Summary
Kutuzov wakes up dreading a battle he never wanted to fight, but duty forces him to oversee it anyway. As he travels to the meeting point, everything goes wrong. The soldiers who should be in position for a surprise attack are casually watering their horses. Infantry troops are still eating breakfast instead of advancing. No one received the orders to move forward. The careful battle plan has completely fallen apart. Kutuzov's frustration boils over into rage. He screams at officers who aren't even responsible for the mess, calling them blackguards and threatening to have them shot. The old commander, who has spent his life earning respect and authority, realizes he's making himself look foolish in front of the entire army. His physical pain mirrors his emotional anguish - he feels humiliated and powerless despite his high rank and reputation. After his anger burns out, he has to listen to excuses and agree to try the same failed plan again tomorrow. This chapter shows how even the most experienced leaders can lose control when overwhelmed by circumstances beyond their power. Kutuzov's outburst reveals the human cost of command - the weight of responsibility, the frustration of incompetence, and the loneliness of leadership. His reaction also demonstrates how stress can make us lash out at innocent people, damaging our relationships and authority in the process.
Coming Up in Chapter 285
The failed attack must be attempted again, but will the second try succeed where the first fell apart? The army's morale and Kutuzov's reputation hang in the balance.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Next day the decrepit Kutúzov, having given orders to be called early, said his prayers, dressed, and, with an unpleasant consciousness of having to direct a battle he did not approve of, got into his calèche and drove from Letashóvka (a village three and a half miles from Tarútino) to the place where the attacking columns were to meet. He sat in the calèche, dozing and waking up by turns, and listening for any sound of firing on the right as an indication that the action had begun. But all was still quiet. A damp dull autumn morning was just dawning. On approaching Tarútino Kutúzov noticed cavalrymen leading their horses to water across the road along which he was driving. Kutúzov looked at them searchingly, stopped his carriage, and inquired what regiment they belonged to. They belonged to a column that should have been far in front and in ambush long before then. “It may be a mistake,” thought the old commander in chief. But a little further on he saw infantry regiments with their arms piled and the soldiers, only partly dressed, eating their rye porridge and carrying fuel. He sent for an officer. The officer reported that no order to advance had been received. “How! Not rec...” Kutúzov began, but checked himself immediately and sent for a senior officer. Getting out of his calèche, he waited with drooping head and breathing heavily, pacing silently up and down. When Eýkhen, the officer of the general staff whom he had summoned, appeared, Kutúzov went purple in the face, not because that officer was to blame for the mistake, but because he was an object of sufficient importance for him to vent his wrath on. Trembling and panting the old man fell into that state of fury in which he sometimes used to roll on the ground, and he fell upon Eýkhen, threatening him with his hands, shouting and loading him with gross abuse. Another man, Captain Brózin, who happened to turn up and who was not at all to blame, suffered the same fate. “What sort of another blackguard are you? I’ll have you shot! Scoundrels!” yelled Kutúzov in a hoarse voice, waving his arms and reeling. He was suffering physically. He, the commander in chief, a Serene Highness who everybody said possessed powers such as no man had ever had in Russia, to be placed in this position—made the laughingstock of the whole army! “I needn’t have been in such a hurry to pray about today, or have kept awake thinking everything over all night,” thought he to himself. “When I was a chit of an officer no one would have dared to mock me so... and now!” He was in a state of physical suffering as if from corporal punishment, and could not avoid expressing it by cries of anger and distress. But his strength soon began to fail him, and looking about him, conscious of having said much that was amiss, he again got into his calèche...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Authority Under Pressure - When Leaders Lose Control
When people in positions of responsibility face overwhelming circumstances beyond their control, they often lash out at innocent bystanders, damaging their authority and relationships.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when someone's rage is really about powerlessness, not about you.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone explodes over something small - look for the bigger frustration they can't control that's driving the outburst.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Commander in Chief
The highest military authority who makes all strategic decisions during wartime. In this chapter, Kutuzov holds this position but feels trapped by political pressure to fight battles he doesn't believe in. The role comes with enormous responsibility but also frustrating limitations.
Modern Usage:
Like a CEO who has to implement board decisions they disagree with, or a manager forced to execute policies they know won't work.
Chain of Command
The military hierarchy where orders flow down from top to bottom, and each level is responsible for the one below it. When this breaks down, as it does in this chapter, chaos follows and no one knows what they're supposed to be doing.
Modern Usage:
When your boss doesn't tell the team about schedule changes, or when miscommunication at work leaves everyone confused about their assignments.
Ambush
A surprise attack where soldiers hide and wait to strike the enemy unexpectedly. The success depends entirely on timing and secrecy. In this chapter, the planned ambush fails because the troops aren't in position.
Modern Usage:
Like planning a surprise party that fails because half the guests show up early, or any situation where surprise is ruined by poor coordination.
Scapegoating
Blaming someone who isn't really responsible when things go wrong, usually because you're frustrated and need someone to yell at. Kutuzov does this when he screams at officers who didn't cause the problem.
Modern Usage:
When you snap at your kids because you had a bad day at work, or when managers blame employees for system failures they didn't cause.
Authority Under Pressure
How leaders behave when their plans fall apart and they feel their reputation is at stake. Some leaders maintain composure, others lose control completely. Kutuzov's outburst shows how stress can make even experienced leaders act poorly.
Modern Usage:
Like a parent losing their temper in public when their child misbehaves, or a boss having a meltdown during a crisis meeting.
Military Incompetence
When poor planning, miscommunication, or negligence causes military operations to fail. This chapter shows how small failures can cascade into major disasters, and how the consequences affect everyone involved.
Modern Usage:
Like when a hospital shift change goes wrong because information wasn't passed along properly, or when a project fails due to poor communication between departments.
Characters in This Chapter
Kutuzov
Reluctant military commander
An elderly general forced to oversee a battle he never wanted to fight. When everything goes wrong, he loses his temper completely, screaming at subordinates and threatening executions. His breakdown reveals the enormous pressure of leadership and how stress can make anyone act badly.
Modern Equivalent:
The overwhelmed supervisor who finally snaps at their team during a crisis
Eykhen
Staff officer
A general staff officer who becomes the target of Kutuzov's rage even though he's not responsible for the communication failures. He represents all the middle managers who get blamed when systems break down above their level.
Modern Equivalent:
The department coordinator who gets yelled at when upper management's plans fall apart
Key Quotes & Analysis
"It may be a mistake"
Context: When he first notices troops who should be in ambush position are instead casually watering their horses
This shows Kutuzov's initial hope that the disaster he's witnessing is just a small error that can be fixed. His optimism quickly turns to horror as he realizes the entire operation has collapsed. The quote captures that moment when you first suspect something is seriously wrong.
In Today's Words:
Maybe I'm seeing this wrong - maybe it's not as bad as it looks
"How! Not rec..."
Context: When an officer reports that no orders to advance were received
Kutuzov can't even finish his sentence because he's so shocked by the complete breakdown in communication. This incomplete phrase shows how overwhelming it is when you discover that basic systems have failed completely.
In Today's Words:
What do you mean nobody told you? How is that even possible?
"Blackguards! I'll have you shot!"
Context: During his rage-filled outburst at officers who aren't responsible for the failure
This shows Kutuzov at his worst moment, making threats he can't and won't carry out against people who don't deserve it. His loss of control damages his authority and relationships. It reveals how stress can make us lash out at innocent people when we feel powerless.
In Today's Words:
You idiots! I'm going to fire all of you!
Thematic Threads
Authority
In This Chapter
Kutuzov's authority crumbles when he loses control and screams at innocent officers
Development
Building from earlier scenes of Napoleon's overconfidence - both leaders struggle with the limits of power
In Your Life:
You might see this when supervisors blame workers for systemic problems they can't control
Class
In This Chapter
Military hierarchy breaks down when the general humiliates himself in front of subordinates
Development
Continues the theme of social structures failing under pressure
In Your Life:
You might notice how workplace hierarchies collapse when leaders lose their composure publicly
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Kutuzov damages relationships with officers who respect him by lashing out unfairly
Development
Echoes patterns of characters throughout the novel hurting people they care about
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you take frustration out on family members who didn't cause your problems
Identity
In This Chapter
Kutuzov's self-image as a dignified commander conflicts with his loss of control
Development
Continues the exploration of how crisis reveals who people really are
In Your Life:
You might feel this tension when stress makes you act in ways that contradict your values
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
The chapter shows how even experienced leaders can regress under extreme pressure
Development
Reinforces that growth isn't linear - people can backslide when overwhelmed
In Your Life:
You might notice how you revert to old patterns when facing situations beyond your control
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific things went wrong with Kutuzov's battle plan, and how did he react when he discovered the problems?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Kutuzov screamed at officers who weren't responsible for the mess instead of addressing the real problems?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this pattern - someone in authority lashing out at the wrong people when they're overwhelmed by circumstances they can't control?
application • medium - 4
If you were advising Kutuzov in that moment, what would you tell him to do differently to maintain his authority while dealing with the chaos?
application • deep - 5
What does Kutuzov's outburst reveal about the hidden costs of being in charge, and how might this apply to any leadership role?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Trace the Blame Chain
Think of a recent situation where someone in authority (boss, parent, teacher, supervisor) got angry at you or others for something that wasn't really your fault. Map out what was actually happening: What was the real problem? What couldn't they control? Why did they target you instead? Then flip it - recall a time when you did the same thing to someone else.
Consider:
- •Look for the gap between who got blamed and who was actually responsible
- •Notice how powerlessness often gets disguised as taking charge
- •Consider how the person's reputation and relationships were affected by their outburst
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you felt overwhelmed by circumstances beyond your control. How did you handle it? If you lashed out at someone, what would you do differently now? If you held it together, what strategies helped you?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 285: When Plans Fall Apart
In the next chapter, you'll discover doubt can sabotage decisions even when you're committed, and learn good intentions don't guarantee good outcomes in complex situations. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.