Briggs: The French army, at half strength, is a ragged shambles.
Maude (chapters 16-18): The French retreat. Berthier's report to Napoleon. Their flight beyond Smolensk.
Pevear and Volokhonsky (chapters 16-17): General remarks about the French retreat. Berthier's report to Napoleon. The movements of the two armies during the final period of the war.
Translation:
XVI.
From the 28th of October, when the began frosts, the escaping French received only a more tragic character of freezing and roasting to death at bonfires, people continuing in fur coats and carts going with robbed goods of the emperor, kings and dukes; but, in their entities, the process of the flight and decomposition of the French army with the time of the performances from Moscow had not changed any.
From Moscow to Vyazma of the 73 thousand French army, not considering the guard (which in all the war did nothing besides robbery) of the 73 thousand, was left 36 thousand (of this number not more than five thousand dropped out in battles). Here was the first member of the progression, which, mathematically right, defines the subsequent.
The French army in that same proportion melted away and was destroyed from Moscow to Vyazma, from Vyazma to Smolensk, from Smolensk to Berezina, from Berezina to Vilna, from whatever of the greater or lesser extent of cold, pursuit, barriers in the way and all other conditions, taken separately. After Vyazma the troops of the French instead of three columns deviated into one lot and so went to the end. Berthier wrote to his sovereign (knowing how distant from the truth chiefs allow themselves to describe the position of the army). He wrote:
It is my duty to deliver and convey to your majesty about the condition of the corps, examined by me on the march in the last three days. They are nearly in perfect confusion. Only a fourth portion of the soldiers stay at banners, others go themselves in different directions, trying to find food and get rid from service. Everyone thinks only about Smolensk, where they hope to relax. In the last days many soldiers have thrown up cartridges and guns. What would be were neither your further intentions, but the benefit of service, your majesty requires to gather corps at Smolensk and detach from them dismounted cavalrymen, unarmed, extra wagons and a portion of artillery, for it now is not in proportionality with the number of troops. Necessary is food and some days of peace; the soldiers are exhausted from hunger and tiredness; in the last days many died on the road and in bivouacs. Such a disastrous position is incessantly amplified and forced by fear, that if will not be accepted quick steps for the prevention of evil, we soon will not have troops in the authority for the case of a battle. 9th of November, 30 versts from Smolensk.994
Tumbling down at Smolensk, presented to them as the promised earth, French killed each other for provisions, robbed their same shops and, when all was robbed, ran farther.
All went, themselves not knowing where and what for they went. Still less than others knew this genius Napoleon, as nothing was ordered by him. Yet all the same he and his surroundings observed their long-standing habits: writing orders, letters, reports, schedule of the day;995 calling each other: "your majesty, my brother, the Prince of Ekmuhl, the Neapolitan king and etc.996 and etc. but the orders and reports were only on paper, nothing by it was performed, because of how they could not be carried out, and despite naming each other great, highness, cousin and brother, they all felt that they were miserable and ugly people, having done much evil, behind which they now were accounted to pay off. And despite that they pretended to, as if, care about the army, they thought only about every one of themselves and about how they would soon leave and be saved.
994
"Je crois devoir faire connaître à Votre Majesté l’état de ses troupes dans les différents corps d’armée que j’ai été à même d’observer depuis deux ou trois jours dans différents passages. Elles sont presque débandées. Le nombre des soldats qui suivent les drapeaux est en proportion du quart au plus dans presque tous les régiments, les autres marchent isolément dans différentes directions et pour leur compte, dans l’espérance de trouver des subsistanses et pour se débarrasser de la discipline. En général ils regardent Smolensk comme le point où ils doivent se refaire. Ces derniers jours on a remarqué que beaucoup de soldats jettent leurs cartuches etaleurs armes. Dans cet état de choses, l’interêt du service de Votre Majesté exige, quelles que soient ses vues ultérieures qu’on rallie l’armée à Smolensk en commençant à la débarrasser des non-combattans, tels que hommes demontés et des bagages inutiles et du matériel de l’artillerie qui n’est plus en proportion avec les forces actuelles. En outre les jours de repos, des subsistances sont nécessaires aux soldats qui sont exténués par la faim et la fatigue; beaucoup sont morts ces derniers jours sur la route et dans les bivacs. Cet état de choses va toujours en augmentant et donne lieu de craindre que si l’on n’y prête un prompt remède, on ne soit plus maître des troupes dans un combat. Le 9 Novembre, à 30 verstes de Smolensk". ("I believe I have to make known to Your Majesty the state of your troops in the different army corps which I have been able to observe for two or three days in different passages. They are nearly disbanded. The number of soldiers who follow the flags is in proportion to a quarter at most in almost all the regiments, the others walk in isolation in different directions and for their own account, in the hope of finding sustenance and to get rid of discipline. In general they regard Smolensk as the point where they have to remake themselves. In recent days we have noticed that many soldiers throw away their cartridges and guns. In this state of things, the interest of Your Majesty's service demands, whatever his views subsequent that the army be rallied in Smolensk by starting to rid it of non-combatants, such as disassembled men and useless baggage and artillery material which is no longer in proportion to the current forces. In addition to days of rest, subsistence is necessary for the soldiers who are exhausted by hunger and fatigue; many have died in recent days on the road and in the bivacs. This state of affairs is always on the increase and gives rise to fear that if a prompt remedy is not given, one is no longer master of the troops in a fight. November 9, 30 versts from Smolensk.")
995 ordre du jour, (order of the day,)
996 Sire, Mon Cousin, Prince d’Ekmuhl roi de Nâples (Sir, My Cousin, The Prince of Ekmuhl, the King of Naples)
Locations: Smolensk
Mentioned: French, Moscow, Vyazma, Berezina, Vilna, Eckmuhl, Naples
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: "the process of the flight and decomposition of the French army had not changed in the least since the departure from Moscow".
"the guards (who did nothing but loot during the entire war)"
Here we are getting a more birds-eye view of the disintegration of the French army. We then get a letter from Berthier to Napoleon that says "They are on the point of disbanding" and that the soldiers who do remain are hoping to regroup at Smolensk.
"They all went, not knowing themselves where they were going or why. The genius Napoleon knew still less than others, since no one gave him orders." Tolstoy connects the idea that they believe that have done something evil and they just want to save themselves in a way that contrasts with the man in Platon's story, as well as Platon himself.
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 "emperor", "your majesty", and "sovereign")
Berthier
Davoust ("Prince d'Eckmuhl")
Murat ("Roi de Naples")
(the French, as well as kings and dukes are mentioned in general, as are the Russians)
Abridged Versions: Start of Chapter 14 in Bell. No break at the end.
Maude puts stars after the letter, which they haven't been doing for the most part, as a line break. I have not been discussing line breaks separating letters from the rest of the text, but I thought this one was notable.
Gibian: Chapter 4: line break instead of chapter break at the end.
Fuller: Entire Chapter is cut
Komroff: The letter from Berthier is removed. No break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 9: Chapter is preserved. End of Part Fourteenth.
Simmons: Chapter 4: entire chapter is cut and replaced with "Tolstoy depicts the headlong retreat and terrible losses of the French, and contends, contrary to the historians, that there was no plan in the flight. In fact, he insists that the one thought of Napoleon and his marshals was to save their own skins."
Additional Notes:
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