Final answer:
The Russian winter, combined with the scorched earth policy, starvation, disease, and lack of supplies, proved too much for the French soldiers during their attack on Moscow in 1812, leading to a disastrous retreat and a significant turning point in the Napoleonic Wars.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the French attack on Moscow in 1812, the Russians had several advantages that proved too much for the French soldiers. The Russian strategic implementation of the scorched earth policy devastated Napoleon's supply lines as they retreated, burning their cities and countryside, leaving the French without supplies. Typhus and dysentery swept through the malnourished and exhausted French ranks. The turning point came with the onset of the Russian winter, which was harsh and unrelenting. The French army, which had not prepared for such extreme conditions, was decimated by cold, starvation, and disease. As a result, of the 600,000 men who began the campaign, only about 40,000 made it back to France. This massive loss of life dramatically weakened Napoleon's forces and signaled a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte led the Grande Armée into Russia, hoping for a quick victory. However, as the French forces advanced deeper into Russian territory, they faced extreme cold temperatures, lack of supplies, and logistical challenges. The severe winter conditions, coupled with the Russian strategy of scorched-earth tactics (destroying resources that could be useful to the enemy), led to the depletion of French resources and the eventual retreat of the Grande Armée.