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Events on Wednesday 24 June 1812 1
1812French invasion of Russia beginsNapoleon's Grande Armee crosses the Niemen into Russian territoryOn 24 June 1812 Napoleon led an army of over 450,000 men across the Niemen River to invade Russia. The campaign became one of the costliest military disasters in history, with only a small fraction of the force surviving the retreat. It marked the beginning of the end of Napoleon's dominance in Europe.