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What did Stendhal experience during Napoleon's retreat from Russia?
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Stendhal
Stendhal, oil painting by Pierre-Joseph Dedreux-Dorcy; in the Bibliothèque Municipale de Grenoble, France.
During his administrative career in the French army, Stendhal (born Henri Beyle) gained direct experience of the Napoleonic regime and the realities of war. As part of his service, he witnessed Moscow burning and participated in the French forces' retreat from Russia.1