WH Writing Assignment VII
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Nov 24, 2024
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Writing Assignment VII: The Napoleonic Era and the Aftermath of Napoleon
Topic: Please write on Napoleon's invasion of Russia. When writing, be sure to cover the context
(the backstory, time frame, etc.), the who, what, where, why, etc. and explain the outcome and
significance. What does Benjamin Constant's writing/perspective add to this story?
Following the events of the French Revolution, a powerful emperor would emerge in France by
the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. (Although he was born with a similar, but different name on
Corsica) Napoleon rose through the ranks to brigadier general and was hailed as a brilliant
taction by other military leaders at the time. In fact, I would argue Napoleon is the most
intelligent military leader of the modern era when it came to land warfare. However, it is my
contention that the downfall of his rule was due predominately to the invasion of Russia.
Before the invasion of Russia, Napoleon was seen as sort of a liege lord of Europe as he had
defeated many military powers during the time including Austria, Prussia, and Russia. (
The
Essential World History, Volume II: Since 1500 p. 482
) Napoleons hand was forced when Russia
decided to leave the Continental system, which was Napoleon’s attempt to combat the British
through trade warfare. No country under this Continental system was allowed to trade with Great
Britain, but Russia’s economy was suffering, and from their point of view it was not
economically advantageous to stay in such a system. The outcome for the legacy of Napoleon’s
empire might have been completely different had he let the issue with Russia subside.
In 1812, after Russia’s refusal to stop trading with Great Britain, Napoleon amassed the largest
army Europe has ever seen and began his invasion of Russia with an estimated 600,000-650,000
men! Napoleon’s tactics relied on speed to outmaneuver the enemy, but Russia had an answer to
these tactics. Instead of taking Napoleon’s army head on, the Russian generals ordered their men
to retreat when they were approaching. Not only did the Russian army retreat, but they used a
tactic called “Scorched Earth” in which they burned the land while withdrawing back towards
Moscow. Because of Napoleon’s speed tactic, that meant his soldiers had to live off the land. So,
it is clear to see why this “Scorched Earth” strategy became a massive issue for his army.
The Russians finally turned to face Napoleon’s army at Battle of Borodino. This battle was
Russia’s last stand in protecting the historic city of Moscow and would go on to be a costly battle
for both sides. After the defeat of the Russian army, both France and Russia had lost around
80,000 men. This victory was essentially pointless as Napoleon had lost around 75% of his army
by the time they had reached Moscow. Even more unfortunate for Napoleon, the Russian Tsar
ordered the evacuation and burning of the city so when the French forces arrived, there was little
space for all his men to stay. Winter was also approaching, and Napoleon’s army was stuck very
deep in Russian territory with little supplies, so he was forced to retreat. During this treacherous
retreat during the Russian winter, many of Napoleon’s men died leaving around 20,000-40,000
men in the spring of 1813. (
Lecture 34:50
)
The result of the war on Russia was the eventual capture of Paris in March of 1814 (
The
Essential World History, Volume II: Since 1500 p. 483
) by European forces. Napoleon was forced
to step down as emperor of France, however he was not executed due to the possibility of
another revolution, so he was exiled to the island of Elba. Before his departure, Napoleon
addressed his veteran soldiers at Fontainebleau with an impassioned speech referred to as
“
Farewell to the Old Guard
”. From his speech one could conclude that he cared deeply about
France and the French people, but there were many critics of Napoleon. The primary source
provided is from a French political writer by the name of Benjamin Constant. In,
The Spirit of
Conquest and Usurpation
, Constant heavily criticizes Napoleon’s rise to power and his need for
conquest.
While there were plenty of critics of Napoleon, he undoubtably managed to bring prosperity to
France after emerging from the chaos of the French Revolution. I believe this follows a trend in
which there will always be a downfall to every leader, no matter how powerful, throughout
history.
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