19. An unexpected thaw did as much damage to Napoleon’s Army as the frigid Russian winter
The retreat from Moscow is often depicted as Napoleon’s Army trudging through heavy snow, with men dying in deep drifts alongside dead horses and abandoned equipment. The depictions are accurate, but what is often forgotten is the damage done by an unusual thaw during the retreat. Napoleon expected a respite from the harassing Russian attacks when his army crossed the Berezina River, which was typically frozen at that time of year. When his army reached the Berezina, they found it in full flow, widened by the early thaw, and virtually impassable. Ice floes raced downstream in the swift current, making bridging operations extra hazardous. The Russian army had the French trapped.
French and Dutch engineers constructed a bridge 330 feet in length while troops of the Grande Armee held off the attacking Russians. The engineers worked in water so cold that death from hypothermia occurred in less than 30 minutes of exposure. Once the bridge was completed the French cavalry raced across, to establish defensive positions as the artillery and infantry began their withdrawal. The engineers immediately began work on a second bridge. By nightfall, most of the French Army had escaped, and the rear-guard units continued to hold off the Russians until they were ordered to surrender. The name Berezina became synonymous with disaster in French. As the remnants of Napoleon’s army headed into Poland, the river again froze over, allowing the Russians to rapidly pursue.
