jun 24, 1812 - Napolean Invades Russia

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On June 24, 1812, the Grande Armée, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, crossed the Neman River, invading Russia from present-day Poland. This resulted in a disaster for the French. The Russian army refused to engage with Napoleon’s army of more than 500,000 European troops. They simply retreated into the Russian interior. The Grande Armée didn't have supplies or the distribution networks required for such a long march. French strategists assumed the army would be supplied by wagons, or would be able to gather supplies as they went. Russian roads were in very poor condition, making it very difficult to transport supplies. The French also failed to prepare for Russia’s harsh winter. The troops were not dressed or trained for the kind of weather they faced. The resulting losses they faced would forever change the course of European history since Napoleon not only lost a lot of raw manpower but also his experienced soldiers.

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