Upon returning to Moscow, Pierre is called to the office of the governor.
Summary:
Arriving in Moscow, Pierre is summoned at once by the Governor General of Moscow, Count Rostopchín. Pierre waits in an outer room to see him. Rostopchín’s anteroom and reception room were full of officials who had been summoned or had come for orders. They all seemed dissatisfied and uneasy. Pierre learns about some of the dubious things Rostopchín has been up to as the French draw near to the city. For example, Rostopchín has been concealing from the inhabitants the fact that Moscow must be surrendered, prosecuted a citizen accused of circulating Napoleon’s proclamation, and has taken other questionable actions in his capacity as commander in chief. Someone asks Pierre about his “family troubles”, but Pierre says he’s heard nothing about it.
quote from the chapter:
Without going home, Pierre took a cab and drove to see the Moscow commander in chief.
Count Rostopchín had only that morning returned to town from his summer villa at Sokólniki. The anteroom and reception room of his house were full of officials who had been summoned or had come for orders. Vasílchikov and Plátov had already seen the count and explained to him that it was impossible to defend Moscow and that it would have to be surrendered. Though this news was being concealed from the inhabitants, the officials-the heads of the various government departments-knew that Moscow would soon be in the enemy’s hands, just as Count Rostopchín himself knew it, and to escape personal responsibility they had all come to the governor to ask how they were to deal with their various departments.
Book 11, Chapter 10
Upon returning to Moscow, Pierre is called to the office of the governor.
Summary:
Arriving in Moscow, Pierre is summoned at once by the Governor General of Moscow, Count Rostopchín. Pierre waits in an outer room to see him. Rostopchín’s anteroom and reception room were full of officials who had been summoned or had come for orders. They all seemed dissatisfied and uneasy. Pierre learns about some of the dubious things Rostopchín has been up to as the French draw near to the city. For example, Rostopchín has been concealing from the inhabitants the fact that Moscow must be surrendered, prosecuted a citizen accused of circulating Napoleon’s proclamation, and has taken other questionable actions in his capacity as commander in chief. Someone asks Pierre about his “family troubles”, but Pierre says he’s heard nothing about it.
quote from the chapter:
Without going home, Pierre took a cab and drove to see the Moscow commander in chief.
Count Rostopchín had only that morning returned to town from his summer villa at Sokólniki. The anteroom and reception room of his house were full of officials who had been summoned or had come for orders. Vasílchikov and Plátov had already seen the count and explained to him that it was impossible to defend Moscow and that it would have to be surrendered. Though this news was being concealed from the inhabitants, the officials-the heads of the various government departments-knew that Moscow would soon be in the enemy’s hands, just as Count Rostopchín himself knew it, and to escape personal responsibility they had all come to the governor to ask how they were to deal with their various departments.
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