Theysaythatpridecomesbeforeafall.InthecaseofbothNapoleonandHitler,themanyvictoriestheyenjoyedledthemtobelievethatanythingwaspossible,thatnothingcouldstandintheirway.Russia'sicydefenderwastoprovethemwrong.人道是骄兵必败。就拿拿破仑和希特勒两人来说吧,他们所向披靡,便以为自己战无不胜,不可阻挡。但俄罗斯的冰雪卫士证明他们错了。TheIcyDefenderNilaB.Smith1In1812,NapoleonBonaparte,EmperoroftheFrench,ledhisGrandArmyintoRussia.HewaspreparedforthefierceresistanceoftheRussianpeopledefendingtheirhomeland.HewaspreparedforthelongmarchacrossRussiansoiltoMoscow,thecapitalcity.ButhewasnotpreparedforthedevastatingenemythatmethiminMoscow--theraw,bitter,bleakRussianwinter.冰雪卫士奈拉·B·史密斯1812年,法国皇帝拿破仑·波拿巴率大军入侵俄罗斯。他准备好俄罗斯人民会为保卫祖国而奋勇抵抗。他准备好在俄罗斯广袤的国土上要经过长途跋涉才能进军首都莫斯科。但他没有料到在莫斯科他会遭遇劲敌—俄罗斯阴冷凄苦的寒冬。2In1941,AdolfHitler,leaderofNaziGermany,launchedanattackagainsttheSovietUnion,asRussiathenwascalled.Hitler'smilitarymightwasunequaled.HiswarmachinehadmoweddownresistanceinmostofEurope.Hitlerexpectedashortcampaignbut,likeNapoleonbeforehim,wastaughtapainfullesson.TheRussianwinteragaincametotheaidoftheSovietsoldiers.1941年,纳粹德国元首阿道夫·希特勒进攻当时被称作苏联的俄罗斯。希特勒的军事实力堪称无敌。他的战争机器扫除了欧洲绝大部分地区的抵抗。希特勒希望速战速决,但是,就像在他之前的拿破仑一样,他得到的是痛苦的教训。仍是俄罗斯的冬天助了苏维埃士兵一臂之力。Napoleon'sCampaign3Inthespringof1812,NapoleonassembledanarmyofsixhundredthousandmenonthebordersofRussia.Thesoldierswerewelltrained,efficient,andwellequipped.ThismilitaryforcewascalledtheGrandArmy.Napoleon,confidentofaquickvictory,predictedtheconquestofRussiainfiveweeks.拿破仑发起的战役1812年春,拿破仑在俄国边境屯兵60万。这些士兵受过良好训练,作战力强,装备精良。这支军队被称为大军。拿破仑对马到成功充满自信,预言要在5个星期内攻下俄国。4Shortlyafterwards,Napoleon'sarmycrossedtheNemanRiverintoRussia.Thequick,decisivevictorythatNapoleonexpectedneverhappened.Tohissurprise,theRussiansrefusedtostandandfight.Instead,theyretreatedeastward,burningtheircropsandhomesastheywent.TheGrandArmyfollowed,butitsadvancemarchsoonbecameboggeddownbyslow-movingsupplylines.不久,拿破仑的大军渡过涅曼河进入俄国。拿破仑期盼着的速决速胜迟迟没有发生。令他吃惊的是,俄国人并不奋起抵抗。相反,他们一路东撤,沿途焚毁庄稼和民居。大军紧追不舍,但它的长驱直入很快由于粮草运输缓慢而停顿下来。5InAugust,theFrenchandRussianarmiesengagedatSmolensk,inabattlethatleftovertenthousanddeadoneachside.Yet,theRussianswereagainabletoretreatfartherintoRussianterritory.Napoleonhadwonnodecisivevictory.Hewasnowfacedwithacrucialdecision.ShouldhecontinuetopursuetheRussianarmy?OrshouldhekeephisarmyinSmolenskfortheapproachingwinter?到了8月,法俄两军在斯摩棱斯克交战,这一战役中,双方各有上万人阵亡。可是,俄国人仍能在自己的国土上继续后撤。拿破仑未能取得决定性的胜利。此刻他面临着一个重要抉择。是继续追击俄国军队,还是把军队驻扎在斯摩棱斯克,在那儿度过将到的冬天?6NapoleontookthegambleofpressingontoMoscow,448kilometersaway.OnSeptember7,1812,theFrenchandRussianarmiesmetinfiercebattleatBorodino,112kilometerswestofMoscow.Bynightfall,thirtythousandFrenchandforty-fourthousandRussianslaydeadorwoundedonthebattlefield.拿破仑孤注一掷,决定向远在448公里之外的莫斯科进发。1812年9月7日,法俄两军在莫斯科以西112公里外的鲍罗季诺激战。夜幕降临时,3万名法国士兵以及4.4万名俄国士兵或伤或亡,倒在了战场上。7Again,theRussianarmyretreatedtosafety.NapoleonhadaclearpathtoMoscow,buttheoccupationofthecitybecameanemptyvictory.TheRussiansfledtheircapital.SoonaftertheFrencharrived,aragingfiredestroyedtwo-thirdsofthecity.NapoleonofferedatrucetoAlexanderI,buttheRussianczarknewhecouldbidehistime:WeshalllettheRussianwinterfightthewarforus.俄国军队再次撤往安全之处。拿破仑顺利进入莫斯科,然而,对该市的占领成为毫无意义的胜利。俄国人弃城而走。法国人进城不久,一场熊熊大火烧毁了整个城市的三分之二。拿破仑向亚历山大一世提出停战,但沙皇深知他可以等待时机:“且让俄罗斯的严冬为我们战斗吧。”8Napoleonsoonrealizedhecouldnotfeed,clothe,andquarterhisarmyinMoscowduringthewinter.InOctober1812,heorderedhisGrandArmytoretreatfromMoscow.拿破仑很快意识到,他无法在冬天向远在莫斯科的军队供应粮草、提供御寒衣物和宿营之地。1812年10月,他命令大军撤出莫斯科。9TheFrenchretreatturnedintoanightmare.Fromfieldsandforests,theRussianslaunchedhit-and-runattacksontheFrench.AshortdistancefromMoscow,thetemperaturehadalreadydroppedtominus4degreesCelsius.OnNovember3,thewinter'sfirstsnowcame.Exhaustedhorsesfelldeadintheirtracks.Cannonbecamestuckinthesnow.Equipmenthadtobeburnedforfuel.Soldierstookillandfrozetodeath.TheFrenchsoldiersdraggedon,leavingthedeadalongeverymile.法军的撤离成为一场噩梦。俄国人出没于田野与森林,采用打了就跑的战术,向法国人发起攻击。刚出莫斯科城,气温就降到摄氏零下4度。11月3日降下初雪。困乏的马匹倒地而死。大炮陷入雪中。装备只得被用作燃料焚烧。士兵们染病冻死。法国士兵拖着脚步行进,一路上留下无数死尸。10AstheRussianarmywasgatheringitsstrength,theFrenchhadtofleeRussiatoavoidcertaindefeat.AttheBerezinaRiver,theRussiansnearlytrappedtheretreatingFrenchbyburningthebridgesovertheswollenriver.ButNapoleon,byastrokeofluck,wasabletobuildtwonewbridges.ThousandsofFrenchsoldiersescaped,butatthecostoffiftythousanddead.OnceacrosstheBerezina,thetatteredsurvivorslimpedtowardVilna.正当俄罗斯军队集聚兵力之时,法国人却不得不逃离俄国,以避免注定的失败。在别列兹那河,俄国人焚烧了涨水的河道上的桥梁,差点将后撤的法军困于河边。侥幸的是,拿破仑居然突击造起两座桥。成千上万法国士兵得以逃脱,但却损失了5万人。渡过别列兹拿河,溃不成军的幸存者一瘸一拐地向维尔纽行进。11OfthesixhundredthousandsoldiersNapoleonhadledintoRussia,lessthanonehundredthousandcameback.TheweakenedFrencharmycontinueditsretreatwestwardacrossEurope.Soon,Britain,Austria,Russia,andPrussiaformedapowerfulallianceandattackedthesestragglers.InMarch1814,Pariswascaptured.Napoleonabdicatedandwentintoexile,hisempireatanend.拿破仑发兵60万进入俄国,只有不到10万士兵返回。元气大伤的法国军队在欧洲继续西撤。不久,英国、奥地利、俄国以及普鲁士组成强大的联盟,攻击这些散兵游勇。1814年3月,巴黎被攻占。拿破仑退位去过流放生活,他缔造的帝国随之灭亡。Hitler'sInvasion12Byearly1941,AdolfHitler,leaderofNaziGermany,hadseizedcontrolofmostofEurope.TotheeastofHitler'sGermanempirewastheSovietUnion.OnJ