In this 6-minute clip from a one-hour interview with renowned historian David A. Bell, we unpack Napoleon’s disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia, where he lost 578,000 soldiers in just six months. Was it sheer arrogance or did Napoleon stand a real chance of success? What were the true causes of this catastrophic defeat—brutal winter, stretched supply lines, or Russian strategy? David offers his expert insights into one of history’s most infamous military campaigns and its lasting impact on Europe.
David A. Bell is a Princeton historian, author of *Napoleon: A Concise Biography*, and a leading scholar on revolutionary France and the Enlightenment.
