Chapter 18

           

           ThiscampaignconsistedinaflightoftheFrenchduringwhichtheydidalltheycouldtodestroythemselves.FromthetimetheyturnedontotheKalúgaroadtothedaytheirleaderfledfromthearmy,noneofthemovementsofthecrowdhadanysense.Soonemighthavethoughtthatregardingthisperiodofthecampaignthehistorians,whoattributedtheactionsofthemasstothewillofoneman,wouldhavefounditimpossibletomakethestoryoftheretreatfittheirtheory.Butno!Mountainsofbookshavebeenwrittenbythehistoriansaboutthiscampaign,andeverywherearedescribedNapoleon’sarrangements,themaneuvers,andhisprofoundplanswhichguidedthearmy,aswellasthemilitarygeniusshownbyhismarshals.

           TheretreatfromMálo-Yaroslávetswhenhehadafreeroadintoawell-supplieddistrictandtheparallelroadwasopentohimalongwhichKutúzovafterwardspursuedhim—thisunnecessaryretreatalongadevastatedroad—isexplainedtousasbeingduetoprofoundconsiderations.SimilarlyprofoundconsiderationsaregivenforhisretreatfromSmolénsktoOrshá.ThenhisheroismatKrásnoeisdescribed,whereheisreportedtohavebeenpreparedtoacceptbattleandtakepersonalcommand,andtohavewalkedaboutwithabirchstickandsaid:

           “J’aiassezfaitl’empereur;ilesttempsdefairelegénéral,”*butneverthelessimmediatelyranawayagain,abandoningtoitsfatethescatteredfragmentsofthearmyheleftbehind.

           *“IhaveactedtheEmperorlongenough;itistimetoact

           thegeneral.

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