On June 22,1812 Napoleon sent a force of 500,000 French soldiers into Russia. At first, victory seemed certain for the French army. Fox example, they defeated the Russian force at Borodino on September 7. One week later, the French captured Moscow. However, the French troops were ordered to retreat the following month. Their number were sharply reduced by starvation, exposure to the Russian winter, and the resistance of their enemies. Only 30,000 French soldiers survived the campaign.