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.

Зміст книги
Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 1971 з 2250