Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia

From the publishers
[…] Dodge's work on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 [recounts] Napoleon's doomed march on Russia. Dodge examines Napoleon's state of mind and the factors behind his decisions using personal letters and genuine reports. How could Napoleon, a proficient strategist, have led his army into such an atrocious situation and underestimated the severity of the Russian winter? In one of the most imposing invasions ever attempted – Napoleon could draw upon 600,000 men and 250,000 horses – the Grande Army's success seemed inevitable. Few could imagine that only 100,000 would reach Moscow and all without having achieved the decisive battle that Napoleon sought. Dodge sheds […] light on Napoleon's character as a soldier by focusing on his personal matters and behaviour, putting aside his politcial concerns. […]

From the Fondation
This a republication of parts of the third volume of Dodge's Napoleon. A History of the Art of War, From the Beginning of the French Revolution to the End of the Eighteenth Century, with a Detailed Account of the Wars of the French Revolution, Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and CO. 1907 p.747. It includes an introduction by George Nafziger.
P.H.

About the author
Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Ayrault Dodge (1842–1909) was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He received a military education in Berlin and attended University College London. Returning to the United States in 1861, he enlisted as a Union officer during the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel, losing his right leg at the battle of Gettysburg. He wrote extensively on the American Civil War before beginning his Great Captains series which includes Hannibal and Alexander the Great.