War and Peace

Chapter 33

Napoleon saw the uneasiness in Blashev's last words.His face began to tremble, his left calf began to vibrate slightly, and his voice was louder and more impatient than before. "Across the Neman? Just across the Neman? . . . Even if you offered me Petersburg and Moscow, I would not accept such an offer. You say I started the war? But who first What about the one who intervened in the army? It was Emperor Alexander, not me." Obviously, the purpose of his speech was not to talk about the benefits of peace, not to talk about its possibility, but only to prove his fairness and ability, to prove that Alexander's unfairness and Misunderstand.He went on eloquently, with that uncontrollable rage of proud and self-satisfied people.

"Yes, I know that you exchanged peace with the Turks without Moldavia and Wallachia. I promised Moldavia and Wallachia to Emperor Alexander, but he has not yet got These provinces. Can he hope for what my friendship has failed to obtain? No, he thinks it best to have my enemies around him. In a barbaric crowd, your young Emperor What role do they play? They drag him down and put the blame for everything on him. An emperor cannot stay in the army unless he is a general." He evidently took these words as a direct challenge to Alexander.Napoleon knew how much Alexander wanted to be a leader.

"It's been seven days since the war broke out, and you can't guard Vilna. You've been divided in two and driven out of the Polish province. Your army is complaining."

To every word Napoleon said, Blashev wanted to answer, and had something to answer; he kept pretending to have something to say, but Napoleon never let him speak.As a special envoy, he was afraid of hurting his face and felt that he should refute him; but as an ordinary person, he cringed mentally in the face of Napoleon's uncontrollable and unreasonable anger.He stood with lowered eyes, looking at Napoleon's fat moving legs, trying to avoid his gaze.

"You understand, if you try to incite Russ against me, I'll make it off the map of Europe... Yes, I'll beat you across the Dvina, I'll beat you across the Dnieper, I'll definitely restore that The obstacles that stand in your way (referring to Poland), this is your future destiny, this is the response you get when you stay away from me. General, you will get my reply to your emperor." After speaking, Napoleon turned to Brash Husband said goodbye.

[seven]

On that day, Blashev unexpectedly got an invitation to have dinner at the same table with Napoleon.

Not only did Napoleon not show restraint and self-reproach due to the early anger, on the contrary, he entertained Blashev in a happy and amiable manner, as if entertaining his own courtiers. Obviously, Napoleon had long believed that he could not make mistakes, and Everything he did was right.

Napoleon asked Blashev about the population, houses and churches in Moscow, and even what cities he would pass through from here to Moscow. At Ertava the subject changed.

After dinner they drank tea in Napoleon's study, which five days earlier had been the study of Emperor Alexander.Napoleon almost felt that he was surrounded by people who respected him, and Blashev had eaten his meal, so he must be among them. "The Emperor Alexander kept all my personal enemies at his side. He never imagined that I could do the same?" Napoleon's words reminded Blashev of his early morning anger.In Napoleon's eyes, Blashev was no longer the envoy of the enemy, but a man who was currently very loyal to him and who would certainly be happy to see his master insulted.He even reached out and squeezed Blashef's ear and twisted it slightly, which was considered a great honor in the French court.Blashev brought back the last letter from Napoleon to Alexander, and he reported everything that had been said, and thus the war broke out.

[eight]

After meeting Bin-Ayre in Moscow, Prince André went to Petersburg.He told his family that he was going there on business, but in fact he was eager to meet Duke Angladuri Kuragin there so that he could find an opportunity to fight him.But by this time Kuragin had gone to the Moldavian army.Just in Petersburg, Duke Andrele was invited by the old general Kotusov, who had been treating him very well, and drove to Turkey with the headquarters of the Moldavian Army.

In Turkey, Duke Andrey still failed to see Kuragin, who returned to Russia shortly after Duke Andrey's arrival.In different countries and different environments, Duke Andrele was in a lighter mood. After his fiancée divorced, the happy living conditions and the independence and freedom he valued so much in the past made him distressed and unhappy.He worked at Kotusov's headquarters and surprised Kotusov with his tenacity and diligence.

Even though Duke Andrele thought it was impossible to go back to Russia to investigate Kuragin, he knew that whenever he met Kuragin, he would definitely fight him.This feeling of vengeance disturbed his artificial stillness and affected his busy, somewhat vindictive and hypocritical activities.In [-], news of the war with Napoleon reached Bucalest, and the Duke of Andrei applied for transfer to the Western Army, which was agreed by Kotusov.

Before leaving for the army, Duke Andrele stopped by the Bald Mountains near Smolensk.Bald Mountain remained the same, to the surprise and surprise of Duke Andrele, who had been absent for four years.Beneath all the original appearances, the relations of the people were not the same as when the Duc d'Andrew left four years ago.The family members were divided into two separate and hostile camps, which only came together when the Duc d'Andrew came home.On one side were the old duke, Mademoiselle Pollyère, and the architect, and on the other, the Duchess Mollier, Dessalle, little Maral, and all the nurses and maids.

During the night, the old prince spoke strangely of Maurier to the Duke d'Andrew, accusing her of being superstitious and of hating Miss Pollyeye, who, according to him, was the only one who was truly loyal to him.The Duke of Andrele ignored this, and for the first time in his life he opposed his father, explaining that all this could not be blamed on Molière, but on the French woman.Duke Andrei's words made his father very displeased, even annoyed.

Even though Molière tried to persuade him to stay, Duke Andrele still wanted to leave immediately. Even if he told his son a story on his lap, he still couldn't find the warmth he had for his son before.Still absorbed in his misery, "Think about what and who—what insignificant people cause misery!" Moliere felt a terrible anger in his words.Of course, she understood that the insignificant people he was talking about were not only Miss Polly Love who had made her unhappy, but also the woman who had disturbed his happiness.

"Good-bye, Duke Andrele! Remember, misfortune comes from heaven, and people are eternally innocent." These were the last words he heard her say when he parted from his sister.

[Nine]

Duke Andrele arrived at the general headquarters of the army at the end of June.On the banks of the Dresa, Duke André found Barclay, whom he had appointed to his staff.He calmly and kindly summoned the Duke of Andrele, and said that he would wait until he appeared to the emperor to decide on his duties, and asked the Duke of Andrele to stay at his headquarters.

The news of Kuragin's absence pleased Duke Andryl, who for some time would not be troubled by Kuragin's problems.He rode through all the fortified camps, and whether they were stationed on favorable ground was an uncertain question, for he knew that the best plans were often of no avail.The question is how to deal with sudden problems and who will command the operations.Based on the discussion of the last question, Duke Andrele obtained a judgment of the situation.

According to him, while the emperor was still in Vilna, the army was divided into three detachments: the first detachment was led by Barclay, the second by Bogorradio, and the third by Tormasov.The emperor is in the first team, even if he is not the commander-in-chief, he commands the armies, and the people around him are all his assistants.The former Minister of War Arakcheyev, Earl Bennigsen, the highest-ranking general among generals, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Rumyantsev, former Prussian Minister Stein, and Swedish General Amu Although Field, the main drafter of the strategy, Bouvre, and others have no official positions, their positions have influences that cannot be taken lightly.

In the discussion of the various claims of this large, chaotic, apparently proud body, the Duke d'Andrew saw sharp contradictions among its factions and parties.

The first were the Bouvierites, military philosophers who believed in the immutable rules of military science.The second faction is the other extreme representative. They advocate the initiative to attack and at the same time they are representatives of nationalism. They are all Russians: Bogoradeo, Ermolov, etc.The third faction, which was in the middle between the first two, was the one most trusted by the Emperor, whose ideas, although they failed to achieve anything, thought it would be better to almost do so, and Arakcheyev belonged to this faction.The fourth faction was represented by the Grand Duke and Crown Prince. They advocated peace and won the support of the military elite, Petersburg society and the cabinet.The fifth faction was devoted to Barclay, who must have regarded him as Secretary of State and Commander-in-Chief.The sixth faction is the supporters of Bennigsen, they believe that Bennigsen is more accomplished and rich in talent.The seventh faction, made up of generals and courtiers, and who had always revered Alexander, urged the emperor alone to lead the army as commander-in-chief.The eighth faction is the largest group. What they are most concerned about is the great satisfaction of their personal interests. What they pay attention to is the direction of the emperor's favor. When the turmoil and conflicts and conflicts are warming up, they bring great benefits to the official affairs. Great confusion and annoyance.

At the time when the Duke of Andrele came to the army, the Ninth faction was being formed. It was composed of old, rational, politically experienced and talented people. They advocated that the Emperor leave the army to get rid of the current lack of direction. , confusion, and weakness, they believed that the worst commander-in-chief, but unchecked in action, was better than the best commander-in-chief, but controlled by the emperor.

While the Duke André was free in Dresa, the Minister of the Cabinet, Shishkov, one of the important representatives of the above-mentioned faction, wrote a secret report to the emperor, and Blashev and Arakcheyev also signed it. name.In the secret performance, the emperor asked the emperor to evacuate the troops on the pretext that he must inspire the fighting spirit of the people in the capital.It is this impetus that is the inevitable cause of Russia's victory.

[ten]

Before the sealed note was submitted to the emperor, Duke André received news that the emperor would personally receive him.That evening, Duke Andrele came to Bennigsen's apartment.

The apartment is located in a large landowner's residence on the river bank.Chernyshov, the emperor's aide-de-camp, entertained him and told him that the emperor led Bennigsen and Paulsi to inspect the fortifications of the Drissa position for the second time today, and he began to have doubts about whether the fortifications were applicable.

In the living room, a meeting of several people was being held. The emperor talked about the current difficult situation and was eager to know their views.Invited to this informal meeting were: the Swedish general Amfeld, the officer-in-waiting Worzogen, Winzengerode—that man whom Napoleon called "the fugitive French subject," Michaud Thor, Count Stein, who was not at all a soldier, and finally Bouvre.The Duc d'Andrew had heard that Bouvre was the driving force of all affairs.As he entered with the duke, Duc d'Andrew had an opportunity of seeing him clearly.

Bouffre wore the poorly sewn uniform of a Russian general.A German military theoretician like himself possessed all the characteristics of other Germans, such as the Duke Undry had never seen.

Bouffle was short and thin, but broad-boned and muscular, with broad hips and hunched shoulders.His face was wrinkled and his eyes were sunken.His hair on the front temples was obviously combed hastily, but there are a few strands of hair in the back that are playfully curled up.When Chernyshev introduced Prince Andrey to him, he said he looked at Prince Andrey, or rather he glanced at him.

Bouvre was prone to anger and underestimated others, but at this time, someone surveyed his position without telling him and criticized him, which obviously made him extremely angry.He was one of those hopelessly self-confident, unchangeable people who could only be Germans, since only Germans rely on an imaginary point of view—science, that is, on the basis of a hypothetical infinite This confidence comes from a lack of common sense of truth.He was one of those theoreticians who love their theories so much that they forget that the purpose of theory is to apply them in practice; they hate all practice because they love theory, and they don't want to bother with it.When he talked about the present war with Prince Andrei and Chernyshev, he seemed to say that I expected everything to be messed up, and he was even quite happy about it.

[eleven]

Before Duke Andrele watched Bouvre leave, Bennigsen walked in quickly, and the emperor followed closely behind him.The emperor tilted his head to the right, listening to Paulsi's extremely excited words with an expression of displeasure.He was clearly eager to end the conversation, but the ecstatic Italian, forgetting etiquette, walked on and on.

The emperor, who hardly listened to the Italians, met Andrei Bolkonski, who kindly asked Prince Andrei to wait for him at the meeting place.With the emperor's permission, Duke Andrele walked to the living room with Paulsi, whom he had met in Turkey.The first to speak was General Armfield, who proposed an unexpected plan-to build positions on both sides of the road leading to Petersburg and Moscow.The younger Colonel Thor, who opposed Thor more vehemently than the others, Paulsi proposed a plan to move forward and strike.Paulsi didn't know French, so he asked Bouvre in English, and Woerzogen came to help his chief Bouvre, who couldn't speak French fluently, and helped him translate.Paulsi and Michaud simultaneously refuted Worzogen in French.Armfield speaks to Bouffle in French, Thor explains to Volkonski in French.Duke Andrele was silent, listening and observing carefully.

Of all men, the one who most aroused the approval of the Duc d'Or was the exasperated, determined, and self-determined Bouvre.Only he is impersonal, hostile to no one, and single-minded in the implementation of a strategy based on the theories he has painstakingly studied over the years.Moreover, in the speeches of all the others except Bouvre, there was something of the same character which was absent from the Council of Arms of [-], that is, a more or less awe of Napoleon's genius was revealed in every objection.

The discussion continued for a long time, and their arguments became more and more intense, even yelling and mutually exclusive, so it was even more impossible to draw a general conclusion from all the speeches.The Duke d'Andrew had listened to the utterances of each other's tongues, and so many assumptions, plans, arguments, and shouts, that he could only be amazed at what they had to say.It had seemed to him at this moment a particularly eminent truth that there was and could not be any military science, and therefore no so-called military genius, ever since he entered the army. up. "If the conditions and circumstances of a war are not and impossible to be clear, and the forces participating in the battle are also unclear, how can we talk about the theory and science of that war? No one can expect that the enemy and us will meet tomorrow. No one can predict the strength of this or that unit. In fact, whether the military medal is awarded or not is determined not by those in authority, but by the shouting of 'It's over!' or the shouting of ' Come on!' people. It's only by serving on these teams that you feel you can make a difference."

(End of this chapter)