Really, there is no oar needed here. Only ship so far got wind behind the sails and stream under the kneel. That said, it got a hard case of family zone though.
Sorry the reply is a bit delayed, but I also noticed the line, and it isn't an error; it is just referring to two different wars. Both Napoleon and Hitler tried to invade Russia, and met with disaster due to not being prepared for Russian winters. Personally, I thought it was a cool line, even if a bit cold-hearted. (Pardon the puns.)