this is due to his slowly dissuadeiorating heath as comply up as Napoleons overconfidence and anomalous dogma that he could not be defeated. It seemed as though Napoleon failed to appearance his true genius in 1812 that had won him countless battles in the past. He displayed much caution, which was uncha racteristic of his once vigorous and dominating demeanour.It is still ill-defined whether this was due to his illness at the start of the campaign or a more deeply-seated issue in Napoleons age and irrational beliefs. This is what Napoleon state on the subject of his own health health is indispensable in war and, a few years later(prenominal) There is but one season for war I shall be fit for it six years longer, and then I shall myself be oblige to stop. He had passed the limit set by himself when the highest efficiency could be expected. 6 Napoleon was 42 years of age in 1812 and clearly his best years as a youthful and energetic leader were behind him.As he entered into this midlife crisis he became more restless and he wanted to full control Europe before he grew overly old to do so. Napoleon also maintained this sense of destiny, he found it incredible that others even tried to oppose his strength. Russia is at one time being led to her fate, allow her destiny be fulfi lled 7 This quote is evidence to the claim that Napoleon allowed his ego to get the better of his judgement. In Napoleons mind, it was perfections will for him to crush Russia and seize control of Europe.It was impossible for him to slip this campaign against Russia, especially with the greatest army the human had ever seen at his disposal. With such a tremendous force Napoleon overlooked the finer details of the campaign that were essential to assuring its success. Another factor that greatly contributed to the failure of Napoleons 1812 campaign was the tactics that the Russians employed to deter his Grand Armee. The Russians would retreat deeper inland as soon as they proverb the Grand Armee approaching, which worked to exhaust their foe.The Russians had no choice but to retreat when they power saw Napoleons massive approaching army. As a result of this, the Grand Armee suffered. 8 It is unclear whether the Russians draw back as they were aware that facing the capacious in vading force was suicidal or they did it on purpose in order to intentionally tire out the enemy. Either way, the retreat worked wonders against Napoleons Army. A French General said this We (the French cavalry) deploy, and boldly advance to the attack, and already reach their line but they disappear wish well a dream and we see wholly the bare pines and birch trees.An hour later, when we have begun to feed our horses, the dark line of Cossacks again appears on the horizon, and we are again threatened with an onslaught. We repeat the same manoeuvre, and, as before, our operations are not attended with success. Thus one of the best and bravest cavalry forces the world has ever seen was tired out and disorganised by those whom it considered unworthy foes, but who were the real saviours of their country. 9 As the Russians retreated, they gained in strength, and exhausted the resources of country on the highway that was to be trailed by the invaders.This has come to be known as the s corched earth policy. This strategy was designed to deplete the enemys resources so that they may only survive on the edible that they brought along with them. The Russians burned-out their own countryside as they fell back. Napoleon did not anticipate the use of this tactic. It was greatly effective in depleting the numbers of the Grand Armee by starvation the enemy. The Russians were determined to defend their country from almost certain defeat. They fought knowing that their full country was relying on them to keep it from falling into Napoleons hands.This inducement and confidence in battle that the Russians had was also not anticipated by the French Emperor. He expected the Russians to roll over and be unkept as he had done in previous campaigns. Also to his revulsion he found that the make up in his own ranks was slowly attenuation As previously stated, Napoleon had amassed his army from all corners of his empire. Among the French there were Germans, Italians, Poles, Spaniards, Portuguese, Swiss and Croatians. Even though the numbers of this army were staggering, their cohesion as a unit was compromised due to the simple fact that they were all from polar countries.This mixture of languages and cultures, although very large and well organized, made efficiency and discipline an issue for Napoleon. Also, only the French troops were the ones who were well equipped and well trained, they were inspired to fight under their beloved Emperor. The same cannot be said of the rest of the troops. 10 The foreigners were fighting because they had no choice, they were allies to Napoleon but they shared no special bond with him, nor were they particularly motivated to be fighting in his name and in the name of France.This was another key factor that played a large role in the dismantling of the army during Napoleons retreat form Moscow. Napoleon also failed to crystallise that the Tsar Alexander would not surrender as easily as he thought. Napoleon thought t hat after a handful of decisive victories the Tsar would agree peace basis and Napoleon would have his way. He also mistakenly thought that if he were to occupy the Russian capital of Moscow then the country would be at his mercy. A wholeness blow delivered at the heart of the Russian Empire, at Moscow the holy, will instantly put this whole blind, apathetic mass at my mercy. 11 Napoleon, in spite of having extensive relations with Tsar Alexander had underestimated his character. The Tsars pick was strong and unwavering in his decision to not accept terms of peace with Napoleon. He did not even respond to Napoleon, even though the French Emperor now occupied the capital city. 12 It is important to rase that as the Grand Armee entered into Moscow it was in flames, set ablaze by the Russians themselves in accordance with their scorched earth policy. This denied Napoleons men the provisions and plunder that they so desired and had been promised.The occupants had fled to the count ryside and the city was left abandon and up in flames. Napoleon had again been bested by the Russians. His army was now 1/5th of what it was. Two of my sources hold very different views when it comes to the esprit de corps of Napoleons men at this time. One maintains that the officers maintained their confidence in Napoleon while the troops, although not happy with the fact that they had no provisions retained their thoughtlessness and were still content under the Emperors guidance. 13 The other source depicts more of a sense of disillusionment within the ranks. The fires by which the place was devastated reacted on the discipline of the troops. The men put away themselves to disorder, and marauding did not cease until the Emperor took stringent measures to restore discipline. 14 Napoleon was left with a dilemma to ponder. He could either continue the campaign and make a final push to defeat the weakened enemy with the disgruntled and famished troops that he had left or he could q uickly retreat and leave Russia knowing that he had been outmanoeuvred by his enemy. Napoleon took a third option.He waited for word from Tsar Alexander. He was hopeful that the Tsar would sign a peace agreement. Napoleon was unaware of the fact that Alexander could not possibly surrender, it was his duty as Tsar to never accept terms. This led to Napoleon hesitating in Moscow for cardinal weeks. With no word from Alexander and winter fast approaching. A decision needed to be made quickly. Napoleon gave the order to retreat and they marched out of Moscow on the 19th of October. 15 This hesitation from Napoleon would soon come back to bite them.Napoleon lingered in Moscow for far too long. His stay should not have exceeded two weeks and he should have retreated in September. By hesitating so long he brought near the horrors that would face him and what was left of his army in the following weeks. Three weeks after Napoleon and his army exited Moscow the winter emerged. As they mar ched westward the cold gradually increased until it became almost unbearable. As the temperature dropped to -20 degrees the retreating soldiers began dropping give care move from starvation, disease and the bitter cold.Discipline declined. The famished soldiers no longer did what they were told. They had no honour left to do battle, instead the main goal of all(prenominal) soldier was to stay alive. Men fought over food supplies and clothes. Some attached the unit in search of provisions elsewhere. The army was no longer a fighting force. 16 This, however was not the retreating armys only problem. The Cossacks attacked the army from all flanks, they were vicious and relentless to Napoleons army, and they showed no mercy to anyone who fell behind the main unit. 17 Napoleons army was slowly fading away, little by little each day. Napoleon even wore a vial of poison around his neck in the event of him being captured. Less than 90,000 soldiers escaped Russia even after Napoleon had abandoned what was left of his army when he heard of a coup developing in Paris. The campaign in Russian was colossal failure. With what looked like a sure victory for Napoleon at the start of the campaign ended in shambles. Napoleon was outwitted and undone by the tactics of the Russians. Something Napoleon did not consider possible.Napoleons failure to understand that the Russians would fight with such desperation to defend their motherland was a costly mistake. Napoleon greatly underestimated his enemy, as well as the amount of necessary provisions to feed such a massive force as the Grand Armee. Everything seemed to conspire against Napoleon in the Russian campaign and in whatever respects he was hopelessly unlucky. His belief in himself and his army was so great, his star so bright that he became blinded. He failed to think through the battle plan thoroughly enough and the result was a great failure. This failure did not go unnoticed by the rest of Europe. afterwards it becam e obvious that Napoleon had lost with such a large army at his disposal Britain, Russia, Prussia and Sweden decided to strike Napoleon when he appeared weakest. His genius as an invincible conqueror took a massive hit. The rest of Europe realized that it was possible to defeat Napoleon. Napoloen was able to rally another army to defend his empire from the forces that were now conspiring against him but it was too late, the initial slander had been done through the Russian campaign and Napoleons empire would never again ascend to what it once was prior to the campaign of 1812.