Alexander I and the 1812 fire in Moscow

In 1812 Napoleon invaded all Europe, except England. A small effort was enough to conquer it. In June 1812 Napoleon started a war against Russia and occupied Moscow. It seemed he won the war. Suddenly a fire started in Moscow. Many historians think that was the reason why Napoleon had to retreat and the Russian troops occupied Paris.

Historians suggested a number of assumptions concerning the cause of the fire in Moscow. ¾ of the buildings were turned into ashes, causing damages worth several billion rubles (several trillion dollars according to the present dollar rate).

The article presents one of the versions about the cause of the fire in Moscow in 1812.