第485章

第485章therussiansdidnotmakethiseffort,becausetheywerenotattackingthefrench.atthebeginningofthebattletheymerelystoodontheroadtomoscow,barringittothefrench;andtheystillstoodattheendofthebattleastheyhadatthebeginning.butevenifithadbeentheaimoftherussianstodrivebackthefrench,theycouldnothavemadethisfinaleffort,becausealltherussiantroopshadbeenrouted;therewasnotasinglepartofthearmythathadnotsufferedinthebattle,andtherussians,withoutbeingdrivenfromtheirposition,lostonehalfoftheirarmy.

forthefrench,withthememoryoffifteenyearsofvictories,withconfidenceinnapoleon’sall-vanquishinggenius,withtheconsciousnessofhavingtakenapartofthebattlefield,ofhavingonlylostafourthoftheirmen,andofhavingabodyoftwentythousand—theguards—intact—itwouldhavebeenaneasymattertomakethiseffort.thefrench,attackingtherussianarmywiththeobjectofdrivingitfromitsposition,oughttohavemadethiseffort,becauseaslongastherussiansstillbarredthewaytomoscow,asbeforethebattle,theaimofthefrenchhadnotbeenattained,andalllossesandexertionshadbeeninvain.butthefrenchdidnotmakethateffort.somehistoriansassertthatifnapoleonhadonlylethisoldguardadvance,thebattlewouldhavebeengained.totalkofwhatmighthavehappenedifnapoleonhadlethisguardadvanceismuchthesameastotalkofwhatwouldhappenifspringcameinautumn.thatcouldnothavebeen.napoleondidnotdoso,notbecausehedidnotwantto,butbecauseitwasimpossibletodoso.allthegenerals,officers,andsoldiersofthefrencharmyknewthatitwasimpossibletomakethisfinaleffort,becausetheingspiritofthetroopsdidnotallowofit.

itwasnotnapoleonalonewhohadthatnightmarefeelingthatthemightyarmwasstrickenpowerless：allthegenerals,allthesoldiersofthefrencharmy,thosewhofoughtandthosewhodidnot,afteralltheirexperiencesofpreviousbattles（whenafterone-tenthoftheefforttheenemyhadalwaysrun）,showedthefeelingofhorrorbeforethisfoe,who,afterlosingonehalfofthearmy,stillstooditsgroundasdauntlessattheendasatthebeginningofthebattle.themoralforceofthefrench,theattackingarmy,wasexhausted.notthevictory,signalisedbythecaptureofragsontheendofsticks,calledflags,orofthegroundonwhichthetroopswerestanding,butamoralvictory,thatwhichcompelstheenemytorecognisethemoralsuperiorityofhisopponent,andhisownimpotence,waswonbytherussiansatborodino.thefrenchinvadingarmy,likearaveningbeastthathasreceiveditsdeath-woundinitsonslaught,feltitsendnear.butitcouldnotstop,nomorethantherussianarmy—ofhalfitsstrength—couldhelpretreating.afterthatcheck,thefrencharmycouldstilldragontomoscow,butthere,withoutfresheffortonthepartoftherussianarmy,itsruinwasinevitable,asitslife-bloodebbedawayfromthedeadlywounddealtitatborodino.thedirectconsequenceofthebattleofborodinowasnapoleon’scause-lessflightfrommoscow,hisreturnbytheoldsmolenskroad,theruinoftheinvadingarmyoffivehundredthousandmen,andthedownfallofthenapoleonicrule,onwhich,forthefirsttimeatborodino,waslaidthehandofafoeofstrongerspirit.