Summary
At the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon stands on a hill trying to command a battle he cannot see. Smoke and distance obscure everything—he watches through a telescope but can't tell French soldiers from Russian ones. The reports flooding back to him are all wrong: messengers claim victories that have already turned to defeats, announce deaths of generals who are still alive, and describe captured positions that have already been lost again. Meanwhile, the actual fighting unfolds in complete chaos. Soldiers ignore orders, running backward when told to advance and charging forward when told to hold position. Officers on the ground make their own decisions without consulting their superiors because survival trumps military hierarchy. Two cavalry regiments gallop into battle only to immediately turn around and flee. The grand strategies drawn up in headquarters mean nothing when bullets start flying and men start dying. Tolstoy reveals the fundamental disconnect between how we think leadership works and how it actually functions under extreme pressure. Napoleon, the great military genius, is essentially a blind man shouting orders into the wind. The real battle is fought by terrified soldiers making split-second decisions based on instinct, not strategy. This chapter exposes the myth of control in crisis situations—showing how even the most powerful leaders become helpless when faced with the fog of war.
Coming Up in Chapter 224
As the battle rages on, we'll see how individual soldiers experience this same chaos from ground level, where the grand strategies of emperors mean nothing compared to the simple desire to stay alive.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
The chief action of the battle of Borodinó was fought within the seven thousand feet between Borodinó and Bagratión’s flèches. Beyond that space there was, on the one side, a demonstration made by the Russians with Uvárov’s cavalry at midday, and on the other side, beyond Utítsa, Poniatowski’s collision with Túchkov; but these two were detached and feeble actions in comparison with what took place in the center of the battlefield. On the field between Borodinó and the flèches, beside the wood, the chief action of the day took place on an open space visible from both sides and was fought in the simplest and most artless way. The battle began on both sides with a cannonade from several hundred guns. Then when the whole field was covered with smoke, two divisions, Campan’s and Dessaix’s, advanced from the French right, while Murat’s troops advanced on Borodinó from their left. From the Shevárdino Redoubt where Napoleon was standing the flèches were two thirds of a mile away, and it was more than a mile as the crow flies to Borodinó, so that Napoleon could not see what was happening there, especially as the smoke mingling with the mist hid the whole locality. The soldiers of Dessaix’s division advancing against the flèches could only be seen till they had entered the hollow that lay between them and the flèches. As soon as they had descended into that hollow, the smoke of the guns and musketry on the flèches grew so dense that it covered the whole approach on that side of it. Through the smoke glimpses could be caught of something black—probably men—and at times the glint of bayonets. But whether they were moving or stationary, whether they were French or Russian, could not be discovered from the Shevárdino Redoubt. The sun had risen brightly and its slanting rays struck straight into Napoleon’s face as, shading his eyes with his hand, he looked at the flèches. The smoke spread out before them, and at times it looked as if the smoke were moving, at times as if the troops moved. Sometimes shouts were heard through the firing, but it was impossible to tell what was being done there. Napoleon, standing on the knoll, looked through a field glass, and in its small circlet saw smoke and men, sometimes his own and sometimes Russians, but when he looked again with the naked eye, he could not tell where what he had seen was. He descended the knoll and began walking up and down before it. Occasionally he stopped, listened to the firing, and gazed intently at the battlefield. But not only was it impossible to make out what was happening from where he was standing down below, or from the knoll above on which some of his generals had taken their stand, but even from the flèches themselves—in which by this time there were now Russian and now French soldiers, alternately or together, dead, wounded, alive, frightened, or maddened—even at those flèches themselves...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Command Illusion
The higher someone sits in a hierarchy, the less accurate information they receive about what's actually happening at ground level.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to spot the gap between what leaders claim to control and what they actually see.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone in authority makes confident statements about situations they're not directly involved in—then look for the real information sources.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Fog of war
The confusion and uncertainty that happens during battle when leaders can't see what's really going on. Communication breaks down, reports are wrong, and nobody knows who's winning.
Modern Usage:
We use this term for any chaotic situation where the person in charge doesn't have accurate information - like a CEO during a company crisis or a manager dealing with a workplace emergency.
Flèches
Arrow-shaped earthwork fortifications that the Russians built at Borodino. These dirt walls with cannons were key defensive positions that both sides fought over repeatedly.
Modern Usage:
Any strategic position that everyone fights to control - like the corner office, the best parking spot, or control of a family business.
Cannonade
Continuous bombardment with artillery cannons. At Borodino, hundreds of guns fired at once, creating so much smoke that nobody could see the battlefield.
Modern Usage:
We still use this for any overwhelming barrage - like a cannonade of angry emails, criticism, or social media attacks.
Redoubt
A small fort or defensive position, usually temporary. The Shevárdino Redoubt was Napoleon's observation post, but it was too far from the action to be useful.
Modern Usage:
Any position someone thinks gives them control but actually isolates them from what's really happening - like the executive floor or the manager's office.
Command disconnect
When the person giving orders is so removed from the actual situation that their commands become meaningless or harmful. Distance and chaos make leadership impossible.
Modern Usage:
This happens constantly in corporate settings, government, and families - when the decision-maker doesn't understand what's actually happening on the ground.
False intelligence
Wrong information that gets passed up the chain of command. In battle, messengers often report what they think happened or what they think leaders want to hear.
Modern Usage:
This is everywhere - employees telling bosses what they want to hear, kids lying to parents, or news reports getting the story wrong in breaking situations.
Characters in This Chapter
Napoleon
Distant commander
He stands on a hill trying to control a battle he can't see. Despite his reputation as a military genius, he's essentially helpless, receiving false reports and giving meaningless orders.
Modern Equivalent:
The CEO who makes decisions from the boardroom without understanding what's happening on the shop floor
Dessaix
Division commander
He leads French troops advancing against the flèches but disappears into the smoke and chaos. His soldiers become invisible to Napoleon once they enter the hollow.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager who has to execute impossible orders from above while dealing with ground-level reality
Campan
Division commander
Another French division leader advancing from the right. Like Dessaix, he becomes lost in the smoke and confusion, beyond Napoleon's control or observation.
Modern Equivalent:
The department head trying to implement corporate strategy while dealing with actual customer problems
Murat
Cavalry commander
He leads troops advancing on Borodinó from the left flank. His movements are part of Napoleon's grand plan, but once the fighting starts, he's on his own.
Modern Equivalent:
The team leader who has to make split-second decisions when the original plan falls apart
Uvárov
Russian cavalry commander
He makes a demonstration with Russian cavalry at midday, but it's described as a 'detached and feeble action' compared to the main battle.
Modern Equivalent:
The person making a token effort or distraction while the real action happens elsewhere
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Napoleon could not see what was happening there, especially as the smoke mingling with the mist hid the whole locality."
Context: Describing Napoleon's position during the battle
This perfectly captures the central irony - the great commander is blind to his own battle. All his strategic genius means nothing when he can't see what's actually happening.
In Today's Words:
The boss has no clue what's really going on because he's too far removed from the actual work.
"The soldiers of Dessaix's division advancing against the flèches could only be seen till they had entered the hollow."
Context: Explaining how troops disappear from Napoleon's view
Once soldiers enter the real fight, they vanish from command's sight. This shows how leadership becomes impossible when the action starts and communication breaks down.
In Today's Words:
Once your people get into the thick of things, you lose track of what they're actually doing.
"The chief action of the day took place on an open space visible from both sides and was fought in the simplest and most artless way."
Context: Describing the main battlefield between Borodinó and the flèches
Despite all the complex military strategy, the actual fighting comes down to simple, brutal combat. All the sophisticated planning dissolves into basic survival.
In Today's Words:
When things get real, all your fancy plans go out the window and it comes down to who can handle the pressure.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Napoleon's supposed absolute power becomes meaningless when he can't see or control the actual battle
Development
Building from earlier scenes of aristocratic power games to show power's ultimate limitations
In Your Life:
You might see this when your boss makes decisions that seem completely disconnected from your daily work reality
Identity
In This Chapter
Soldiers abandon their military identities and act on pure survival instinct when faced with death
Development
Continuing exploration of how crisis strips away social roles to reveal core human nature
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when extreme stress makes you act completely differently than your usual professional persona
Class
In This Chapter
The class divide between Napoleon on his hill and soldiers in the mud becomes literally a matter of perspective and survival
Development
Deepening the theme to show how class creates physical and informational distance from reality
In Your Life:
You might experience this divide between management and frontline workers in any job
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Military hierarchy breaks down as soldiers form survival bonds with whoever is next to them, regardless of rank
Development
Showing how genuine human connection emerges when artificial social structures collapse
In Your Life:
You might find your closest work relationships are with people who share your actual daily struggles, not your official teammates
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The expectation that great leaders control great events is completely shattered by the chaos of actual battle
Development
Exposing the myth of individual control over complex systems
In Your Life:
You might feel this pressure when people expect you to control outcomes that are actually beyond anyone's individual influence
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What prevented Napoleon from knowing what was actually happening during the Battle of Borodino?
analysis • surface - 2
Why were the reports reaching Napoleon so inaccurate, and what does this reveal about how information travels up hierarchies?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this same pattern of leaders being disconnected from ground-level reality in your workplace, school, or community?
application • medium - 4
If you were a soldier on the ground trying to get accurate information to your commander, what strategies would you use to cut through the noise?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about the limits of control and the illusion of leadership during crisis situations?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Information Chain
Think of a situation where you need to communicate important information up or down a hierarchy - at work, in your family, or in an organization you belong to. Draw a simple map showing all the people information has to pass through to reach the decision-maker. Then identify where information might get filtered, delayed, or distorted along the way.
Consider:
- •What motivations might each person have to change or filter the message?
- •How much time passes between each step, and how might urgency get lost?
- •What happens when people tell others what they think they want to hear instead of the truth?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you experienced this information breakdown firsthand - either as someone trying to get a message through or as someone who made a decision based on incomplete information. What could have been done differently?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 224: When Victory Turns to Nightmare
Moving forward, we'll examine to recognize when your usual strategies aren't working, and understand micromanaging during crisis often makes things worse. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.