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The historical event you're referring to is Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Here's the clear parallel you're drawing with the current situation in the Russia-Ukraine war (as of late 2025): Napoleon’s 1812 campaign Napoleon invaded Russia with the largest army Europe had ever seen (~600,000 men). He pushed deep into Russia, won some battles (notably Smolensk and Borodino), but never achieved a decisive knockout. Moscow was captured, but the Russians burned it and refused to surrender. Winter arrived, supply lines collapsed, Russian scorched-earth tactics and guerrilla attacks bled the Grande Armée dry. Napoleon eventually realized the campaign was lost. In October 1812 he began the retreat. Crucially, Napoleon abandoned his army in early December 1812 (near Smorgon, modern-day Belarus), rushed back to Paris in a sled to save his political power, and left his freezing, starving, disease-ridden troops to fend for themselves. Only ~50,000–100,000 men (out ...