Studyanka, Russia. Napoleon and part of his army are safe on the western bank of the Berezina. In one sense, the operation is a disaster: he loses over 20,000 men, almost all his artillery and baggage. Even the Old Guard is reduced to fewer than 2,000 men. If the Berezina had been frozen, it would have been a different story. But in another sense, Napoleon can be satisfied: despite his numerical inferiority, surrounded and threatened with total destruction and capture, he has managed to escape, thanks in no small part to the determination and courage of his men and commanders. Alexander is greatly annoyed both by the failure to capture Napoleon and by the escape of 20,000 Napoleonic troops across the Berezina. The commanders Davout, Ney, and Beauharnais themselves, along with 2,500 officers of the Guard, manage to escape Russia.
