Napoleon captured Moscow in 1812 but later had to abandon it during his disastrous invasion of Russia. His army entered the city on 14 September after the Russian army withdrew following the Battle of Borodino.
Napoleon expected the capture of Moscow to pressure Tsar Alexander I into negotiating peace. Instead, the city was largely deserted. Russian authorities and residents had evacuated, and fires broke out across Moscow between 14 and 18 September. The cause and organization of the fires remain debated, though Moscow’s governor, Fyodor Rostopchin, was long associated with the scorched-earth strategy.
The occupation gave Napoleon few practical advantages. Much of the city had burned, supplies were scarce, Russian forces remained in the field, and winter was approaching. After waiting for a peace offer that never came, Napoleon ordered the Grande Armée to leave on 19 October. The retreat exposed the army to hunger, disease, cold, attacks, and exhausted supply lines. Moscow was therefore a hollow victory rather than the decisive end to the campaign.