During a discussion on military plans over the ages on his platform, X (previously Twitter), tech entrepreneur Elon Musk insisted on never invading Russia.
Musk argued in a post on Thursday that Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, a British naval commander in the 18th and early 19th centuries, was “incredible.” He also complimented Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke of Wellington, who was one of the military leaders who destroyed Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
“Wellington is frequently underappreciated. “Not on Napoleon’s level, but still, in my opinion, one of the best generals in history,” SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote.
One person responded to his comment by saying that Napoleon was “not so smart” when he started his unsuccessful Russian expedition in 1812.
Musk seemingly agreed with the notion, replying: “Just don’t invade Russia. It’s never a good idea.”
The French Army, which was thought to be unstoppable at the time, broke into Russian territory in late June 1812 and proceeded fast, reaching Moscow by mid-September. However, Napoleon’s armies could only withdraw after that, being driven out of Russia by the end of the year and suffering estimated losses of 400,000 to 500,000 men.
Russian historians credit the country’s success in the Patriotic War of 1812 to Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov’s sophisticated bait-and-switch strategies, the heroism of Russian troops, the patriotism of the civilian population, many of whom joined the partisans, and the harsh winter conditions in the final months of the conflict.
Musk has been advocating for a peaceful resolution to the crisis between Moscow and Kiev for the past two years, saying that if the West continues to back Ukraine, the conflict might escalate into a nuclear war between Russia and the US. The entrepreneur has been offering access to Starlink satellite internet to Kiev forces, but has hesitated to enable the service near Crimea due to concerns that the Ukrainians will use SpaceX’s technology to guide drones and missiles towards Russian sites on the peninsula.
