The Battle of Austerlitz in War and Peace chapters. Battle of Austerlitz - Battle of Three Emperors

The Battle of Austerlitz in the novel War and Peace is the culmination of the first volume. All the battle scenes in War and Peace are the highest points of tension in the narrative, because these are the moments when the historical intersects with the personal and transpersonal, life meets death.

Every battle is the result of many components. Austerlitz is preceded in the “space” of the novel by the intrigues of Prince Vasily, the mistakes of Pierre (chaotic life in St. Petersburg, marriage to Helen) - in the work there is, as it were, an accumulation of “negative energy”, an increase in chaos, confusion, illusoryness. The scenes of preparation for the battle are dominated by the motifs of pomp (the review of two emperors), the self-confidence of the young (a party of young generals under the young and confident Alexander I, who himself wants to lead the battle).

Prince Andrei admires Napoleon and dreams of repeating his feat - saving the army, like Napoleon on the Arcole Bridge or in the Battle of Toulon. For Bolkonsky, this is not just a decisive, courageous act, but a beautiful, sublime, theatrically elevated one. An obligatory attribute of such a romantic feat is a banner in the hands of a brave man (see the painting by the French artist Jean Antoine Gros “Napoleon on the Arcole Bridge” (1801), located in the Hermitage). In Chapter XV, Prince Andrei imagines his feat like this: “... with a banner in my hand, I will go forward and break everything that is in front of me.”

Nikolai Rostov admires his emperor, he is almost in love with him, like the entire Russian army. Everyone (except the wise old Kutuzov) is animated by imaginary future successes, the generals are developing bold military plans, expecting a brilliant victory... But the “tower clock” of world history has already begun its movement, still hidden for everyone. Tolstoy’s description of the Battle of Austerlitz unfolds as if on three tiers of vertical space and from different points of view:

1. Russian troops wander in the morning fog in the lowlands (the fog, which turned out to be unpredictable, was not taken into account in any military plans, hides Napoleon’s deceptive maneuver);
2. at the height where Napoleon stands, surrounded by his marshals, it is already completely light and there is a view from above of the “theater of military operations”, a “huge ball of the sun” solemnly, theatrically and spectacularly rises above Napoleon’s head - today, on his birthday, the emperor is self-confidently happy, as a “loving and happy boy”;
3. on the Pratsen Heights, where Kutuzov is located with his retinue.

Here dramatic events unfold, which are given from the point of view of Prince Andrei - panic and flight of Russian troops, his attempt to stop the chaos, the fulfillment of the dream of a feat with a banner in his hand, a wound, a fall... Tolstoy presents this moment through a sharp, unexpected change of perspective images: from the chaos and bustle of movement - to peace, from the noise of battle - to silence, from the vertical position of the body in space and the gaze turned to the ground - to the horizontal, to the position of someone falling face up, to the sky. “There was nothing above him anymore except the sky - a high sky, not clear, but still immeasurably high, with gray clouds quietly creeping across it.” Not only the perspective changes, the scale in the perception of the world changes: his idol Napoleon, stopping over the wounded Prince Andrei, uttering words of praise to the Russian officer, seems small, insignificant next to the opened expanse of infinity, “in comparison with what was now happening between him (Prince Andrei .— E.P.) soul and this high, endless sky...” (vol. 1, part 3, chapter XIX). An unbeliever, a skeptic, Prince Andrei peers into the incomprehensible: is there, beyond the threshold of life, someone to whom one can say: “Lord, have mercy on me!”? Prince Andrei is experiencing a moral revolution, a sharp change in the entire previous system of life values: “Looking into the eyes of Napoleon, Prince Andrei thought about the insignificance of greatness, about the insignificance of life, the meaning of which no one could understand, and about the even greater insignificance of death, the meaning of which no one could understand.” understand and explain from the living." He discovers for himself the presence in the world of “something incomprehensible, but most important,” unequal to the familiar God to whom everyone prays, “the God who<...>sewn into<...>the amulet of Princess Marya."

Life, God, death, eternal heaven - these are the final themes of the first volume. Prince Andrei experiences the moment of discovery of the truth (“And suddenly a new light was revealed to him...”). The sky, seen at a moment of crisis, emotional shock, is Tolstoy’s most important “situation.” For Tolstoy, life and death are always connected, but his heroes most often do not think about death, being in the flow of life. But suddenly the veil covering the truth is removed - and infinity becomes visible... Prince Andrei is wounded, he dies - and his consciousness is wide open into a different existence, life is seen in a different light - as if “from death”, from eternity. A spiritual revolution replaced what Prince Andrei perceived as a feat; the invasion of death changed his consciousness. High heroism acquired genuine content, becoming the highest state of mind.

However, everything that happened to Prince Andrei, significant in the “spiritual cosmos” of the novel, has no influence on the course of the battle of Austerlitz depicted in “War and Peace,” and not only because his impulse was interrupted by injury. An individual, even the most significant person, does not determine anything in history, according to Tolstoy. History is created by all people together, it is a living tissue, where every point, every constituent atom comes into contact with its neighbors and sets a living movement for the whole.

Critical mass of European greatness

The Battle of Austerlitz, which took place in the early winter of 1805 near an inconspicuous town in Moravia, contributed to Napoleon's final recognition as the greatest commander of his time, as well as one of the most outstanding strategists and tacticians in world history. It was this battle that marked the beginning of the era of the Napoleonic Wars and had a huge impact on the further course of European history. At Austerlitz, Bonaparte's military star rose in full force, forcing many monarchies of the Old World to play by the rules of this great usurper and strategist for almost a decade. The Battle of Austerlitz was not only a brilliant victory for French arms, but also the collapse of the hopes of Alexander the First and Franz the Second to satisfy their geopolitical imperial ambitions. The bright hour of Napoleon's military genius was coming, albeit short-lived.

Ambitious plan

In order to destroy the powerful Napoleonic empire, a coalition of European powers was formed in August 1805, consisting of Russia, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Sweden and the Kingdom of Naples. The Allies managed to gather significant forces. Napoleon's position seemed hopeless at first glance. After all, almost all of the most militarily powerful powers in Europe united against his empire. But the ambitious plan to remove the great commander from the political map of the warlike empire was not destined to be realized. The Battle of Austerlitz, on the contrary, played the role of a springboard from which the exaltation of the Gallic monarch began, whose image subsequently gave food to the creativity of many writers and filmmakers.

Features of the French Napoleonic army

In addition to the fact that Napoleon countered the unprecedented military power of the coalition with the speed of his strategic thought and considerable tactical skill, the French army itself was very strong. In the crucible of the Great French Revolution, a new art of war was born, which at that time became a revelation for other European countries. The Napoleonic army, born of the armed forces of revolutionary France and retaining many military traditions from republican times, was significantly superior in combat training, tactical literacy and military experience to the best regiments in Europe. The marshals who commanded it were entirely prominent commanders, whose names alone terrified the enemy and demoralized him. Since 1789, France has waged exclusively victorious and fairly regular wars. The emperor could rely on such strength, regardless of the numerical superiority of the enemy.

Pratsen Heights

The Battle of Austerlitz, which predetermined the outcome of the entire campaign, began on November 20, 1805. Either the magic of the names of the French military leaders played a decisive role, or something else, but the Austrian generals made a number of glaring tactical miscalculations and mistakes, as a result of which the front of the allied forces was maximally depleted and stretched over twelve kilometers. Napoleon, remaining faithful to his strategic principles, made a deceptive maneuver, leaving the Pratsen heights and taking up positions in the field opposite them, which openly pushed the enemy to take active action. The Austrian troops, which went on the offensive, were immediately defeated by Napoleon's well-trained and well-armed cavalry. And thus they put their Russian allies in a difficult position. Despite the valor, courage and self-sacrifice of the Russian soldiers, despite the desperate attempts of generals Bagration, Ermolov and Miloradovich to level the situation, the battle was hopelessly lost. Its result was the signing of an agreement by Austria-Hungary with France, under the terms of which Francis II recognized all of Napoleon’s conquests in Europe. So Russia was left alone in the fight against an aggressive empire and its ambitious monarch.

Literary image of the Battle of Austerlitz

The description of the Battle of Austerlitz, written by the brilliant Russian writer Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy in the novel War and Peace, is striking in its attention to the thoughts of the heroes and its subtle understanding of their feelings. This is perhaps the most powerful psychological moment of the work, where the unsightly face of war is shown not from the heights of Olympus of great commanders, but through the eyes of people who have to lay down their lives in the name of someone’s strategic plans and political ambitions. The writer used a masterful technique of narrating the battle through the eyes of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. The Battle of Austerlitz in War and Peace is shown as the main factor in the global turning point of the human worldview. This is one of the most impressive moments of the novel, which has long been included in the golden fund of world literature.

TARGET: How does L.N. Tolstoy explain the loss of the Battle of Austerlitz and the entire war, if soldiers and officers could show miracles of heroism?

Tolstoy ends the War of 1805 with a show Battle of Austerlitz . Tolstoy ends volume I with this same battle. In fact, this is the battle is the compositional center of volume I , since all the threads of the narrative about this inglorious, useless war go to him.

The main question that we have to solve in class:

How does Tolstoy explain the loss of the Battle of Austerlitz and the entire war, if soldiers and officers could show miracles of heroism?

1) What was the purpose of the battle?

The emperor arrives to the army Alexander I, who claimed to be a commander. It was at his insistence that it was decided to give Battle of the "Three Emperors" at Austerlitz . The goal of the battle was highly thought of by Alexander: the salvation of Europe from Napoleon. The Young Party supported him, I desire to defeat Napoleon.

2) At a meeting of the military council, a plan developed for the Russian army by the Austrian General Weyrother is adopted.

“What precision, what detail, what knowledge of the area, what foresight of all possibilities, all conditions, all the smallest details,” - Prince Dolgorukov, one of the supporters of the offensive, says about Weyrother’s plan.

3) How did Tolstoy react to this military plan?

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy ironically-mockingly describes such an elaborate plan.

4) Where can you see this from?

a) everything is provided, as in maneuvers (last year the Austrian army maneuvers took place here);

b) Columns march according to disposition, as if in a parade;

c) the irony is that the plan is given by Tolstoy in German, and not in Russian, and Tolstoy more often does this where it is necessary to convey a structure of thought that is alien to him;

d) irony is also reflected in the tone of Weyrother’s description

(Part 3, Chapter 12).

5) Well, how Kutuzov , the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, behaves at the military council? Why?

He is openly asleep, realizing that he cannot change anything, since the plan has been agreed upon with the emperors, and he is assigned only the role of an executor.

6) How does Kutuzov behave on the eve of the battle? (Ch. 15)

Result: Tolstoy's irony is not accidental. It will be repeated everywhere when describing military plans. In this case, it refers to a German plan made without taking into account the mood of living people.

Tolstoy generally does not believe that even a well-developed disposition will be able to take into account all the circumstances, all the contingencies that could change the course of the battle. It is not dispositions that determine the course of the battle. The fate of the battle is decided by the spirit of the army, made up of the mood of the individual participants in the battle.

7) What was the mood of those participating in the battle? (Ch. 14)

What accidents intervened in the disposition?

a) on the morning of the battle such a one rose thick fog, so strong that nothing was visible 10 steps away. “The bushes seemed like huge trees, the flat places looked like cliffs and slopes.” Everywhere, from all sides, one could collide “with an invisible enemy 10 steps away.” But the columns walked for a long time in the same fog, going down and up the mountains, passing gardens and fences in new, incomprehensible terrain, never encountering the enemy.

b) On the march, the senior authorities decided that it was necessary to change the location of the troops, “all cavalry were ordered to move to the right side... and the infantry had to wait...”

8) How did this affect the mood of the soldiers?

“That’s why an unpleasant feeling of disorder and confusion spread throughout the troops. It was strengthened by distrust of the allies, “the damned Germans, the “sausage makers,” as the soldiers called them.”

10) What event does this scene almost repeat?

View near Braunau.

An unexpected meeting with the enemy where he was not expected brought panic to the Russian army.

“Well, brothers, it’s a Sabbath!” - someone shouted, and at this voice everyone started running!

Even individual exploits could not change things.

Neither the desire, nor the order of Kutuzov (“Stop these scoundrels!”), nor the feat that Prince Andrei accomplishes, nor in general “individual human wills” can change the situation, since it is determined by the mood of the masses. The general flight determined the outcome of the battle. A field covered with corpses and Napoleon driving around it - this is the outcome of Austerlitz.

11) What is the position of Napoleon’s troops?

Napoleon's army was lucky: there was no fog where it stood. A clear, blue sky, a huge ball of the sun - this is the landscape at the French position. Nature seemed to be involved in events, favoring the French.

And because of these illogical accidents, which were not foreseen by anyone, the disposition turned out to be an empty formality.

12) So why was the war of 1805 lost?

Lack of moral incentive in war, incomprehensibility and alienness of its goals, distrust between allies, confusion.

“The era of our failures and shame,” is how L. Tolstoy defined this war.

II. Austerlitz was an era of shame and disappointment not only for Russia, but also for individual heroes.

1) Nikolai Rostov did not behave the way he wanted.

2) With a feeling of great disappointment in Napoleon, who used to be his hero, Prince Andrei lies on Pratsenskaya Mountain.

Napoleon introduced himself to him small And insignificant a person “with an indifferent, limited and happy look at the misfortune of others.”

3) True, wounded Prince Andrey brought not only disappointment in Napoleon, disappointment in the insignificance of glory, but also discovery of a new world , new meaning of life.

4) For Pierre his Austerlitz - marrying Helen is his era of shame and disappointment.

General Austerlitz - this is the result of Volume I. Scary, like any other war Having destroyed human lives, this war did not have, according to Tolstoy, even an inevitable goal that explained it. Started for the sake of glory, for the sake of the ambitious interests of Russian court circles, it was incomprehensible and alien to the people, which is why it ended with Austerlitz. This outcome was all the more shameful because the army could be courageous and heroic when the goals of the battle were at least somewhat clear to it, as was the case at Shengraben.

Homework:

1. Reading Volume II of “War and Peace.”

2. Analysis of episodes (by groups):

1). “Bolkonsky’s arrival in Bald Mountains. The birth of a son, the death of a wife” (vol. II, part I, chapter 9).

2). “Pierre in Freemasonry” (vol. II, part II, ch. 4, 5).

3). “Natasha Rostova’s First Ball” (vol. II, part III, ch. 15–16).

4). “Hunting Scene”, “Natasha Rostova’s Dance” (vol. II, part IV, ch. 6, 7).

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Text content of presentation slides: THE BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ IN THE NOVEL WAR AND PEACE by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy One of the central events in Tolstoy’s work is the tragic Battle of Austerlitz for the Russian State. A huge role falls on him in order for the author to convey his ideas. In the Battle of Austerlitz, Russian-Austrian troops were defeated by Napoleon's troops. The main reason for this victory of Napoleon were the mistakes of the actual commanders of the allied army, the emperors of Russia and Austria, Alexander I and Franz II. Traditionally, the author gives a short introduction to the upcoming battle. He describes the mood of Prince Andrei on the night before the supposed decisive battle of his life. Tolstoy gives the hero's emotional internal monologue. He sees the confusion of all military commanders. Here he gets his chance to become famous, which has haunted him for so long in his cherished dreams. “I will never tell this to anyone, but, my God! What should I do if I love nothing but glory, human love? Death, wounds, loss of family, nothing scares me. And no matter how dear and dear many people are to me - my father, my sister, my wife - the most dear people to me - but, no matter how scary and unnatural it seems, I will give them all now for a moment of glory, triumph over people, for love for to myself people whom I do not know and will not know, for the love of these people.” Tolstoy masterfully describes the battle on behalf of Prince Andrei. This is one of the most impressive pictures of the epic - a global turning point in a person’s worldview, sharp and unexpected. The prince knows that Napoleon will directly participate in the battle. He dreams of meeting him in person. According to the forecasts of all commanders, the battle must be won. That's why Andrey is so busy with disposition. He carefully watches the progress of the battle, notices the lackeyness of the staff officers. All groups under the commander-in-chief wanted only one thing - ranks and money. The common people did not understand the significance of military events. That’s why the troops so easily turned into panic, because they were defending other people’s interests. Many complained about the dominance of the Germans in the ranks. Prince Andrei is enraged by the mass exodus of soldiers. For him, this means shameful cowardice. At the same time, the hero is amazed by the actions of the headquarters. Bagration is not busy organizing a huge army, but maintaining its fighting spirit. Kutuzov understands perfectly well that it is physically impossible to lead such a mass of people standing on the edge of life and death. He monitors the development of the troops' mood. But Kutuzov is also at a loss. The sovereign, whom Nikolai Rostov so admired, himself takes flight. The war turned out to be unlike magnificent parades. The flight of the Absheronians, which Prince Andrei saw, served as a signal of fate for him: “Here it is, the decisive moment has come! The matter has reached me,” thinks Prince Andrei and, having hit his horse, grabs the banner from the hands of the standard bearer struck by a bullet and leads the regiment into the attack, but he himself is seriously wounded. By putting his hero on the brink of life and death, Tolstoy thereby tests the truth of his beliefs, the morality of his ideals - and Bolkonsky’s individualistic dreams do not withstand this test. In the face of death, everything untrue and superficial disappears, and only eternal surprise remains at the wisdom and unshakable beauty of nature, embodied in the endless sky of Austerlitz. Andrei thinks: “How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? Everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky. There is nothing, nothing, except him, but even that, there is nothing, except silence, calm. And glory to God! Waking up after oblivion, Andrei first remembers the sky, and only after that hears footsteps and voices. This is Napoleon approaching with his retinue. Napoleon was Andrei's idol, like many young people of that time. Bolkonsky could not count on meeting his idol; in any other case, such a meeting would have been happiness for him. But not now. Having so unexpectedly discovered the existence of the eternal high sky, not yet understanding it, but having already felt a change in himself, Andrei at that moment does not betray the new thing that was revealed to him. He did not turn his head, did not look in Napoleon's direction. This psychological state of great change is also felt in the hospital. A new, not yet fully realized truth withstands one more test - another meeting with an idol. Napoleon comes to look at the wounded Russians, and, remembering Prince Andrei, turns to him. But Prince Andrey only silently looks at Napoleon, without answering him. Andrey simply has nothing to say to his recent idol. For him, the old values ​​no longer exist. “Looking into Napoleon’s eyes, Prince Andrei thought about the insignificance of life, the meaning of which no one could understand, and the even greater insignificance of death, the meaning of which no one living could understand and explain.” That's what Andrey thinks now. Under the sky of Austerlitz, a new path to truth opened up for him, he was freed from those vain thoughts with which he had lived before. Ultimately, Andrei comes to the idea of ​​the need for spiritual unity of people.

Until tomorrow evening all
this (Russian-Austrian)
the army will be mine.
Napoleon, December 1, 1805
of the year
The battle that took place in the early winter of 1805 near Austerlitz
- a town in Moravia - finally assigned to Napoleon
the glory of one of the greatest commanders in history, outstanding
tactics and strategist. Having forced the Russian-Austrian army to “play according to
his own rules,” Napoleon first put his troops on the defensive,
and then, waiting for the right moment, delivered a crushing counterblow

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