In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapters 1, 2, and 3

Chapter 1

This chapter is another of the history essays.  Tolstoy points out that, usually, when one army is defeated by another, that results in the subjugation or loss of rights of the latter country to the former, even though the army is only a small part of the country.  However, in this case, the French won at Borodino, took Moscow...then retreated and lost without actually losing any more battles.  One factor in this was the lack of hay for horses.  The peasants collectively decided to burn it rather than sell it to the French, depriving them of resources.

Tolstoy uses an analogy.  Say France had demanded a fencing match according to the rules of fencing.  Halfway through, Russia throws down his sword and grabs a cudgel instead.  The French might technically have won according to the rules of fencing, but they're still about to get their face beaten in (paraphrased).  The 'cudgel' in this case is the guerilla warfare of the peasants.  Napoleon complains about this being against the rules "as if there were any rules for killing people".

Chapter 2

The essay continues.  Tolstoy points out that, when used, guerilla warfare is always successful, despite going against the basic rules of war (which is that you should have more soldiers and attack where your opponent has less soldiers).  His theory is that most tacticians are assuming that mass = force, when, in fact, mass * X = force, and the guerilla warriors have more of X which makes up for the lack of mass.  Tolstoy says that 'X' is the spirit of the army.  The desire of each individual to fight, and to win, rather than to just follow orders.  The spirit of the French army had been entirely depleted, so they grouped together en mass instead, despite this being ineffective tactically.

Chapter 3

The first person to recognise that guerilla warfare was happening and to consciously take advantage of it was Denis Davydov, who arranged for more strikes.  By October, there were hundreds of small companies, all striking at the French army.  Special mention goes to Vasilisa, "The wife of a village elder who slewed hundreds of the French".  According to wikipedia, she lead women and teenagers in the "Patriotic war of 1812".  I did not know it was called that before, but that's making a lot of sense.

Denisov is a member of the 'irregulars', the name given to the guerilla regiments.  We've not heard from him in a while!  I had to do a quick google and read this to remember exactly who he was.  Are we back to the story now?  Dolokhov is also leading a small party nearby.  It's October 22nd.  They're all watching a French convoy.  Denisov receives invitations from a Polish and a German commander to join their regiments and replies to both that, sadly, he is already under the command of the other.

Denisov and Dolokhov are intending to join forces and seize the convoy themselves.  I wonder if this is the one holding Pierre prisoner?  The convoy is about 1500 men and Denisov and Dolokhov have about 200 each, but this doesn't bother them.  They take out the supply wagons, and their next objective is to capture a 'tongue' - an enemy soldier who can tell them about the inner workings of the convoy (they didn't get one with the supply wagons because they killed everyone).  Dolokhov sends a peasant, Tikhon Shcherbaty, to try to seize one of the quartermasters.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 13, Chapters 18 and 19

Chapter 18

This is one of those broad-view historical essays again.  Apparently, many historians have expressed theories on what could have gone differently if the French hadn't retreated, but Tolstoy points out that the Russians made no effort to make them retreat or stop them advancing (which he puts down to Kutuzov conserving energy, knowing the French army would break itself).  Tolstoy theorises that every single individual member of the French army, including Napoleon, could feel their encroaching defeat, and that's why they destroyed the resources available in Moscow, rather than using them, and why they retreated rather than advancing.

Chapter 19

The essay continues.  

Each individual Frenchman - and thus, the entire crowd - want to go home, but home is quite a way away so instead they focus on Smolensk, as the first stop on the journey.  As many of them as possible attempt to surrender, so apparently that stereotype goes back quite a while.  The army moves like a wave, unstoppable in its retreat.  Kutuzov recognises this, and uses all his power to stop the Russian generals attacking to try to gain some glory and "great victories" for themselves.  It doesn't work - there are a lot of little skirmishes, and French and Russians killed who needn't have been, because it doesn't make a blind bit of difference.  The French army continues towards Smolensk, with about a third of it melting away via surrenders.

And that's the end of part 13!  There are three parts left, with a total of 67 chapters left.  If I read one chapter per day, I'd be done by the 12th of June.    If I read 5 chapters per day, I'd be done by the 18th of April.  All of my coursework is due by the middle of May, so I probably won't be reading 5 chapters per day.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 13, Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Kutuzov - who was awake anyway - finally gets to hear the news from Bolkhovitinov.  He dearly hopes that the French are defeated, but knows that that wish will make him read the evidence to point that way so he's being very cautious.  After questioning Bolkhovitinov he thanks the Lord that Russia is saved.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 13, Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I've not been writing for a while because, firstly, my final year lab report is due at the end of the month and is worth 16% of my entire degree grade.  Secondly, we're back in the war chapters and I'm less interested in those.  Oh, I've also started reading another Stephen King novel - I still consider myself in the middle of the project to read all of Stephen King's published works, even though I've not actually read one since before I began my degree - so that's been taking up a little of my attention.  Anyway.

Bolkhovitinov has been riding through a dark and stormy night with a message from Dokhturov and Yermelov.  Napoleon is at Firminsk, which sounds like quiet exciting news - I think this means he's closer than they initially thought he was, based on the last chapter? - but no one seems willing to believe it at first.  Eventually, the message starts making its way up the chain of command and many people are woken because, to quote Good Omens (I think) if a man is woken up in alarm at 3am, he at least wants to know that he isn't alone.  One of those woken is Peter Petrovich Konovnitsyn, who, like Dokhturov, isn't thought of as a brilliant general, but is always just quietly getting on with his job in the most difficult situations.  He's not looking forward to passing the message up to Bennigsen, who doesn't like Kutuzov and will do stupid things.  He's pretty sure all the higher ups will waste time bickering and doing stupid things.  He is proven right.