In Volume III, Part II, Tolstoy illustrates how the war progresses on Russian soil. He revisits the idea of what “great men” really are as he transitions from a civilian perspective of the war to a military one. However, the military perspective seems considerably different from before. We see Borodino unfold through the eyes of Pierre. He stumbles around the battlefield, trying to make sense of this foreign environment. Our previous military guide, Prince Andrei, reenters the foray with a completely different mindset than he had at previous battles. He understands the follies of desiring to become a “great man” and instead thinks of death, his love for life, forgiveness, and Natasha. As the war commences on the Russian soil, Tolstoy challenges traditional historical interpretations of Borodino, framing it as a moral and spiritual victory of the Russians over the French.
Tolstoy’s Depiction of Great Men and the “Truth”
During the discussion, many found Napoleon to be confident and inspiring, though to negative effect. One noted, “Tolstoy has made me question Napoleon’s ability.” Regarding his confidence, another noted, “He had military success in the past and decided to add laurels by invading Russia when he might have retired.” He inspires in such a way that “people wanted to drown for him,” as one observed. Tolstoy’s depictions of Napoleon reminded many that War and Peace is the work of an author, where “Napoleon seems to exist, like some Old Testament villain, to prove the point of the author.” Sara pointed out that Tolstoy felt constrained when writing a historical novel by the thought that he would have to use historical sources, which strayed from “the truth.” So we see Tolstoy grapple with what is considered the “truth” and why novels could accomplish that more than history. One participant found that Tolstoy emphasizes the “special characteristics of the Russian soldier—his sacrifices epitomized in the battery on the summit.” On a similar note, another pointed to the differences between a historian and an author: “novelists who look into the human heart have different ways of looking at events than an historian might.”
Tolstoy considers everyone involved in the “multiplicity of causes” of events in history, rather than limiting its interpretation to the “great men” and their sole decisions and actions. Before Borodino, Tolstoy goes at great length to discredit the emphasis historians place on military leaders as the arbiters of history. In the historical essay before Borodino (Volume III, Part II, Chapter 19), Tolstoy calls Kutuzov and Napoleon’s decisions in offering and accepting the battle at Borodino “involuntary and meaningless.” Their decision to engage completely went against their own interests— Kutuzov’s being the defense of Moscow, and Napoleon’s the glory of his Grande Armée. Instead of looking to Kutuzov and Napoleon, Tolstoy looks to the Russian soldier for a reason to explain the events at Borodino. He explains that Russian soldiers fought “under conditions that made it unthinkable even to get through three hours without the army being utterly defeated and put to flight, let alone keep on fighting for ten hours and still leave the issue in doubt.”
Pierre and Prince Andrei on the Battlefield
A few participants were surprised at Pierre’s appearance on the battlefield “as if he were going to a play.” One found, “Pierre seems to almost be a war correspondent,” where “we can try to understand war from a non-military member point of view”—a “naïve view” at that. Pierre, obviously unacquainted with the battlefield, makes observations that a soldier would perhaps not be aware of. A participant pointed out that Pierre notices extremes: “He sees a lot of beauty in the landscape, as well as the horrors going on there.” Pierre stands out from the rest of the soldiers, donning a white hat that many soldiers find ridiculous. Though despite his “outsider” aura, a small battalion takes Pierre in as one of their own. Pierre questions them about their fear of death, and they respond that, of course, they are afraid. Pierre as an outsider, however, witnesses the brutality of war, though seems to be unable to connect himself with the prospects of dying like the soldiers around him. Death on the battlefield is uncertain to him.
Prince Andrei on the other hand—the experienced soldier—is only hyper-aware of the prospects of dying on the battlefield. His hyper-awareness makes him want to forget death completely: he distracts himself from the gunfire and shots of cannons all around him by counting his paces back and forth and remembers Natasha. When a shell is about to burst at his feet, he declares, “I can’t die. I don’t want to die. I love life. I love this grass, the earth, the air...” Many in the discussion wondered if Prince Andrei could ever be satisfied and happy and found, “Andrei without the influence of Pierre or Natasha would be a terribly depressing person.” He seems to find a form of fulfillment when he meets Anatole at the field hospital. One pointed out, “Tolstoy seems to suggest that forgiveness is the really important issue,” experiencing “forgiveness and universal love”—Tolstoy’s vision of goodness and possible salvation. Another noted, “Prince Andrei ends his euphoria of seeing Anatole and experiencing universal love with the assertion that ‘it’s too late for me.’” By this point, Prince Andrei “has lost his wife, his home, his father, his fiancé, and now has what appears to be a mortal wound.” It is only after all of these losses that he is able to forgive Anatole. A participant responded, “Perhaps it is only in such moments that we can better concentrate and gain insight beyond the usual mundane aspects of life.”
Borodino Compared to Previous Battles
Many found Borodino to be “more graphic—it showed the ugly side of war.” Again, similar to Schongraben and Austerlitz, “There is certainly the same lack of good communication and intelligence--things seem to get done by chance and never according to planned strategy.” Tolstoy again plays with the “multiplicity of causes,” not “great men” having effect on the outcome of war—one pointed out, “There is a frantic uncoordinated pattern during all of the battles in which the sum of individual passions and fears seems far more important than the best plans of Tsars and Emperors.” For the Russians, these passions and fears become more pronounced since they are fighting on Russian soil. When considering an overview of Borodino, Tolstoy’s patriotic side seems to show—he emphasizes that the French lost less men than the Russians, but the Russians keep fighting. In the historical essay at the end of the battle, Tolstoy explains the “moral victory” as the result of the soldiers’ actions. “They were in the grip of some mysterious force…not by the will of man, but by the one who governs men and worlds.” As for the French, Tolstoy explains, “the spirit of the army had failed” because they feared the “undiminished ferocity” of the Russians even after half of its forces were gone. The “hand of an opponent stronger in spirit” had been laid on the French.
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