Napoleon's invasion of Russia is one of the best studied military campaigns in history. It has been discussed extensively during the past 180 years. According to popular belief, Napoleon entered Russia and marched triumphantly into Moscow with his army largely intact. He was forced to retreat in the winter of 1812 because fires intentionally set in Moscow destroyed three-fourths of the city. Finally, the Russian winter devastated the army on the retreat from Moscow. As we have seen, perceptions of historical events do not always represent what actually transpired. This is especially true for Napoleon's invasion of Russia.
By spring 1812, Napoleon controlled most of Europe, from Spain to Russia. England, however, controlled the seas. Napoleon wanted to control India, which was then a British colony. Because of Britain's superior naval strength throughout the world, his only hope was to take India by land, which meant controlling Russia. Russia and France had been uneasy allies since 1807. Russia did not like Napoleon's resurrection of Poland, and Napoleon, who referred to Russia as the "Colossus of the Barbarian North," did not trust Russia's imperialist intentions in eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
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