War and Peace, Book 9: 1812, Chapter 2 summary

What happens

1. Napoleon leaves Dresden after courtly farewells and speeds his army eastward while assuring Alexander that he wants peace.
2. He orders an advance across the Niemen, and soldiers greet his presence with cheers and dreams of conquest.
3. At the Víliya River, Napoleon orders Polish Uhlans to locate a ford and cross.
4. Their colonel instead asks permission to swim across before Napoleon and leads hundreds into the dangerous current.
5. Some forty Uhlans drown while Napoleon turns his attention to military instructions and leaves.
6. That evening, Napoleon orders the colonel admitted to the Légion d’honneur alongside orders concerning counterfeit money and an execution.

In this chapter

What to notice

The surviving swimmers celebrate despite the deaths and Napoleon’s departure. Their happiness exposes how completely devotion overrides concern for their own lives.

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