In June of 1812, the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, led a massive European coalition against the Russian Empire to compel adherence to French economic policies that sought to isolate the British Empire from its ability to enable resistance on the continent. This invasion, representing a turning point in the history of the Napoleonic Wars, ended as an unmitigated catastrophe for the French due to three interrelated and multifaceted reasons: the emperor’s inability to gain a decisive battlefield victory; inadequate supply and basing to support the expedition; and, strategic failure to credibly threaten Alexander I, the Russian Emperor, with regime change. Though Napoleon would continue to remain a viable threat and shape European politics until his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo three years later, the French Empire’s military strength and coercive influence would never fully recover from the disaster in Russia. 

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