Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte
Emperor of the French
In the months preceding the start of War and Peace, First Consul Napoleon used monarchist conspiracies to justify his election as Emperor of the French. He was crowned on 2 December in Paris.
In 1805, he also became King of Italy and appointed eighteen Marshals of the Empire to lead his armies. A coalition was formed against France, consisting of Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, Austria, Naples and the Ottoman Empire.
Napoleon’s plans to invade England unravelled, and in September, he crossed the Rhine to destroy the Austrian armies before Russia could come to their aid.
BOOK ONE
Book 1, Part 2
8 Feb: Chapter 14
Napoleon writes a furious letter to Murat telling him that Bagration has tricked him on the Vienna-Znaim road. He orders Murat to advance immediately.
Book 1, Part 3
28 Feb: Chapter 13
Napoleon makes a proclamation to his army, promising to fight alongside them if necessary to win the battle. The soldiers follow him with lit wisps of straw, shouting. “The peace,” Napoleon says, “I shall conclude will be worthy of my people, of you, and of myself.”
29 Feb: Chapter 14
Before dawn, the army marches into battle, believing the French to be far ahead of them. They descend into the valley towards the ponds and lakes. The Russians blame the Germans, while up above the fog, Napoleon watches the mistake unfold. With a sign of his hand, he orders the action to begin.
5 Mar: Chapter 19
After ordering the cannon to fire on the dam, Napoleon surveys the dead and wounded on the battlefield. His face shines with self-satisfaction and pleasure. He describes Andrei’s fate as a “fine death” and delights in the courage of the wounded officers at the hospital. To Andrei, his voice is like the buzzing of a fly.
BOOK TWO
Book Two, Part Two
10 April: Chapter 19
Boris is at Tilsit to see the two emperors meet in the pavilion floating on the Niemen. The treaty of Tilsit ends the war, and France and Russia become allies.
12 April: Chapter 21
Napoleon bestows the Legion of Honour on the bravest Russian soldier. No, not Nikolai Rostov. A man called Lazarev, who is awarded a French pension for life.
BOOK THREE
Book Three, Part One
15 June: Chapter 2
Napoleon’s Grande Armée crosses the river Niemen and enters Russian territory. The emperor watches the army advance across three bridges. He orders the Polish Uhlans to find a ford to cross the river. Instead, the colonel leads his men to ‘insane self-oblivion’, swimming the Niemen. Many men and horses drown. Napoleon ignores them but later enrols the colonel in the Legion of Honour.
19 June: Chapter 6
Balashov is amazed by the luxury and magnificence of Napoleon’s court. In the emperor’s presence, Balashov grows confused and cannot deliver Alexander’s ultimatum. Instead, Bonaparte rants at the Russian envoy, justifying his actions and attacking Alexander. ‘What a splendid reign the Emperor Alexander might have had!’ He dismisses Balashov with his letter of reply to the Tsar.
20 June: Chapter 7
To Balashov’s surprise, Napoleon invites him to dinner. The emperor is now in a contented and self-satisfied mood, surrounded by his courtiers and cronies. He asks many pointed questions about the road to Moscow and the city itself. Balashov bows his head and endures. Bonaparte pulls Balashov’s ear, a mark of favour, and sends him on his way. And so the war begins.
Book Three, Part Two
Chapter 1
Napoleon began the war with Russia because he could not resist going to Dresden, could not help having his head turned by the homage he received, could not help donning a Polish uniform and yielding to the stimulating influence of a June morning, and could not refrain from bursts of anger in the presence of Kurakin and then of Balashov.
Tolstoy refutes the idea that Napoleon foresaw disaster and attempted to avert it:
And not only was Napoleon not afraid to extend his line, but he welcomed very step forward as a triumph, and did not seek battle as eagerly as in former campaigns, but very lazily.
Chapter 7
Nikolai Rostov’s orderly, Lavrushka, is captured by the French and brought before Napoleon. The French historian Thiers gave an account of this conversation between a cossack and the emperor. Tolstoy revises it to switch the roles and make Lavrushka cunning and Napoleon a dupe. The emperor lets him go, and he returns to Rostov, thinking up new and better stories to tell.
Chapter 26
On the eve of battle, Napoleon is being pampered and pummelled by his valet. M. de Beausset arrives from Paris with a painting of Napoleon’s son, who is, for some reason, called the King of Rome. Napoleon senses the historic moment and assumes a look of paternal tenderness. He displays the painting to his troops and issues his proclamation to the army: Victory depends on you.
Chapter 27
History gives us to understand that Napoleon used his genius mind to identify where to attack, issued dispositions to that effect and then directed his army to victory. According to Tolstoy, none of this happened. It is obvious to anyone that the French should focus their attack on the left flank. None of his dispositions could be executed, and he was too far from the action to direct the battle. It was as if Napoleon wasn’t there.
Chapter 28
Napoleon had a cold at Borodino, but this was not why the French lost, says Leo. To believe so goes against reality and human dignity, for it was ‘the coincidence of will of all’ that determined the outcome, and not the genius or otherwise of one man. As it was, Napoleon performed his role of ‘appearing to command’ calmly and with dignity. It was just fiction.
Chapter 29
After a second inspection of the lines, Napoleon enjoys a drink with the prefect de Beausset. He jokes and chats carelessly like a famous self-confident surgeon. But Napoleon cannot sleep. He makes sure his personal guard is well-fed and moans about his cold. At half-past five, he rode to Shevardino, and the battle began.
Chapter 33
Above the battlefield, blinded by the sun, Napoleon watches on. Through the smoke, it is impossible to make sense of events, and the reports from the battlefield are always out of date and often contradictory. Orders are given, but none can be executed. Down below, fear reigns, and men go forward and retreat only to survive.
Chapter 34
On his hill, Napoleon drinks punch and chats about matters unrelated to the battle. Requests for reinforcements arrive from all sides, and he begins to realise for the first time that the battle is lost – and he, too, may be captured or killed. He rides along the line and sees slaughter like he has never seen before. He refuses to deploy his Old Guard and rides back to Shevardino.
Chapter 38
Napoleon is briefly overcome by the spectacle of slaughter at Borodino. But he continues to say what is expected of him and fulfils ‘the cruel, sad, gloomy, and inhuman role predestined for him.’ He describes the battlefield as ‘superb’ and later, in exile, writes that the war was fought for the good of humanity.
Book Three, Part Three
Chapter 19
Napoleon is waiting on the hills outside the city, fantasising about possessing the "oriental beauty" of Moscow. He orders the city's boyars to be brought to him, but the city is empty. The sublime moment having passed, Napoleon orders his troops to enter Moscow.
BOOK FOUR
Book 4, Part 2
Chapter 18
At a war council at Malo-Yaroslavets, the ‘simple-minded’ George Mouton tells Napoleon that the only course of action is flight. The next day, Napoleon is almost captured by Cossacks. The French army retreats down the Smolensk road.