An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 706 words)
t that moment Count Rostopchín with his protruding chin and alert eyes,
wearing the uniform of a general with sash over his shoulder, entered
the room, stepping briskly to the front of the crowd of gentry.
“Our sovereign the Emperor will be here in a moment,” said Rostopchín.
“I am straight from the palace. Seeing the position we are in, I think
there is little need for discussion. The Emperor has deigned to summon
us and the merchants. Millions will pour forth from there”—he pointed
to the merchants’ hall—“but our business is to supply men and not spare
ourselves.... That is the least we can do!”
A conference took place confined to the magnates sitting at the table.
The whole consultation passed more than quietly. After all the preceding
noise the sound of their old voices saying one after another, “I
agree,” or for variety, “I too am of that opinion,” and so on had even a
mournful effect.
The secretary was told to write down the resolution of the Moscow
nobility and gentry, that they would furnish ten men, fully equipped,
out of every thousand serfs, as the Smolénsk gentry had done. Their
chairs made a scraping noise as the gentlemen who had conferred rose
with apparent relief, and began walking up and down, arm in arm, to
stretch their legs and converse in couples.
“The Emperor! The Emperor!” a sudden cry resounded through the halls and
the whole throng hurried to the entrance.
The Emperor entered the hall through a broad path between two lines of
nobles. Every face expressed respectful, awe-struck curiosity. Pierre
stood rather far off and could not hear all that the Emperor said. From
what he did hear he understood that the Emperor spoke of the danger
threatening the empire and of the hopes he placed on the Moscow
nobility. He was answered by a voice which informed him of the
resolution just arrived at.
“Gentlemen!” said the Emperor with a quivering voice.
There was a rustling among the crowd and it again subsided, so that
Pierre distinctly heard the pleasantly human voice of the Emperor saying
with emotion:
“I never doubted the devotion of the Russian nobles, but today it has
surpassed my expectations. I thank you in the name of the Fatherland!
Gentlemen, let us act! Time is most precious....”
The Emperor ceased speaking, the crowd began pressing round him, and
rapturous exclamations were heard from all sides.
“Yes, most precious... a royal word,” said Count Rostóv, with a sob. He
stood at the back, and, though he had heard hardly anything, understood
everything in his own way.
From the hall of the nobility the Emperor went to that of the merchants.
There he remained about ten minutes. Pierre was among those who saw him
come out from the merchants’ hall with tears of emotion in his eyes.
As became known later, he had scarcely begun to address the merchants
before tears gushed from his eyes and he concluded in a trembling
voice. When Pierre saw the Emperor he was coming out accompanied by two
merchants, one of whom Pierre knew, a fat otkupshchík. The other was
the mayor, a man with a thin sallow face and narrow beard. Both were
weeping. Tears filled the thin man’s eyes, and the fat otkupshchík
sobbed outright like a child and kept repeating:
“Our lives and property—take them, Your Majesty!”
Pierre’s one feeling at the moment was a desire to show that he was
ready to go all lengths and was prepared to sacrifice everything. He now
felt ashamed of his speech with its constitutional tendency and sought
an opportunity of effacing it. Having heard that Count Mamónov was
furnishing a regiment, Bezúkhov at once informed Rostopchín that he
would give a thousand men and their maintenance.
Old Rostóv could not tell his wife of what had passed without tears, and
at once consented to Pétya’s request and went himself to enter his name.
Next day the Emperor left Moscow. The assembled nobles all took off
their uniforms and settled down again in their homes and clubs, and not
without some groans gave orders to their stewards about the enrollment,
feeling amazed themselves at what they had done.
BOOK TEN: 1812
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Intense emotions and group pressure override rational decision-making, leading to commitments that seem necessary in the moment but become burdens later.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how crisis situations and group pressure can bypass our rational decision-making, leading to commitments we can't sustain.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone creates urgency around a decision—'We need an answer today' or 'Everyone else has already committed'—and practice saying 'Let me sleep on it.'
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Millions will pour forth from there, but our business is to supply men and not spare ourselves.... That is the least we can do!"
Context: Rallying the nobles to contribute soldiers while merchants contribute money
This reveals the class system at work - the wealthy contribute money while the poor contribute lives. Rostopchín frames sending other people's serfs to war as 'not sparing ourselves,' showing the disconnect between those who decide and those who suffer.
In Today's Words:
They'll handle the money, but we need to provide the manpower - it's the least we can do!
"I agree, or for variety, I too am of that opinion"
Context: Describing how the nobles mechanically agree to the military contribution
Tolstoy's ironic tone shows how these life-and-death decisions become routine bureaucracy. The phrase 'for variety' mocks how little real discussion happens when social pressure makes disagreement impossible.
In Today's Words:
Everyone just nodded along with slight variations of 'yeah, sure, whatever'
"The Emperor! The Emperor!"
Context: When the Emperor arrives at the assembly
This simple cry captures the electric excitement and reverence that transforms the entire gathering. The repetition shows how his presence creates an almost religious fervor that will drive all the emotional decisions that follow.
In Today's Words:
It's him! It's really him!
Thematic Threads
Social Pressure
In This Chapter
Nobles feel compelled to match each other's patriotic gestures, with Pierre and Rostóv making costly commitments they haven't fully considered
Development
Building from earlier chapters showing how social expectations drive behavior in aristocratic circles
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you agree to volunteer for something at work just because everyone else is doing it
Class
In This Chapter
Different social classes respond to the Emperor's call—nobles pledge soldiers and money, merchants offer their lives and fortunes, each group performing their expected role
Development
Continues exploring how class determines both opportunities and obligations in Russian society
In Your Life:
You see this when different income levels at your workplace are expected to contribute differently to office collections or events
Identity
In This Chapter
Characters define themselves through their patriotic responses—Pierre becomes the generous benefactor, Rostóv the devoted father willing to sacrifice his son
Development
Extends the theme of how people construct identity through their actions and public commitments
In Your Life:
This appears when you find yourself taking on roles or commitments because they fit how you want to be seen by others
Reality vs. Emotion
In This Chapter
The gap between the nobles' emotional promises during the Emperor's visit and their practical concerns the next day reveals the disconnect between feeling and reality
Development
Introduced here as a new examination of how crisis situations distort judgment
In Your Life:
You experience this when you make promises during emotional conversations that feel impossible to keep in the cold light of day
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific promises did Pierre and Count Rostóv make during the Emperor's visit, and how did their feelings change the next day?
analysis • surface - 2
Why did the nobles make such grand commitments in the moment but feel differently once the Emperor left Moscow?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this pattern of emotional decision-making in your own life or workplace - people making big promises during intense moments that they later struggle to keep?
application • medium - 4
What strategies could Pierre have used to make a more thoughtful decision about funding soldiers, even while caught up in the patriotic moment?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how group pressure and authority figures can override our individual judgment, even when we think we're acting from genuine conviction?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Create Your Emotional Decision Checkpoint
Think of a situation where you might face pressure to make a quick commitment - at work, in your family, or in your community. Design a personal system for pausing before you commit. What questions would you ask yourself? What would you say to buy time without looking uncooperative?
Consider:
- •Consider both the immediate pressure you'll feel and the long-term consequences of overcommitting
- •Think about how to honor genuine emergencies while protecting yourself from emotional manipulation
- •Remember that saying 'let me think about it' is often more responsible than saying yes in the moment
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you made a commitment during an emotional high that you later regretted. What warning signs could you have noticed? How would you handle the same situation today?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 191: The Invisible Hand of History
As Book Ten begins, we shift focus to the broader scope of 1812 - the year that will test every promise made in that emotional Moscow assembly. The real war is about to begin.
