HannibalBarca
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Yes it is a MYTH.
Russian tactics, Russian light cavalry and Russian winter was key factors, but Russian winter alone - NOT EVEN CLOSE.
My fiance earned her PhD in that field.
If you want to learn something about that, read this.
Alan Palmer "Napoleon in Russia"
Russia against Napoleon by Dominic Livien
Napoleon's invasion of Russia by George Nafziger.
Ofc RU winter alone wasn't enough... RU tactics was mostly something called " La terre brulée" meaning that every crops were burned down with the avancement of the Napoleonian army into RU territories. Almost a quarter to a third of Napoleon soldiers died of hunger + hard winter. One of the first "seen" canibalism happened during that operation...
As for the Light cavalery... it's mostly been used to harass the soldiers during the night..;therefore fear and moral was the main target...
BUT the RUssians couldn't "Control" the winter... therefore their tactics were "la terre brulée" + "harrassment+ stick and run"... So IF Napoleon had WAITED after the WINTER... those RU tactics couldn't stop that Army..; and that's a fact...
NApoleon was a little too "arrogant" for that op..; thinking that his soldiers COULD surpass that winter... without thinking that when he was in warm clothes + good food... his soldier weren't... And that he could close that op in a blinkof an eye..; like 14-18 WW1..; they thought it will last 2 weeks...