第650章

第650章aftertheengagementatvyazma,wherekutuzovcouldnotrestrainhistroopsintheirdesiretobreakthrough,tocutoffandalltherestofit,thefurthermarchoftheflyingfrench,andoftherussiansflyingafterthem,continuedasfaraskrasnoewithoutabattle.theflightwassorapidthattherussianarmyracingafterthefrenchcouldnotcatchthemup;thehorsesofthecavalryandartillerybrokedown,andinformationastothemovementsofthefrenchwasalwaysveryuncertain.

therussiansoldiersweresoexhaustedbythisunbrokenmarchattherateoffortyverstsadaythattheywereunabletoquickentheirpace.

toformanideaofthedegreeofexhaustionoftherussianarmy,oneneedonlygraspclearlywhatismeantbythefactthatwhilelosingnomorethanfivethousandkilledandwounded,andnotahundredprisoners,therussianarmy,whichhadlefttarutinoahundredthousandstrong,numberedonlyfiftythousandonreachingkrasnoe.

therapidityoftherussianpursuithadasdisintegratinganeffectontherussianarmyastheflightofthefrenchhadontheirarmy.theonlydifferencewasthattherussianarmymovedatitsownwill,freefromthemenaceofannihilationthathungoverthefrench,andthatthesickandlersofthefrenchwereleftinthehandsoftheirenemy,whilerussianlerswereathomeamongtheirownpeople.thechiefcauseofthewastingofnapoleon’sarmywastherapidityofitsmovements,andanindubitableproofofthatistobeseeninthecorrespondingdwindlingoftherussianarmy.

justasattarutinoandatvyazma,allkutuzov’senergiesweredirectedtopreventing—sofarasitlayinhispower—anyarrestofthefatalflightofthefrenchfrombeingchecked（astherussiangeneralsinpetersburg,andalsointhearmy,wishedittobe）.hedidallhecouldtourgeontheflightofthefrench,andtoslackenthespeedofhisownarmy.

inadditiontotheexhaustionofthemen,andtheimmenselossesduetotherapidityoftheirmovements,kutuzovsawanotherreasonforslackeningthepace,andnotbeinginahurry.theobjectoftherussianarmywasthepursuitofthefrench.therouteofthefrenchwasuncertain,andthereforethemorecloselyoursoldiersfollowedtheheelsofthefrench,thegreaterthedistancestheyhadtotraverse.itwasonlybyfollowingataconsiderabledistancethattheycouldtakeadvantageofshortcutsacrossthezig-zagsmadebythefrenchintheircourse.alltheskilfulman？uvresestedbythegeneralswerebasedonforcedmarchesatacceleratedspeed,whiletheonlyrationalobjecttobeaimedatwasthediminutionofthestrainputonthemen.andthiswastheobjecttowhichallkutuzov’seffortsweredirectedduringthewholecampaignfrommoscowtovilna,—notcasually,notfitfully,butsoconsistentlythatheneveroncelostsightofit.

notthroughreason,notbyscience,butwithallhisrussianheartandsoul,kutuzovfeltandknew,aseveryrussiansoldierfeltit,thatthefrenchwerevanquished,thattheirfoeswereinflight,andthattheymustseethemoff.butatthesametimehefeltwithhissoldiers,asoneman,allthesufferingsofthatmarch,unheardofatsuchspeedandinsuchweather.