HC - Napoleon The Man, The Myth. The Legend Part 5 Disaster in Russia. 28/03/2013 13:01:13

He fired cannon on his own countrymen, wooed the mistress of a formidable opponent and even threatened the Pope. He was Napoleon, one of the most brilliant and complex figures in history. This absorbing appraisal of his life offers a new perspective of the little man from Corsica, who rose to new heights of power by seizing every brutal, outrageous opportunity in his path. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte, a native of Corsica, crowned himself emperor of France, an audacious gesture that illustrated his overweening pride and ruthless ambition. Despite his diminutive stature, “the little corporal” loomed large over much of Europe for two decades-as an adroit statesman, military strategist and ruthless conqueror. This sweeping documentary reveals the private tribulations as well as the public triumphs of a complex historical legend. From the glory of his empire to his defeat at Waterloo and miserable exile on Elba, here is an entertaining and complete portrait of an extraordinary life.

Part 5: Disaster in Russia

With the Peninsular War still raging, Napoleon made a fateful decision in 1812 when he turned his attentions east and the Grand Army began an invasion of Russia. Nothing could have prepared them for what lay ahead as they marched slowly towards Moscow. Little did they know that of the half a million men who crossed the Russian border, fewer than fifty thousand would ever see their homeland again. This episode tells the story of Napoleon's greatest mistake his ill-fated Russian adventure that spelt the beginning of the end for the Emperor. The episode includes the story of the bloody Battle of Borodino and the appalling horrors of the French retreat from Moscow.