Napoleon Bonaparte’s approach to warfare – those attributes that made him so feared – can help us to understand a very modern conflict in Europe: that in Ukraine. 

Following the release of a new biopic of the French emperor, one particular campaign stands out: the invasion of Russia in 1812, which – in its audacity and scale – encapsulates Napoleon’s genius, yet also explains what ultimately led to his downfall. 

So let’s go back to 1810, two years before the invasion. Russia – weakened economically by this association with France – decided to withdraw from France’s orbit. By 1812, unresolved territorial disputes triggered an all-out war, with Napoleon seeking a short conflict. One might say a “special operation”. 

He believed a swift invasion would compel Russia to remain in France’s economic and political orbit, enforce a territorial buffer zone between him and his rivals, and thus humiliate hostile powers enough that they never threatened him again. 

Sound familiar?

In this episode of Defence in Depth, Francis Dearnley, The Telegraph’s assistant comment editor, analyses the links between Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and Putin’s war in Ukraine today.

Watch Francis’ video analysis above. Find more episodes of Defence in Depth on The Telegraph’s YouTube channel.