A) Russia’s scorched-earth policy
C) The harsh Russian winter
The French invasion of Russia began on June 24, 1812. Napoleon, leading the Grande Armée, attempted to defeat the Russian army and compel Tsar Alexander I to stop trade with Britain.
The campaign was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It was the bloodiest of Napoleon's campaigns, and it was considered a complete disaster. The Russian army kept retreating, and using a scorched-earth policy (they destroyed everything in their path to make sure the French ran out of provisions). After staying in Moscow for a month, the French army began to move again. However, winter had started, and it was catastrophic for the French. They lacked food, many died from hypothermia and attacks from Cossacks. From the original 680,000 soldiers (largest army in history up to that point), only 27,000 remained.
