Book 3 Part 1 Chapter 11 (Chapter 175 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Prince Piotr Mikhailovitch Volkonsky. General Armfeldt's criticisms on the armed camp. Colonel Toll. Paulucci. Woltzogen. Confusion. Panic fear of Napoleon. Prince Andrei's sympathy with Pfuhl. Prince Andrei's conclusions. Prince Andrei elects active service.
Briggs: An informal council-of-war. Pfuel's ludicrous dogmatism.
Maude: An informal Council of War. Pfuel's dogmatism

Translation:

XI.

Not having time for Prince Andrey to hold the eyes of Pful, so in the room hastily entered Count Bennigsen and, nodding his head at Bolkonsky, not stopping, passed into the office, giving back some orders to his adjutant. The sovereign rode behind him, and Bennigsen hurried forward so that to prepare something and to be in time to meet the sovereign. Chernyshev and Prince Andrey came out to the porch. The sovereign with a tired look dismounted from his horse. Marquis Pauluchi spoke something to the sovereign. The sovereign, bowing his head, left with a dissatisfied look, listening to Pauluchi, who spoke with special heat. The sovereign set off forward, apparently wishing to finish the conversation, but the flushed, excited Italian, forgetting decency, was walking behind him, had to speak:

—What the same concerns who advised the Drissa camp, — spoke Pauluchi, at that time as the sovereign entered onto the stairs and noticed Prince Andrey, peering at the unfamiliar to him face.

—What the same concerns, sovereign, — continued Pauluchi with desperation, as if was not in his forces to hold on, — to this person, who advised the camp at Drissa, then for him in my opinion, there are only two places: the yellow house or gallows.— 603 Not listening and as if not having heard the words of the Italian, the sovereign, upon learning of Bolkonsky, graciously turned to him.

— Very glad to see you, go through there, where they are gathered, and wait for me. — The sovereign passed into the office. Behind him passed Prince Petr Mihaylovich Volkonsky, Baron Stein, and behind them shut the door. Prince Andrey, taking advantage of the approval of the sovereign, passed with Pauluchi, whom he knew by Turkey, into the living room, where gathered the advice.

Prince Petr Mihaylovich Volkonsky occupied the position as would a chief of staff of the sovereign. Volkonsky got out of the office and brought into the living room maps and placing them onto the table, delivered questions that he desired to hear the opinion of the gathered gentlemen. The business was that at night was received the news (afterwards turning out to be false) about the movement of the French into the bypass of the Drissa camp.

The first to start speaking was General Armfeld, suddenly, to avoid presenting the difficulty to offer anything completely new, (besides as a desire to show that he too may have an opinion) the inexplicable position on the side from the Petersburg and Moscow road to which, by his opinion, the army should unite and expect the enemy. It was seen that this plan was a long time formed by Armfeld, and that he now outlined it not so much with the purpose to respond to the proposed questions, in which this plan was not responding, as much as from the purpose to benefit from the case to express it. This was one of a million sentences that so the same was thoroughly as others can do, not having an idea about which character will accept the war. Some disputed his opinion, some defended it. The young Colonel Toll hotter than others disputed the opinion of the Swedish General and, in the time of the argument, took out from his lateral pocket a scribbled notebook, which he asked permission to read. In voluminous form the note of Toll suggested a different — completely horrid to the plan of Armfeld and to the plan of Pful — plan of the campaign. Pauluchi, objecting to Toll, proposed a plan of movements forward and attacks, which only by his words could bring us out of the suspense and traps (as he called the Drissa camp), in which we were found out. In the time of these disputes Pful and his translator Voltsogen (his bridge in courtier regarding) was silent. Pful only contemptuously snorted and turned away, showing that he was never humiliated to the objections against this nonsense, which he now heard. Yet when Prince Volkonsky, leading the debate, called him in exposition to his opinions, he only said:

— What the same to ask me? General Armfeld proposed a beautiful position with an open rear. Or the attack of this Italian gentleman, very good.604 Or retreat. Also good.605 What the same to ask me? — he said. — Because you yourselves know all better than me. — But when Volkonsky frowningingly said that he asked his opinions from the name of the sovereign, that Pful got up and suddenly animated started to speak:

— All is spoiled, all is confused, all would like to know better than me, but now come to me. So correct? There is nothing to mend. We need to enforce in the accuracy of the foundations, set out by me, — he spoke, banging his bony fingers on the table. — What is difficult? Nonsense, children's toys.606 — He came up to the map and had begun to speak fast, poking with a dry finger on the map and proving that no accident may change the expediency of the Drissa camp that all was foreseen, and that should the enemy really go into the bypass, that the enemy should be inevitably destroyed.

Pauluchi, not knowing German, began to ask him in French. Voltsogen came up to help his principal, who badly spoke French, and began translating his words, barely keeping up behind Pful, who argued fast that all, all, not only that what happened, but all that only could happen, all was foreseen in his plan, and that should now were difficulties, that all the fault was only in that not in accuracy all was executed. He incessantly ironically laughed, argued and finally contemptuously threw to prove how to throw. The mathematician checks various ways in time to prove the allegiance problem. Voltsogen replaced him, setting out by French his thought and occasionally said to Pful: Whether it is not really, your excellency?607 Pful, as a battle heated person beaten, angrily shouted at Voltsogen:

— Well yes, what more are here to interpret?608 — Pauluchi and Michaud in two voices attacked Voltsogen in French. Armfeld in German approached to Pful. Toll by Russian explained to Prince Volkonsky. Prince Andrey silently listened and watched.

From all these persons more than all excited participation in Prince Andrey the embittered, resolute and goofy self-confident Pful. He was the one of all the here present persons that obviously desired nothing for himself, or to whom not fed hostility, but only had one desire — cast into the action plan, formed by theory, withdrawn from years of his work. He was ridiculous, unpleasant in his irony, but together with that he inspired involuntary respect for his boundless dedication to an idea. Besides in all the speeches all spoken, for the exception of Pful, the one common feature, who was not in the military advice in the year 1805 — this was now, although hidden, panicky fear before the genius of Napoleon, fear spoke at each objection. Supposedly for Napoleon all was possible, waiting for him with all parties, and his terrible name destroyed the assumptions of each other. Only Pful, it seemed, counted Napoleon so the same barbarian, as all opponents of his theory. Yet besides a feeling of respect, Pful inspired in Prince Andrey a feeling of pity. By that tone, with which he turned to courtiers, by that what he allowed himself to say to Pauluchi and the emperor, but the main thing by the bit of despair in the expression of Pful himself, it was seen that others knew, and he himself felt that his fall was close. And, despite his self-confidence and German grumpy irony, he was pathetic with his own smoothed hair on his temples and protruding to the back of the head tassels. He, apparently, although hiding this under a look of irritation and contempt, was in despair from that the only one case now to check in his huge experience and to prove all the world the allegiance of his theory escaped from him.

The debate continued for long, and the longer they continued, by that the more flared up disputes, reaching to screams and personalities that were less possible to bring out some common conclusion from what was said. Prince Andrey, listening to this multilingual dialect and these assumptions, plans, rebuttals and shouting, only was surprised to that what they all said. That for a long time and often coming to him, in the time of his military activities, thought that there is no and may not be any military science, and therefore it may not be a so called, military genius, now received for him as a perfectly obvious truth. "How the same could there be a theory and science in a case, which the conditions and circumstances are unknown and may not be indentified, in which the power of the actors of war still less may be defined? No one could and may know, in which position will be ours and the enemy army through a day, and no one may know this power or this detachment. Sometimes, when there is no coward ahead, which screams: "we are cut off!" and runs, but ahead is a merry, brave person, which shouts: "hoorah!" — a detachment of 5 thousand is worth 30 thousand, as under Schongraben, but sometimes 50 thousand runs before 8, as under Austerlitz. — How the same may there be a science in such a case, in which, as in every practical case, nothing may be defined, and all depends on countless conditions, the matters which are defined in one moment, about which  one knows, when it will advance. Armfeld speaks that our army is cut off, but Pauluchi speaks that we put the French army between two lights; Michaud speaks that the unsuitability of the Drissa camp consists in that the river is behind, but Pful speaks that in this is its power. Toll offers one plan, Armfeld offers another; and all are good, and all are bad, and the benefit of any offer may be obvious only in that moment when will happen the event. And from what all speak: the genius of the military? Isn't the genius that person who in the time knows to command to give a lift to crackers and go to the right, then to left? Because only those military people endowed with a shine to power and masses of scoundrels flattering authorities, giving it the uncharacteristic quality of genius, they are called geniuses. The opposite, the best generals, which I know — are stupid or scattered people. The best is Bagration, — Napoleon himself recognized this. But Bonaparte himself! I remember his smug and limited face on Austerlitz field. Not only is genius and some kind of special quality not needed by a good commander, but oppositely he needs the absence of the highest, best human qualities — love, poetry, tenderness, philosophical, and inquisitive doubt. He should be limited, firmly sure that what he does is very important (otherwise in him you will not get patience), and only then will he be a brave commander. Saved by God, if he is a person, fallen in love with someone, pities, thinks about what is fair and what is not. Understand that from time immemorial still for them is a faked theory of genius, because of how they are — power. The merit in the success of military affairs depends on not from them, but from the man, which in the ranks screams: gone, or screams: hoorah! And only in these ranks can you serve with the certainty that you are useful!"

So thought Prince Andrey, listening to the talk, and woke up only then, when Pauluchi called him, and all now diverged.

On the next day the sovereign asked Prince Andrey where he wished to serve, and Prince Andrey forever lost himself in the courtier world, not asking for a stay in the person of the sovereign, but asking for permission to serve in the army.

603 Quant à celui qui a conseillé ce camp, le camp de Drissa,...Quant à celui, Sire, qui a conseillé le camp de Drissa, je ne vois pas d’autre alternative que la maison jaune ou le gibet.

604 von diesem Italienischen Herrn, sehr schön.

605 Auch gut.

606 Kinderspiel.

607 "nichts wahr, Exellenz?"

608 Nun ja, was soll denn da noch expliziert werden?

Time: see previous chapter
Mentioned: 1805

Locations: see previous chapter
Mentioned: Drissa, Italian, French, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Swedish, German, Schongraben, Austerlitz

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: The sovereign and Andrei meet and Andrei goes into a meeting in which the generals and princes are arguing over plans.

“It was one of the millions of suggestions that could be made, as well-founded as any other, if one had no notion of what character the war would take. Some argued against his opinion, some defended it.”

The problems of argumentation really compound when when the problems of the different languages crop up. “Paulucci, who did not know German, started asking questions in French. Wolzogen came to the aid of his
principal, who spoke French poorly..”

“Of all these persons, the one who most awakened Prince Andrei’s sympathy was the embittered, resolute, and senselessly self-assured Pfuel. He alone of all the persons present there obviously desired nothing for
himself, felt no enmity against anyone, and desired only one thing; the putting into action of a plan worked out according to a theory arrived at through years of labor.” Similar to Napoleon and Speransky, Pfuel attracts
Andrei because he has ideas of radical change that he is putting into action. Of course, like the others, Pfuel has severe personality defects. Like Speransky, Pfuel’s fall is near and Andrei can see it.

Andrei inner monologues about the uselessness of military science and how no one can predict what will happen in battle and that there is no such thing as “military genius”

“A good commander not only does not need genius or any special qualities, but, on the contrary, he needs the absence of the best and highest human qualities--love, poetry, tenderness, a searching philosophical
doubt. He should be limited, firmly convinced that what he is doing is very important”.

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 *):

Prince Andrei Bolkonsky

Pfuhl

Count Benigsen (his adjutant is here again as well)

Chernuishef

Alexander (“emperor” and “sovereign”. Also his horse.)

Marchese Paulucci (also “excited Italian”.)

Prince Piotr Mikhailovitch Volkonsky (see Shinshin in chapter 16 for variations on “Piotr”. See Speransky in Chapter 107 for variatons on “Mikhailovitch”.)

Baron Stein

General Armfeldt (also “the Swedish general”.)

Colonel Toll

Woltzogen (Pfuhl’s “interpreter” and “bridge”.)

Michaud

Napoleon Bonaparte

Bagration

Abridged Versions: End of Chapter 6 in Bell.

Edmonds has a line break, but no stars after “Go in to the others and wait for me.”
Gibian: Chapter 11.

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.

Komroff: The chapter picks up toward the end where Andrei monologues internally (this is shortened) about the science of war. Line break after end of chapter.

Kropotkin: the chapter picks up at “The earnest and absurdly opinionated Pfuhl aroused the most sympathy in Prince Andrei.” Andrei’s inner monologue is shortened and ends the chapter, cutting off the conclusion
of the chapter. Thus ends chapter 7.

Bromfield: Chapter basically the same, end of chapter 11.
Simmons: Chapter 11: the middle of the chapter is cut and replaced with "In the council of war that follows, the generals bitterly attack and defend Pfuel's plan for the campaign. With contempt for all, Pfuel angrily
defends his theory which Prince Andrew regards as ridiculous, simply because of the German's absolute conviction that war is a science.

Additional Notes:

Rey/Emanuel: Page 238: (Napoleon) "While Phul proposes, Armfeld contradicts, Bennigsen examines, and Barclay, on whom the execution rests, does not know what to conclude."..

The coalition against Napoleon would later use a "pincer movement" (where the enemy attacks on both sides of a flank) in the battle of Dresden.

Davidov/Trubetzskoy: Page 86: Bagration: "War's not waged so that we can all kiss and make up!"