As we all remember from high school, in 1941, Hitler turned from the western front and, treacherously violating the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, attacked Soviet Russia. As the Axis forces marched on Moscow, their superior numbers, training and organization - combined with the element of surprise - appeared to justify Hitler’s bold aggression. However, despite initial catastrophic Soviet defeats, Moscow was never captured. Like Napoleon before him, Hitler was undone in part by the Russian winter and its logistical challenges. After the dry summer, a cold, wet winter caused difficulties in supply lines of fuel, adequate clothing and, not least, boots.

I bring this up because upon landing yesterday in Istanbul I found the city under a brilliant white blanket of snow. All day, a windy, wintry storm pelted down while temperatures held well below freezing. Leaving my two-bedroom flat located a few steps from the Galata Tower, I ventured out and did not get more than thirty metres before I sought refuge. Problem: inadequate footwear. As my buddy Matt the Cat says, “amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics”. Today, the first order of business was to obtain proper boots. Once that was accomplished, life became much easier, and I had a new appreciation for the plights of the Napoleonic and German infantry.