The burning of Moscow, September 1812

Aquatint by T Sutherland, after W Heath, published by J Jenkins, 1 March 1815.

Napoleon entered Moscow, which the Russians had abandoned and burned, a week after what he hoped was a decisive victory at Borodino on 7 September 1812. But the Russians refused to negotiate a peace treaty despite the loss of the city. With winter closing in and his men low on supplies, Napoleon was soon forced into a disastrous retreat.

From 'Napoleonic Wars', 1799-1815: The Martial Achievements of Great Britain and Her Allies from 1799 to 1815.