To stall for time, Bagratión sends Nicolai on a fool’s errand to deliver a message to the commander in chief. Bagratión does this only to avert responsibility from himself, even though it could easily cost Rostóv’s life.
To stall for time, Bagratión sends Nicolai on a fool’s errand to deliver a message to the commander in chief. Bagratión does this only to avert responsibility from himself, even though it could easily cost Rostóv’s life.
Book 3, Chapter 17
To stall for time, Bagratión sends Nicolai on a fool’s errand to deliver a message to the commander in chief. Bagratión does this only to avert responsibility from himself, even though it could easily cost Rostóv’s life.
Summary:
At nine o’clock, Bagratión does not wish to begin the attack on the right flank. In order to stall for time, he proposes sending a messenger to the commander in chief. Bagratión knows that the distance between the two flanks was more than six miles, so even if the messenger were not killed (which he very likely would be), he would not be able to get back before evening. Bagratión does this for no other reason than to avoid being personally blamed for not beginning the attack away from himself. Rostóv is selected to deliver the message. Nicolai is very happy. All of his wishes were being fulfilled that morning: there was to be a general engagement in which he was taking part, he was orderly to the bravest general, and he was going with a message to Kutúzov, perhaps even to the sovereign himself. Nicolai rides through the battle lines as firing grows louder and more frequent, rising to a steady roar. He sees troops moving everywhere , but cannot understand what is happening. At one point, he is nearly caught in the middle of a cavalry attack, but he manages to get away. The battle intensifies. He happens to see Borís and Berg, but has not yet found Kutúzov. He sees many wounded soldiers leaving the field. Still not having found the commander in chief, he sees that French cannon and French troops have reached the Pratzen Heights, just where he had been ordered to look for the commander in chief. He could not, did not wish to, believe what he was seeing.
quote from the chapter:
On our right flank commanded by Bagratión, at nine o’clock the battle had not yet begun. Not wishing to agree to Dolgorúkov’s demand to commence the action, and wishing to avert responsibility from himself, Prince Bagratión proposed to Dolgorúkov to send to inquire of the commander in chief. Bagratión knew that as the distance between the two flanks was more than six miles, even if the messenger were not killed (which he very likely would be), and found the commander in chief (which would be very difficult), he would not be able to get back before evening.
Bagratión cast his large, expressionless, sleepy eyes round his suite, and the boyish face Rostóv, breathless with excitement and hope, was the first to catch his eye. He sent him.
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