WI: Napoleon fights a defensive war against Russia 1812?

Suppose after the 1812 declaration of war, Napoleon had waged a defensive campaign against Russia in Poland, possibly in conjunction with a Swedish and Turkish alliance. Assuming military forces were roughly equivalent to OTL, would fighting Russia in Poland have a made a big difference? I think it could have been similar to the 1813 campaign, except with Austria and Prussia more cowed, and with the French army in a much stronger position. Napoleon could also play on traditional prejudices of the Russians being Mongol hordes threatening Europe. The Poles in particular were enthusiastically anti-Russian and fighting would have been on their turf.
 
Napoleon tended to defend by attacking. He declared war on Russia, not the other way around, as he wanted Russia to rejoin the Continental System. To win he was always going to attack. A better question would be to ask what would have happened if he'd stopped at Smolensk as he planned, and not advanced to Moscow.
 
If Napoleon's Russia army sat undestroyed then the British might not send money to fund other wars against him. He might remain unchallenged in Europe until his death.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
If Napoleon's Russia army sat undestroyed then the British might not send money to fund other wars against him. He might remain unchallenged in Europe until his death.

The British never really stopped doing at any point during the Napoleonic Wars.
 
Napoleon tended to defend by attacking. He declared war on Russia, not the other way around, as he wanted Russia to rejoin the Continental System. To win he was always going to attack. A better question would be to ask what would have happened if he'd stopped at Smolensk as he planned, and not advanced to Moscow.
Ya.
I will declare war on Russia to force them back into the Continental system, and do it by sitting in Poland and waiting for them to attack. :confused:
 
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