Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
🎥 Watch 300+ exclusive videos on Youtube ► youtube.com/channel/UCMmaBzfCCwZ2KqaBJjkj0fw/join and Patreon ► patreon.com/kingsandgenerals
Kings and Generals historical animated documentary series on the history of the early modern history continues with a video on how Russia prepared for Napoleon's 1812 invasion. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 is usually told as the story of the French emperor’s ambition, hubris, and catastrophic retreat. This video turns the campaign around and asks a different question: how did Russia prepare for the storm before the Grande Armée crossed the border? After the Treaty of Tilsit, Russia was forced into Napoleon’s Continental System, but economic pressure, fear of a restored Poland, and growing diplomatic tension made war increasingly likely. Alexander I’s government responded with espionage in Paris, where Nesselrode and Chernyshev gathered crucial intelligence on French plans, troop movements, and even Napoleon’s personal health. Russian diplomacy then worked to secure Sweden, end the Ottoman war, limit Austria and Prussia’s involvement, and free armies for the coming struggle. At home, military reforms improved artillery, officer training, discipline, recruitment, supply depots, and command structure. Most importantly, Barclay de Tolly and others embraced a defensive strategy: deny Napoleon the decisive battle he wanted, retreat into Russia’s vast interior, scorch the earth, and let distance, hunger, resistance, winter, patriotism, and time weaken the invader. This was the preparation that helped doom Napoleon and reshape Europe forever after, from Moscow to Paris and beyond during the wars that followed soon.
India’s Last Stand Against Britain: youtu.be/NoMJjyJpq-w
Why Was Germany so Fragmented in the Middle Ages: youtu.be/EiB8sMHxGqM
Eastern Roman Empire: Why So Many Civil Wars?: youtu.be/SK_yHooLu1s
What Did the Europeans Think About the Eastern Romans?: youtu.be/Qu6NnWj1EZ8
Were the Eastern Romans and Arabs Always at War?: youtu.be/nBMP6yRAOZg
Great Schism Between Greek and Latin Christianity: youtu.be/a6rWf0k8d78
How Islam Split into the Sunni and Shia Branches: youtu.be/-85dXjgMiSU
Rise of the Cossacks: youtu.be/UQ_ocyTRRIE
Crusades From the Muslim Perspective: youtu.be/t8RZtYvW02g
Early Muslim Expansion - Yarmouk, Al-Qadisiyyah: youtu.be/r2cEIDZwG5M
Early Muslim Expansion - Egypt and Iran: youtu.be/baHT2nR5Wr4
Muslim Schism: youtu.be/-85dXjgMiSU
Third Crusade: youtu.be/jCyCSgsFXKQ
Fourth Crusade: youtube.com/watch?v=3Vp_IENiSnA&list=PLaBYW76inbX4ZjR4rodOOSc-zL1orP4hW
First Crusade: youtube.com/watch?v=JkyYjpYLORI&list=PLaBYW76inbX6RqjG027zLO_svn3Fdv7Qa
Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire: youtu.be/OEzS8D4IidA
How the German Empire Provoked Ottoman Jihad in WWI: youtu.be/8LCpbgVx9kY
Ottoman Battles: youtube.com/watch?v=txyqS5yuw30&list=PLaBYW76inbX5BKGRPzlqdztQySZmJLjJt
Why the Ottomans Never Colonized America: youtu.be/lM_Wzt_Z228
Why the Ottoman Sultans Killed their Brothers: youtu.be/vN7LgUIOAVw
Cem Sultan: Ottoman Prince in the Heart of Europe: youtu.be/3w9POQMt5jk
Ottoman Pirates: youtu.be/5jguevSDIuY
Turkification of Anatolia: youtu.be/JBgq1taoUsY
Hashashins: youtu.be/vG8qmlKdRjs
Christian Schism: youtu.be/a6rWf0k8d78
Mos Maiorum: What led to the fall of the Roman Republic?: youtu.be/BNWfDWk6ohM
How Rome Conquered Greece: youtu.be/v5q1rerf-qw
Caesar in Gaul: youtu.be/LRV185XaMIM
Video: Yağız Bozan and Murat Can Yağbasan
Script: Leo Stone
Narration: Liam Taylor
âś” Merch store â–ş teespring.com/stores/kingsandgenerals
âś” Patreon â–ş patreon.com/KingsandGenerals
âś” Podcast â–ş kingsandgenerals.libsyn.com iTunes: apple.co/2QTuMNG
âś” PayPal â–ş paypal.me/kingsandgenerals
âś” Twitter â–ş twitter.com/KingsGenerals
âś” Facebook â–ş facebook.com/KingsGenerals
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Sources: docs.google.com/document/d/10c7VVRkYuuRe-sv5xwRpuf5K2BRzgD7gFkJAi3SCxPI/edit?usp=sharing
Music courtesy of EpidemicSound
00:00:00 - How Russia Saw Napoleon Coming
00:01:20 - From Tilsit to Breaking Point
00:04:24 - Russian Spies Inside Napoleon’s Empire
00:08:48 - Diplomacy Before the Invasion
00:12:10 - Rebuilding the Russian Army
00:15:59 - The Plan to Deny Napoleon Victory
00:18:26 - Why Russia’s Strategy Worked
#Documentary #Napoleon #russianhistory
🎥 Watch 300+ exclusive videos on Youtube ► youtube.com/channel/UCMmaBzfCCwZ2KqaBJjkj0fw/join and Patreon ► patreon.com/kingsandgenerals
Kings and Generals historical animated documentary series on the history of the early modern history continues with a video on how Russia prepared for Napoleon's 1812 invasion. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 is usually told as the story of the French emperor’s ambition, hubris, and catastrophic retreat. This video turns the campaign around and asks a different question: how did Russia prepare for the storm before the Grande Armée crossed the border? After the Treaty of Tilsit, Russia was forced into Napoleon’s Continental System, but economic pressure, fear of a restored Poland, and growing diplomatic tension made war increasingly likely. Alexander I’s government responded with espionage in Paris, where Nesselrode and Chernyshev gathered crucial intelligence on French plans, troop movements, and even Napoleon’s personal health. Russian diplomacy then worked to secure Sweden, end the Ottoman war, limit Austria and Prussia’s involvement, and free armies for the coming struggle. At home, military reforms improved artillery, officer training, discipline, recruitment, supply depots, and command structure. Most importantly, Barclay de Tolly and others embraced a defensive strategy: deny Napoleon the decisive battle he wanted, retreat into Russia’s vast interior, scorch the earth, and let distance, hunger, resistance, winter, patriotism, and time weaken the invader. This was the preparation that helped doom Napoleon and reshape Europe forever after, from Moscow to Paris and beyond during the wars that followed soon.
India’s Last Stand Against Britain: youtu.be/NoMJjyJpq-w
Why Was Germany so Fragmented in the Middle Ages: youtu.be/EiB8sMHxGqM
Eastern Roman Empire: Why So Many Civil Wars?: youtu.be/SK_yHooLu1s
What Did the Europeans Think About the Eastern Romans?: youtu.be/Qu6NnWj1EZ8
Were the Eastern Romans and Arabs Always at War?: youtu.be/nBMP6yRAOZg
Great Schism Between Greek and Latin Christianity: youtu.be/a6rWf0k8d78
How Islam Split into the Sunni and Shia Branches: youtu.be/-85dXjgMiSU
Rise of the Cossacks: youtu.be/UQ_ocyTRRIE
Crusades From the Muslim Perspective: youtu.be/t8RZtYvW02g
Early Muslim Expansion - Yarmouk, Al-Qadisiyyah: youtu.be/r2cEIDZwG5M
Early Muslim Expansion - Egypt and Iran: youtu.be/baHT2nR5Wr4
Muslim Schism: youtu.be/-85dXjgMiSU
Third Crusade: youtu.be/jCyCSgsFXKQ
Fourth Crusade: youtube.com/watch?v=3Vp_IENiSnA&list=PLaBYW76inbX4ZjR4rodOOSc-zL1orP4hW
First Crusade: youtube.com/watch?v=JkyYjpYLORI&list=PLaBYW76inbX6RqjG027zLO_svn3Fdv7Qa
Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire: youtu.be/OEzS8D4IidA
How the German Empire Provoked Ottoman Jihad in WWI: youtu.be/8LCpbgVx9kY
Ottoman Battles: youtube.com/watch?v=txyqS5yuw30&list=PLaBYW76inbX5BKGRPzlqdztQySZmJLjJt
Why the Ottomans Never Colonized America: youtu.be/lM_Wzt_Z228
Why the Ottoman Sultans Killed their Brothers: youtu.be/vN7LgUIOAVw
Cem Sultan: Ottoman Prince in the Heart of Europe: youtu.be/3w9POQMt5jk
Ottoman Pirates: youtu.be/5jguevSDIuY
Turkification of Anatolia: youtu.be/JBgq1taoUsY
Hashashins: youtu.be/vG8qmlKdRjs
Christian Schism: youtu.be/a6rWf0k8d78
Mos Maiorum: What led to the fall of the Roman Republic?: youtu.be/BNWfDWk6ohM
How Rome Conquered Greece: youtu.be/v5q1rerf-qw
Caesar in Gaul: youtu.be/LRV185XaMIM
Video: Yağız Bozan and Murat Can Yağbasan
Script: Leo Stone
Narration: Liam Taylor
âś” Merch store â–ş teespring.com/stores/kingsandgenerals
âś” Patreon â–ş patreon.com/KingsandGenerals
âś” Podcast â–ş kingsandgenerals.libsyn.com iTunes: apple.co/2QTuMNG
âś” PayPal â–ş paypal.me/kingsandgenerals
âś” Twitter â–ş twitter.com/KingsGenerals
âś” Facebook â–ş facebook.com/KingsGenerals
âś” Instagram â–şinstagram.com/Kings_Generals Production
Sources: docs.google.com/document/d/10c7VVRkYuuRe-sv5xwRpuf5K2BRzgD7gFkJAi3SCxPI/edit?usp=sharing
Music courtesy of EpidemicSound
00:00:00 - How Russia Saw Napoleon Coming
00:01:20 - From Tilsit to Breaking Point
00:04:24 - Russian Spies Inside Napoleon’s Empire
00:08:48 - Diplomacy Before the Invasion
00:12:10 - Rebuilding the Russian Army
00:15:59 - The Plan to Deny Napoleon Victory
00:18:26 - Why Russia’s Strategy Worked
#Documentary #Napoleon #russianhistory
