Introduction
Thomas Carlyle was a famous proponent of the ‘Great Men’ theory of history, which holds that world-changing events are moved by bold, iron-willed men of vision. Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy was not of this brotherhood. In his classic War and Peace, he reminded us that even a man as great as Napoleon is much less in control of his own destiny than we might imagine.
MANY historians say that the French did not win the battle of Borodino because Napoleon had a cold,* and that if he had not had a cold the orders he gave before and during the battle would have been still more full of genius and Russia would have been lost and the face of the world have been changed.
To historians who believe that Russia was shaped by the will of one man — Peter the Great — and that France from a republic became an empire and French armies went to Russia at the will of one man — Napoleon — to say that Russia remained a power because Napoleon had a bad cold on the twenty-fourth of August may seem logical and convincing.*
If it had depended on Napoleon’s will to fight or not to fight the battle of Borodino, and if this or that other arrangement depended on his will, then evidently a cold affecting the manifestation of his will might have saved Russia, and consequently the valet who omitted to bring Napoleon his waterproof boots on the twenty-fourth would have been the saviour of Russia.
The Battle of Borodino took place some seventy miles west of Moscow in 1812. Napoleon did win the day and gain entry to Moscow, but for some reason he did not pursue his advantage as ruthlessly as on similar occasions, and was soon afterwards forced into a humiliating retreat which led to his (temporary) abdication as French Emperor on April 6th, 1814. See our story Retreat from Moscow.
The date of the battle itself was August 26th, 1812, ‘Old Style’ (i.e. on the Julian Calendar in use in Russia until 1918, and in England until 1752). That same day was September 7th ‘New Style’.
Précis
In ‘War and Peace’, Russian novelist lampoons the view among some historians of the day that a cold Napoleon was suffering just before the Battle of Borodino in 1812 affected the outcome. Tolstoy declares that if Napoleon’s cold was indeed so significant, then credit for saving Russia should go to the careless valet who gave him the cold. (58 / 60 words)
In ‘War and Peace’, Russian novelist lampoons the view among some historians of the day that a cold Napoleon was suffering just before the Battle of Borodino in 1812 affected the outcome. Tolstoy declares that if Napoleon’s cold was indeed so significant, then credit for saving Russia should go to the careless valet who gave him the cold.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, may, must, or, unless, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Full. Peter. Waterproof.
2 Historian. Logical. Say.
3 During. Face. Republic.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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