Briggs: Expected successes are not achieved. Massive, useless slaughter.
Maude: Reinforcement. Belliard appeals to Napoleon. De Beausset proposes breakfast. Friant's division sent in support. The expected success not secured. Continuous and useless slaughter
Translation:
XXXIV.
Generals Napoleon, Davout, Ney and Murat, located in the proximity of this region of fire and even sometimes stopping by at it, a few times introduced in this region of fire orderly and huge masses of troops. Yet nasty to that what was invariably committed in all former battles, instead of the expected news about the flight of the enemy, the orderly masses of troops returned from there disturbed, scared and in droves. They again arranged them, but the people had all become less. At half day Murat sent to Napoleon his adjutant with a demand for reinforcements.
Napoleon sat below the mound and drank punch, when to him jumped up an adjutant of Murat with assurances that the Russians will be smashed, should his majesty give another division.
— Reinforcements? — said Napoleon with strict surprise, as would not understanding his words, and looking at the beautiful boy-adjutant with long curled, black hair (so the same as carried the hair of Murat). "Reinforcements!" thought Napoleon. "Which of them are asking for reinforcements, when in them is the hands of half the army, directed at the weak, not fortified wing of the Russians!"
— Say to the Neapolitan king, — strictly said Napoleon, — that it is no more than half day and that I still do not see the chess position clearly enough. — Go...712
The nice boy-adjutant with the long hair, not letting go with his hand from his hat, heavily sighed, galloping again to there, where people were killed.
Napoleon got up and, suspecting Caulaincourt and Berthier, began to speak with them about deeds not concerning the battle.
In the middle of the conversation, which started to occupy Napoleon, the eyes of Berthier turned to a general with a suite, which on a sweaty horse galloped to the mound. This was Bellard. He, getting down from his horse, with fast steps came up to the emperor and in a bold, loud voice began to prove miserable reinforcements. He swore on his honor that the Russians would die, should the Emperor give another division.
Napoleon lifted his shoulders and, not answering, continued his walk. Bellard loudly and lively began to speak with the generals of the suites surrounding him.
— You are very ardent, Bellard, — said Napoleon, again coming up to the driving general. — It is easy to be mistaken in the fervor of fire. Ride and look, and then come visit me. — Not having time still for Bellard to hide away from kind, as from another party jumped up a newly sent from the field of the battle. — Well, what more?713 — said Napoleon in a tone of a man, annoyed with incessant interference.
— Sire, Duke...714 — started the adjutant.
— Asks for reinforcements? — with an angry gesture spoke Napoleon. The adjutant affirmatively tipped his head and began to report; but the Emperor turned away from him, made two steps, stopped, returned backwards and called upon Berthier. — Need to give reserves, — he said, a little conducting his hands. — Whom to send there, how do you think? — he turned to Berthier, to this caterpillar, whom I made an eagle,715 as he afterwards called him.
— Sire, send the division of Claparede, — said Berthier, remembering by heart all divisions, regiments and battalions.
Napoleon affirmatively nodded his head.
The adjutant galloped to the division of Claparede. And through a few minutes the young guard, standing behind the mound, set off from their places. Napoleon silently watched by this direction.
— No, — he turned suddenly to Berthier, — I cannot send Claparede. Send the division of Frian, — he said.
Although there were no advantages so that to instead of Claparede send the division of Frian and even was the obvious inconvenience and slowdown in stopping now Claparede and sending Frian, but the order was with precision executed. Napoleon did not see that he in regards to his troops played the role of doctor who prevents their own medicines — a role which he so rightly understood and condemned.
The division of Frian, so the same as others, were hid in the smoke of the field of the battle. From the different parties continued to jump up adjutants, and all, as would by agreement, said one and the same. All requested reinforcements, all said that the Russians hold onto their places and produce hellish fire,716 from which was melting the French army.
Napoleon sat in reverie on a folding chair.
The hungry from the morning m-r de Beausset (Mr. de Bosse), loving to travel, came up to the emperor, and dared to respectfully propose his majesty to have breakfast.
— I hope that now already I can congratulate your majesty with victory, — he said.
Napoleon silently negatively shook his head. Believing that negation applies to victory, but not to breakfast, m-r de Beausset (Mr. de Bosse) allowed himself to playfully and respectfully notice that there were no reasons in the world that could hinder breakfast, when this can be done.
—Get out...717 — suddenly and gloomily said Napoleon and turned away. A blessed smile of regret, remorse and delight came out on the face of the gentleman Bosse, and he in a floating step walked away to the other generals.
Napoleon felt a heavy feeling, like that which tests an always happy player, crazily throwing their money, always winning, and suddenly, it was so, when he calculated all the randomness of the game, felt that the more thought out were his moves, by that he had rather lost.
The troops were the same, the generals the same, the same was the preparation, the same disposition, the same short and energetic proclamation,718 he himself was that same, he knew this, he knew that he was even much more experienced and more skillful now than he was before, even the enemy was that same as under Austerlitz and Friedland; but the terrible swing of the hand fell enchanting and powerlessly.
All those former tricks, happened invariably in crowned success: and the concentration of the batteries at one point, and the attack of the reserves for breaking through the lines, and the attack of the cavalry of iron people,719 all these tricks were now used, and not only was there not victory, but with all parties came only that same news about slain and wounded generals, about the need of reinforcements, about the impossibility to knock down the Russians and about the disappointment of troops.
Before, after two or three orders, two or three phrases, galloped with congratulations and fun faces of marshals and adjutants, announcing the trophies of the corps’ captives, the bunches of enemy eagles banners,720 guns, and wagons and Murat requesting only permission to let the cavalry pick up the wagons. So it was under Lodi, Marengo, Arcolem, Jena, Austerlitz, Wagram, and so onwards, and so onwards. Now already, something strange was happening with his troops.
Despite the news about the taking of flushes, Napoleon saw that this was not that, really not that, that was in all his former battles. He saw that the same feeling, which he felt, tested all his surrounding people, experienced in the case of battles. All faces were sad, all eyes avoided each other. Only Bosse alone could not understand the meanings of what was committed. Napoleon already after his long experience of war knew well, — what meant, in the continuation of 8 hours, after all efforts were used, a not won attacking battle. He knew what it was to lose this battle and that the slightest accident could now — in that taut point of hesitation, in which stood the battle — ruin him and his troops.
When he sorted through in his imagination all this strange Russian campaign, in which not was won one battle, in which in two months was not taken banners, guns, or corps of troops, when he saw in the stealthy faces surrounding and listening to the reports about how the Russians all stood — a scary feeling, like that feeling experienced in dreaming, covered him, and came in his head all the miserable randomness, powerful to ruin him. The Russians could attack on his left wing, could tear up his middle, a crazy cannonball could kill him himself. All this was possible. In his former battles, he pondered only the randomness of success, now again a countless number of miserable accidents presented to him, and he saw them all. Yes, this was as in a dream, when a person presents to advance at his villain, and the person in the dream swings and strokes his villain with that terrible effort, which, he knows, must destroy him, and feels that his hand, powerless and soft, falls as a rag, and the horror of irresistible destruction covers the helpless man.
News about how the Russian attack of the left flank of the French army excited in Napoleon this horror. He silently sat under the mound in the folding chair, lowered his head and placed his elbows on his knees. Berthier came up to him and proposed to take a ride by the lines, so to make sure at which position was found the business.
— What? What do you speak? — said Napoleon. — Yes, tell to give me a horse.
He sat down on horseback and went to Semenovsky.
In slowly divergent powder smoke by all that space which rode Napoleon, — in puddles of blood lied horses and people by one and heaps. Like that horror, such the quantity of slain in such a small space, were never seen more by Napoleon, and none of his generals. The rumble of cannons, not ceasing for nine hours in a row and torturing the ear, attached particular significance to the spectacle (as music in a live picture). Napoleon left to the height of Semenovsky and through the smoke saw ranks of people in uniform colors unusual for his eyes. These were Russian.
The Russians in dense rows were standing behind Semenovsky and the mound, and their guns did not cease to hum and smoke by their lines. The battle now was not. Continued the murder, which or why could not be lucky for the Russians or French. Napoleon stopped his horse and fell again in that reverie, from which he was brought out by Berthier; he could not stop these affairs, which were done before him and around him, and which he counted as guided by and dependent from him, and this business for the first time, owing to failure, presented to him as unnecessary and terrible.
One of the generals, driving to Napoleon, allowed himself to propose to him to introduce in the business the old guard. Ney and Berthier, standing beside Napoleon, exchanged glances between themselves and contemptuously smiled at the senseless proposal of this general.
Napoleon lowered his head and for long kept silent.
— For 3200 versts from France I cannot give to smash up the guard,721 — he said and, turning his horse, went backwards to Shevardin.
712 Dites au roi de Naples, qu’il n’est pas midi et que je ne vois pas encore clair sur mon échiquier. Allez.... (Tell the King of Naples, that it is not noon and that I still do not see clearly on my chessboard. Go...)
713 Eh bien qu’est ce qu’il y a? (Well what is it?)
714 Sire, le Prince... (Sir, the prince...)
715 oison que j’ai fait aigle, (goslings that I made an eagle,)
716 un feu d’enfer, (a hellfire,)
717 Allez vous... (Are you going...)
718 proclamation courte et énergique, (short and energetic proclamation,)
719 des hommes de fer, (men of iron,)
720 des faisceaux de drapeaux et d’aigles ennemis, (bundles of enemy flags and eagles,)
721 A huit cent lieux de France je ne ferai pas démolir ma garde, (Eight hundred places from France I will not demolish my guard,)
Mentioned: morning
Locations: see previous chapter, Semenovskoe
Mentioned: Naples, Russians, Austerlitz, Friedland, Lodi, Marengo, Arcole (Arcola in Maude, Mandelker, and Bell), Jena, Wagram, France (and French), Shevardino
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes:
Murat, because the Russian troops keep coming back "as disorderly, frightened crowds." Napoleon is still drinking punch in a comic touch. There is a great parenthetical on the adjutant who has the same hair as Murat. Napoleon says that he doesn't see his chessboard clearly and and refuses reinforcements. Belliard begs a distracted Napoleon (again talking about things that don't concern the battle) to bring reinforcements to crush the Russian army. After a third person comes to ask for reinforcements, Napoleon relents, then changes his mind as to which division to send, which causes an inconvenience but is carried out. This is the pay off for Napoleon's rant against doctors (as well as Tolstoy's in the Natasha section of the novel): "he was playing the role of the doctor whose medications are a hindrance--a role he so correctly understood and disapproved of."
M. de Beausset is ready for lunch, asks Napoleon if he is able to congratulate him on a victory, further cementing the comedy of the scene.
"Napoleon was experiencing a painful feeling similar to that which is always experienced by a lucky gambler, who madly threw his money about, always won, and suddenly, precisely when he has calculated all the chances of the game, feels that the more he thinks over his move, the more certain he is to lose."
Tolstoy spends time emphasizing how everything is the same as it had been for the French, but they are getting a different result. The reason they are not winning Borodino is not because something has changed. We then get a big focus on Napoleon's introspection and his "terrible feeling". "It was all possible." At the suggestion of Berthier, Napoleon begins to ride to see the results of the battle, which gets another description. "There was no longer any battle. There was a continuous slaughter, which could lead nowhere either for the Russians or for the French."
Someone suggests he send his old guard into battle, but he doesn't want to have it destroyed "eight hundred leagues from France."
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 (also "majesty" and "emperor". And his horse.)
Davoust
Ney
Murat (Also "King of Naples". And his aide or aide-de-camp.)
Caulaincourt
Berthier (who Napoleon also calls "that gosling that I made into an eagle".)
Belliard
Claparede (as in Dole, Maude, Edmonds, and Mandleker. "Clarapede" in Dunnigan.)
Friant
M. de Beausset
Abridged Versions: End of Chapter 5 in Bell. Edmonds does not use a star in the way she normally shows a line break but puts a traditional line break after "and his army in ruin." before "When he ran his mind".
Gibian: Chapter 34.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: We pick up with "In the middle of the day Murat sent his adjutant..". The initial sending of Claparede before deciding on Friant is removed. The M. Beausset episode is also removed. The introspection of Napoleon is also severely shortened. Chapter ends with a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 20: Chapter is preserved.
Bromfield: No apparent corresponding chapter.
Simmons: Chapter 34: Napoleon refuses frequent demands for reinforcements. He is depressed over the failure of his troops to achieve the expected quick victory.
Additional Notes: Mandelker: "Lodi....Wagram": these were some of Napoleon's most remarkable victories. Lodi and Marengo are northern Italian locations where Napoleon defeated the Austrians in 1800. Arcole is a village near Verona, where Napoleon won a victory in 1796 despite being outnumbered by the Austrians. At Jena in 1806 Napoleon heavily defeated the Prussians and Saxons. Wagram is a village near Vienna, where the decisive victory over the Austrians in 1809 won the war."
Speirs: Page 69: “War is compared at one moment with a game of chess, and at another with a zoological migration. Each concept seems valid until the other shows it to be wildly wrong on its own, very different terms.”
Johnson: Page 62: “at Aspern, the battle was drawn while it was actually taking place by a professional Austrian watercolourist who was perched high on a building from which he could survey most of the field. His work’s verisimilitude leaves an impression of great confusion. No wonder experienced generals favoured simple plans. Issuing fresh orders was not easy. They usually had to be carried by the hand of a brave and reliable aide-de-camp. Berthier, as staff chief, always sent more than one officer with duplicate orders - sometimes a dozen if the distance was great.”
Segur/Townsend: Page 46: "Murat's habitual recklessness...When the fighting was over and the enemy no longer held his attention, Murat gave himself up entirely to the recollection of his quarrel. Shut up in his tent with Belliard, as if in hiding, his blood grew hotter from shame and rage as the expressions the marshal had used returned to his memory...What difference do the Emperor's anger and decision make to me? It's up to me to avenge this wrong. Who cares for his noble blood? My sword made me king, and I call upon my sword now!" And he was in the act of seizing his arms to attack Davout when Belliard stopped him."
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