This enormous tomb.

posted by LockeProposal on TheGrittyPast

[The following takes place during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia following is ill-fated invasion and capture of Moscow.]

Winter, the greatest weapon in Russia’s arsenal, was on its way. And the wrath of an outraged populace would aid its lethal scourge. For the once-grande Armée, Russia became, in the words of one, “this enormous tomb.” In all, 400,000 soldiers died; 100,000 more were taken prisoner. Some of those who managed to survive recounted the horror of that unforgiving retreat: tales of frozen bodies, half eaten by wolves, of menacing peasants quick to torture, of starvation so severe that dung became nourishment.

”We continued to advance without knowing where our steps were taking us,” one French soldier wrote. “A raging storm drove in our faces the snow that was falling out of the sky in large flakes, together with that which it swept up from the ground, and seemed to desire with all its might to oppose our progress. The horses could no longer move forward over the frozen ground and collapsed; the convoys and, for the first time, the cannon remained behind for lack of teams to draw them. The route over which the Grande Armée was hurrying to Smolensk was strewn with frozen corpses. But the snow had soon covered them like an immense shroud, and little mounds, like the tombs of the ancients, showed us only faint traces of our buried comrades in arms.”

Source:

Farquhar, Michael. “Chapter 9 – Alexander I (1801-1825): Napoleon’s Conqueror.” Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014. 178-79. Print.

Further Reading:

Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow

If you enjoy this type of content, please consider donating to my Patreon!

[**The following takes place during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia following is ill-fated invasion and capture of Moscow.**] >Winter, the greatest weapon in Russia’s arsenal, was on its way. And the wrath of an outraged populace would aid its lethal scourge. For the once-grande Armée, Russia became, in the words of one, “this enormous tomb.” In all, 400,000 soldiers died; 100,000 more were taken prisoner. Some of those who managed to survive recounted the horror of that unforgiving retreat: tales of frozen bodies, half eaten by wolves, of menacing peasants quick to torture, of starvation so severe that dung became nourishment. >”We continued to advance without knowing where our steps were taking us,” one French soldier wrote. “A raging storm drove in our faces the snow that was falling out of the sky in large flakes, together with that which it swept up from the ground, and seemed to desire with all its might to oppose our progress. The horses could no longer move forward over the frozen ground and collapsed; the convoys and, for the first time, the cannon remained behind for lack of teams to draw them. The route over which the Grande Armée was hurrying to Smolensk was strewn with frozen corpses. But the snow had soon covered them like an immense shroud, and little mounds, like the tombs of the ancients, showed us only faint traces of our buried comrades in arms.” ________________________________ **Source:** Farquhar, Michael. “Chapter 9 – Alexander I (1801-1825): Napoleon’s Conqueror.” *Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia*. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014. 178-79. Print. ________________________________ **Further Reading:** [Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia#Retreat_from_Moscow) _______________________________ **If you enjoy this type of content, please consider donating to my [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/HistoryLockeBox)!**

1 comments

[–] [Deleted] 1 points (+1|-0)

This is very humbling. I just realized I take my problems for granted. Mine are easy. These men. They had real problems.

This enormous tomb.

1 comments

/s/TheGrittyPast