On October 26, 1970, one of the most spectacular films ever made premiered in theaters. For over decade Napoleon had fought and conquered across Europe. He roses from a little known officer of French artillery to become crowned the Emperor of the French. Five times the countries of Europe allied against France and Napoleon and five times Napoleon out thought and his troops out fought the rest of Europe. 

In summer of 1812 against the advice of many, Napoleon lead the Grand Army into Russia. Napoleon whose mastery of strategy head up to that point only been equaled by his mastery of logistics had made a terrible error. The Russian countryside was unlike the abundant farmlands lands of his previous campaigns. When combined with the Russian willingness to trade land for time and methodically scorched earth policy, starvation and winter would do what all the armies of Europe had not been able to do to this point devastate the army of France.