1812. After the sort of lightning-fast attack he is known for, Napoleon and his colossal Grande Armee have ridden deep into the heart of Russia. But the Russians have no intention of letting him have his way, and several bloody and inconclusive battles have already taken place – no Austerlitz there. So, when the French finally arrive in Moscow, they’re exhausted, starving, weakened, and fervently hoping they’ll get a chance to rest … and maybe even accept the Czar’s surrender after the fall of his capital …

Moscow is now in French hands, but a large part of the city has burned down, and it’s been emptied of all food, fodder and warm clothes. Even as winter approaches, and against the advice of his generals, Napoleon insists on staying, convinced that the Czar will soon surrender to him. But both soldiers and civilians increasingly suffer from hunger and the cold, and the terrifying Cossacks constantly harry any troops sent out to forage for food …

The terrible Russian winter has engulfed the retreat, and the Grande Armée is no more. Mercilessly harassed by the fierce Cossacks, a few thousand men only continue to trudge forward, weak, starving, emaciated, leaving a trail of frozen dead behind. And as Russian regular forces prepare to surround and trap them, the weather suddenly turns warmer, making rivers impassable. To escape, they will have to somehow cross a river whose name would soon become synonymous with tragedy: the Berezina …