By 1812 Napoleon had expanded the territory of France all over Europe

including Spain, Italy, Holland, and Switzerland. The countries that

Napoleon did not directly control, he was usually allied with. The

turning point of Napoleon's career also came in 1812 when war broke

out between France and Russia because of Alexander I's refusal to

Even the French nation could not provide all the manpower and

supplies needed to carry out the Emperor's grandiose plan for subduing

Russia. Throughout 1811, he worked to mobilize the entire continent

against Russia. He not only levied the vassal kingdoms in Spain,

Italy, and Germany but also summoned Austria and Prussia to furnish

their share of men and goods. Altogether, Napoleon could count on

nearly 700,000 men of 20 nationalities of whom more than 600,000

crossed the border. Grown far beyond its original intended size, the

army was difficult to assemble and hard to feed. Between Tilsit and

Moscow, there lay over 600 miles of hostile barren countryside.

Because of lack of supplies and the difficulty to feed the large army

between Smolensk and Minsk. There appeared to be a good chance to

a retreat, and eventually settle the army in winter quarters somewhere

so. The horses were not shod for heavy snow, nor had the troops been

men dropped in their tracks and pushed to the side of the road, were

side of the Russian Army. Several French generals had requested that

reach his destination before the first frost. It was imperative to do

of Napoleon. Until November 6, the weather was good, and the movement

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1192
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)