Is the General Winter/Russian winter really a myth ?

by VeganMeatHead

I have always thought that the Russian winter really did help them.

I have stumbled upon articles here and there claiming that this idea is all a big myth as both Napoléon and Hitler's troops started struggling against Russians way before winter and used the winter as propaganda to keep their honor.

See this :

https://sofrep.com/100295/brief-history-waging-war-russia-winter/

https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-favorite-historical-inaccuracy/answer/Alex-Foster-137?ch=10&share=a80e191e&srid=h9GmH

Noble_Devil_Boruta

It largely is, at least when in reference to Napoleon, who technically never waged war in Russian in winter (the last troops left the country on the first day of winter). But even when we do not nitpick and treat 'winter' as a 'cold season' (autumn was exceptionally cold that year), it mattered little in the defeat of the Grand Army, 'only' contributing to the attrition rate, as I wrote in sligthly more detail in this thread.