The Blind Chase Home — War and Peace

Tolstoy compares the retreat and pursuit to blindman's buff: blindfolded players ring a bell until danger nears, then run quietly and often into each other's arms. Early on the French announce themselves; later they move silent and stumble into Russians they cannot see. Exhausted horses end reliable cavalry scouting; news arrives days late and useless. After four days at Smolensk the French had roads to choose yet panic onto the worst route through Krasnoe and Orsha. Expecting attack from behind, columns spread across twenty-four hours: Emperor, kings, dukes first. Russians expect a rightward move, position at Krasnoe, and meet the French head-on by accident. Murat, Davout, and Ney each run separate gauntlets, abandoning baggage, artillery, and men. Ney blows up Smolensk walls no one needs, then crosses the Dnieper with one thousand of ten thousand. At the Berezina the rout deepens; finally Napoleon dons a fur coat and flees alone in a sleigh while others drown, surrender, or straggle. Communication lag, panic routing, and leadership self-preservation turn retreat into blind collision.