Evening star., 1935-01-06
Continued From Fourth Page


denly, dramatic news came from Paris-news
that caused an explosion in the seraglio.
Napoleon had divorced Josephine!
Aimees lovely eyes grew hard. She clenched
her hands together. Such injustice! Such in
gratitude-and to the most lovable and unre-
sentful of women-JoSephine! Napoleon would
pay for this Aimee had supported him and
encouraged him, had bowed down before his
glory. Well, that was ended. She would face
about, instantly. All she had done for him
she would now do against him. She would
destroy him If she could-that demon from
Corsica-and revenge her cousin Josephine.
Had 1t been Aimee herself who was Scorned
she could not have released q more calculated
fury against the French Emperor.
Tor three years she bided her time. She
waited until 1812-probably the most event.
full year in modern history. except 1914. She
now perceived with far-seeing vision that was
inspired, that her opportunity to destroy Ma
poleon was at hand.
For some months Russia had been at war with
Turkey, and had sent the major part of its
army into Turkish territory Napoleon, well
aware of this fact, chose this time to make his
celebrated invasion of Russia. For this UNDER
taking he assembled the largest and the best
equipped army ever known up to that time.
1t numbered nearly 100000 men. The entire
population of France was only 100000. Con-
sequently, considering the long years of saugh-
ter that had gone before, nearly every sound
bodied Frenchman left alive was enrolled in
this vast military juggernaut that was to roll
relentlessly to Moscow and make Russia one
more subject nation. France strained all her
resources to back up her Emperor. What horses,
money, energy that still remained from Ma
poleons previous wars she flung into Russia.
for this one great gamble. -. ---
For Napoleon it was no gamble. Who could
Withstand his might? Anyway the main Rus
sian Army was far to the south in the Turkish
province of Rumania-well occupied with Sui
tan Mahmoud. But Napoleon wanted to be
sure that this army would be kept occupied.
He offered Mahmoud extravagant promises in
return for even more vigorous action against
the Russians him Russian territory.
military honors, money.
Mahmoud instructed by Aimee agreed-ap-
parently. And Napoleon, satisfied moved ever
deeper into Russia, as the Summer waned and
Winter approached.
And just as Napoleon anticipated, the second
rate Russian Army opposing him was Intellectual.
He seized Moscow and had reason to feel that
his campaign had triumphed.
But even as he congratulated himself and set
tied down to spend the Winter comfortably in
the captured capital, courier dashed into his
headquarters, bearing death warrant for more
than half million French soldiers. The first
Russian Army, supposedly 600 miles to the south,
supposedly engaged with Sultan Mahmoud, had
miraculously returned-not to Moscow, but to q
point squarely across Napoleon's line of COM
munication, 500 miles to the west!
Napoleon, seeing instantly the death trap he
was in, to quote Morton, burst INTO a savage
rage and then sank into despair" He knew
he was beaten, that Mahmoud had betrayed
him, had secretly made peace-peace at any
price-with Russia, so secretly that not one
French spy even knew the Russian Army had
been released or had marched 600 miles north,
until it had cut the single French artery of life.
Winter was well advanced-Russian Winter,
and the entire country reused and determined
to destroy him. His food and munitions could
not last a week without provisioning from the
west-and the west was blocked. He saw
disaster rushing to meet him. There was moth
ing to do but run for his life.
Helpless, starving, freezing, Napoleon and his
invincible army limped out Of Moscow, to get
back home If they could The French soldiers
struggled westward knowing it was they who
were doomed.
And doomed they were. No food-no shoes
no horses. They threw away their guns, aban.
doned their artillery. And every step of the
way, now deep in snow the Russian Cossacks
harried their flanks and rear killing those who
could not keep up great manv perished be-
fore the fleeing rabble even reached the point
where the main Russian Army stood across their
path-on the west bank of the Beresina River
There, as the French tried to cross the swollen,
icy stream the final slaughter took place.
Napoleon himself narrowly escaped capture on
his headlong rush to Paris. Only a small frac-