French invasion of Russia subject of much discussion among historians. The campaign's sustained role in Russian culture may be seen in Tolstoy's "War and Peace", Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", and the identification of it with the German invasion of 1941–45, which became known as the "Great Patriotic War" in the Soviet Union. French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, known in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 () and in France as the Russian Campaign (), began on 24 June 1812 when Napoleon's crossed the Neman River in an attempt to engage and defeat the Russian army. Napoleon hoped to compel Tsar
1812: The Rivers of War 1812: The Rivers of War 1812: The Rivers of War is a 2005 alternate history novel by American writer Eric Flint. The book was originally published in hardcover as simply The Rivers of War. In 2006, the text was made available at the Baen Free Library. The story, which takes place in 1814–15, centers around an alternate historical version of the War of 1812. The point of divergence occurs at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in March 1814, where Sam Houston, who was seriously injured in real history, sustains only a minor injury and is able to continue fighting. This