第643章

第643章whatrussianreaderhasnotknownanirksomefeelingofannoyance,dissatisfaction,andperplexity,whenhereadstheaccountsofthelatterperiodofthecampaignof1812？whohasnotaskedhimself：howwasitallthefrenchwerenotcapturedorcuttopieces,whenallthethreerussianarmiesweresurroundingtheminsuperiornumbers,whenthefrenchwereadisorderly,starving,andfreezingrabble,andthewholeaimoftherussians（sohistorytellsus）wastocheck,tocutoff,andtocaptureallthefrench？

howwasitthattherussianarmy,thatwithinferiornumbershadfoughtthebattleofborodino,failedinitsaimofcapturingthefrench,whenthelatterweresurroundedonthreesides？canthefrenchbesoimmenselysuperiortousthatwearenotequaltobeatingthem,whenwehavesurroundedthemwithforcesnumericallysuperior？howcouldthathavecometopass？history（whatpassesbythatname）answersthesequestionsbysayingthatthatcametopassbecausekutuzov,andtormasov,andtchitchagov,andthisgeneralandthatfailedtocarryoutcertainman？uvres.

butwhydidtheyfailtocarrythemout？andhowwasit,iftheyreallywereresponsiblefornotattainingtheaimsetbeforethem,thattheywerenottriedandpunishedfortheirshortcomings？butevenifweadmitthatkutuzovandtchitchagovandtheotherswereresponsibleforthenon-essoftherussians,itisstillimpossibletounderstandwhy,inthepositiontherussiantroopswereinatkrasnoeandtheberezina,onbothoccasionswithnumericallysuperiorforces,thefrencharmyandmarshalswerenottakenprisoners,ifthatreallywastheaimoftherussians.

theexplanationofthisphenomenongivenbytherussianmilitaryhistorians—thatkutuzovhinderedtheattack—isinsufficient,becauseweknowthatkutuzovwasnotabletorestrainthetroopsfromattackingatvyazmaandtarutino.whywasitthattherussianarmy,thatwithinferiorforcesgainedavictoryatborodinoovertheenemyinfullstrength,wasessfulatkrasnoeandtheberezina,whenfightinginsuperiornumbersagainsttheundisciplinedcrowdsofthefrench？

iftheaimoftherussiansreallywastocutoffnapoleonandhismarshals,andtotakethemprisoners,andthataimwasnotonlyfrustrated,butallattemptsatattainingitwereeverytimedefeatedinthemostshamefulway,thislastperiodofthewarisquitecorrectlyrepresentedbythefrenchasaseriesofvictoriesforthem,andquiteincorrectlyrepresentedbytherussiansasredoundingtoourglory.

therussianmilitaryhistorians,sofarastheyrecognisetheclaimsoflogic,areforcedtothisconclusion,andinspiteoftheirlyriceulogiesofrussiangallantryanddevotion,andalltherestofit,theyarereluctantlyobligedtoadmitthattheretreatofthefrenchfrommoscowwasaseriesofvictoriesfornapoleonandofdefeatsforkutuzov.

butputtingpatrioticvanityentirelyaside,onecannotbutfeelthatthereisaninherentdiscrepancyinthisconclusion,seeingthattheseriesoffrenchvictoriesledtotheircompleteannihilation,whiletheseriesofrussiandefeatswasfollowedbythedestructionoftheirenemy,andthedeliveranceoftheircountry.

thesourceofthisdiscrepancyliesinthefactthathistorians,studyingeventsinthelightofthelettersofthesovereignsandofgenerals,ofnarratives,reports,projects,andsoon,haveassumedquitefalselythattheplanofthatperiodofthecampaignof1812wastocutoffandcapturenapoleonandhismarshalsandhisarmy.

suchaplanneverwas,andcouldnothavebeen,theaimoftherussianarmy,becauseithadnomeaning,anditsattainmentwasutterlyoutofthequestion.

therewasnoobjectinsuchaplan.inthefirstplace,becausenapoleon’sarmywasflyingindisorderatitsutmostpossiblespeedoutofrussia;thatistosay,doingtheverythingthateveryrussianmostdesired.whatobjectwasthereinconductingallsortsofoperationsagainstthefrenchwhentheywererunningawayasfastastheycouldalready？secondly,itwouldhavebeenidletostopmenontheroad,whosewholeenergieswerebentonflight.thirdly,itwouldhavebeenabsurdtolosemenindestroyingthefrencharmywhenitwasalready,withoutexternalinterference,perishingatsucharatethat,withoutanyobstructionoftheirroad,notmorethanonehundredthofitsoriginalnumbereededincrossingthefrontierindecember.

fourthly,itwasabsurdtodesiretotakeprisonerstheemperor,kings,anddukes,sincethepossessionofsuchprisonerswouldhavegreatlyenhancedthedifficultyoftherussianposition,aswasrecognisedbythemostclear-sighteddiplomatistsofthetime（j.maistreandothers）.stillmoreabsurdwouldhavebeenthedesiretocapturethefrencharmywhenithaddwindledtoone-halfbeforereachingkrasnoe,andadivisionofconvoyshadtobegivenuptoguardacorpsofprisoners,whiletherussiansoldiersthemselveshadnotalwaysfullrations,andtheprisonerstheydidtakediedofhunger.