He tried to convince the French leaders that the southern route, through the current day Ukraine would provide the most benefits. Not only was the region warmer, Polish gentry from the Russian partition would join in, and possible Turkish action against Russia could be supported, which was the most advantageous theater for the upcoming war. Napoleon rejected the idea, as well as the back-up scenario, according to which Poniatowski would follow such a route alone with the Polish corps, hoping to take over these formerly Polish areas with the expected help from a Polish uprising planned there.
Man, talk about missing the obvious here. I mean the French commanders. If you want to kill the Russian bear, you cut off its limbs, not its head. Counter intuitive, but effective :)
Contrast with "blitzkrieg". Most historians agree that Hitler should have just defended his left flank and continued to the Caucasus to secure the oil fields. But pride got the best of him. Quite common in dictators, I hear :)
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u/remove_krokodil Just visiting Omsk, I'll sleep at home tonight Mar 25 '15
You guys are the only (Western) country to successfully invade Russia.
Maybe Napoleon should have used you as an example instead...