Search results
The battle began in the early hours of 7 September 1812 and lasted for a torturous fifteen hours. The number of cannons caused most of the field to be obscured by thick smog as huge numbers of French troops were thrown against the Russian positions, making for an apocalyptic atmosphere.
Moscow 1812 by Adam Zamoyski is a gripping account of Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia. Drawing on firsthand accounts and extensive research, Zamoyski brings to life the brutal campaign, the devastating effects of the Russian winter, and the ultimate downfall of the French army.
This 68 page long précis is an excellent, concise summary of the battle and campaign containing all the information essential for the student war-gamer, as its inclusion in the Knight's battles for Wargamers series would indicate.
Taking Moscow was not a strategic goal; rather, it was an operational and political prize, seizure of which would force the Russian army to fight, lose, and be destroyed.
Napoleon, ever confident but increasingly weary from the challenges of the campaign, viewed this battle as the decisive engagement that would finally break Russian resistance and pave the way for his triumphant entry into Moscow.
Is it true that in 1812 Napoleon lost 90% of his troops? And if so, how did it happen and why? Minard lays out some answers to these questions in the form of statistics and line width: tactical...
The Russian campaign that began in June 1812 and ended in mid-December was—in spite of the troops committed to it—a catastrophe for the Grande Armée, which confronted both huge logistical problems as well as the resistance and patriotism of Russian troops.
