After the sort of lightning-fast attack he is known for, Napoleon and his colossal Grande Armee have ridden deep into the heart of Russia. But the Russians have no intention of letting him have his way, and several bloody and inconclusive battles have already taken place – no Austerlitz there. So, when the French finally arrive in Moscow, they’re exhausted, starving, weakened, and fervently hoping they’ll get a chance to rest … and maybe even accept the Czar’s surrender ...

May 1809. Napoleon’s Grande Armée has taken Vienna and is preparing to cross the Danube, but the Austrians are waiting for him in Essling. The carnage can begin … Louis-François Lejeune, young colonel attached to the emperor’s staff, meets his old friend Henri Beyne in occupied Vienna. He also meets the beautiful Anna Krauss, with whom he is madly in love with. Nearby, though, Napoleon is attempting to crush the Austrian army, and organising the crossing of the Danube for his troops on a s...

Moscow is now in French hands, but a large part of the city has burned down, and it’s been emptied of all food, fodder and warm clothes. Even as winter approaches, and against the advice of his generals, Napoleon insists on staying, convinced that the Czar will soon surrender to him. But both soldiers and civilians increasingly suffer from hunger and the cold, and the terrifying Cossacks constantly harry any troops sent out to forage for food …

The battle has been joined. On this first day, Massena desperately holds onto Aspern, the French cavalry charges again and again, but the Emperor cannot seem to break the Austrians. Louis-Francois, stuck on the wrong side of the only available bridge, impatiently waits for repairs to conclude. Not only are his official messages delayed, but he’s also dying to send news to Miss Krauss in Vienna. However, his friend Stendhal, who’s remained with the beautiful Austrian lady, makes some upsett...

The terrible Russian winter has engulfed the retreat, and the Grande Armée is no more. Mercilessly harassed by the fierce Cossacks, a few thousand men only continue to trudge forward, weak, starving, emaciated, leaving a trail of frozen dead behind. And as Russian regular forces prepare to surround and trap them, the weather suddenly turns warmer, making rivers impassable. To escape, they will have to somehow cross a river whose name would soon become synonymous with tragedy: the Berezina ...

Napoleon is furious. It appears the battle can no longer be won. The French cavalry is so exhausted it can’t even gallop when charging. Ammunition is running out, while losses mount horrifically – both in men and in irreplaceable officers … But the Austrians have paid an equally steep price, and a complete defeat may yet be avoided. Louis- François, Paradis, Fayolle … Who will survive the terrible bloodbath – the better to serve again in the next one?