Original Text(~250 words)
CHAPTER XXXIV Napoleon’s generals—Davout, Ney, and Murat, who were near that region of fire and sometimes even entered it—repeatedly led into it huge masses of well-ordered troops. But contrary to what had always happened in their former battles, instead of the news they expected of the enemy’s flight, these orderly masses returned thence as disorganized and terrified mobs. The generals re-formed them, but their numbers constantly decreased. In the middle of the day Murat sent his adjutant to Napoleon to demand reinforcements. Napoleon sat at the foot of the knoll, drinking punch, when Murat’s adjutant galloped up with an assurance that the Russians would be routed if His Majesty would let him have another division. “Reinforcements?” said Napoleon in a tone of stern surprise, looking at the adjutant—a handsome lad with long black curls arranged like Murat’s own—as though he did not understand his words. “Reinforcements!” thought Napoleon to himself. “How can they need reinforcements when they already have half the army directed against a weak, unentrenched Russian wing?” “Tell the King of Naples,” said he sternly, “that it is not noon yet, and I don’t yet see my chessboard clearly. Go!...” The handsome boy adjutant with the long hair sighed deeply without removing his hand from his hat and galloped back to where men were being slaughtered. Napoleon rose and having summoned Caulaincourt and Berthier began talking to them about matters unconnected with the battle. In the midst of this conversation, which was beginning to interest Napoleon, Berthier’s eyes...
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Summary
Napoleon sits on a hill at Borodino, watching his empire crumble in real time. His generals keep galloping up, begging for reinforcements as their troops are slaughtered. For the first time in his career, Napoleon's proven tactics aren't working. The Russians aren't breaking. His army is melting away. He makes contradictory decisions—first sending one division, then changing his mind and sending another—the kind of flip-flopping that happens when panic sets in. A courtier tries to congratulate him on victory, but Napoleon knows better. He's experiencing what Tolstoy describes as the nightmare of an overconfident gambler who suddenly realizes the game has turned against him. This isn't just military failure—it's the psychological unraveling of a man who built his identity on being unstoppable. Napoleon finally rides out to see the battlefield himself and is horrified by the carnage. When a general suggests sending in his elite Old Guard, Napoleon refuses: 'At eight hundred leagues from France, I will not have my Guard destroyed!' This chapter captures the moment when a leader realizes their methods no longer work, but they're too deep in to change course. It's about the dangerous gap between how we see ourselves and reality, and how past success can blind us to present failure.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Adjutant
A military officer who serves as an assistant to a higher-ranking officer, carrying messages and orders between commanders. In Napoleon's army, adjutants were often young, well-connected officers who rode between the battlefield and headquarters.
Modern Usage:
Like an executive assistant or chief of staff who handles communication between the CEO and different departments during a crisis.
Reinforcements
Additional troops sent to strengthen forces already engaged in battle. When a general requests reinforcements, it usually means their current forces are failing or taking heavy losses.
Modern Usage:
Any time you need backup - calling in more staff for Black Friday, asking for help when a project is failing, or bringing in specialists when you're overwhelmed.
Chessboard
Napoleon's metaphor for the battlefield, viewing war as a strategic game where he can move pieces and predict outcomes. This shows how he thinks of soldiers as game pieces rather than human beings.
Modern Usage:
When managers or leaders talk about 'moving pieces around' or making strategic decisions without considering the human cost.
The Old Guard
Napoleon's elite veteran troops, his most experienced and loyal soldiers who had fought with him for years. They were his last resort, kept in reserve for the most desperate situations.
Modern Usage:
Your most trusted, experienced team members that you save for the biggest problems - the veterans who always come through.
Unentrenched
Military term meaning troops without defensive fortifications like trenches or barriers. Napoleon expected the Russians to be easy targets because they weren't dug in behind protective positions.
Modern Usage:
Being caught unprepared or vulnerable, like starting a difficult conversation without thinking it through first.
King of Naples
Joachim Murat, Napoleon's brother-in-law and one of his marshals, who held the title King of Naples. He was known for his flashy appearance and cavalry charges.
Modern Usage:
That family member or friend who got their position through connections but actually has real skills, even if they're a bit dramatic about it.
Characters in This Chapter
Napoleon
Protagonist in crisis
Sits on a hill drinking punch while his army is being destroyed, making contradictory decisions and refusing to face reality. This chapter shows him beginning to crack under pressure for the first time in his career.
Modern Equivalent:
The overconfident CEO who built their reputation on always winning but is now watching their company fail
Murat
Desperate subordinate
Napoleon's brother-in-law and marshal who keeps sending messengers begging for reinforcements as his troops are slaughtered. He's doing his job but getting no support from leadership.
Modern Equivalent:
The department manager frantically asking for more staff while their team burns out
Murat's adjutant
Messenger bearing bad news
A handsome young officer with curls like Murat's who has to ride back and forth between the slaughter and Napoleon's denial. Represents all the people caught between reality and leadership's refusal to see it.
Modern Equivalent:
The employee who has to keep delivering bad news to a boss who doesn't want to hear it
Davout
Struggling general
One of Napoleon's most competent generals who is mentioned as leading troops into the 'region of fire' but watching them come back as terrified mobs instead of victorious soldiers.
Modern Equivalent:
The experienced manager whose proven methods suddenly stop working
Caulaincourt
Distracted advisor
Napoleon's diplomat who gets drawn into casual conversation while the battle rages, showing how leadership can disconnect from crisis through trivial distractions.
Modern Equivalent:
The advisor who talks about anything except the real problem that needs addressing
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how past investment can blind us to present reality, making us double down on failing strategies.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you hear yourself saying 'I've come too far to quit now' and ask instead: 'If I started fresh today, would I choose this same path?'
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Reinforcements? How can they need reinforcements when they already have half the army directed against a weak, unentrenched Russian wing?"
Context: Napoleon's response when told his troops need backup
Shows Napoleon's dangerous disconnect from reality. He's still thinking like the old Napoleon who always won, unable to process that his proven tactics are failing. His logic makes sense on paper but ignores what's actually happening.
In Today's Words:
What do you mean we need more help? We already have plenty of people working on this easy project.
"I don't yet see my chessboard clearly."
Context: Napoleon refusing to send reinforcements
Reveals how Napoleon views war as a strategic game rather than human reality. He's treating living soldiers like chess pieces, and his inability to 'see the board' shows he's losing control of the situation.
In Today's Words:
I need to understand the big picture before I make any moves.
"At eight hundred leagues from France, I will not have my Guard destroyed!"
Context: Refusing to send his elite troops into battle
Napoleon finally shows fear and self-preservation. He's thinking about retreat while pretending to still be in control. The distance from France reminds him how far he is from safety and reinforcements.
In Today's Words:
I'm not risking my best people on this - we're too far from home base if this goes wrong.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Sunk Cost Blindness
The deeper we invest in a failing strategy, the harder it becomes to see it's not working.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Napoleon's self-image as 'the unstoppable genius' prevents him from adapting to battlefield reality
Development
Evolved from earlier portrayals of Napoleon as confident leader to showing the psychological prison of his own reputation
In Your Life:
You might cling to outdated roles or methods because changing would feel like losing who you are
Power
In This Chapter
Napoleon's absolute authority becomes a weakness—no one can effectively challenge his failing decisions
Development
Builds on themes of how unchecked power corrupts judgment throughout the novel
In Your Life:
You might find yourself making worse decisions when you're the unquestioned authority in any situation
Class
In This Chapter
The courtier tries to flatter Napoleon with false congratulations, showing how hierarchy distorts truth
Development
Continues the novel's exploration of how social position shapes what people are willing to say
In Your Life:
You might not get honest feedback at work or home because people don't want to challenge your position
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Napoleon's isolation from his generals creates a communication breakdown at the worst possible moment
Development
Reflects the novel's recurring theme that authentic connection requires vulnerability
In Your Life:
You might push people away precisely when you need their honest input most
Modern Adaptation
When Success Stops Working
Following Andrew's story...
Andrew sits in his empty penthouse, watching his latest venture implode through news alerts on his phone. Three startups he's funded are failing simultaneously, and the entrepreneurs keep calling, begging for more money to save their companies. For years, Andrew's formula worked: throw money at smart people, step back, collect returns. But now nothing's clicking. The market has shifted, his instincts feel off, yet he keeps doubling down because admitting his approach is broken would mean facing the terrifying question of who he is without his golden touch. His assistant tries to congratulate him on a small acquisition, but Andrew knows it's window dressing. He finally drives to one of the failing companies and sees the reality: empty offices, stressed employees, a CEO who's been lying about user numbers for months. When his advisor suggests pulling out entirely, Andrew refuses. 'I've put too much in to walk away now.' He's trapped between his identity as the guy who always wins and the mounting evidence that his winning streak is over.
The Road
The road Napoleon walked at Borodino, Andrew walks today. The pattern is identical: when our identity depends on never being wrong, we become blind to clear signs our methods have stopped working.
The Map
This chapter provides a reality-testing tool: separate your methods from your worth. You can change tactics without admitting you're a failure as a person.
Amplification
Before reading this, Andrew might have kept throwing good money after bad, convinced that persistence equals strength. Now he can NAME the sunk cost fallacy, PREDICT where it leads, and NAVIGATE by asking 'What would I do if I started fresh today?'
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What signs show Napoleon that his usual tactics aren't working at Borodino, and how does he respond to these warning signals?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Napoleon make contradictory decisions during the battle, and what does this reveal about how pressure affects decision-making?
analysis • medium - 3
Think of someone you know who kept using the same approach even when it clearly wasn't working anymore. What made it hard for them to change course?
application • medium - 4
Napoleon refuses to risk his Old Guard because he's 'eight hundred leagues from France.' When is it smart to cut your losses, and when should you double down?
application • deep - 5
How does past success sometimes become a trap that prevents us from adapting to new situations?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Reality Check Audit
Think of one area of your life where you've been using the same approach for a long time—parenting, work, relationships, health. Write down what you've been doing, then honestly assess: is it actually working? List three concrete signs that would tell you if your approach is succeeding or failing.
Consider:
- •Focus on results, not intentions—what's actually happening versus what you hoped would happen
- •Consider feedback you might have been dismissing or explaining away
- •Ask yourself: if you started fresh today, would you choose this same approach?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to admit that something you'd invested heavily in—time, money, or identity—wasn't working. What made it hard to change course, and what finally helped you see clearly?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 225: The Weight of Command
In the next chapter, you'll discover experienced leaders read situations beyond surface reports, and learn maintaining morale matters more than perfect information. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.