Why didn't Napoleon just march on St Petersburg?

>>2987941
Supply lines were already snapped, his men had to forage to survive and winter was incoming making that prospect unlikely. A march on st. Petersburg would have meant starvation or hypothermia.

>>2987945
Bullshit. he could've easily estabilshed supply lines from Vilnus. It was a shorter route and easier to defend.

>>2987965
>>2987941
At that point the government had already retreated behind Moscow. What would occupying Petersburg have done?

That picture...

>>2987997
Loot and pillage

>>2988009
That looted and pillaged Moscow. Then what happened?

>>2988012
They*. Also after Borodino unless Napoleon planned on raising Russian levies is was impossible to continue on, regardless of how much supplies they had

>>2988012
Moscow was like 500 kms away in the middle of nowhere. St Petersburg was closer to Nappy's friendly territory.

>>2988020
Again, what would it have done? The army was no match for Russia's manpower and his "friendly" territory was ready to turn on him the second he showed weakness

Capture the actual capital of Russia from which he could've estabilshed actual basis for further operations.

>>2988033
meant for>>2988027

>>2988027
cut them off from the perfidious ones

>>2988033
What would he done with a base of operations? If Napoleon intended to stay for a long time in Russia the British could have taken control of the Scandinavian sea and blocked incoming supplies. If he want's to try and forage resources instead his men gets picked of by Cossacks. If Prussia and Austria sense that Napoleon is trapped in Russia and can't get fresh troops then they rebel and Supply Russia with another 300,000 or so men to match the already impossible to beat Russian and launch a two ponged attack.

why did he go to moscow anyway?

>>2988053
He could've easily moved shit over from Vilnius to St Petersburg.

>>2988063

hubris

>>2988063
Because the big bad Ivans were trading with the tricky Nigels, and Nappy just couldn't let it be.

>>2988080
I guess I meant why did he go to moscow instead of st petersburg

>>2988067
I don't think you understand how fickle his allies were. The second he shows weakness Prussia breaks free, which if you didn't know is incredibly close to Vilnus

Well, it's Moscow or St.Petersburg. Both options being stupid, Moscow wasnt the smart one. Just 2 stupid choices.

Why didn't Napoleon just employ a bunch of skirmishers hiding in a forest with catapults? that way the cuck armies who march in line would be no match for him.

Total War style :D

>>2987941
Before or after Moscow? We need a timeline OP.