Book 1 Part 3 Chapter 12 (Chapter 59 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Council of war. Comparison of Weirother to a horse attached to a loaded team. Drowsy Kutuzof. Weirother's "disposition." Discussion. After the council of war. Prince Andrei's doubts. His forebodings. His aspirations. The servants teasing Kutuzof's cook.
Briggs: Kutuzov sleeps through a council of war. Andrey thinks things over.
Maude: The Council of War. Weyrothre's plans. Kutuzov sleeps. Prince Andrew's reflections
Pevear and Volkhonsky: The Russian-Austrian council of war. Weyrother's plan of battle. Kutuzov falls asleep. Prince Andrei debates with himself.

Translation: XII.

In the 10th hour of the evening Weyrother with his own plans crossed into the apartment of Kutuzov, where the military advice was assigned. All the chiefs of the columns were required to the commander in chief, and, for the exception of Prince Bagration, who refused to come, all appeared at the designated hour.

Weyrother, formerly the full manager of the alleged battle, submitted his liveliness and haste as the sharp opposite of the dissatisfied and sleepy Kutuzov, reluctantly playing the role of chairman and chief military council. Weyrother, obviously, felt himself at the head of the movements that had become now uncontrollable. He was as a harnessed horse running up with a wagon under a mountain. Whether he carried it, or it drove him, he did not know; but he carried in all possible speed, not having time now to discuss why he led this movement. Weyrother on this evening was for two times in personal inspection of the rows of the enemy and two times at the sovereigns, the Russian and the Austrian, for reports and explanations, and at his office, where he dictated the German disposition. He, tormented, had arrived now to Kutuzov.

He, apparently, was so busy that he forgot even to be respectful with the commander in chief: he interrupted him, spoke fast, not clearly, not looking at the face of his interlocutor, not answering the questions being made to him, was stained with mud and had the view of being miserable, tormented, confused and together with that presumptuous and proud.

Kutuzov occupied a small noble castle about Ostralits. In the big living room, becoming an office for the commander in chief, gathered: Kutuzov himself, Weyrother and the members of the military council. They drank tea. They awaited only Prince Bagration, so to begin the military advice. At the 8th hour arrived an orderly of Bagration with the news that the prince may not be there. Prince Andrey came to report about this to the commander in chief and, taking advantage of the before given to him by Kutuzov permission for presence at the advice, stayed in the room.

— So as Prince Bagration will not be, we can begin, — said Weyrother, hastily getting up from his place and approaching to the table, on which was laid out a huge map of the surroundings of Brunn.

Kutuzov in an unfastened uniform, from which, as it would to be free, swam up in his collar his oily neck, sitting in a Voltarian armchair, placed his symmetrically chubby senile hand on the armrests, and was almost asleep. At the sound of the voice of Weyrother he with effort opened his only eye.

— Yes, yes, please, but that it is late, — he spoke and, nodding his head, lowered it and again closed his eye.

Should at the first time the members of the council think that Kutuzov was pretending to be sleeping, the sounds that he issued from his nose in the time of subsequent reading proved that in this moment for the commander in chief the business going about was more important than the desire to express his contempt for the dispositions or to why was what was: the business was going for him was about the uncontrollable satisfaction of human needs — sleep. He really slept. Weyrother with the movement of a man too busy for losing one moment of time, looked at Kutuzov and, making sure that he was sleeping, took the paper and in a loud monotonous tone started to read the disposition of the future battle under the title, which he also read:

"The disposition to attack the enemy positions behind Kobelnitz and Sokolnitz, 20th November of the year 1805."

The disposition was very complex and difficult. The original disposition:

So as the enemy leans its left wing on the covered by forest mountains, and the right wing stretches along the Kobelnitz and Sokolnitz behind the ponds there, but we, the opposite, surpass our left wing to their right, then profitably attack the enemy’s last wing, especially if we occupy the villages of Sokolnitz and Kobelnitz, being delivered the opportunity to assail the flank of the enemy and hunt him in the plain between Schlapanitz and the forest of Turasky, and avoiding the defile between Schlapanitz and Belowitz, which covers the enemy front. For these goals are necessary... the first column marching... second column marching... third column marching...378 and etc., was read by Weyrother. The generals, it seemed, reluctantly listened to the difficult disposition. The blond tall General Buxhevden stood, leaning his back to the wall, and, stopping his eye at the burning candle, it seemed, did not listen to and even did not want those to think that he was listening. All against Weyrother, directing to him his brilliant open eyes, in a warlike pose, leaned his hand with now curved out knees, sat the rosy Miloradovich with elated mustache and shoulders. He stubbornly kept silent, looking at the face of Weyrother, and lowered with his eyes only at that time, when the Austrian chief of staff fell silent. At this time Miloradovich looked around at the other generals. Yet the meaning of this significant sight could not be understood, whether he agreed or disagreed, or was satisfied or displeased with the disposition. Nearer all to Weyrother sat Count Langeron and with a subtle smile of his southern French face, not leaving him in all the time of the reading, seen in his subtle fingers was a quickly upturned by the gold angles a snuffbox with a portrait. In the middle of one of the long periods he stopped the rotational move of his snuffbox, raised his head with unpleasant courtesy at the end of his thin lips interrupted Weyrother and wanted to say something: but the Austrian general, not interrupting the reading, angrily frowned and waved now, as if saying: then, then you can say to me your thoughts, now kindly look at the map and listen. Langeron raised his eyes up with the expression of perplexity, turned back to Miloradovich, as if searching for explanations, but, meeting the significant, meaning nothing look of Miloradovich, sadly lowered his eyes and again began to twirl the snuffbox.

—A lesson of geography,379 — he spoke as if about himself, but quite loudly, so he would be heard.

Przybyszewski with respect, and worthy courtesy bent down his ear to Weyrother, having the view of a man absorbed in attention. The little by height Dohturov sat all against Weyrother with a diligent and humble look and, bending over above the decomposed map, in good faith studied the disposition and the unknown to him terrain. He a few times requested Weyrother to repeat not well heard words and difficult names of villages. Weyrother carried out his wish, and Dohturov wrote them down.

When the reading, continuing more than a hour, was over, Langeron, again stopped the snuffbox and not looking at Weyrother and or to anyone especially, started to speak about how difficult it was to perform such a disposition, where the position of the enemy was supposed to be famous, so as this position may be unknown to us, so as the enemy was in movement. The objections of Langeron were well-founded, but it was obvious that the objective of these objections consisted predominantly in the desire to give the feeling to General Weyrother, so self-confident, as to a school of child students, reading his disposition that he had business not with only fools, but with people which could teach him in military cases. When the monotonous sound of the voice of Weyrother shut up, Kutuzov opened his eye, as a miller that wakes up in the break of the soporific sound of mill wheels, listened to what was spoken by Langeron, and, as if saying: "But you all the more about this nonsense!" hastily closed his eye and still lowered his head.

Trying to as he could more causticly offend Weyrother in his author’s military vanity, Langeron argued that Bonaparte easily may attack, instead of being attacked, and owing to this make all this disposition completely worthless. Weyrother to all objections responded with a firm contemptuous smile, obviously prepared ahead for any objections, whatever of these would be said to him.

— If he could attack us, then he now would have done this, — he said.

— You think that he has become powerless? — said Langeron.

— Much, if in him is 40 thousand troops, — was the response of Weyrother with a smile of a doctor, with which medicine wants to indicate the means of treatment.

— In such a case he is going to his death, expecting our attacks, — with a subtle ironic smile said Langeron, for confirmation looking back again at the near Miloradovich.

But Miloradovich, obviously, at this moment thought less about the argued generals.

— By God380 — he said, — tomorrow all will see on the field of battle.

Weyrother grinned again with that smile, which said that his funny and weird meeting of objections from the Russians generals proved that not in him alone was so well assured, but more assured were the sovereign-emperors.

— The enemy put out lights, and was heard continuous noise in his camp, — he said. — What does this mean? — Or he is removed, what one must be afraid of, or he changed position (he grinned). Yet even if he would occupy the position in Turasky, he only relieves us from the large hassle, and orders all to the slightest details, stay the same.

— How in the same way?... — said Prince Andrey, now for a long time biding the case to express his doubt.

Kutuzov awoke, heavily cleared his throat and looked around the generals.

— Gentleman, the disposition for tomorrow, even for now (because that it is now the first hour), may not be changed, — he said. — you have heard it, and we all carry out our duty. But before a battle nothing is more important... (he was silent) as to sleep very well.

He made a view that to get up. The generals took off and retired. It was now past midnight. Prince Andrey got out.

————

The military advice, in which Prince Andrey did not succeed to express his opinion as he hoped, left in him an obscure and disturbing impression. Who was right: Dolgorukov with Weyrother or Kutuzov with Langeron and others, not approving the plan of attacks, he did not know. "Yet can it really be that Kutuzov cannot express all his thoughts to the sovereign? Is it really that this may not otherwise be so? Is it really from behind courtiers and personal considerations that we must risk tens of thousands and my, my life?" he thought.

"Yes, it very well may be, tomorrow I will be killed," he thought. And suddenly, at this thought about death, a whole row of memories, the most distant and the most sincere, rebelled in his imagination; he remembered the last parting with his father and wife; he remembered the first time of love with her; remembered her pregnancy, and he began to pity her and himself, and he in a nervously softened and excited condition got out from the hut in which he stayed with Nesvitsky, and began to walk before the house.

The night was foggy, and through the fog mysteriously the moonlight made its way. "Yes, tomorrow, tomorrow! — he thought. — Tomorrow, maybe, everything will be over for me, all these memories will not be more, all these memories will not have for me anymore sense. Tomorrow again, maybe, even for sure tomorrow, this is foreboding for me, for the first time I will work, finally, to show all that I can do." And he introduced himself to the battle, his loss, the concentration of battle in that same point and confusion of all chief persons. And here that happy minute, that Toulon, which for so long he was waiting for, finally, presented to him. He firmly and clearly spoke his opinion to Kutuzov, Weyrother, and the emperor. All were amazed at his faithful considerations, but not taking to perform it, and here he took his regiment, division, pronounced the condition, for now not intervened in his orders, and led his division to the decisive point and winning a victory alone. But dare and misery? Another voice spoke. But Prince Andrey did not respond to this voice and continued in his success. The next disposition of battle is done by him alone. He carries the rank of duty officer in the army of Kutuzov, but he makes everything alone. The following battle was won by him alone. Kutuzov is replaced, he is appointed... well, but then? Again the other voice spoke, but then, if you nine times before this will not be injured, killed or deceived; well, but then what the same? —"Well, but then... — responded to himself Prince Andrey, — I do not know what will happen then, I do not want and cannot know; but should I want this, want fame, want to be a famous person, want to be beloved by them, that because I am not to blame that I want this, that alone I want this, for this alone I live. Yes, for this alone! I never say this to anyone, but, my God! What again can I do, if I love nothing as glory alone, love human daring, wounds, loss of family, nothing is fearful to me. And as dear, or nice to me many people — my father, sister,  wife, — the most dearest people to me, — but, as fearful or unnatural this seems to, I will give all of them now for a moment of fame, celebrations above people, for the love to myself from people, who I do not know and will not know, for the love of these people here,” he thought, listening to the talk in the courtyard of Kutuzov. In the courtyard of Kutuzov was heard the voices of fit orderlies; one voice, probably, a coachman, teasing old Kutuzov’s cook, who knew Prince Andrey, and who was called Tit, speaking: "Tit, ah Tit?"

— Well, — was the response of the old man.

— Tit, go on threshing, — spoke the joker.

— Ugh, well damn them, — was heard the voice, covered with the laughter of the orderlies and the servant.

"And all the same I love and cherish only triumph above all them, I cherish this mysterious force and glory which here needs to carry me in this fog!"

378. Da der Feind mit seinem linken Fluegel an die mit Wald bedeckten Berge lehnt und sich mit seinem rechten Fluegel laеngs Kobelnitz und Sokolnitz hinter die dort befindlichen Teiche zieht, wir im Gegentheil mit unserem linken Fluegel seinen rechten sehr debordiren, so ist es vortheilhaft letzteren Fluegel dse Feindes zu attakiren, besonders wenn wir die Doerfer Sokolnitz und Kobelnitz im Besitze haben, wodurch wir dem Feind zugleich in die Flanke fallen und ihn auf der Flaeche zwischen Schlapanitz und dem Thuerassa-Walde verfolgen koennen, indem wir dem Defileen von Schlapanitz und Bellowitz ausweichen, welche die feindliche Front decken. Zu diesem Endzwecke ist es noethig... Die erste Kolonne marschirt... die zweite Kolonne marschirt... die dritte Kolonne marschirt…

379. Une leçon de géographie (A lesson in geography)

380. Ma foi, (My faith,)

Time: ten o'clock in the evening, also eight o'clock
Mentioned: November 20, 1805 (November 29th, 1805 in Bell. November 30, 1805 in Dole and Maude.

Locations: Kutuzov's quarters in the neighbourhood of Ostralitz (Austerlitz in Garnett.), Andrei's room and the front of the house
Mentioned: Brunn, Kobelnitz, Sokolnitz (Sokolenitz in Bell), Schlapanitz (Schlappanitz in Maude), the Thuerassa forest, Bellowitz, Austrian, south of France (southern French in Dunnigan, Mandelker, and Garnett, who capitalizes Southern), Toulon

Pevear and Volkhonsky Notes: Bagration refuses to come to the council of war.

Weyrother’s personality contrasted with Kutuzov. “Liveliness and briskness” versus “displeased and drowsy”

Weyrother: “He was like a horse harnessed to a wagon and running downhill. Whether he was pulling or being pushed, he did not know” , a variation on the clock analogy seen in the previous chapter.

He is not polite, (forgetting to be because he is exhausted) and doesn’t look into people’s eyes (Teyanin)

Again, the maps are brought out and looked at.

Again with the Voltaire armchairs. Kutuzov: “the point of he matter was to satisfy the irresistible human need for sleep” Natural instead of an artificial action.

Contrarily, “the disposition (that Weyrother reads) was very complex and difficult.”

Again, another dump of information that I have the sneaking suspicion is supposed to be incomprehensible.

We get the long descriptions of the different generals and their reactions to the disposition. The generals all start arguing and the entire thing seems pointless because “the position of the enemy is assumed to be known, when that
position may not be known to us, since the enemy is on the move.”

Line break after “Prince Andrei left”

Prince Andrei isn’t able to share his opinion like he would like, just as Pierre (though he does sort of) isn’t in the opening soiree. He is a young person who wants to share his opinion, just as at the end of chapter two Tolstoy mentions.

His biggest problem as that paragraph reveals, is that he isn’t sure who is right and then he is concerned about Kutuzov not having access to the emperor: “Can it really be that, for court and personal considerations, tens of thousands
of lives must be risked…?”

Andrei then turns personal and begins imagining that he will die the next day. He decides that he wants glory, cannot control that he wants it, so it must be okay that it is what he lives for. His inner monologue is interrupted by a pun
but then focuses itself on the ending of the chapter:

“And still the only thing I love and cherish is triumph over all of them, I cherish that mysterious power and glory hovering over me here in this mist!”

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

General Weirother

Kutuzof (also “commander-in-chief”)

Prince Bagration

His orderly (probably the one previously mentioned in Book 1 Part 2 Chapter 17)

Prince Andrei

General Buxhovden (“...Buxhowden” in Briggs, Edmonds, and Dunnigan. “Buxhevden” in Garnett.)

Miloradovitch

Count de Langeron

Prsczebiszewsky (the first time we see his name spelled correctly. “Przebyszewski” in Maude, Dunnigan, Wiener, and in previous chapter’s character list. “Prsczebichewsky” in Bell)

Dokhturof

Bonaparte

Dolgorukof

Czar Alexander (“emperor”)

Nikolai Bolkonsky (just “father”)

The little princess (just “wife”)

Nesvitsky

The Austrian emperor (only in relation to Alexander)

Mariya Bolkonsky (only “sister”)

Tit (“Kutuzof’s old cook”. While Pevear and Volkhonsky used “Titus don’t bite us” as the joke, Dole uses “Tit, Tit, grind the wheat.” “Tit, take the spit” in Wiener. Bell doesn’t bother putting dialogue here, just saying “a coachman
who was laughing at Koutouzow’s old cook for his name, which was Titus.” Mandelker, Dunnigan (the “go” comes after “Tit” in her version), and Maude: “Go, Tit, thresh a bit!” “Titus a drum” in Briggs. Garnett has “Tit, go a
thrashing”, with “Tit, get threshing” as the footnote. “Tit, go thresh a tit-bit” in Edmonds.)

Abridged Versions: Dunnigan, Dole, Bell, Garnett, Wiener, Maude, Mandelker, Briggs, and Edmonds have line break. End of chapter 7 in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 11: Line break after "Prince Andrew went out."

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut

Komroff: Some of Weierother’s description is removed, including the metaphor of him as a horse and how he treats Kutuzov. The description of Kutuzov sleeping is also removed, as well as the disposition itself (only the
description of it being read is kept). The description of the generals’ reaction to it is somewhat shortened, but kept. Andrei’s self-reflection after the council of war is preceded by a line break, but is severely shortened. Tit’s
episode is also removed.

Kropotkin: Entire chapter is cut

Bromfield: Chapter 11: Chapter seems the same.
Simmons: Chapter 11: the actual council of war is cut and replaced with: "At the council of war, the Austrian Chief of Staff, Weyrother explains his complicated battle which already has the approval of the Russian and
Austrian Emperors. Kutuzov, who is opposed to the plan, sleeps through most of the meeting." The chapter actually starts with "The council of war, at which Prince Andrew had not been able to express his opinion..."
The Tit episode is removed.

Additional Notes: Maude makes connection between Andrei here and chapter 3 of Tolstoy's Confession.

Rey: Page 243: Alexander...had only contempt for Kutuzov's dissolute character and manners...A rumor claimed that two very young girls disguised as Cossacks accompanied him throughout operations...Langeron has left
a severe description..."these are the charms of Kutuzov. Great violence and the crudeness of a peasant when he got carried away or when he did not have to fear the person he was addressing; a baseness toward individuals
whom he thought in favor, carried to the most groveling level, insurmountable idleness, apathy that extended to everything.."

Mikaberidze: Page 51: “General Miloradovich, though not especially well known in the West, was one of the most colourful personalities of the Napoleonic Wars. Known as the ‘Russian Bayard’ for his courage, Miloradovich

was among the very few Russian officers to have received a higher education….His fame only increased during War of the Third Coalition in 1805, earning him Kutuzov’s praise: ‘You are moving faster than angels can fly.’...

Alexander Langeron described him as 'devoured by ambition, blinded by excessive self-esteem (and) intoxicated by his initial successes’...One of Miloradovich’s principal weakness was a gambling addiction...Yet Miloradovich

could also be an openhearted and joyful man, who was at ease with the rank-and-file and often shared his last piece of (52) bread with a fellow officer.

Montefiore: Page 287: One couldn’t be wittier than Kutuzov,” noted the French emigre in Russian service, comte de Langeron, “nor less forceful” nor “smarter and more cunning.” The general was blessed with “prodigious

memory, well-educated amiability, good nature,” but this was combined with “the great violence and crudeness of a peasant, insurmountable laziness, and egotism”--and a “villainous and disgusting libertinage.”...The general

“was treated,” noted Langeron, “without respect.”...General Rene Savary...informed Napoleon that “presumption, imprudence and thoughtlessness” reigned in Alexander’s retinue.”