Which Russian city did Napoleon capture in 1812?

Napoleon captured Moscow during his invasion of Russia in 1812. The city was the symbolic high point of the campaign, but its occupation did not force Tsar Alexander I to negotiate peace.

Napoleon's Grande Armée entered Moscow on 14 September after the Russian army withdrew following the Battle of Borodino. Much of the population had already fled, leaving the French without the supplies and political surrender they expected. Fires soon spread through the city, destroying large areas; the causes and responsibility for the fires remain debated, though Russian authorities adopted scorched-earth measures.

Napoleon stayed in Moscow for about five weeks, waiting for an offer from Alexander that never came. With winter approaching and supplies running short, the French began their retreat. Disease, hunger, exhaustion, attacks, and severe weather devastated the army, turning the apparent victory into one of Napoleon's greatest military disasters.

A common mix-up is confusing Moscow with Saint Petersburg, which was the Russian capital at the time. Napoleon captured Moscow, but he never captured Saint Petersburg.