War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [448]
The sovereign finally leaves the army, and the sole and most convenient pretext chosen for his departure is the notion that he must inspire the people in the capitals to arouse a national war. And this visit of the sovereign to Moscow triples the forces of the Russian army.
The sovereign leaves the army so as not to get in the way of the commander in chief’s unity of power, and hopes that more resolute measures will be taken; but the situation of the army leadership becomes still weaker and more confused. Bennigsen, the grand duke, and a swarm of adjutant generals remain in the army to watch over the actions of the commander in chief and rouse his energy, and Barclay, feeling himself still less free under the eyes of all these eyes of the sovereign, becomes still more wary of decisive actions and avoids battle.
Barclay stands for wariness. The grand duke hints at treason and demands a general battle. Lubomirski, Branicki, Wlocki, and their like fan this noise so much that Barclay, under the pretext of delivering some papers to the sovereign, sends the Polish adjutants to Petersburg and enters into open struggle with Bennigsen and the grand duke.
Finally, in Smolensk, much as Bagration did not wish it, the two armies unite.
Bagration drives up in a carriage to the house occupied by Barclay. Barclay puts on his sash, comes out to meet him, and reports to his senior in rank Bagration. Bagration, in this contest of magnanimity, despite his seniority of rank, subordinates himself to Barclay; but, while subordinating himself, agrees with him still less. Bagration, at the sovereign’s order, reports to him personally. He writes to Arakcheev:
Be it as my sovereign wills, but I can in no way work with this minister [Barclay]2. For God’s sake, send me somewhere, even if it is to command a regiment, but I cannot be here; and the whole headquarters is full of Germans, so that it is impossible for a Russian to live, and it is to no avail. I thought I was truly serving the sovereign and the fatherland, but on closer inspection it turns out that I am serving Barclay. I confess, I do not want to.
The swarm of Branickis, Wintzingerodes, and their like poisons relations between the commanders still more, and the result is still less unity. They prepare to attack the French before Smolensk. A general is sent to reconnoiter the positions. The general, who hates Barclay, goes to his friend, the commander of a corps, spends the whole day with him, returns to Barclay, and condemns point by point the future battlefield, which he has not seen.
While the arguments and intrigues about the future battlefield go on, while we search for the French, mistaking their whereabouts, the French stumble upon Neverovsky’s division and come right up to the walls of Smolensk.
It is necessary to accept the unexpected battle at Smolensk in order to save our lines of communication. Battle is given. Thousands are killed on both sides.
Smolensk is abandoned against the will of the sovereign and all the people. But Smolensk is burned by its own inhabitants, deceived by their governor, and the ruined inhabitants set an example for other Russians, going to Moscow, thinking only of their losses, and kindling hatred for the enemy. Napoleon goes further, we retreat, and the very thing is achieved that was to defeat Napoleon.
II
On the day after his son’s departure, Prince Nikolai Andreevich summoned Princess Marya to him.
“Well, what, are you pleased now?” he said to her. “You’ve made me quarrel with my son! Are you pleased? That’s all you needed! Are you pleased?…It pains me, pains me. I’m old and weak, and you wanted it. Well, rejoice, rejoice…” And after that Princess Marya