War and Peace, Book 14: 1812, Chapter 17 summary
Book 14: 1812, Chapter 17 of 365 · 3 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 17, the French retreat and Russian pursuit become a confused chase in which neither army can reliably locate the other, bringing unexpected encounters at Krásnoe and further disorder at the Berëzina. The French repeatedly abandon comrades and equipment, while their supreme chief escapes alone and leaves his companions behind.
What happens
- The narrator compares the armies’ movements to a blindfolded game, as exhausted horses and outdated reports prevent reliable tracking.
- After four days at Smolénsk, the French resume their flight along the same road through Krásnoe and Orshá.
- Russian troops unexpectedly meet the scattered French at Krásnoe, where separate French forces escape through nighttime detours.
- Ney reaches Napoleon at Orshá with one thousand of his ten thousand men, abandoning the rest and his cannon.
- At the Berëzina, many French drown or surrender; their supreme chief escapes alone, and others flee if they can.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The sentence reduces the campaign to flight and pursuit rather than controlled strategy. It frames the confusion and repeated abandonment described throughout the unit.
Quick check
How many men accompany Ney when he reaches Napoleon at Orshá?
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