Question: Explain the details about the Russian campaign that the author of “A Brief Stop” chooses to emphasize in his story. Story: On June 24, 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia. He had assembled his Grand Army of more than 600,000 soldiers from many nations across Europe. His reason for invading was that Russian Czar Alexander I broke off an alliance with France and began trading with England.

2 Napoleon’s goal was not to take Russian land or even Moscow, the most important city, but to deliver a decisive blow to the Russian army. He wanted to cripple Russia’s ability to fight, and predicted the war would be over in twenty days.

3 So, in the summer of 1812, 600,000 men crossed the Nieman River and entered Russia. The weather was hot, the soldiers carried about sixty pounds of gear and wore thick, wool uniforms, and Napoleon wanted to move fast. These factors combined to cause many heat casualties. In addition, the Russian army did not cooperate. Russian commanders saw that they were vastly outnumbered and that a battle would be pointless, so they retreated.

4 Ironically, this retreat turned out to be the undoing of Napoleon’s Russian Campaign. It denied him the quick victory he needed, and it created great difficulties for his army. As the Russians retreated, they burned the countryside and villages behind them. Thus, when Napoleon arrived, his army found little food and supplies to support it. His army fought hunger, thirst, disease, and fatigue. Every day Napoleon advanced, his army grew weaker, and every day the Russians retreated, their army grew stronger with reserves and supplies.

5 Napoleon reached Moscow in September, and though his army took the city, Napoleon could not go any further. Winter was coming, and the roles were reversed. Napoleon had to retreat while the Russian army was on the chase. There were battles at times, but mostly the Russians knew that they could let General Winter do their work for them.

6 Out of 600,000 men, only about 10,000 returned to Poland. The Grand Army was defeated, not by the Russians, but by Russia herself.

A Brief Stop

1 The hot August sun bore down on the land. A massive army had come to a stop, a time to rest on its weary march. Soldiers were lying in the fields and along the dusty road, some on their rucksacks, some with their boots off, some drinking from canteens. They had settled like locusts on the land.

2 A commander on horseback rode back up the line until he met another on a white horse. “Emperor Bonaparte,” he said. “Sir, the men cannot endure much more of these conditions.”

3 “The mark of a soldier is the ability to endure hardship, General Drouot. The Russian army is still strong; we have work yet to do.”

4 “Sir, I understand that we have yet to defeat the Russians, but right now, they are not our biggest enemy. The land, the heat, the lack of food and water, the morale of the troops, the distance from any viable support — these, sir, are our biggest enemies and not the Russian forces.”

5 “General Drouot, I am the emperor and I command this army, and we will march until we bring the Russians to their knees. Am I clear?”

6 “You are clear, sir.”

7 “Then I suggest you return to your unit and get your men ready to move.”

8 “Yes sir.” General Drouot turned his horse and, with his eyes to the ground, slowly rode back to his men. On the horizon, the land shimmered as the heat rose off the Russian countryside.

Explain the details about the Russian campaign that the author of “A Brief Stop” chooses to emphasize in his story. Use examples from both passages in your answer.