© Wojtek Radwanski / AFP via Getty ImagesPolish and Romanian soldiers on the sidelines of a press conference of the Polish and Lithuanian presidents at the NATO Multinational Division North East mobile command center on July 7, 2022.
When Napoleon Bonaparte began his 1812 campaign to conquer Russia, he led the largest "coalition of the willing" in history. In addition to its French core, Bonaparte's army of more than 400,000 consisted of Italian, Dutch, German, and Polish soldiers. They were at best unenthusiastic. Frankly, other than the French, only Napoleon's Polish allies were truly eager to march on Moscow.
By the time Bonaparte's multinational force reached Moscow, paralyzing cold, ruinous battles, exhaustion, disease, and poor logistical planning reduced the original invasion force to less than half of its original strength. It was not long before Prussia and its North German allies defected to the Russians while the remainder (minus the Poles) deserted or died on the march home.
Comment: The Time of Troubles was one of the central events that shaped Russian security culture. Foreign aggressors and internal traitors have been the main threats shaping this culture for centuries. Now you can see why. If you want to understand modern Russia, you have to understand Russian security culture, and for that, you need to read its history.