Война и мир

Chapter 19

           StillmoresenselesswouldhavebeenthewishtocapturearmycorpsoftheFrench,whenourownarmyhadmeltedawaytohalfbeforereachingKrásnoeandawholedivisionwouldhavebeenneededtoconvoythecorpsofprisoners,andwhenourmenwerenotalwaysgettingfullrationsandtheprisonersalreadytakenwereperishingofhunger.

           AlltheprofoundplansaboutcuttingoffandcapturingNapoleonandhisarmywereliketheplanofamarketgardenerwho,whendrivingoutofhisgardenacowthathadtrampleddownthebedshehadplanted,shouldruntothegateandhitthecowonthehead.Theonlythingtobesaidinexcuseofthatgardenerwouldbethathewasveryangry.Butnoteventhatcouldbesaidforthosewhodrewupthisproject,foritwasnottheywhohadsufferedfromthetrampledbeds.

           ButbesidesthefactthatcuttingoffNapoleonwithhisarmywouldhavebeensenseless,itwasimpossible.

           Itwasimpossiblefirstbecause—asexperienceshowsthatathree-milemovementofcolumnsonabattlefieldnevercoincideswiththeplans—theprobabilityofChichagóv,Kutúzov,andWittgensteineffectingajunctionontimeatanappointedplacewassoremoteastobetantamounttoimpossibility,asinfactthoughtKutúzov,whowhenhereceivedtheplanremarkedthatdiversionsplannedovergreatdistancesdonotyieldthedesiredresults.

           Secondlyitwasimpossible,becausetoparalyzethemomentumwithwhichNapoleon’sarmywasretiring,incomparablygreaterforcesthantheRussianspossessedwouldhavebeenrequired.

           Thirdlyitwasimpossible,becausethemilitaryterm“tocutoff”hasnomeaning.

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