War and Peace, Book 13: 1812, Chapter 18 summary
Book 13: 1812, Chapter 18 of 365 · 3 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 18, Kutúzov restrains his troops from unnecessary attacks while the narrator argues that the French army cannot recover, regardless of its route. After Cossacks nearly capture Napoleon, he orders a retreat along the Smolénsk road, but the narrator presents his decision as an effect of shared pressures rather than their cause.
What happens
- Kutúzov restrains his troops, remains with the main army, and orders Kalúga evacuated while Dokhtúrov goes to Málo-Yaroslávets.
- The narrator rejects historians’ claims about alternative routes, arguing that the French army carries the causes of its own destruction.
- At the Málo-Yaroslávets council, Mouton voices the shared need to escape, but shame prevents open acceptance of flight.
- The next morning, Cossacks nearly capture Napoleon but pursue plunder instead, allowing him to escape.
- Napoleon orders retreat along the Smolénsk road, which the narrator attributes to pressures acting on the entire army.
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Why do the Cossacks fail to capture Napoleon?
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