Summary
Napoleon stands at the peak of his power, having conquered Moscow with overwhelming military advantages. He has every strategic option available: he could destroy the weakened Russian army, negotiate peace from strength, advance on St. Petersburg, or simply wait out winter in the well-supplied city. Instead, he makes the worst possible choices—letting his troops loot Moscow, hesitating about leaving a garrison, and eventually retreating along the same devastated route he came by. Tolstoy presents this as a puzzle: how could history's greatest military genius make such obviously stupid decisions? The answer isn't that Napoleon suddenly became incompetent or lost his abilities. His mind remained as sharp and active as ever, issuing orders and managing multiple concerns from army welfare to diplomatic considerations. Rather, Tolstoy suggests that individual genius—no matter how brilliant—has limits when it collides with larger historical forces. Napoleon's personal talents, which had carried him to victory across Europe, simply weren't enough to overcome the unique circumstances he faced in Russia. This chapter challenges our tendency to credit success entirely to individual brilliance and failure to personal incompetence. Sometimes the situation is bigger than any one person's abilities, no matter how exceptional they might be.
Coming Up in Chapter 288
Tolstoy continues exploring the mystery of Napoleon's decisions, diving deeper into the forces that shaped this pivotal moment in history. The philosophical examination of power, genius, and historical inevitability intensifies.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Napoleon enters Moscow after the brilliant victory de la Moskowa; there can be no doubt about the victory for the battlefield remains in the hands of the French. The Russians retreat and abandon their ancient capital. Moscow, abounding in provisions, arms, munitions, and incalculable wealth, is in Napoleon’s hands. The Russian army, only half the strength of the French, does not make a single attempt to attack for a whole month. Napoleon’s position is most brilliant. He can either fall on the Russian army with double its strength and destroy it; negotiate an advantageous peace, or in case of a refusal make a menacing move on Petersburg, or even, in the case of a reverse, return to Smolénsk or Vílna; or remain in Moscow; in short, no special genius would seem to be required to retain the brilliant position the French held at that time. For that, only very simple and easy steps were necessary: not to allow the troops to loot, to prepare winter clothing—of which there was sufficient in Moscow for the whole army—and methodically to collect the provisions, of which (according to the French historians) there were enough in Moscow to supply the whole army for six months. Yet Napoleon, that greatest of all geniuses, who the historians declare had control of the army, took none of these steps. He not merely did nothing of the kind, but on the contrary he used his power to select the most foolish and ruinous of all the courses open to him. Of all that Napoleon might have done: wintering in Moscow, advancing on Petersburg or on Nízhni-Nóvgorod, or retiring by a more northerly or more southerly route (say by the road Kutúzov afterwards took), nothing more stupid or disastrous can be imagined than what he actually did. He remained in Moscow till October, letting the troops plunder the city; then, hesitating whether to leave a garrison behind him, he quitted Moscow, approached Kutúzov without joining battle, turned to the right and reached Málo-Yaroslávets, again without attempting to break through and take the road Kutúzov took, but retiring instead to Mozháysk along the devastated Smolénsk road. Nothing more stupid than that could have been devised, or more disastrous for the army, as the sequel showed. Had Napoleon’s aim been to destroy his army, the most skillful strategist could hardly have devised any series of actions that would so completely have accomplished that purpose, independently of anything the Russian army might do. Napoleon, the man of genius, did this! But to say that he destroyed his army because he wished to, or because he was very stupid, would be as unjust as to say that he had brought his troops to Moscow because he wished to and because he was very clever and a genius. In both cases his personal activity, having no more force than the personal activity of any soldier, merely coincided with the laws that guided the event. The historians quite falsely represent Napoleon’s faculties as having weakened...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Genius Trap - When Your Strengths Become Your Weakness
When the very strengths that brought success become the weaknesses that cause failure because circumstances have changed but methods haven't adapted.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when your greatest strengths have become your biggest obstacles to growth.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're applying old solutions to new problems—ask yourself 'What got me here won't get me there, so what needs to change?'
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Strategic advantage
Having all the cards in your favor - better position, more resources, more options than your opponent. Napoleon had every possible military advantage after taking Moscow.
Modern Usage:
Like having multiple job offers when negotiating salary, or being the only qualified candidate for a promotion.
Historical forces
Large-scale circumstances and trends that shape events beyond any individual's control. Think economic crashes, cultural shifts, or natural disasters that affect everyone.
Modern Usage:
The way automation eliminates jobs regardless of how hard individual workers try, or how the pandemic changed everyone's plans.
Genius paradox
When extremely talented people fail not because they lost their abilities, but because their situation exceeded what any individual could handle. Their skills remain intact but become insufficient.
Modern Usage:
Like a brilliant doctor who can't save a patient because the disease is too advanced, or a great manager whose company fails due to market collapse.
Looting
Soldiers stealing and destroying property instead of maintaining discipline. Napoleon let his troops ransack Moscow instead of preserving supplies they'd need for winter.
Modern Usage:
When employees slack off and waste resources because management isn't enforcing standards.
Winter provisions
Food, clothing, and supplies needed to survive harsh conditions. Moscow had everything Napoleon's army needed, but he failed to organize proper collection and storage.
Modern Usage:
Like having money in the bank but not budgeting properly for upcoming expenses.
Retreat route
The path taken when withdrawing from a position. Napoleon chose to return the same way he came, through already devastated territory with no supplies.
Modern Usage:
Like taking the same broken approach to fix a relationship problem instead of trying a new strategy.
Characters in This Chapter
Napoleon
Tragic protagonist
At the height of his power but making catastrophic decisions. Despite having every advantage, he allows his army to loot Moscow and fails to prepare for winter or secure his position.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful CEO who gets overconfident and makes terrible decisions that destroy the company
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Napoleon's position is most brilliant. He can either fall on the Russian army with double its strength and destroy it; negotiate an advantageous peace, or in case of a refusal make a menacing move on Petersburg"
Context: Tolstoy listing all of Napoleon's strategic options after conquering Moscow
This shows how completely Napoleon dominated the situation - he had multiple winning moves available. The tragedy is that he chose none of them, making his later failure even more puzzling.
In Today's Words:
He held all the cards and could have won in several different ways.
"Yet Napoleon, that greatest of all geniuses, who the historians declare had control of the army, took none of these steps"
Context: After describing all the obvious smart moves Napoleon could have made
Tolstoy's central puzzle - how could someone so brilliant make such obviously bad choices? This sets up his argument that individual genius has limits when facing overwhelming circumstances.
In Today's Words:
But this guy everyone calls a genius did exactly the opposite of what made sense.
"For that, only very simple and easy steps were necessary: not to allow the troops to loot, to prepare winter clothing"
Context: Explaining what Napoleon should have done to maintain his position
Tolstoy emphasizes how basic and obvious the right moves were - this wasn't rocket science. Napoleon's failure becomes more mysterious because the solutions were so simple.
In Today's Words:
All he had to do was follow basic common sense - stop the stealing and get ready for winter.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Napoleon's absolute power gives him every strategic option but also isolates him from feedback that might prevent his worst decisions
Development
Throughout the book, characters with power consistently make choices that seem obviously wrong to observers
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you're the boss, parent, or expert whose authority prevents others from telling you hard truths.
Identity
In This Chapter
Napoleon's identity as military genius prevents him from adapting strategies that would contradict his self-image
Development
Characters repeatedly struggle when their circumstances demand behaviors that conflict with how they see themselves
In Your Life:
This shows up when your professional identity or family role keeps you stuck in patterns that no longer serve you.
Control
In This Chapter
Napoleon believes his personal will and genius can overcome any obstacle, but some forces are simply beyond individual control
Development
The tension between personal agency and larger forces has been building throughout the novel
In Your Life:
You see this when you keep trying to control outcomes through sheer effort instead of adapting to what's actually possible.
Expectations
In This Chapter
Everyone expects Napoleon to make brilliant decisions because he always has, creating pressure that may actually impair his judgment
Development
Social expectations have consistently trapped characters throughout the story
In Your Life:
This appears when others' expectations of your competence prevent you from admitting uncertainty or asking for help.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Napoleon had every advantage in Moscow - superior forces, a conquered city, multiple strategic options. What specific choices did he make that led to disaster?
analysis • surface - 2
Why couldn't Napoleon's proven military genius solve the problems he faced in Russia? What was different about this situation?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about someone you know who was successful in one area but struggled when circumstances changed. What patterns do you see between their situation and Napoleon's?
application • medium - 4
When have you experienced success in one situation that actually hurt you in a different context? How did you recognize what needed to change?
application • deep - 5
What does Napoleon's story reveal about the relationship between individual talent and circumstances beyond our control?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Success Trap Assessment
Identify one area where you've been successful using specific methods or approaches. Now think about a current challenge you're facing. Write down your usual methods, then honestly assess whether those same approaches might be holding you back in this new situation. What would you need to do differently?
Consider:
- •Success can create blind spots - we stop questioning what works
- •The same strength in different circumstances can become a weakness
- •Recognizing when to adapt is often harder than the actual change itself
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when something that made you successful in the past became an obstacle. How did you realize you needed to change your approach, and what did you learn about flexibility?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 288: Napoleon's Grand Illusion of Control
What lies ahead teaches us people in power create elaborate systems to mask fundamental problems, and shows us good intentions without understanding local reality often backfire. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.