Chapter 18

           

           FromthetimehereceivedthisnewstotheendofthecampaignallKutúzov’sactivitywasdirectedtowardrestraininghistroops,byauthority,byguile,andbyentreaty,fromuselessattacks,maneuvers,orencounterswiththeperishingenemy.DokhtúrovwenttoMálo-Yaroslávets,butKutúzovlingeredwiththemainarmyandgaveordersfortheevacuationofKalúga—aretreatbeyondwhichtownseemedtohimquitepossible.

           EverywhereKutúzovretreated,buttheenemywithoutwaitingforhisretreatfledintheoppositedirection.

           Napoleon’shistoriansdescribetoushisskilledmaneuversatTarútinoandMálo-Yaroslávets,andmakeconjecturesastowhatwouldhavehappenedhadNapoleonbeenintimetopenetrateintotherichsouthernprovinces.

           Butnottospeakofthefactthatnothingpreventedhimfromadvancingintothosesouthernprovinces(fortheRussianarmydidnotbarhisway),thehistoriansforgetthatnothingcouldhavesavedhisarmy,forthenalreadyitborewithinitselfthegermsofinevitableruin.Howcouldthatarmy—whichhadfoundabundantsuppliesinMoscowandhadtrampledthemunderfootinsteadofkeepingthem,andonarrivingatSmolénskhadlootedprovisionsinsteadofstoringthem—howcouldthatarmyrecuperateinKalúgaprovince,whichwasinhabitedbyRussianssuchasthosewholivedinMoscow,andwherefirehadthesamepropertyofconsumingwhatwassetablaze?

           Thatarmycouldnotrecoveranywhere.SincethebattleofBorodinóandthepillageofMoscowithadbornewithinitself,asitwere,thechemicalelementsofdissolution.

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