Chapter 8
It's the day after Nikolai has been to see Darling Bory, and the Emperors of Russia and Austria are surveying their troops. They're doing marching, fancy marching with bayonets and banners, like that mini-game in FF7 that I'm bad at it.
...also that I could not find a gif of. Anyway, the soldiers are all very clean and shiny, which is a tad unrealistic for an active warzone. I mean, in the sense that the generals caring about that as opposed to basically anything else seems a bit incongruous, but that whole scene also seems pretty realistic, so I assume Tolstoy is being satirical again. The soldiers are enjoying it anyway - they feel like small cogs in a big, powerful, impressive machine, and they're excited to see the Emperors. Nikolai is very moved by this feeling of national pride, including a 'passionate attraction' to Emperor Alexander as the cause. He will go to war for this man, which is handy, because that's the exact goal the army was going for. There is a wave of Hurrahs as the Tsar passes. Nikolai feels that he might die of happiness if the majestic and enchanting Tsar speaks to him. After the Tsar has moved on, he spots Andrew Bolkonski nearby and debates whether to challenge him, but decides that he loves and forgives everybody right now. Also, the armies are beginning a ceremonial march, and Nikolai takes the opportunity to show off his horsemanship (it is good). The Emperor remarks that the Pavlograds (Nikolai's regiment) are fine, and Nikolai thinks how happy he would be to die for the emperor, again. Later, the soldiers are able to talk, and they basically all had the same epiphany as Nikolai. I feel like Putin would rather like to have this effect on his populace. They are all very confident that victory is on its way.
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