Question by Hello: Why did Napoleon lose in Russia?
I need to write an essay on this and I’m trying to form a thesis so I need strong points. Please help me.
So far, I have:
– his army was outnumbered, and Russia was a huge territory
– his army wasn’t able to tolerate the winter
what else?
Please and thanks 🙂
Answers and Views:
Answer by softsneakers
He, along with other wannabe conquerors, forgot about Russia’s Three Greatest Generals:
General Winter
General Snow
General Mud
Of course, that’s just a part – albeit a huge part – of the story. Note that Hitler ran into the same troubles around a hundred years later. Russians came in droves to defend Mother Russia. Apart from able leadership was the sheer number of soldiers mobilized in tandem with their ability to effectively evacuate civilians when required.
While the French no doubt have experienced winter, they have not experienced a Russian winter. Horse-drawn artillery and supplies do not move very well in a fine summer’s day. During winter? Forget about it. Frostbite and other disease further slowed his advance into unfamiliar territory.
Hope this helps.
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Steven TJ says
The winter, snow and mud demoralised his troops who were already very tired from fighting. Also, the mud caused many transport carts to get stuck and delayed the movement of troops.
shall89 says
Since Russia is such a vast land, the supplies needed by Napoleans army were difficult to transport over long distances. Supplies included food, amunition, etc. A large army needs a lot to keep going and it became to difficult to maintani the constant flow of these supplies.
Please check your facts. His army was not outnumbered and it could tolerate winter as well as the Russians.
brainstorm says
Logistics.
The Russians retreated taking all supplies with them and burning anything left behind that might be useful to the French.
The further Napoleon advanced the more difficult it was to supply his army especially the horses.
When they reached Moscow it was deserted and the French were starving.
They had no choice but to retreat in the winter with the snow deep.on the roads and no winter clothing.
Most of the army was killed by the cold.
ammianus says
The Russian army basically refused to fight – even at Borodino (where the French army was slightly larger),Kutuzov only stood and confronted the Grand Armee under a direct order from the Czar Previous to this the Russian army retreated east to avoid a major battle,instigating a scorched earth policy as they withdrew.
Napoleon’s main hope of victory was to destroy the Russian army,but due to illness on the day of battle he gave up personal direction of the fighting,leaving grand tactical control in the hands of his less able subordinates..He also refused to commit the Imperial Guard at the decisive moment of the battle,so although the Russians were defeated at Borodino,this was not a decisive victory for Napoleon.The Russians were able to retreat unmolested;there was no energetic pursuit due to Napoleon’s illness.
Napoleon moved on to occupy Moscow,which he assumed would give him political victory.However,the Russians had evacuated the city,Napoleon being dumbfounded that no-one came to meet him to officially surrender the keys of the city.
The Russians then set fire to the city,and the mostly wooden houses were soon in ashes,forcing the French army to bivouac in the open and denying the city to Napoleon as winter quarters for his troops.
In October Napoleon made another attempt to destroy the Russian army at Maloyaroslavets,but again Kutuzov declined to commit the bulk of his forces.With French morale detiorating and the non French troops (about 40% of the total) becoming unreliable,Napoleon was forced to turn back and retrace the route used to advance to Moscow during the summer.The French army was thus forced to traverse a countryside ravaged by both French and Russian depradations of the summer.With no forage available,the overstrained logistical system collapsed,leaving the French starving,and this discomfiture was compounded as the retreat continued throughout the harsh Russian winter.
So,in conclusion it could be said that Napoleon lost in Russia because he failed to destroy the main Russian army in a single campaigning season.This was due firstly to Kutuzov’s tactics of avoiding any major engagements unless he had no choice,and secondly to Napoleon losing control of his army at crucial moments at Borodino because of illness,which also affected his judgement,
Jim L says
By the time Napoleon reached Moscow, he had already lost over two-thirds of his army. Russia was simply too poor and its agriculture too marginal to allow his force to live off the land, even without the scorched-earth policy the Russians resorted to.
old lady says
Softsnea has expressed it well. Add to the factors he listed, the fact that Napoleon’s supply line was very, very long and the farther he got inside Russia, the longer it became. That’s one of the most crippling situations that can face any army and time and again, it is the one that defeats and attacking army. Same thing happened when the Brits and the Americans fought it out on American soil – the Brits had to import everything by boat so their supply line was not only long, it was very limited.