Summary
A critical military order never gets delivered because the messenger loses his nerve, setting off a chain reaction of disasters. Zherkóv, tasked with telling the left flank to retreat, panics and abandons his duty rather than face danger. Meanwhile, two commanders—a German colonel and a Russian general—waste precious time in a petty power struggle, each more concerned with saving face than saving lives. Their ego battle continues even as French forces close in, leaving their troops confused and unprepared. Young Rostóv finally gets his chance at glory when the cavalry charges, but reality hits hard. What seemed heroic from a distance becomes terrifying up close. His horse is shot, he's wounded, and suddenly he's alone on the battlefield facing French soldiers who want to kill him. The romantic dream of war shatters as pure survival instinct kicks in—he throws away his pistol and runs for his life. This chapter strips away all illusions about combat, showing how quickly confidence turns to terror and how individual failures ripple outward to endanger everyone. Tolstoy reveals that in crisis moments, personal courage matters less than clear communication and putting mission above ego. The gap between our heroic self-image and our actual behavior under pressure can be devastatingly wide.
Coming Up in Chapter 48
Rostóv's desperate flight continues as he seeks safety among Russian forces, but his first taste of real combat has changed him forever. The romantic notions of military glory he carried into battle lie shattered on the battlefield behind him.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
The attack of the Sixth Chasseurs secured the retreat of our right flank. In the center Túshin’s forgotten battery, which had managed to set fire to the Schön Grabern village, delayed the French advance. The French were putting out the fire which the wind was spreading, and thus gave us time to retreat. The retirement of the center to the other side of the dip in the ground at the rear was hurried and noisy, but the different companies did not get mixed. But our left—which consisted of the Azóv and Podólsk infantry and the Pávlograd hussars—was simultaneously attacked and outflanked by superior French forces under Lannes and was thrown into confusion. Bagratión had sent Zherkóv to the general commanding that left flank with orders to retreat immediately. Zherkóv, not removing his hand from his cap, turned his horse about and galloped off. But no sooner had he left Bagratión than his courage failed him. He was seized by panic and could not go where it was dangerous. Having reached the left flank, instead of going to the front where the firing was, he began to look for the general and his staff where they could not possibly be, and so did not deliver the order. The command of the left flank belonged by seniority to the commander of the regiment Kutúzov had reviewed at Braunau and in which Dólokhov was serving as a private. But the command of the extreme left flank had been assigned to the commander of the Pávlograd regiment in which Rostóv was serving, and a misunderstanding arose. The two commanders were much exasperated with one another and, long after the action had begun on the right flank and the French were already advancing, were engaged in discussion with the sole object of offending one another. But the regiments, both cavalry and infantry, were by no means ready for the impending action. From privates to general they were not expecting a battle and were engaged in peaceful occupations, the cavalry feeding the horses and the infantry collecting wood. “He higher iss dan I in rank,” said the German colonel of the hussars, flushing and addressing an adjutant who had ridden up, “so let him do what he vill, but I cannot sacrifice my hussars... Bugler, sount ze retreat!” But haste was becoming imperative. Cannon and musketry, mingling together, thundered on the right and in the center, while the capotes of Lannes’ sharpshooters were already seen crossing the milldam and forming up within twice the range of a musket shot. The general in command of the infantry went toward his horse with jerky steps, and having mounted drew himself up very straight and tall and rode to the Pávlograd commander. The commanders met with polite bows but with secret malevolence in their hearts. “Once again, Colonel,” said the general, “I can’t leave half my men in the wood. I beg of you, I beg of you,” he repeated, “to occupy the position and prepare for an attack.”...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Cascading Failure
Individual failures of nerve or ego create domino effects that endanger entire systems.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how individual failures of courage and ego create cascading disasters that hurt everyone downstream.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone avoids delivering bad news or when two people waste time in power struggles while real problems go unsolved.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Chain of command
The military hierarchy where orders flow down from higher to lower ranks. Each person has specific responsibilities and must follow orders from above while giving orders to those below.
Modern Usage:
Every workplace has a chain of command - from CEO to managers to workers - and when someone breaks it, chaos follows.
Dereliction of duty
Abandoning your responsibilities when others are counting on you. In military terms, it can get people killed. It's the failure to do what you're supposed to do, especially in critical moments.
Modern Usage:
Like a nurse not checking on patients, or a driver texting instead of watching the road - when you don't do your job, people get hurt.
Fog of war
The confusion and chaos that happens during battle when no one knows what's really going on. Information gets lost, orders don't reach their destination, and people make decisions based on incomplete or wrong information.
Modern Usage:
Any crisis situation where communication breaks down - like during a hospital emergency or natural disaster when nobody knows the full picture.
Baptism by fire
Your first real test under extreme pressure, especially when you thought you were ready but reality hits much harder than expected. The moment when theory meets brutal practice.
Modern Usage:
A new teacher's first day with difficult students, or a rookie cop's first dangerous call - when you discover what you're really made of.
Command paralysis
When leaders get so caught up in ego battles or protocol that they fail to act decisively. They waste time on power struggles while the situation deteriorates around them.
Modern Usage:
Like managers arguing about who's in charge while a customer emergency goes unhandled, or politicians fighting over credit while problems get worse.
Reality shock
The jarring moment when your romantic ideas about something crash into harsh reality. What looked glorious from a distance becomes terrifying up close.
Modern Usage:
Like thinking parenthood will be all cute moments until you're sleep-deprived with a screaming baby, or expecting college to be all fun until finals week hits.
Characters in This Chapter
Zherkóv
Failed messenger
An officer who loses his nerve when tasked with delivering crucial retreat orders. His cowardice and abandonment of duty sets off a chain reaction that endangers the entire left flank.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who disappears when things get tough
Bagratión
Competent commander
The general trying to coordinate an organized retreat. He gives clear orders but can't control whether they're actually followed through the chain of command.
Modern Equivalent:
The good manager whose plans fail because of unreliable staff
Rostóv
Naive young soldier
Gets his first taste of real combat and discovers that war is nothing like his romantic fantasies. His horse is shot, he's wounded, and he runs for his life in terror.
Modern Equivalent:
The overconfident rookie who gets humbled by reality
Dólokhov
Demoted officer serving as private
A skilled soldier reduced in rank, representing how talent can be wasted by rigid military hierarchy and personal conflicts.
Modern Equivalent:
The experienced worker stuck in an entry-level job due to office politics
The German colonel
Stubborn commander
Gets into a power struggle with his Russian counterpart, wasting precious time on ego battles while enemy forces close in on their position.
Modern Equivalent:
The manager more concerned with being right than getting results
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Zherkóv, not removing his hand from his cap, turned his horse about and galloped off. But no sooner had he left Bagratión than his courage failed him."
Context: When Zherkóv is given the crucial mission to order a retreat
Shows how quickly confidence can evaporate under pressure. Zherkóv looks the part of a brave officer but crumbles when real danger approaches, abandoning his vital mission.
In Today's Words:
He acted tough until he actually had to do something scary, then he chickened out completely.
"He was seized by panic and could not go where it was dangerous."
Context: Describing Zherkóv's failure to deliver the retreat order
Reveals the brutal honesty of fear overriding duty. Tolstoy doesn't romanticize cowardice - he shows how panic can paralyze someone when others are counting on them.
In Today's Words:
He was too scared to do his job when it mattered most.
"Instead of going to the front where the firing was, he began to look for the general and his staff where they could not possibly be."
Context: Zherkóv avoiding his dangerous mission
Shows how people rationalize avoiding their responsibilities. Zherkóv pretends to be doing his job while actually doing everything possible to avoid the dangerous part.
In Today's Words:
He looked busy while making sure he stayed far away from any real risk.
Thematic Threads
Duty vs. Self-Preservation
In This Chapter
Zherkóv abandons his duty to avoid danger, while commanders prioritize their egos over their mission
Development
Deepening from earlier military scenes to show how personal cowardice affects collective survival
In Your Life:
You face this every time you avoid a difficult conversation or hard decision to protect your own comfort
Illusion vs. Reality
In This Chapter
Rostóv's romantic vision of war shatters when faced with actual combat and mortal danger
Development
Continuing the theme of characters' expectations colliding with harsh reality
In Your Life:
Your idealized version of any situation—marriage, career, parenthood—will eventually meet the messy truth
Communication Breakdown
In This Chapter
Critical orders never reach their destination because the messenger fails to deliver them
Development
Building on earlier scenes showing how poor communication creates chaos
In Your Life:
The message you don't send, the conversation you avoid, the truth you withhold always comes back to bite you
Hierarchy and Power
In This Chapter
Two commanders waste precious time in a power struggle while their troops face danger
Development
Expanding the critique of how rigid social structures can be deadly in crisis
In Your Life:
You've seen bosses fight over territory while real problems go unsolved and workers suffer the consequences
Individual vs. Collective
In This Chapter
Each person acts to protect themselves, but their individual failures endanger the whole group
Development
Deepening exploration of how personal choices affect larger communities
In Your Life:
Your personal decisions—what you hide, avoid, or refuse to do—ripple out to affect everyone around you
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific failures caused the military disaster in this chapter, and how did each one create problems for others?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Zherkóv abandoned his mission instead of delivering the retreat order? What was he really afraid of?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this pattern in your workplace or family—someone avoiding a difficult conversation or responsibility, creating bigger problems for everyone else?
application • medium - 4
If you were in charge during this crisis, how would you have handled the ego battle between the commanders while still getting troops the information they needed?
application • deep - 5
What does Rostóv's experience teach us about the gap between how we imagine we'll handle crisis versus how we actually respond under pressure?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Message Chain
Think of a current situation where important information needs to flow through multiple people—at work, in your family, or in your community. Draw or list the chain of communication from start to finish. Identify the weakest links where messages might get lost, distorted, or avoided entirely.
Consider:
- •Who in your chain might avoid delivering bad news to protect themselves?
- •Where do ego conflicts or power struggles slow down critical information?
- •What backup systems could you create if the main messenger fails?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were the weak link in a communication chain. What stopped you from delivering the message, and what were the consequences for others?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 48: When Panic Meets Courage
What lies ahead teaches us fear spreads like wildfire and can destroy group morale instantly, and shows us taking responsibility under pressure reveals true character. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.