The French invasion of Russia occurred in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars. Led by Napoleon Bonaparte, the campaign aimed to compel Tsar Alexander I to rejoin the Continental System, which was designed to weaken Britain economically. Napoleon assembled a massive army, known as the Grand Army, consisting of over 600,000 soldiers from various European nations. As the French advanced, they faced harsh conditions, including severe winter weather and scorched earth tactics employed by the Russians. The campaign ended disastrously for Napoleon, with only a fraction of his troops surviving the retreat, marking a significant turning point in the Napoleonic Wars.