Why Did Napoleon Attack Russia Essay

Napoleon attacks Moscow

The great fire of Moscow happened in Moscow in 1812 the great city was burned by the Russian army’s when Napoleon tried attacking Russia during the Winter of 1812. The Russians used a tactic called scorched earth which is the tactic which the opposing army attacks and destroys anything that could be useful to the enemy. Napoleon could of done multiple things to prevent this He could of attacked in spring instead of fall, or he could of not attacked at all, but instead he attacked in fall and fell right into Russia trap. This was the start of the end of Napoleon's reign in Europe.

Napoleon planned to attacked Moscow with around 500,000 men but on his way to Moscow the Freezing weather took away majority of his army

This is a tactic call scorched earth where one side attacks and destroys anything that may be useful to the enemy. The fire was started in many places around Moscow. Only a few building were saved from the fire. Most of the buildings that were saved were located in the kremlin. The inner part of the city where many important buildings were were mostly not harmed. The kremlin had a wall around it which was said to keep most of the fire away. The Troitskaya Tower where Napoleon entered the city was not destroyed in the fire mostly because it was made out of brick, but there was a clock on the top of the tower that fell of and was destroyed. The Saint Basil's Cathedral was also spared in the fire of Moscow. Saint Basil's church was looted by Napoleon and his army. Napoleon ordered to have the building destroyed but the building suffered only minor interior breakage that was repaired years later. Ivan the great bell tower was also located in the Kremlin. Napoleon heard that the top of the cathedral of annunciation was covered in gold but he mistaken the cathedral with the Ivan the great bell tower but it was only made out of iron. Napoleon was angered by this and ordered to have the bell tower destroyed but the explosion only made some cracks in the foundation walls. In the kremlin there was a museum where there was many paintings and important artefacts this building in the kremlin was not spared by