1812 - Napolean Retreats from Moscow

"Napoleon maintained his army in the burned capital of Russia for five weeks in the hope of bringing Alexander to terms; finally on October 19th with winter setting in and his armies far from home he ordered a retreat from Moscow. His army was harassed throughout their retreat. Of his army of 600,000 less then 100,000 were left when they straggled across the Niemen River in the middle of December."
http://www.historycentral.com/dates/1810ad.html

Basically, the French went into Moscow hoping to burn it down and win the battle, but they were left in the middle of a harsh Russian winter, one they were not ready for. They had no food or proper supplies. This lead to the demise of many of Napoleon's soldiers. Most of them died, and the rest of them were forced to retreat back home.


This event made me think back to the story of Frankenstein. When Dr. Frankenstein's creation comes alive for the first time the doctor frantically runs out of his home. The French's unpreparedness for the harsh winter could symbolize the doctor's unpreparedness of the discovery that his creation started murdering the people who are very important to him. Dr. Frankenstein grew ill due to heartache and guilt as the French being unprepared lead to the soldier's demise in the year 1812.

Adrianna Sikula