An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1091 words)
he fifth of November was the first day of what is called the battle of
Krásnoe. Toward evening—after much disputing and many mistakes made by
generals who did not go to their proper places, and after adjutants had
been sent about with counterorders—when it had become plain that the
enemy was everywhere in flight and that there could and would be no
battle, Kutúzov left Krásnoe and went to Dóbroe whither his headquarters
had that day been transferred.
The day was clear and frosty. Kutúzov rode to Dóbroe on his plump little
white horse, followed by an enormous suite of discontented generals who
whispered among themselves behind his back. All along the road groups of
French prisoners captured that day (there were seven thousand of them)
were crowding to warm themselves at campfires. Near Dóbroe an immense
crowd of tattered prisoners, buzzing with talk and wrapped and bandaged
in anything they had been able to get hold of, were standing in the road
beside a long row of unharnessed French guns. At the approach of the
commander in chief the buzz of talk ceased and all eyes were fixed on
Kutúzov who, wearing a white cap with a red band and a padded overcoat
that bulged on his round shoulders, moved slowly along the road on his
white horse. One of the generals was reporting to him where the guns and
prisoners had been captured.
Kutúzov seemed preoccupied and did not listen to what the general was
saying. He screwed up his eyes with a dissatisfied look as he gazed
attentively and fixedly at these prisoners, who presented a specially
wretched appearance. Most of them were disfigured by frost-bitten noses
and cheeks, and nearly all had red, swollen and festering eyes.
One group of the French stood close to the road, and two of them, one of
whom had his face covered with sores, were tearing a piece of raw
flesh with their hands. There was something horrible and bestial in
the fleeting glance they threw at the riders and in the malevolent
expression with which, after a glance at Kutúzov, the soldier with the
sores immediately turned away and went on with what he was doing.
Kutúzov looked long and intently at these two soldiers. He puckered his
face, screwed up his eyes, and pensively swayed his head. At another
spot he noticed a Russian soldier laughingly patting a Frenchman on the
shoulder, saying something to him in a friendly manner, and Kutúzov with
the same expression on his face again swayed his head.
“What were you saying?” he asked the general, who continuing his report
directed the commander in chief’s attention to some standards captured
from the French and standing in front of the Preobrazhénsk regiment.
“Ah, the standards!” said Kutúzov, evidently detaching himself with
difficulty from the thoughts that preoccupied him.
He looked about him absently. Thousands of eyes were looking at him from
all sides awaiting a word from him.
He stopped in front of the Preobrazhénsk regiment, sighed deeply, and
closed his eyes. One of his suite beckoned to the soldiers carrying
the standards to advance and surround the commander in chief with them.
Kutúzov was silent for a few seconds and then, submitting with evident
reluctance to the duty imposed by his position, raised his head
and began to speak. A throng of officers surrounded him. He looked
attentively around at the circle of officers, recognizing several of
them.
“I thank you all!” he said, addressing the soldiers and then again the
officers. In the stillness around him his slowly uttered words were
distinctly heard. “I thank you all for your hard and faithful service.
The victory is complete and Russia will not forget you! Honor to you
forever.”
He paused and looked around.
“Lower its head, lower it!” he said to a soldier who had accidentally
lowered the French eagle he was holding before the Preobrazhénsk
standards. “Lower, lower, that’s it. Hurrah lads!” he added, addressing
the men with a rapid movement of his chin.
“Hur-r-rah!” roared thousands of voices.
While the soldiers were shouting Kutúzov leaned forward in his saddle
and bowed his head, and his eye lit up with a mild and apparently ironic
gleam.
“You see, brothers...” said he when the shouts had ceased... and all at
once his voice and the expression of his face changed. It was no longer
the commander in chief speaking but an ordinary old man who wanted to
tell his comrades something very important.
There was a stir among the throng of officers and in the ranks of the
soldiers, who moved that they might hear better what he was going to
say.
“You see, brothers, I know it’s hard for you, but it can’t be helped!
Bear up; it won’t be for long now! We’ll see our visitors off and then
we’ll rest. The Tsar won’t forget your service. It is hard for you, but
still you are at home while they—you see what they have come to,” said
he, pointing to the prisoners. “Worse off than our poorest beggars.
While they were strong we didn’t spare ourselves, but now we may even
pity them. They are human beings too. Isn’t it so, lads?”
He looked around, and in the direct, respectful, wondering gaze fixed
upon him he read sympathy with what he had said. His face grew brighter
and brighter with an old man’s mild smile, which drew the corners of his
lips and eyes into a cluster of wrinkles. He ceased speaking and bowed
his head as if in perplexity.
“But after all who asked them here? Serves them right, the bloody
bastards!” he cried, suddenly lifting his head.
And flourishing his whip he rode off at a gallop for the first time
during the whole campaign, and left the broken ranks of the soldiers
laughing joyfully and shouting “Hurrah!”
Kutúzov’s words were hardly understood by the troops. No one could have
repeated the field marshal’s address, begun solemnly and then changing
into an old man’s simplehearted talk; but the hearty sincerity of that
speech, the feeling of majestic triumph combined with pity for the foe
and consciousness of the justice of our cause, exactly expressed by that
old man’s good-natured expletives, was not merely understood but lay
in the soul of every soldier and found expression in their joyous and
long-sustained shouts. Afterwards when one of the generals addressed
Kutúzov asking whether he wished his calèche to be sent for, Kutúzov in
answering unexpectedly gave a sob, being evidently greatly moved.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
True leadership requires holding both the necessity of difficult decisions and their full human cost without emotional shutdown.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to make hard decisions while maintaining empathy for everyone affected, even those you must act against.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you face decisions that help some people while hurting others—practice acknowledging both the necessity and the cost out loud.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"They are human beings too."
Context: Speaking to his soldiers about the French prisoners while pointing at their miserable condition
This simple statement reveals Kutuzov's moral core - he refuses to let victory turn into cruelty. Even in triumph, he insists on recognizing the enemy's humanity, which takes real courage and wisdom.
In Today's Words:
Those people we beat? They're still people.
"But after all who asked them here?"
Context: His sudden shift from compassion to anger while addressing his troops about the French invasion
This shows how complex leadership emotions can be - you can feel sorry for people while still being angry about their choices. Kutuzov balances empathy with justified anger about the invasion of his homeland.
In Today's Words:
I feel bad for them, but they brought this on themselves.
"I speak to you not as a commander in chief but as an ordinary old man."
Context: Dropping his formal military role when addressing his battle-weary soldiers
Great leaders know when to put aside their title and speak human to human. By calling himself ordinary, Kutuzov connects with his soldiers' shared experience of hardship and loss.
In Today's Words:
Forget my job title - I'm talking to you person to person.
Thematic Threads
Human dignity
In This Chapter
Kutuzov refuses to dehumanize French prisoners despite their enemy status, seeing them as suffering human beings
Development
Builds on earlier themes of seeing beyond social roles to shared humanity
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself dehumanizing difficult customers, annoying coworkers, or political opponents to make dealing with them easier.
Authentic leadership
In This Chapter
Kutuzov drops his commander's mask to speak as 'an ordinary old man,' showing genuine emotion rather than maintaining a facade
Development
Contrasts with earlier portrayals of performative leadership and social posturing
In Your Life:
You face pressure to maintain a professional mask even when situations call for genuine human response.
Moral complexity
In This Chapter
Kutuzov experiences simultaneous compassion for enemies and anger at the war they brought, refusing to simplify his emotional response
Development
Reflects the book's ongoing exploration of how good people navigate morally ambiguous situations
In Your Life:
You might feel conflicted when someone you care about makes choices that hurt themselves or others, requiring both love and boundaries.
Power and responsibility
In This Chapter
Kutuzov's authority comes with the burden of seeing war's human cost while still making necessary military decisions
Development
Continues examining how different characters handle the weight of their positions
In Your Life:
You experience this when promoted to supervisor, becoming a parent, or taking on any role where your decisions significantly impact others.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Kutuzov focus on when he sees the French prisoners, and how is this different from what his generals care about?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Kutuzov drop his commander's mask and speak as 'an ordinary old man' to his troops?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about a leader you respect at work, in your community, or in your family. How do they handle situations where they have to make tough decisions that affect other people?
application • medium - 4
Kutuzov feels both compassion for the enemy and anger about the war they started. How would you handle a situation where you need to be firm with someone while still caring about their wellbeing?
application • deep - 5
What does this scene teach us about the difference between winning and leading well?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Practice the Kutuzov Balance
Think of a recent situation where you had to be firm or make a difficult decision that affected someone else - maybe setting boundaries with a family member, addressing a problem at work, or disciplining a child. Write down what you needed to accomplish and why it was necessary. Then write down how the other person might have felt or been affected. Practice holding both truths at once without dismissing either one.
Consider:
- •Notice any urge to justify your actions by making the other person 'wrong' or 'bad'
- •Pay attention to whether you want to avoid thinking about the impact on them
- •Consider how acknowledging their humanity might actually strengthen your position rather than weaken it
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone in authority treated you with both firmness and compassion during a difficult situation. How did their approach affect your response and your relationship with them afterward?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 324: Making Do When Everything Falls Apart
As the Russian army continues its pursuit of Napoleon's retreating forces, the campaign's end brings new challenges. The question becomes not just how to win, but how to handle victory's aftermath.
