Tsar Alexander I

Emperor of Russia

Alexander I of Russia. Source.

Alexander I of Russia (1777 – 1825), was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.

BOOK ONE

Book One, Part Three

24 Feb: Chapter 10

The emperor, with the liveliness of a boy of fourteen, “a gentle, mild light” pouring from his eyes. But he feels the chill when face-to-face with the wounded: “Gently, gently! Can’t you do it more gently?” he asks as they carry a wounded man away. “What a terrible thing war is.”

26 Feb: Chapter 11

The emperor falls sick after seeing the killed and wounded at Wischau. But the decision to attack has been made.

1 Mar: Chapter 15

He is looking thinner after his recent illness. But he looks brighter and more energetic than before and tells Kutuzov that they are not on parade, so they don’t need to wait until all the columns are in formation. His energetic impatience contrasts starkly with Napoleon’s supreme calm.

4 Mar: Chapter 18

“The Emperor was pale, his cheeks sunken, and his eyes hollow, but the charm, the mildness of his features, was all the greater.” Nikolai Rostov encounters Alexander alone on the battlefield. Captain von Toll approaches him and speaks warmly with him as he cried, covering his eyes with his hand.

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.

11 April: Chapter 20

Nikolai Rostov resolves to hand Denisov’s petition personally to Emperor Alexander. Rostov is in Tilsit without permission, out of uniform and on the worst possible day to submit a petition. He almost gives in to his fears, but manages to hand it to a cavalry general who shows it to Alexander. The emperor makes a public show of rejecting the petition: “The law is stronger than I.”

12 April: Chapter 21

Alexander rides off for a banquet with Napoleon. The two men embrace, and Napoleon asks to award the Legion of Honour to the bravest Russian soldier. Alexander, unsurprisingly, has no idea how that would be.

Book Two, Part Three

16 April: Chapter 4

It is August 1809. Alexander was injured falling from his caleche. While he recovers, the liberal reformer Speransky has almost exclusive access to the emperor, becoming his main advisor. New reforms are announced. When Andrei returns to court, he is told that the emperor is displeased with him because he has not served since 1805.

BOOK THREE

Book Three, Part One

22 June: Chapter 9

Andrei catches up with the army and court at Drissa, where he is attached to Barclay de Tolly. Anatole is not there, so Andrei immerses himself in military matters. He identifies no fewer than nine factions with competing designs for the campaign. Most men are just in it for their own pleasure and advantage. But finally, wise heads win and convince Alexander to quit the army and appoint a commander-in-chief.

24 June: Chapter 11

Andrei asks the emperor for permission to serve on the frontline.

Chapter 21

Petya sets out to see the emperor and to ask to serve his country, despite his youth. Crushed by the crowds, he loses consciousness and is rescued by a church clerk. When the emperor appears outside the church, Petya doesn’t recognise him. Later, the emperor shows himself on the palace balcony and throws biscuits to the crowd. Petya joins a scrum for the biscuits, pushing aside an old woman.

Chapter 23

The emperor thanks the nobility, and Pierre feels ashamed of his earlier intervention.

Book Three, Part Two

Chapter 1

Tolstoy argues that the Russian retreat was not a conscious strategy by Alexander’s generals and that Smolensk was abandoned contrary to the emperor’s wishes.

BOOK FOUR

Book Four, Part One

Chapter 2

Happy Birthday, Alexander. He celebrates with news of the ‘victory’ at Borodino. However, the next day, no news arrives and everyone feels anxious on behalf of the birthday boy. The surrender of Moscow is confirmed by a letter from Rastopchin and the emperor fires off an angry note to Kutuzov, demanding an explanation.

Chapter 3

Over a week later, a Frenchman called Michaud delivers Kutuzov’s response, officially informing Tsar Alexander of the surrender and destruction of Moscow. The emperor appears stricken with grief and declares his intention to defeat the French or otherwise become a potato-eating peasant unfit to rule.

Book Four, Part Four

Chapter 10

The emperor joins the army and expresses displeasure with Kutuzov’s conduct of the campaign. He explains his plan to take the war abroad and awards Kutuzov with the highest honour, the Order of St George of the First Class.

Chapter 11

The next day, Kutuzov holds a dinner where he presents the emperor with the captured standards of the French. Alexander calls his field marshal a comedian and Kutuzov advises against continuing the war beyond Russia. The emperor takes control of the army and with nothing left to give, Kutuzov dies.