What do you think would happend if Napoleon don't attack Rusia in 1812

[u/crazmas]

I mean that he doesn't attack Rusia in any time. It could be interesting like, would napoleon hold europ and start a new age of France domination over the continent, or he would have lost to the anti-French coalition at some point anyway or something else.

[u/Asatmaya]

Well, hold on a second, because he only invaded Russia because they broke their treaty and made a pact with Sweden and Britain against France, with the immediate intention of gaining control of Prussia as a springboard to attacking France, directly.

Remember, at this point in time, Russia included parts of modern Poland, Austria, and all of Moldova, but Warsaw was a vassal state to Napoleon, and France itself extended to the Baltic and Adriatic Seas.

These were competing, expansionist empires at the height of Great Game politics. Conflict was inevitable.

The question is, what alternatives did he have?

The Continental System was ineffective; Britain just had too large and capable of a Navy, smuggling was widespread, and other than trying to cut a deal with the Turks (unthinkable), there was no other source of Eastern luxuries.

He couldn't attack Britain or Sweden directly, and worse, they could transport Russian armies to his coasts, meaning he would have no idea where to concentrate his forces to defend against them. Attack was the only option.