“The two most powerful warriors
are patience and time”
–Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel War and Peace discusses the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, as Napoleon Bonaparte’s encroachment in 1805 stir fears in Russia. The novel evolve around the five prominent aristocratic families of Russia. As Russia mobilizes troops in Austrian empire to honour its alliance who were resisting Napoleon’s salvo but soon a great peace was witnessed between Napoleon and Tsar. In 1812, the peace was breached as Napoleon invades Russia and Tsar hesitantly declares war. Some characters in the novel belonging to royal families join military for their services while others are stuck in a cycle of interrelationship.
The Russians and French fight a significant battle, where a smaller Russian army insolubly defeats the French forces but the Russians finds it better to retreat because of large number of causalities. As the French are close to Moscow’s border, they started occupying the city. Russians evacuate Moscow, ordering several strategic outlets in Moscow to set ablaze. Napoleon stayed on in Moscow looking to negotiate a peace, his troops exhausted, with few rations, no winter clothing, and his remaining horses in poor condition, Napoleon was forced to retreat. The campaign was a turning point in the Napoleonic wars. The reputation of Napoleon was severely shaken, and French hegemony in Europe was vividly weakened.
For Tolstoy, Napoleon is little more than a hype, a propagandist, while his military strategies are overwhelming as he is known to be a great war tactician.