Briggs: The spirit of the army. What is war? Andrey thinks of Natasha.
Maude: Timokhin's opinion of Kutuzov. Prince Andrew on Barclay de Tolly. War and chess. The spirit of the army. Wolzogen and Clausewitz. 'The war must be extended widely'. Pierre understands the importance of this war. 'Not take prisoners'. What is war? Prince Andrew thinks of Natasha
Translation:
XXV.
The officers would like to take a bow, but Prince Andrey, as if not wishing to stay eye to eye with his friend, proposed to them to sit and drink tea. Were given benches and tea. The officers not without wonder looked at the thick, huge figure of Pierre and listened to his stories about Moscow and about the location of our troops, which he succeeded to travel. Prince Andrey kept silent, and his face was so unpleasant that Pierre approached more to the good-natured battalion commander Timohin, than to Bolkonsky.
— So you got all the location of the troops? — Prince Andrey interrupted him.
— Yes, i.e. so? — said Pierre. — As I am not a military person I cannot say, so that to quite but all the same get the common location.
— Well so you know more than who would be then,671 — said Prince Andrey.
— Ah! — said Pierre with perplexity, through glasses looking at Prince Andrey. — Well so you say about the destination of Kutuzov? — he said.
— I was very glad at this appointment, here all that I know, — said Prince Andrey.
— Well, but say, what is your opinion about Barclay-de-Tolly? In Moscow God knows what is said about him. How do you judge him?
— Ask them here, — said Prince Andrey, pointing at the officers.
Pierre with an indulgently interrogative smile, with which all unwittingly turned to Timohin, looked at him.
— The light has seen, your excellency, how the lordly entered, — timidly and incessantly looking back at his regimental commander, said Timohin.
— From what again so? — asked Pierre.
— And here though about firewood or feed, will report to you. Because we from Sventsyan have retreated, not daring to touch twigs or hay there, or what. Because we go away, not getting him, whether it is not so, your excellency? — he turned to his prince, — But you do not dare. In our regiment under court two officers were given for such affairs. Well, as the lordly entered, so about this it has become simple. The light has been seen...
— So from what again he forbade?
Timohin embarrassedly looked around, not understanding how and with what to respond to such a question. Pierre with that same issue turned to Prince Andrey.
— But so that to not ravage the edge, which we left to the enemy, — viciously and mockingly said Prince Andrey. — This is very thorough: it cannot be to allow to rob the edge and accustom the troops to marauding. Well and at Smolensk he also rightly judged that the French may walk around us, and that in them are more forces. Yet he could not understand this, — suddenly as would be escaping a thin voice shouted Prince Andrey, — but he could not understand that we for the first time fought there for Russian land, that in the troops was such a spirit, which I never have seen, that we for two days in a row beat off the French, and that this success is tenfold of our forces. He told back, and all his efforts and losses went for nothing. He did not think about treason, he tried to do all as he can better, he thought all over; but from this he was not fit. He was not fit now because of how he ponders all very thoroughly and accurately, as should every German. As you would say... Well, at your father is a German lackey, and he is a beautiful lackey and will satisfy all his needs better than you, and let him serve; but should your father in death be ill, you drive away the lackey and your own unusual, awkward hands will begin to walk behind the father, and better calm him, than the skillful, yet foreign person. So has been done with Barclay. While Russia was healthy, she could be served by a foreign, and beautiful minister, but as she only is in danger, she needs a native person. But in your club it is thought that he is a traitor! By that, he is slandered as a traitor, made only that what then, ashamed of his false criticism, from traitors are made suddenly hero or genius, that still will be unfair. He is an honest and very tidy German...
— However, they say, he is a skillful commander, — said Pierre.
— I do not understand what such is meant by skillful commander, — with mockery said Prince Andrey.
— A skillful commander, — said Pierre, — well, is that which foresees all randomness... Well, guessing the thought of the adversary.
— And this is impossible, — said Prince Andrey, as if about a long time had decided the business.
Pierre with surprise looked at him.
— However, — he said, — because they say again, that the war is similar to a chess game.
— Yes, — said Prince Andrey, — only with that little difference, that in chess above every step you can think how much about anything, that you there beyond the conditions of time, and still with that difference that the horse is always stronger than pawns, and two pawns are always stronger than one, but in war one battalion is sometimes stronger than a division, but sometimes weaker than a company. The relative power of troops may not be known to anyone. Believe me, — he said, — that should that depend from orders of the staff, then I would be there and would make orders, but instead of this I have the honor to serve here, in the regiment, here with these gentlemen, and I think that from us really will depend the day tomorrow, but not from them... Success never depended on and will not depend from positions, or from weapons, or even from numbers; but really less only from positions.
— But from what again?
— From this feeling, which is in me, in him, — he pointed out at Timohin, — in each soldier.
Prince Andrey looked at Timohin, who scared and perplexed watched his commander. Against his previous restrained silence, Prince Andrey seemed now thrilled. He apparently could not hold on from statements of those thoughts which suddenly came to him.
— The battle is won by that who firmly decided to win it. From what we under Austerlitz lost the battle? Our loss was almost equal with the French, but we had said to ourselves very early that we lost the battle, and lost. But we had said this because of how we were there not to fight: soon we wanted to leave from the field of the battle. "Lost — well so run!" and we ran. Should until the evening we had not said this, God knows what would be. But tomorrow we will not say this. You speak: our position, the left flank is fragile, the right flank stretched, — he continued, — all this is nonsense, this is nothing. But what are we to be tomorrow? One hundred million of the most diverse accidents, which will decide instantly by that how we ran or they will run or ours, that will kill, and will kill another: but that what is done now — all this is fun. The business is that those with whom you drove by the positions, not only not to promote the general going of cases, but hinders it. They are busy only with their own small interests.
— At such a moment? — reproachfully said Pierre.
— At such a moment, — repeated Prince Andrey, — for them this is only such a minute in which they can dig in under the enemy and get an excess cross or ribbon. For me tomorrow here is what: one hundred thousand Russian and one hundred thousand French troops agree to fight, and the fact that these 200 thousand fight, and will angrily fight and pity themselves less than conquering. And I want to say to you that what would be there, what would be confused there, we will win the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow, what would there be, we will win the battle!
— Here, your excellency, is really, really true, — spoke Timohin, — what yourself is there to pity now! The soldiers in my battalion, whether you believe, have not begun to drink vodka: not such a day, they speak. — All kept silent.
The officers had risen. Prince Andrey got out with them behind the shed, giving back the last orders to the adjutant. When the officers were gone, Pierre came up to Prince Andrey and only how he wanted to start the conversation, as by the road near from the barn pounded the hooves of three horses and, looking by this direction, Prince Andrey found Voltsogen with Clausewitz, accompanied by a Cossack. They closely drove through, and must be speaking, and Pierre with Andrey unwittingly heard the following phrases:
—The war should be carried over in the space. This view I cannot enough praise.672, — spoke one.
—Oh yes, — said a different voice, — so as the objective consists so that to let loose the enemy, then we are not allowed to take in attention the losses of private persons.
— Oh yes,673 — confirmed the first voice.
— Yes, bring to the space,674 — repeated, viciously snorting his nose, Prince Andrey, when they drove through. — In the space675 stayed my father, son, and sister at Bald Mountains. This is not cared about by him. Here is that what I said to you — these gentleman Germans tomorrow will not win the battle, but only screw up how much their forces will be, because of how in his German head is only reasoning, not worth a damn of eggs, but in his heart is none of this that we only need tomorrow, that what is in Timohin. They all Europe gave him and have arrived to teach us — glorious teachers! — again squealed his voice.
— So you think that tomorrow the battle will be won? — said Pierre.
— Yes, yes, — absent-mindedly said Prince Andrey. — one of what I would do, should I have been the power, — he started again, — I would not take captives. What are such captives? This is chivalry. The French ravaged my house and go to ruin Moscow, insulting and offending me every second. They are my enemies, they are all criminals by my concepts. And so the same think Timohin and all the army. Need to execute them. Should they be my enemies, then they may not be friends, as they would talk at Tilsit.
— Yes, yes, — spoke Pierre, his brilliant eyes looking at Prince Andrey, — I completely, completely agree with you!
That question, which from the Mozhayck mountains and on all this day disturbed Pierre, now presented to him as completely clear and quite allowed. He got now all the meaning and all the matter of this war and the lying ahead battle. All that he saw on this day, all the significant, strict expressions of persons that he caught and saw, illuminated for him in a new light. He got that hidden (latente), as it is said in physics, warmth of patriotism, which was in all those people which he saw, and which explained to him that what for all these people calmly and as if frivolously prepared for death.
— Not to take captives, — continued Prince Andrey. — this one change would make all war less cruel. But that we play at war, — here is what is bad, we are generous and so in this generosity and sensitivity — in the kind generosity and sensitivity of a lady, with whom is made faint, when she sees a slaughtered calf; she is so good that she may not see blood, but she with an appetite eats this calf under sauce. We interpret about the rights of war, about chivalry, about the parliamentary, spare the miserable and etc. All is nonsense. I saw in the year 1805 chivalry, the parliamentary; we cheated, we cheated. Robbed strangers at home, let fake bank notes, and worse only, kill my children, prepare my father and speak about the rules of war and generosity to enemies. Not to take captives, but kill and go to death! Who reached to this so as I, those already suffering...
Prince Andrey thought that he was all caring, whether taken or not taken is Moscow, as was taken Smolensk, suddenly stopped in his speech from unexpected convulsions seizing him behind the throat. He walked some time silently, but his eye feverishly shone, and his lip trembled, when he again began to speak.
— Should there not be generosity in war, then we would go only then, when this cost went to true death, as now. Not so would there be war for that how Pavel Ivanych hurt Mihail Ivanych. But should war as now, be a warrior. And then the intensity of the troops would not be that, as now. Then would all these Westphalians and Hessians, who lead Napoleon, would not go for him to Russia, and we would not go to fight in Austria and in Prussia, ourselves not knowing what for. War is not courtesy, but the most nasty business in life, and we need to understand this, and not play at war. We need to take strictly and seriously this terrible misery. All in this: throw away the lie, and war as war, but not a toy. But that war — this is the favorite fun of the idle and frivolous people... The military estate is very honorable. But what such is war that is needed for success in military cases, what morals are in military society? The objective of war — to kill, the weapons of war — espionage, treason and the encouragement of it, the ruin of inhabitants, robbing them or theft for the food of the army; cheating and lying, called military tricks; the morals of the military estates — absent of freedom, i.e. discipline, idleness, ignorance, cruelty, debauchery, and drunkenness. And despite that, this is — the highest estate, revered by all. All kings, besides the Chinese, carry a military uniform, and to those who killed more people, give the most reward... Coming down, as tomorrow, to kill each other, interrupt, recuperate tens of thousands of people, and then will serve a thankful prayer service for that how they beat many people (the number of which is still added) and proclaim victory, believing that the more beaten people, by that the more merit. As God from there is watching and listening to them! — in a thin, squeaky voice screamed Prince Andrey. — Ah, my soul, the latter time has become heavy for me to live. I see that it has become too much to understand. But it is not fit for a person to taste from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... Well, and not a long time! — he added. — However you sleep, yes and for me it is time to ride to Gorky, — suddenly said Prince Andrey.
— Oh, no! — was the response of Pierre, his scared and consoling eyes looking at Prince Andrey.
— Ride, ride: before battle you need to get enough sleep, — repeated Prince Andrey. He quickly came up to Pierre, hugging and kissing him. — Goodbye, go on, — he screamed. — We will see whether, no... — and he, hastily turning, went into the shed.
It was already dark, and Pierre could not make out this expression, which was on the face of Prince Andrey, whether it was vicious or tender.
Pierre stood some time silently, pondering whether to go for him or to go home. "No, it is not needed!" decided Pierre to himself, "And I know that this is our last meeting." He heavily sighed and went backwards to Gorky.
Prince Andrey, returning to the shed, lied down in the covers, but could not sleep.
He closed his eyes. One image was replaced by another. At one he for long and happily stopped. He lively remembered one night in Petersburg. Natasha with a busy, thrilled face told him how she in the past summer, went for mushrooms, and got lost in a big wood. She disconnectedly described to him the wilderness of the forest, and her feelings, and conversations with the beekeeper, whom she met, and all moments interrupting her story, said: "No, I cannot, I am not so telling it; no, you do not understand," despite that how Prince Andrey calmed her, saying that he understood, and really understood all that she wanted to say. Natasha was unhappy with her own words, — she felt that that passionately poetic sensation did not come out as she tested on this day, and which she wanted to unscrew. "This was such a beauty, this old man, and it was so dark in the wood... And he was so kind... No, I cannot say," she said, blushing and worried. Prince Andrey smiled now that same joyful smile which he smiled then, looking her in the eyes. "I understand her,” thought Prince Andrey. "Not only do I understand, but this is that sincere force, this sincerity, this open sincerity, this is that soul of hers, which was as if connected to her body, this is that soul and I loved her... So strong, so happily I loved..." And suddenly he remembered about how his love ran out. "He did not need nothing. He saw nothing and understood nothing. He saw in her a pretty and fresh girl, with whom he did not honor to bundle up his fate. But I?... And still he is alive and happy."
Prince Andrey, as if someone scalded him, jumped up and began again to walk before the shed.
671 Eh bien, vous êtes plus avancé que qui cela soit, (Well, you're more advanced than anyone,)
672 "Der Krieg muss im Raum verlegt werden. Der Ansicht kann ich nicht genug Preis geben"
673 O ja, der Zweck ist nur den Feind zu schwächen, so kann man gewiss nicht den Verlust der Privat-Personen in Achtung nehmen.
— O ja,
674 im Raum verlegen
675 Im Raum
Time: see previous chapter
Mentioned: to-morrow, 1805
Locations: see previous chapter
Mentioned: Moscow, Sventsyany (Swienciany in Pevear and Volokhonsky, Dole, and Briggs. Sventsyani in Maude and Mandelker. Swieciani in Dunnigan. Sventsyan in Garnett. Svendziani in Bell.), Smolensk, French, Russia (and Russian), German, Austerlitz, Lysyya Gory, Europe, Tilsit, Mozhaysk, Westphalians, Hessians, Austria, Prussia, China, Gorki, St. Petersburg
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Andrei tells Pierre that he is glad of Kutuzov's appointment and Timokhin says he is happy because Kutuzov allows them to pillage their land, which Barclay de Tolly would not do so they wouldn't become accustomed to looting.
"he could not understand that there it was the first time we were fighting for Russian soil, that the spirit in the troops was such as I've never seen, that we beat back the French for two days in a row, and that that success increased our strength ten times. He ordered a retreat, and all our efforts and losses went for nothing...He's unfit now precisely because he thinks everything over very thoroughly and precisely, as every German ought to do...As long as Russia was healthy, a stranger could serve her and be an excellent minister...you'll turn him from a traitor suddenly into a hero or a genius, which will be still more incorrect. He's an honest and very precise German...in chess you can think over each move as long as you like...while in war one battalion is sometimes stronger than a division and sometimes weaker than a company...Why did we lose the battle of Austerlitz?...We said that because there was no need for us to fight: we wanted to leave the battlefield as soon as we could...what faces us tomorrow? A hundred million of the most varied possibilities, which will be decided instantly by who runs or will run away...."
To emphasize the anti-German attitude, Wolzogen and Clausewitz ride by and talk about how the view is more important than private persons, which Andrei sneers at. Andrei's voice constantly gets high and shrieks, like his father's.
"(Pierre) now understood the whole meaning and the whole significance of this war and the impending battle."
"One thing I would do if I had power," he began again, "I would not take prisoners. What are prisoners? It's chivalry. The French devastated my home and are on their way to devastate Moscow, and they've offended me and offend me every second. They're my enemies, they're all criminals, to my mind...That alone would change the whole war and make it less cruel. As it is, we've been playing at war...sentimentality of the lady who swoons when she sees a calf slaughtered; she's so kind, she can't bear the sight of blood, but she eats the same calf in sauce with great appetite...The aim of war is killing, the instruments of war are espionage, treason and the encouragement of it, the ruin of the inhabitants, robbing them or stealing...one needs a good night's sleep before a battle"
Pierre knows this is the last time he will see Andrei. Andrei can only think of Natasha.
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 (also "regimental commander" and "illustriousness".)
Pierre
Timokhin (also "good-natured battalion commander".)
Kutuzof (also "serene highness")
Barclay de Tolly (also "German" and "minister".)
Woltzogen
Klauzewitz ("Klausewitz" in Wiener. "Klauzevitz" in Bell. "Clausewitz" in Maude, Mandelker, and Dunnigan. Also a Cossack with him.)
Nikolai Bolkonsky ("father")
Nikolushka ("son")
Princess Mariya ("sister")
Napoleon
Natasha (and the bee-hunter/old man she mentions in the story Andrei remembers.)
Anatole (just "he")
Abridged Versions: End of Chapter 2 in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 25.
Fuller: Prince Andrei's monologues are shortened, picking up with the thoughts about never taking prisoners, removing the extended thoughts on Germans, Barclay de Tolly, Timokhin, and the Clausewitz/Woltzogen interruption.
Komroff: Only the Natasha reflection part of the chapter is maintained with the paragraph from the previous chapter with the row of birches while Andrei accepts his death added to the end and followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 17: Timokhin is cut around and the Clausewitz/Woltzogen interruption is also removed. The rest of the chapter is preserved.
Bromfield: Andrei and Pierre discuss the moving of Tuchkov's corps as well as their conversation in the latter version. Andrei's monologue is quite different, mentioning Golovin and the art of war in Japan, as well as an extended conversation about the failure of soldiers to bayonet each other because they are not fully committed. He also talks about how commanders can't give orders in the heat of battle and Napoleon being surrounded by familial relations. Soldiers who are willing to take prisoners are compared to those in Anna Pavlovna's guests. The Natasha reflection, since it happened already, doesn't end Chapter 11, which instead ends with Pierre looking for Bennigsen.
Simmons: Chapter 25: The Barclay de Tolly/Kutuzov discussion is removed. Clausewitz and Wolzogen are also removed. Andrew's speech is a little shorter and we don't follow Pierre's thoughts afterward. Andrew's reminiscences of Natasha are a little shorter.
Bienstock and Martel: Act 3 Scene 5: Following trend of rearranging events, the review that opens up Book 1 Part 2 of the novel is here with Touchine. However, it starts with him, Petrov, and Makeev discussing having warm boots and being around the fire. An NCO hits Makeev (the episode from the very last war sections of the novel) and the general shames Touchine for not having his boots on. We have the episode with the degraded Dolokhov here, who is referred to as "dressed like a Hungarian". The Dennisov (his first scene, though he was mentioned earlier) and Telianine scene is also here. Dennisov is the one who bought the horse Gratchik and not Nikolay. The episode of Andre stopping the (here a commander) soldier from whipping a woman and doctor. This is immediately followed by Dennisov (again replacing Nikolay) bragging about his exploits in battle and Andre and him getting into a spat. This is followed by the German generals (here unnamed and accompanied by Berg) saying that the war needs to be extended to private persons. The anti-German sentiment is here, but Andre doesn't mention his father dying. Pierre then enters. Andre is much happier to see him than in the novel. They talk about how Pierre has taken his wife back and we get the life that Pierre had accompanied himself to having after he reunited with her (obviously happening much earlier in the novel), but the play gives this as a motivation for Pierre wanting to sacrifice himself. Andre is a little more patriotic here but then they have the conversation about chess and how war is fought. Andre discusses his relationship with Natasha and how she writes her letters half-heartedly. There is a mention of Natasha getting close to Helene. This bleeds into the Petia and Vincent Bosse scene, but since Pierre is here they talk together, as is Nicholas, who scolds Petia for how he acts on the battlefield. It is in this conversation that Andre talks about taking no prisoners and uses Tolstoy's analogy of a woman eating veal. This makes Petia feel back for looking after the prisoner Vincent. Petia and Vincent have a mostly not in the novel story that gives Vincent a backstory. Dolokhov and Anatole come in by themselves and talk about Natasha and the conversation shows Helene as more conspiratorial in getting Anatole alone with Natasha than I would say the novel does. Dolokhov is more evil in this conversation than he is in the novel, being motivated by getting back at Pierre and humiliating Andre, as well as saying that they can "bleed a Jew" to get money. This is interrupted by Koutouzov being announced as the leader. Dolokhov and Anatole uncharacteristically convince this. Koutouzov actually appears, talks about Pierre's wife, has a short conversation with Andre where he calls himself his father. He also mentions Austerlitz, where Andre's role is mentioned as "captured a flag". Berg also appears to try to get Pierre to introduce him, but Koutouzov is more interested in Touchine (who he speaks to as he does Timohin during the review in the novel). Dolokhov is also discussed by the commander and Koutouzov. This is followed by Dennisov realizing the money is gone and the ensuing conversation with Nicholas. He is confronted in the same manner, but Dennisov is also there and the scene ends with them hearing of another soldier to be whipped for stealing.
Additional Notes: Garnett: "Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), the celebrated Prussian general and military theorist and historian, served in the Russian army in 1812. In Vom Krieg (1833: On War), his most weighty and widely read work, he advocates total war."
Additional Notes: Garnett: "Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), the celebrated Prussian general and military theorist and historian, served in the Russian army in 1812. In Vom Krieg (1833: On War), his most weighty and widely read work, he advocates total war."
Segur/Townsend: Page 47: "A general outcry had gone up from the ranks against Barclay; and in Moscow, the nobles, the merchants, and the people had echoed the dissatisfaction..."They are asking," the Frenchman went on, "why they must have this foreigner. Doesn't there still exist a contemporary, a com(Page48)panion in arms, a pupil of the great Suvarov? To save Russia, it will take a Russian!"
Rey/Emanuel: Page 227: 'Barclay's leadership encountered a rebellious protest from some generals who were not inclined to accept the authority of a German-speaking Russian, moreover a Lutheran--Barclay engaged also, with Alexander's full support, in the intense activity of information gathering and espionage."
The War Prayer Mark Twain
“O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated lad in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun, flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it--for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek his aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.”
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