Napoleon Bonaparte's Rise & Fall continued

The beginning of Napoleon's downfall came in 1812 with his invasion of Russia. In June 1812, a Grand Army of over 600 thousand men entered Russia. Napoleon's hopes for victory depended on a quick defeat of the Russian armies. The Russian refused to give battle and retreated for hundreds of miles. As they retreated, they burned their own villages and country-side to keep Napoleon's army from finding food. When the Russians did stop to fight at Borodino, Napoleon's forces won an indecisive & costly victory. Lacking food, Napoleon abandoned Moscow and began the "Great Retreat" across Russia to arrive back in Poland in 1813. The powers that had defeated Napoleon pledged once more to fight this person they called "Enemy & Disturber of the Tranquility of the world." Napoleon raised yet another army & moved to attack the nearest allied forces stationed in Belgium. At Waterloo in Belgium, Napoleon suffered a bloody defeat.

Information found in Book, Pages 568 & 569