The Russians are victorious in battle, capturing a French cavalry detachment. Nicholas’ squadron is not sent into the fighting. After the battle, the troops are deeply moved with love for the Tsar and the Russian arms.
The Russians are victorious in battle, capturing a French cavalry detachment. Nicholas’ squadron is not sent into the fighting. After the battle, the troops are deeply moved with love for the Tsar and the Russian arms.
Book 3, Chapter 10
The Russians are victorious in battle, capturing a French cavalry detachment. Nicholas’ squadron is not sent into the fighting. After the battle, the troops are deeply moved with love for the Tsar and the Russian arms.
Summary:
On the day of the battle Nicholas’ squadron was kept in reserve. This meant he would have no chance to distinguish himself in battle that day. Consequently, he spent that day in a dull and wretched mood. Eventually the men and officers who did fight began returning from the battle. They spoke of a brilliant victory and the capture of a whole detachment of French cavalry. When he sees the cossacks leading a captured French dragoon and his horse back from battle, Nicholas buys the horse, assuring its French owner he will take good care of it. Presently, the Emperor rides up and Nicholas and his compatriots are in awe. Nicholas was really in love with the Tsar and the glory of the Russian arms and the hope of future triumph. And he was not the only man to experience that feeling during those memorable days preceding the battle of Austerlitz, nearly all the soldiers experienced these emotions. However and ironically given the mood of the troops, merely seeing a bloody and wounded Russian soldier seems to upset the Emperor, who is reminded of what a terrible thing war is.
quote from the chapter:
Casually, while surveying the squadron, the Emperor’s eyes met Rostóv’s and rested on them for not more than two seconds. Whether or no the Emperor understood what was going on in Rostóv’s soul (it seemed to Rostóv that he understood everything), at any rate his light-blue eyes gazed for about two seconds into Rostóv’s face. A gentle, mild light poured from them. Then all at once he raised his eyebrows, abruptly touched his horse with his left foot, and galloped on.
The younger Emperor could not restrain his wish to be present at the battle and, in spite of the remonstrances of his courtiers, at twelve o’clock left the third column with which he had been and galloped toward the vanguard. Before he came up with the hussars, several adjutants met him with news of the successful result of the action.
This battle, which consisted in the capture of a French squadron, was represented as a brilliant victory over the French, and so the Emperor and the whole army, especially while the smoke hung over the battlefield, believed that the French had been defeated and were retreating against their will.
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