Война и мир

Chapter 8

           OfallthatNapoleonmighthavedone:winteringinMoscow,advancingonPetersburgoronNízhni-Nóvgorod,orretiringbyamorenortherlyormoresoutherlyroute(saybytheroadKutúzovafterwardstook),nothingmorestupidordisastrouscanbeimaginedthanwhatheactuallydid.HeremainedinMoscowtillOctober,lettingthetroopsplunderthecity;then,hesitatingwhethertoleaveagarrisonbehindhim,hequittedMoscow,approachedKutúzovwithoutjoiningbattle,turnedtotherightandreachedMálo-Yaroslávets,againwithoutattemptingtobreakthroughandtaketheroadKutúzovtook,butretiringinsteadtoMozháyskalongthedevastatedSmolénskroad.Nothingmorestupidthanthatcouldhavebeendevised,ormoredisastrousforthearmy,asthesequelshowed.HadNapoleon’saimbeentodestroyhisarmy,themostskillfulstrategistcouldhardlyhavedevisedanyseriesofactionsthatwouldsocompletelyhaveaccomplishedthatpurpose,independentlyofanythingtheRussianarmymightdo.

           Napoleon,themanofgenius,didthis!Buttosaythathedestroyedhisarmybecausehewishedto,orbecausehewasverystupid,wouldbeasunjustastosaythathehadbroughthistroopstoMoscowbecausehewishedtoandbecausehewasverycleverandagenius.

           Inbothcaseshispersonalactivity,havingnomoreforcethanthepersonalactivityofanysoldier,merelycoincidedwiththelawsthatguidedtheevent.

           ThehistoriansquitefalselyrepresentNapoleon’sfacultiesashavingweakenedinMoscow,anddosoonlybecausetheresultsdidnotjustifyhisactions

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