Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening depending on when you are reading this blog post. I am working through a series about Napoleon and I am still doing this series out of order because they are unnumbered. This is the third episode in the series I am working through and it has a run time of 46:59. This is about the Winter Campaign in Russia.
This episode kicks off with the breakdown of a treaty that happened between Russia and France. Both Alexander I and Napoleon were ambitious men and would fulfill their ambitions in a backhanded way. They would divide Europe, Alexander I would rule the east and Napoleon would rule the west. However, the relationship would fracture. Eventually, Napoleon would divorce Josephine. He planned on marrying the Tsar’s sister Anna but instead married another young woman. Tsar Alexander I was displeased with this move as well as Napoleon’s reluctance to help in the invasion of Constantinople. Further displeasing the Tsar was Napoleon’s plans to revive the Kingdom of Poland by expanding the Duchy of Warsaw. Eventually, they would clash. Napoleon wanted a barrier between Russia and the Empire and by reestablishing Poland he planned on making that barrier. In 1811 the Russian Ambassador met with Napoleon demanding that the Duchy of Warsaw be handed over. Napoleon used his normal tactics to try to bully the Russian Ambassador. However, these tactics would backfire. The Russian ambassador warned Napoleon that if he were to invade Russia in the winter the French army would fail. Napoleon would not listen and would work to prepare for the Russian invasion. Supplies were gathered and the soldiers were recruited. In Napoleon’s mind, he was well-preparing for the invasion of Russia. When the preparations were made, Napoleon marched his soldiers to Russia. Napoleon would travel in style to Russia and would berate the quartermasters if the soldiers lacked certain supplies. One historian believes that Napoleon was over-prepared and that there were too many soldiers for the tasks. Napoleon wanted the big army to force the Tsar to come to terms. The French army was prepared for a short battle and a quick peace. He wanted to repeat his success in Vienna. He would emerge victorious and he should have. The Russian army was filled with peasants and they were reluctant fighters. However, history would remember Napoleon’s invasion of Russia very differently. The Russian generals would use the vast land to their advantage. Even though the French won every battle against the Russians, the Russian generals would draw the French deeper and deeper into Russia. They burned the villages which would prevent the French from resupplying as they marched deeper and deeper into Russia. Horses died as a result. Napoleon stubbornly pressed on into Russia, pursuing the Russian Army. The French were being drawn deeper and deeper into Russia. One historian believes that Napoleon was not showing that he was a good general. The Russians refused to surrender, however, when there was a wounded Russian he would order the man to be treated. In the meantime, the Russian army kept withdrawing to keep their army intact. Eventually, Napoleon would reach Moscow. However, he discovered a deserted capital. It would have been a hollow victory for Napoleon. The Tsar and the Russians were not willing to negotiate with Napoleon. This was a sign that Napoleon did not think through the political ramifications of this invasion. So what would Napoleon do? What would the Russians do to thwart Napoleon’s escape? If you want to know, tune into the rest of the episode to find out more. I am going to outright say it, this episode was boring. It was endless French fighting and the Russians retreating. The French lose thousands of soldiers while the Russians were losing far fewer soldiers. What was the point of this episode? It was a challenge to follow because I found myself drifting periodically throughout the episode. This was disappointing and I can hope one day that there will be a better documentary available on Napoleon. This would not be something I would show to a history class. I would also not use this for research purposes, it was that bad of an episode.
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |