Napoleon and Russia is the epic story of a battle of historical giants. The catastrophic retreat of the Grande Armee from Moscow in 1812 was decisive in the eventual defeat of Napoleon. It was, however, only the most dramatic episode in a much longer struggle between Napoleon and Russia, one that dated back as far as his early campaigns in Italy and Austria. Truces and attempts at friendship with Alexander I, notably after the treaty of Tilsit in 1807, alternated with major campaigns and ferocious battles, notably at Eylau and Friedland. Even after 1812, it was the Russian army that played a crucial part in defeating Napoleon at Leipzig in 1813 and forcing his abdication. Cossacks rode into Paris and watered their horses in the Seine. In 1815 Napoleon was forced to gamble everything on a quick victory at Waterloo before Russian forces could join the Allies.
Author Biography
Michael Adams has a doctorate in War Studies from the University of London (King's College) and has published several articles on the Napoleonic period, including in War in History and History Today.
