Moscow Burns: Napoleon's Army Loses Its Shelter
The fires that had been consuming Moscow for five days finally subsided on September 18, 1812, leaving three-quarters of the city in ruins. Napoleon had entered Moscow on September 14 expecting to find a functioning capital where he could negotiate peace with Tsar Alexander I. Instead, he found the city largely abandoned, its residents having fled. Fires broke out almost immediately, probably set by Russian saboteurs under Moscow's military governor Fyodor Rostopchin, though this remains debated. Napoleon stayed in the Kremlin for five weeks, waiting for a peace offer that never came. When he finally began his retreat on October 19, his army of 100,000 had no food, no winter clothing, and 1,000 miles of hostile territory to cross. Fewer than 27,000 made it back to France.
September 18, 1812
214 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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