Once again, my goal was way too ambitious and put me off doing anything.
Chapter 1
This one starts very philosophically, by discussing the concept of absolute continuity of motion and why we have so much trouble with it, and how the modern (in the 1860s) branch of mathematics which had achieved the art of dealing with the infinitely small would be able to yield solutions in more complex problems. Tolstoy makes the point that the movement of humanity arises from innumerable arbitrary wills, and so is also continuous. Normally, history is examined by selected and series of events and examining them, when, in reality, this series of events is connected to the whole and cannot be explained in isolation, in the same way that the actions of one man does not fully express the individual wills of the people. It reminds me of that old maxim about how whether a story is happy or sad depends on exactly when you start and finish it.
"The first fifteen years of the nineteenth century in Europe present an extraordinary movement of millions of people". I assume it was similar to the upheaval during and following WWII. Historians present many reasons as to the cause of this, but Tolstay says that it was the sum of human wills which produced the Revolution and Napoleon, not vice versa, and the same sum of wills which "first tolerated and then destroyed them". Basically, the will of the people cause revolutions and wars, which cause leaders and commanders to rise, not vice versa. Tbh, I'm glad we mostly just argue about stuff now (in the UK), because otherwise the Brexit issue would be a second War of the Roses.
Chapter 2
We're still in big-picture mood. Tolstoy describes the French invasion of Russia in broad terms. At this point, they had battled their way across 700 miles of hostile country, and now there are only a few dozen miles separating them from Moscow. After the battle of Borodino, the Russian army retreats immediately, like a ball hit by another with more momentum. The Russians have retreated beyond Moscow and the French have reached it, but there are no battles for five weeks. After that, the French suddenly retreat, with no new cause.
On the evening of the 26th of August, after the battle of Borodino, Kutuzov reports a victory and orders the soldiers to prepare for another battle the next day. However, over that night and the next day, more and more losses are reported and a second battle is impossible. It is impossible for the Russian army not to retreat to beyond Moscow, despite the strong desire they all share to defeat the French. Again, Tolstoy describes how historians have criticised Kutuzov's decisions, but points out that a commander-in-chief is always right in the midst of the action, and probably doesn't have full information or the luxury of considering how one event might affect others, since he's always considering dozens of courses of action and decisions at once, and has many demands on his time and energy, not least answering to his superiors and his political enemies.
Chapter 3
Ermelov - who I do no not believe we have met before - was sent to inspect the position of the army and returns to tell Kutuzov that a second battle is impossible and they must retreat. Kutuzov says he must not be feeling well and should reconsider, since Kutuzov can't imagine the possibility of retreating without a fight. A semi-informal council of war is held, with Kutuzov listening to all the presented opinions. He's disappointed by the answer he sees - that defending Moscow is physically impossible. If he overcame his own doubts, his commanders and their soldiers wouldn't. All of the discussions are on what should be done after they retreat beyond Moscow. Bennigsen is the only one insisting they should defend Moscow, because, if they succeed, he can claim the success, and, if they fail, he can blame it on Kutuzov. Kutuzov is trying to figure out when everything became so wrong and inevitable, and horrified at having to issue the order. He's convinced he is the only person in the world who can encounter Napoleon without fear.
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