As the title said, this thread is to explore the different possibilities of how to make the Russian Campaign a success instead of Napoleon's downfall. There might have been several threads on the subject, but I haven't been on the board long enough to remember those.
To explore the subject, I have some questions...
First : How good was Napoleon's strategy in the Russian Campaign? Does he need to use another than the one he used?
Second : On August 16 and 17 of the year 1812 occured the Battle of Smolensk during which the city was razed. Though a French victory, the battle did not allow Napoleon to use Smolensk to supply is army as the city was in ruins. The Battle only occured because the Russian Commander (Bagration) disobeyed Orders. If that Battle hadn't took place and Smolensk had fallen intact in French hands, would this have helped Napoleon's campaign?
Third : Did Napoleon had a chance of capturing (or killing, be it willingly or in the course of a battle) Czar Alexander I? If so, what would he have done with Alexander if he was a prisonner?
I once thought of this possibility and imagined Alexander would be overthrowned if he was captured and replaced by his pro-french brother Constantine, but that does no longer seem a very likely option...
Fourth : If the Russians had suffered a major defeat during the campaign, what would have been the consequences?
Fifth and last : Napoelon once said that if he had left Moscow two weeks earlier than he did, he would have been able to crush Koutouzov's army. Is that true? And if so, what would be the consequences?