Book 3 Part 1 Chapter 2 (Chapter 166 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Napoleon at Dresden, June, 1811. Joins the army on the Niemen. Crosses the river. Enthusiasm of the army. The Polish colonel of Uhlans. Crossing the Vistula.
Briggs: Napoleon crosses the Niemen. Polish uhlans are drowned in the Viliya.
Maude: Napoleon crosses the Niemen and sees Polish Uhlans drowned swimming in the Viliya
Pevear and Volokhonsky: Napoleon crosses the Niemen and invades Russia.

Translation:

II. On the 29th of May Napoleon left from Dresden, where he stayed three weeks, surrounded by a court formed of princes, dukes, kings and even one emperor. Napoleon before departure caressed the princes, kings and emperor that deserved this, scolded the kings and princes with whom he was displeased, gifted with their own, i.e. taken from other kings, pearls and diamonds to the Empress of Austria and, tenderly hugging Empress Maria-Louisa, as speaks his historian, leaving her in a sad parting, which she — this Maria-Louisa, considered his spouse, despite that in Paris stayed another spouse — it seemed it was not in forces to bring. Despite how the diplomats still firmly believed in the opportunity of peace and diligently worked with this purpose, despite how the Emperor Napoleon himself wrote a letter to Emperor Aleksandr, calling him Sire my brother565 and sincerely assuring that he did not wish for war, and that he always will love and respect him — he rode to the army and gave back to each station new orders, having the purpose to rush and move the army from the West to East. He rode in a road carriage, harnessed by six, surrounded by pages, adjutants and escort, by the path to Posen, Torn, Danzig and Koenigsberg. In each of these cities thousands of people with awe and delight met him. The army moved from West to East, and the variable gears carried him there already. On the 10th of June he caught up with the army and spent the night in the Vilkovissky wood, in a prepared for him apartment, at the estate of a Polish count. On the next day Napoleon, overtaking the army, in a carriage drove to the Neiman, and with that so to explore the terrain crossings, changed clothes into a Polish uniform and left to the bank. Seeing on that side Cossacks (les Cosaques) and the spread out steppe (les Steppes), in the middle of which was Moscow, the sacred city,566 the capital, like those Scythian states where Aleksandr the Macedonian went, — Napoleon, suddenly for all and as nasty as strategic, and with diplomatic considerations, ordered the offensive and on the next day his troops began to go over the Neiman. At 12 in the early morning he got out of the tent, set up on this day in the cool, left guard of the Neiman, and watched in his visual pipe at the emerging from the Vilkovissky forest threads of his troops, overflowing by three bridges, built on the Neiman. The troops knew about the presence of the emperor, searched his eyes, and when they found on the mountain before the tent seceded from the suites the figure in a frock coat and hat, they threw up hats and shouted: and hello Emperor!567 and one behind the other, not exhausted, flowed out, all flowed out from their huge hitherto hiding forest and, upset, by the three bridges crossed to that side. The Emperor? Ah! As he himself takes it, the business boils. Now we go! God... that is he... hoorah, the Emperor! So that is the Asian steppe... however a bad country. Goodbye, Boshe. I will leave you the best palace in Moscow. If I am made governor in India, I will make you minister of Kashmir... Hoorah! That is he! You see him? I two times as you saw him. The little сorporal... I saw as he hung a cross of only old people... Hoorah, the Emperor!...568 — said the voices of old and young people of the most diverse character and provisions in society. In all the faces of these people was one common expression of joy about the beginning of a long time expected trip and the delight and devotion to the person in the gray frock coat standing on the mountain. On the 13th of June Napoleon was given a small, purebred Arab horse, and he sat down and went galloping to one of the bridges across the Neiman, incessantly deafened by enthusiastic screaming which he obviously carried over only because of how it could not be to forbid these screaming to express their love to him; but this shouting accompanying him everywhere, burdened him and distracted him from military care, encompassing him from that time as he joined to the troops. He drove through by one of the swinging boat bridges on that side, coolly turned to the left and galloped by the direction to Kovno, preceded by the dying from happiness, enthusiastic guards horse rangers that were clearing the road for the troops. He galloped ahead. Driving to the wide river Viliya, he stopped beside a Polish lancer regiment standing on guard. — Vivat! — also enthusiastically shouted the Poles, upsetting the front and crushing each other so to see him. Napoleon examined the river, tore from his horse and sat down on a log lying on the guard. By a wordless sign he was given a pipe, he placed it on the back of a running up happy page, and began to look on that side. Then he deepened in examination a leaf of a map between the decomposed log. Not raising his head, he said something, and two of his adjutants jumped to the Polish lancers. — What? What did he say?— was heard in the ranks of the Polish lancers, when one adjutant jumped up to him. It was ordered to find a ford and cross on that side. A Polish lancer colonel, a nice, old person, flushed and getting confused in his words from excitement, asked the adjutant whether he was allowed to swim across the river with his own lancers, not looking for a ford. He with obvious fear for failure, as a boy which asks for permission to sit on a horse, requested for him to be allowed to swim across the river in the eyes of the Emperor. The adjutant said that probably the Emperor will not be displeased by this redundant zeal. As only the adjutant said this, the old whiskered officer with a happy face and brilliant eyes, holding up his saber, screamed: "vivat!" and the commanding lancers went behind himself, gave spurs to their horses and jumped up to the river. He viciously pushed the hesitating under himself horse and thumped into the water, direct into the deep rapidity of the current. Hundreds of lancers jumped behind him. It was cold and creepy in the middle of the rapidity of the current. The lancers clung to each other, dumping from their horses. Some horses drowned, and some people drowned, the rest tried to swim forward to that side, and despite how for half a verst was the crossing, they were proud that they were swimming and drowning in this river under the view of a man sitting on a log and not even watching what they did. When the returned adjutant, choosing a comfortable moment, allowed himself to turn the attention of the Emperor to the loyalty of the Poles to his person, the little person in the gray frock coat got up and, suspecting to himself Berthier, began to walk with him back and forward by the guard, giving to the back his orders and occasionally displeasingly looking at a drowned lancer entertaining his attention. For him it was not a new conviction that in his presence to all ends of the world, from Africa to the steppes of Muscovy equally struck and plunged people into the madness of self-forgetfulness. He told to give himself a horse and went to his station. 40 lancers drowned in the river, despite the sent to help boats. The majority nailed backwards to that guard. The colonel and a few people swam across the river and with labor got out to that bank. Yet as only they got out of their dipped with flowing out streams of dress, they screamed: "vivat"! enthusiastically looking at that place where stood Napoleon, but where he now was not, and in that moment counted themselves happy. In the evening Napoleon between two orders — one about if it could be to rather deliver harvested fake Russian banknotes for import into Russia and another about shooting a Saxon, who was found with an intercepted letter of intelligence about the orders of the French army — was made a third disposition about the reckoning of the rushed without need into the river Polish colonel to a cohort of honor (légion d’honneur), which Napoleon was himself the head. Who wants ruin— will be deprived of intelligence.569 565 Monsieur mon frère (Sir my brother) 566 Moscou la ville sainte, (Moscow the holy city,) 567 "Vive l’Еmреrеur"! ("Long live the Emреror"!) 568 — On fera du chemin cette fois-ci. Oh! quand il s’en mêle lui-même ça chauffe... Nom de Dieu... Le voilà!.... Vive l’Empereur! Les voilà donc les Steppes de l’Asie! Vilain pays tout de même. A revoir, Beauché; je te réserve le plus beau palais de Moscou. A revoir! Bonne chance... L’as tu vu, l’Empereur? Vive l’Empereur!... preur! Si on me fait gouverneur aux Indes, Gérard, je te fais ministre du Cachemire, c’est arrêté. Vive l’Empereur! Vive! vive! vive! Les gredins de Cosaques, comme ils filent. Vive l’Empereur! Le voilà! Le vois tu? Je l’ai vu deux fois comme je te vois. Le petit caporal... Je l’ai vu donner la croix à l’un des vieux... Vive l’Empereur!.. (We will go a long way this time. Oh! When he mixes up himself it gets hot...In the name of God...Here he is! Long live the Emperor! So here they are, the Steppes of Asia! A villainous country all the same. To see it again, Beauché; I will reserve the most beautiful palace in Moscow for you. To see it again! Good luck...Have you seen him, the Emperor? Long live the Emperor!...press! If I am made governor of India, Gérard, I will make you minister of Kashmir, it has stopped. Long live the emperor! Long live! long live! long live! The scoundrel Cossacks, how they slip away. Long live the emperor! Here he is! Do you see him? I saw him twice as I see you. The little corporal...I saw him give the cross to one of the old people...Long live the Emperor!..) 569 Quos vult perdere — dementat.
Time: 29th of May (10th of June in Dole), 10th of June (22nd of June in Dole), the next day, 12th (Maude, Dunnigan, and Briggs add June), early in the morning, 13th of June (25th of June in Bell and Dole), the evening

Location: Dresden, forest of Wilkowiski (Wilkowizsky in Bell. Wilkowisky forest in Dole), Nyeman (Nieman in Dunnigan, Dole, Pevear and Volokhonsky, and Bell), Vistula (Wilja in Briggs. Viliya in Maude, Dunnigan, and Mandelker. Vilia in Pevear and Volokhonsky. Garnett incorrectly substitutes Niemen and the footnote calls it Wilja in Polish and Neris in Russian)
Mentioned: Austria, Paris, West, East, Posen, Thorn, Dantzic (Danzig in Pevear and Volokhonsky, Mandelker, and Garnett), Konigsberg, Polish (and Poles), Moscow (Moscou in the French. Also Muscovy or Muscovite as in Dole), Scythian (Scythia in Maude), Macedon (dropped in Maude, Dunnigan, and Briggs), India (Indes in the French. Indies in Garnett), Asia (Asie in the French), Kashmir (Cachemire in the French. Cashmere in Garnett and Bell. Cashmir in Dole), Arabian, Kovno, Africa, Russia (and Russian), Saxon, French

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Staying with Napoleon, with him leaving Dresden at the end of May. “Before his departure, Napoleon showed kindness to the princes, kings, and emperor who deserved it, and scolded the princes and kings with whom he was not entirely pleased…”

More emphasis on the Marie-Louise episode and Napoleon’s leaving of Josephine.

As in the last chapter, there is an emphasis on how in the past armies moved east to west, now armies were moving west to east and a comparison to Alexander the Great solidifies this.

“Napoleon, unexpectedly for everyone, and contrary to both strategic and diplomatic considerations, ordered an advance, and the next day his troops started crossing the Niemen.”

The way the French troops are described in their fervor for the emperor seems to parallel how the troops reacted to various appearances of Alexander earlier in the novel. Even the disconnected French phrases appear like
the soldiers’ discussions early in the novel. The opening of Volume III certainly seems less xenophobic than much of Volume 1.

The Polish colonel, much like Rostov earlier in the novel, wants to show his zeal by swimming across the river instead of looking for a ford. This causes many of them and their horses to drown but the survivors are happy
to have Napoleon to have seen them.

“For him (Napoleon) it was no new conviction that his presence at all ends of the world, from Africa to the steppes of Muscovy, struck people in the same way and threw them into the madness of self-oblivion.”

Tolstoy ends the chapter with an narratorial aside to the audience in Latin, meaning “Those who God wants to destroy, he first drives mad”.

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 *):

Napoleon (the way the chapter is worded, these characters early in the chapter could be considered part of the chapter or just mentioned. Also “Vive l’empereur!” Also the “Arab steed” brought to him.)

Empress of Austria (“Queen of Austria” in Weiner.

Empress Maria Louisa (as in Dole and Bell. “..Marie Louise” in Maude, Dunnigan, and Edmonds. “...Maria Theresa” in Weiner. )

Emperor Alexander (whom Napoleon calls “Monsieur, mon Frere”.)

Berthier

(the princes, kings, and the emperor, are also mentioned. As well as a Polish count who gives Napoleon a place to stay. Alexander the Great or “Alexander of Macedon” is also referenced.

Bell breaks from other translations by referencing Josephine by name. Also many troops. Some of the soldiers who talk in the chapter are named Beauche and Gerard. There are also aides and Polish uhlans, most
importantly the Polish colonel. Also the Saxon who gets shot. Briggs, who translates the Latin phrase at the end, mentions Euripides as the author of the quote.)

Abridged Versions: Fuller: Entire Chapter is cut.
Gibian: Chapter 2.

Komroff: Start of Book Nine. Chapter is severely shortened, so it is easier to list what the chapter does have rather than what it doesn’t. Napoleon leaves the princes, etc., from Dresden, travels by carriage as people
cheer him on, stays at a Polish Count’s place, wears a Polish uniform, orders the advance into Russia after seeing the Cossacks, and all the soldiers are in awe of seeing him.

Kropotkin: The conversations the soldiers have while watching Napoleon is removed. Other than occasional details, the chapter is preserved.

Bromfield: Chapter 4: Emphasis on Napoleon’s mood, less of a focus on Dresden, a big comparison to how he he felt at Austerlitz. Napoleon goes to survey the Niemen. Strange episode where Napoleon inspects
his officers in their underwear. The chapter, especially towards the end, has a bit of a mystical feeling, with a comparison to Alexander the Great. The Polish uhlans episode is not really here. A lot more references
to the villages they ride through.
Simmons: Chapter 2: entire chapter is cut and replaced with "Napoleon invades Russia. His men venerate him. He is portrayed as pompous, callous of the lives of his soldiers, and convinced of his own omnipotence.

Additional Notes: Mandelker: “here, probably by inadvertence, Tolstoy gives the date according to the Gregorian or New Style calendar. In the next sentence he reverts to the Old Style, which he elsewhere employs
throughout the novel. The error makes it appear that Napoleon spent only twelve days (18 May to 10 June) on his way from Dresden via Posen, Thorn, Danzig, and Konigsberg to the Russian frontier. He actually
took twice as long.” Interestingly, Dole prints June 10th.

“Louis-Alexandre Berthier (1753-1815), Prince of Neuchatel and Wagram, was a Marshal of France. He acted for many years as Napoleon’s chief of staff. In 1815, unable to endure the sight of a Russian division
marching toward the French frontier, he threw himself from a window into the street of Bamberg.”

Maude: “by the time of the Russian campaign he had been demoted to something equivalent to a chief clerk.”

Garnett: “Vilkovik forest: Napoleon, with an army of 250,000 soldiers, spent four days in this forest near Vilkovishk in southwestern Lithuania, about 10 miles from the Prussian border, causing great damage to
the residents of the town and its surroundings...The Poles, hoping to secure their independence after the war, cooperated with Napoleon who, for his part, encouraged them with small signs of his favor. In this
instance, he made the symbolic gesture of changing into a Polish uniform to view the crossing of the river.”

Vereshchagin argues that Dresden was the "zenith of Napoleon's power" and that he did not intend to have hostilities with Alexander at this point.

Roberts: Page 538: “On December 16 Napoleon’s marriage to Josephine was dissolved by a four-sentence senatus-consulte, and immediately afterwards he ordered Caulaincourt to propose to Anna on his behalf, asking for a response in two days. The Russians took thirty-eight. ‘I tell you franky; Alexander told Caulaincourt, ‘my sister could not do better.’ He wasn’t being frank: the Tsar did not want a mesalliance between the Romanovs and a Corsican upstart any more than did his mother...

Page 541: “Napoleon was eventually to come to regret his second marriage, blaming it for his downfall. ‘Assuredly but for my marriage with Marie I never should have made war on Russia’”

Segur/Townsend/Gay: Page 5: "a single Cossack offer...asked the intruders who they were. "Frenchmen," they told him. "What do you want?" he questioned further. "And why have you come to Russia?" One of the sappers answered bluntly, "To make war on you! To take Vilna and set Poland free!"'