Anglo-Russian War of 1807-1812
Anglo-Russian War 1807-1812, the war between England and Russia, which arose in connection with the aggravation of relations between them during the Napoleonic wars after the conclusion of Peace of Tilsit 1807 with France and its accession to the continental blockade of 1806-1814. In August - September, the English fleet attacked Denmark, an ally of Russia, which on October 26 (November 7), 1807, declared war on England. For Russia, the situation in the Baltic theater became more complicated due to the war against Sweden, supported by England (see Russian-Swedish War of 1808-1809).
In November 1807, the British captured the Russian frigate Speshny and the transport Wilhelmina with cargo and money for the squadron in the Mediterranean Sea, blocked foreign ports where Russian ships were located, captured Russian merchant ships, and raided coastal areas. Vice Admiral's Squadron D. N. Senyavina , blockaded in November 1807 in the port of Lisbon, was forced in August 1808 to move to Portsmouth, where it remained until the end of the war. On April 21 (May 3), 1808, in the South African port of Simonstown, the British detained the Russian sloop “Diana” under the command of V. M. Golovin, which was heading to the Pacific Ocean for scientific work. From August 19 (31) to September 16 (28), 1808, in the Baltic port (Paldiski), the English squadron together with the Swedish fleet blocked the Russian fleet. At the beginning of June 1809, the English fleet (10 battleships and 17 other vessels) entered the Gulf of Finland and took up positions near the island of Nargen (Naissaar). After the conclusion of peace between Russia and Sweden on September 5 (17), British ships left the Baltic Sea and military operations here practically ceased. The British continued to operate in the Barents and White Seas in subsequent years. During the war, significant damage was caused to Russia's economic ties. Both sides avoided decisive military action. On the approaches to Kronstadt, St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, a fairly strong coastal defense was created, which forced the enemy to abandon the attack on Russian bases and ports in the Baltic and the North. After Napoleon's army invaded Russia on July 16 (28), 1812, an Anglo-Russian peace treaty was concluded in Örebro (Sweden). Both sides proclaimed agreement and friendship, and in trade - the principle of mutual most favored nation.
Materials used from the book: Military Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1986.
The war at sea, which arose in connection with Russia's accession to the continental blockade under the Treaty of Tilsit of 1807.The declaration of war by Russia followed the attack by the British. squadrons in Aug. 1807 to Copenhagen - the capital of Denmark (Russia's ally) and the capture of almost all dates by the British. fleet. The war took on a separate character. military clashes of small forces of the parties in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Adriatic, Baltic and Barents seas.
For Russia, the situation was complicated by Sweden's position. Despite the conclusion. previously agreements with Russia, Swede. the king rejected her proposal to close the Swedish ports to the English. ships. In Jan. 1808 he entered into an agreement with England, according to the English. The government provided Sweden with troops in the event of a war with Russia. 14 thousand people and 1 million f. Art. monthly. A sharp change in international The situation was set by the Russian. squadrons and departments ships, previously sent for action against Napoleonic France and Turkey and scattered across different theaters, are in a difficult situation. Balt. the fleet was weakened - its best ships were in the Mediterranean (see Archipelago expeditions). The Black Sea straits were closed to Russian passage. ships by the Turks. Squadron Vice Adm. D.N. Senyavina, returning from the Aegean to the Baltic Sea, found herself cut off from her homeland. bases
Russia was preparing to repel the attack. Banks were built on the approaches to Kronstadt, St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk. batteries, per mln. Barriers (ryazhi) are installed in the fairways. The fighting began with the capture of Portsmouth by the British in November. 1807 Russian frigate "Speshny" and transport "Wilhelmina" with cargo and money, intended. for Russian Mediterranean squadron. English the fleet blocked the foreign ports, raided coastal regions where Russians were located. ships, captured Russian merchant ships.
On Nov. 1807 English The squadron (13 line ships, 11 frigates, 5 brigs) blocked Senyavin's squadron (9 line ships and a frigate), which had taken refuge from a strong storm in the port of Lisbon. English troops occupied Lisbon from land, which forced Senyavin to enter into negotiations with the English. command. According to the agreement reached, Russian the ships remained under the control of the British government until the end of the war, and their personalities. the composition was delivered in English. ships in Riga.
21 Apr 1808 The British detained a Russian in Symoistown Bay. the sloop "Diana", sailing under the command of captain 2nd rank V.M. Golovnin to the Quiet approx. for scientific works. Taking advantage of the storm, Golovnin took Diana away from captivity.
In Baltiysky metro station 14 Aug. 1808 The British attacked the Russians. ship "Vsevolod". Afterwards, he became bitter. resistance team "Vsevolod" 15 Aug. burned her ship.
In the beginning. June 1809 English the fleet (10 line ships, 17 different ships) entered Finland. hall. and anchored between about. Nargen and Cape Sura. Some English the ships operated further east, up to about. Seskar. Without taking active actions against the Russians. fleet, with the exception of the department. military clashes, the British captured and drowned the Russians. merchant ships. On Sept. 1809 fighting on the Baltic Sea stopped.
In 1810, in the Barents Sea near the North Cape, the British captured the Russians. vessel. On the way Russian. the sailors disarmed the guards, captured them and returned to the base. In general, the course of the war was influenced by the desire of both powers to avoid military action. English The government has repeatedly made it clear that it wants to make peace with Russia. The war with England caused great economic damage. Russian connections. After the invasion of Napoleonic troops into Russia, a peace treaty was concluded between Russia and England (see Anglo-Russian Treaty of 1812).
Lit..: Battle chronicle of the Russian fleet. Chronicle major events military Russian history fleet since the 9th century. to 1917. M., 1948, p. 183-188; Veselago F. Short story Russian fleet. Ed. 2nd. M.-L., 19.39, p. 226-229; Marine atlas. T. 3. Part 1. Descriptions of the cards. M., 1959, p. 434-443.
Russia's accession to the continental system after the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 led to a breakdown in relations between St. Petersburg and London. And after England attacked Denmark (the Danes also decided to join the continental blockade), France and Russia went to war with Britain. There were no significant military actions between Russia and Britain, but in 1808 Sweden entered the war on the side of England. During the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. The Swedes were defeated. Finland was included in Russia.
The epic of Senyavin's squadron
The British fleet operated in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. Thus, the squadron of Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin, consisting of 9 battleships and 1 frigate, after the conclusion of the Slobodzeya Truce with the Turks on August 12 (24), 1807, went from the Mediterranean Sea to the Baltic Sea, and the war found Russian ships in Lisbon (they took refuge in the port in early November from -for storms). The situation was extremely difficult: Junot’s French army invaded Portugal - the Portuguese squadron left Lisbon, taking the Portuguese prince regent, the royal family and the government to Brazil (then a colony of Portugal); The British blocked the city from the sea. The British admiral had 13 battleships, 11 frigates and 5 small craft. By the end of November 1807, Portuguese territory was completely occupied by French troops. General Junot received the title of Duke d'Abrantes and entered Lisbon. The Russian squadron found itself between two fires. Both forces had the opportunity to destroy the Russian squadron. The order of Alexander I obliged Senyavin to comply with the interests of Napoleon, at the same time Russian Emperor did not want to enter into an open war with England. And France would benefit if the Russians entered into a direct battle with the British.
Senyavin asked the tsar for instructions, but did not receive them. Napoleon wanted the Russian admiral to henceforth receive orders not from Russia, but from France, from the Russian ambassador in Paris, Count Tolstoy, who would simply forward Senyavin the instructions of the French emperor. At the beginning of 1808, Dubachevsky, who was the Russian representative in Lisbon, received instructions mandatory for all Russian military personnel. They said that the actions of the military should correspond to the friendly disposition that Russia currently enjoys with France. On March 1, 1808, an even clearer imperial decree followed to the three commanders of the Russian Naval Forces located in foreign lands, including D. Senyavin. It talked about providing those outside Russia naval forces at the disposal of the French emperor to harm the enemy. The French were notified of this order.
Start people's war The Spaniards against French rule sharply worsened the position of General Junot and his army in Portugal. In addition, the British saw in Lisbon and Portugal in general a long-awaited springboard for landing significant troops on the Iberian Peninsula. It is clear that the Russian squadron could not bring a turning point in the struggle between France and England for the peninsula. But the symbol of the joint struggle of the two powers against Britain was important. Guerrilla warfare In Spain, the war was becoming more and more heated, and reports were coming from Vienna about the military preparations of the Austrians. There was a possibility that, having seen the fact of a real military alliance between Russia and France, Vienna would refrain from war with Napoleon. Therefore, the pressure on Senyavin from the Duke d'Abrantes intensified day by day. But Senyavin still did not want to destroy his squadron in order to make a political demonstration pleasing to the French emperor. It must be said that Admiral Senyavin was extremely hostile to the Treaty of Tilsit and sudden "friendship" of Russia with France. He continued to ignore the proposals of Napoleon and Junot. He was convinced that the alliance of Napoleon with Alexander was a short-lived construction, and refused to help the French emperor and Junot. It is clear that he tried to do this in a diplomatic manner, finding pretexts for the squadron's inaction.
In July 1808, Junot several times ordered Senyavin to land forces ashore to fight the British landings, and to send the fleet to attack the weakened British fleet (some of the ships covered the landings). Senyavin rejected all these proposals. He refused to land Russian sailors to protect Lisbon. On August 4, Junot withdrew almost all his forces from the capital of Portugal and went to Torres Vedras. On August 9, 1808, a battle took place near the town of Vemieiro, and French troops suffered complete defeat. Junot, after the battle in which he lost more than 4 thousand people, returned to Lisbon. On August 12, Divisional General Kellerman came to the Russian admiral from Junot; he notified Senyavin of the planned truce between Junot and the commander-in-chief of the British forces. But the negotiations ended unsuccessfully. On August 13, Senyavin received a letter from Junot, which proposed that the entire crew of the squadron join the French forces (a similar proposal had been made earlier) and prevent the British from occupying Lisbon and the forts. Senyavin again refused, emphasizing that he did not have the authority to fight with the Portuguese and Spaniards who had sided with the British. On August 16, Senyavin received the last letter from the French general, in which he instructed the Russian admiral to directly negotiate with the British about the fate of the Russian squadron. The British occupied Lisbon.
The British were aware of Senyavin's skirmishes with the French and already in July entered into relations with the admiral. They wanted to induce Senyavin to come over to their side and deal a heavy blow to the Russian-French alliance. Even if Alexander had subsequently disavowed Senyavin’s actions, the opinion would still have been established on the Iberian Peninsula that the Russians were enemies, not allies, of the French emperor. On July 16, Admiral Senyavin received “through a certain Portuguese” a letter from the British admiral with an offer to send his representatives for negotiations. On July 18, the representatives who traveled from the Russian squadron to the British - collegiate adviser Zass and flag officer Makarov - returned to their squadron. They reported that the British were notifying Senyavin about hostile actions against Russia that had begun on the part of the French and about the detention in French ports of all Russian ships that had entered there. And also the beginning of peace negotiations between Russia and Sweden and England. But Senyavin refused to enter into direct negotiations.
After the departure of the French forces, it was necessary to think about the problem, lest the British military declare the squadron their war booty, and the Russian admiral with all the crews of the ships - prisoners of war. After all, England at that moment was formally at war with the Russian Empire. Senyavin reported to the British that during their ten months in Lisbon the Russians had consistently refused to take part in hostilities against the British. The squadron occupied a neutral position. In addition, the Russian Admiral Senyavin told Cotton that after the departure of the French occupiers, the capital of Portugal returned to the legal possession of the Portuguese government, and St. Petersburg was not at war with Lisbon, so he considered himself and his squadron to be in a neutral port. It was a skillful diplomatic move. After all, British troops landed in Portugal, solemnly declaring to all of Europe that their goal was to liberate the country from Napoleonic capture and return it to the legitimate government, which fled from the occupiers to Brazil. Legally, the position of the Russian admiral was thus very strong and binding on the British.
After some reflection, the commander of the British squadron, Cotton, reported that he had ordered British flags to be hung on the forts and that he did not consider the city a neutral port. The moment was critical: British troops were strengthening their presence in the city, their fleet was approaching the Russian squadron. Strength was on the side of the British. At the same time, Cotton realized that Senyavin would not agree to unconditional surrender and there will be a bloody battle. Cotton entered into negotiations and, after quite persistent arguments, recognized the need to sign a special convention with Senyavin. On September 4 it was signed. The British command accepted Senyavin's condition: the Russian squadron was not considered captured, it was heading to England and was supposed to remain there until peace was concluded between London and St. Petersburg. After peace was concluded, the ships could return to Russia with the same crew and all their property. Senyavin even insisted on a point according to which he himself and all his officers, sailors and soldiers (marines) could immediately return to Russia without any conditions, that is, they had the right, having returned to their homeland, to take part in military actions against Great Britain.
It is clear that Cotton agreed to such conditions not only because he did not want losses, but also for political reasons. A new turn could soon take place in relations between Russia and England (and it did), and it was stupid to irritate St. Petersburg by sinking the Russian squadron.
On August 31 (September 12), 1808, Senyavin with his squadron, consisting of seven battleships and one frigate, left Lisbon for Portsmouth. Two ships - "Raphael" and "Yaroslav" - were so damaged that they had to be left in the Portuguese capital for repairs. The British promised to return them. On September 27, the squadron arrived in Portsmouth. The British Admiralty believed that Cotton had made a mistake and tried to revise the convention. Two battleships in Lisbon were captured, despite Senyavin's protests. Not wanting to immediately release (as should have been according to the Cotton-Senyavin agreement) Russian officers, sailors and soldiers to Russia, the British initially delayed the matter for months until the winter of 1808-1809 arrived and Russian ports became inaccessible until the opening of spring navigation. Then the British Admiralty began to express concern whether the Swedes, who were at war with Russia, would remove Russian military personnel from British transports. In addition, the Admiralty insisted that the Russian landings take place in Arkhangelsk. The Russian admiral insisted that it take place in one of the ports Baltic Sea. The British officials fed the Russian crews disgustingly. Only on June 12, 1809, the inventory of ships and property was completed. On July 31, 1809, the Russian crews were finally transferred to 21 British transport ships and sailed from Portsmouth on August 5. On September 9, 1809, the ships arrived in Riga, and people were able to go to the Russian coast.
Officers and sailors highly appreciated the commander's skills. But Alexander I thought differently. The talented naval commander Senyavin, who participated in the campaign of F. F. Ushakov’s squadron in the Mediterranean Sea, successfully fought with the French in 1805, and was defeated on May 10-11, 1807 Turkish fleet in the Dardanelles, and on June 19, 1807 in the Battle of Athos, despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, he fell into disgrace. The British would return the ships in 1813.
Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin.
Other events
On May 17, 1809, an English squadron consisting of 3 battleships, 4 frigates and 1 brig attacked the Russian detachment of captain 1st rank Bychevsky consisting of 5 battleships, 1 frigate and 2 corvettes in Trieste, but, having received rebuff, retreated.
In the Baltic Sea, the British fleet operated jointly with the Swedish Navy in the areas of Revel, Porkkala-Udd, Baltic Harbor, Vyborg, etc. British ships carried out raids on coastal areas, sabotage and shelling of coastal objects. Their privateers attacked merchant ships in the Baltic and North Seas. The British tried to damage the Russian economy.
The Russian command undertook serious measures to strengthen the defense of St. Petersburg from the sea. 15 batteries with 120 guns were built in the capital. The fairway north of Kotlin Island was blocked with a barrier made of stone and wood - a red barrier. Kronstadt was prepared for defense. The squadron of Admiral Pyotr Ivanovich Khanykov based in the Baltic harbor (9 battleships, 7 frigates, 13 small ships) could not resist the British-Swedish Navy. The ships were in poor condition and could not carry out active actions. Overall, the British fleet was unable to provide significant assistance to Sweden. The outcome of the war was decided by the actions of Russian ground forces. After the defeat of Sweden, the British withdrew ships from the Baltic. In 1810 - 1811 There were no hostilities between Britain and Russia at all.
Confrontation in the East
The British launched active activities against Russia in Turkey and Persia. The British had long feared Russian penetration into the South and East. The Russians could seize the approaches to India. London was especially concerned about the fact voluntary accession parts of Georgia and a number of Azerbaijani khanates to Russia in 1801-1806. In 1809, the British government entered into an agreement with the Shah of Iran; the British pledged to facilitate the annexation of Transcaucasia to Persia. But the actions of the Shah's troops were not successful, and Iran began to seek peace. Under pressure from British agent Jones, the negotiations broke down. Soon Malcolm's mission arrived in Persia, which handed over 12 guns and 7 thousand rifles to the Persians. In 1810, the Iranian army tried to go on the offensive, but was defeated in Armenia.
The British took on Persia more seriously: the reorganization of the Persian army began, they sent an English squadron to the Persian Gulf, and in 1811 the Iranians were given another 32 cannons and 12 thousand rifles. Small cannon and rifle factories were built in Tabriz. But this did not help Persia either. At the end of 1811, Russian troops inflicted a new defeat on the Shah's troops and captured Akhalkalaki.
At the beginning of 1812, London sent its ambassador to Iran, who concluded a new Anglo-Iranian treaty. The British allocated money to strengthen the Iranian army. British instructor officers also arrived in the country to prepare the Shah's army for the invasion of Transcaucasia. True, in June 1812 London pretended that it was ready to facilitate the conclusion of peace between Persia and Russia. But on the conditions of the withdrawal of Russian forces from territories that previously belonged to Iran. The Iranians tried to assert their rights by force and began military operations. The best units of the Iranian army were completely defeated at Aslanduz by General Kotlyarevsky. The Shah's artillery was also captured. Then Russian troops captured the Lankaran fortress. As a result, the British attempt to oust Russia from Transcaucasia failed. In 1813, the Shah of Persia agreed to the Treaty of Gulistan.
At the same time, the British played against Russia and Ottoman Empire. Here the British tasks were similar to the French. They wanted to oust Russia from the Balkans and prevent the Russians from capturing Istanbul and the straits. The British prevented the conclusion of peace between Turkey and Russia. Repeatedly, the British and French ambassadors spoke in Istanbul with demarches aimed at continuing the war. However, here too the Russian’s successes brought Russia victory. The Turks signed a peace treaty in Bucharest.
Union of Russia and Britain
Having failed to achieve success in the confrontation with the Russian Empire, British diplomacy entered into peace negotiations when it became clear that war between Russia and France was inevitable. The threat of Napoleon was paramount to London. True, there was the possibility of peace between Paris and London. In April 1812, the French Emperor approached the British government with a formal peace proposal. Napoleon agreed to recognize the dominance of the British in the colonies, but in return asked to recognize the dominance of France in Europe. British troops had to leave Spain and Portugal. But the British did not agree to this.
On July 6 (18), 1812, in the Swedish city of Örebro, a peace treaty was signed between Russia and England and at the same time between Great Britain and Sweden. The agreements ended the Anglo-Russian and Anglo-Swedish wars and concluded alliances directed against the French Empire. The Peace of Orebro became the basis for the creation of the 6th anti-French coalition in 1813. On August 4 (16), Russian ports were opened to English ships. This was a success of Russian diplomacy. But the agreement had little effect on the outcome of the War of 1812. St. Petersburg's hopes for London's practical assistance, including financial, were not justified. The British government sold Russia 50 thousand incomplete guns, which ended British participation in the War of 1812. London hoped for a protracted war between France and Russia, which would exhaust both empires. Such a war made England the master of the situation in Europe.
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Anglo-Russian War of 1807-1812 - armed conflict between the Russian and British empires during the Napoleonic Wars.
Causes of the war
After Russia suffered military defeat in the campaign against France in 1807, it was forced to begin peace negotiations. A meeting between the Russian and French emperors Alexander I and Napoleon I took place in Tilsit (June 25, 1807). At the meeting, Alexander I was the first to speak: “Just like you, I hate the British and am ready to support you in everything that you undertake against them.” “In this case,” Napoleon I replied, “we can come to an agreement, and peace will be concluded.”
Between Prussia and Russian Empire on the one hand and French Empire on the other, the Peace of Tilsit was signed, according to which Russia joined the Continental blockade against Great Britain. This blockade hit the economies of both Russia and the United Kingdom.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the British fleet caused great damage to Denmark and thereby forced it to take the side of Napoleon I. Having entered into an alliance with France, Denmark was preparing to declare a continental blockade of Great Britain. But on August 16, the British landed their troops in Denmark. The Anglo-Danish War began. On November 7, British troops took Copenhagen. Denmark had long been an ally of Russia on the Baltic Sea, and the capture of Copenhagen caused strong discontent in St. Petersburg.
Alexander I, based on treaties concluded between Russia and Sweden in 1800, demanded from the latter that its ports be closed to the British, and upon learning that it had entered into an alliance with Great Britain, declared war on it. In February, Russian troops entered Finland, thereby starting the last Russian-Swedish war (1808-1809). Sweden was soon defeated by Russia, after which it concluded a peace treaty with Russia and joined the Continental Blockade. Finland, as a result, became part of the Russian Empire.
Statistics of the Anglo-Russian War
| Warring countries | Population (1807) | Soldier mobilized | Soldier killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian empire | 39 675 100 | 24 000 | 800 |
| British Empire | 11 520 000 | 20 000 | 120 |
| TOTAL | 51 175 100 | 44 000 | 920 |
Fighting
Both the British and Russians fought in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean, Adriatic, Barents and Baltic Seas. But these battles were not large-scale and were, rather, in the nature of individual military clashes of small forces on each side.
After a peace treaty was concluded between Sweden and Russia, Great Britain ceased hostilities against Russia in the Baltic Sea, and in There was no fighting at all between the United Kingdom and Russia.
End of the war
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Notes
Links
- Chronos.. Retrieved April 15, 2008. .
Literature
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- Mernikov A.G., Spektor A.A. The World History wars. - Minsk, 2005. - 317 - 319 p.
- Troyat A. Alexander I. - M., 2008. - 163 p.
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An excerpt characterizing the Anglo-Russian War
“Let’s go have dinner,” he said with a sigh, getting up and heading to the door.They entered the elegantly, newly, richly decorated dining room. Everything, from napkins to silver, earthenware and crystal, bore that special imprint of novelty that happens in the household of young spouses. In the middle of dinner, Prince Andrei leaned on his elbow and, like a man who has had something on his heart for a long time and suddenly decides to speak out, with an expression of nervous irritation in which Pierre had never seen his friend before, he began to say:
– Never, never get married, my friend; Here's my advice to you: don't get married until you tell yourself that you did everything you could, and until you stop loving the woman you chose, until you see her clearly; otherwise you will make a cruel and irreparable mistake. Marry an old man, good for nothing... Otherwise, everything that is good and lofty in you will be lost. Everything will be spent on little things. Yes Yes Yes! Don't look at me with such surprise. If you expect something from yourself in the future, then at every step you will feel that everything is over for you, everything is closed except for the living room, where you will stand on the same level as a court lackey and an idiot... So what!...
He waved his hand energetically.
Pierre took off his glasses, causing his face to change, showing even more kindness, and looked at his friend in surprise.
“My wife,” continued Prince Andrei, “is a wonderful woman.” This is one of those rare women with whom you can be at peace with your honor; but, my God, what I wouldn’t give now not to be married! I’m telling you this alone and first, because I love you.
Prince Andrei, saying this, looked even less like than before that Bolkonsky, who was lounging in Anna Pavlovna’s chair and, squinting through his teeth, spoke French phrases. His dry face was still trembling with the nervous animation of every muscle; the eyes, in which the fire of life had previously seemed extinguished, now shone with a radiant, bright shine. It was clear that the more lifeless he seemed in ordinary times, the more energetic he was in these moments of almost painful irritation.
“You don’t understand why I’m saying this,” he continued. – After all, this is a whole life story. You say Bonaparte and his career,” he said, although Pierre did not talk about Bonaparte. – You say Bonaparte; but Bonaparte, when he worked, walked step by step towards his goal, he was free, he had nothing but his goal - and he achieved it. But tie yourself to a woman, and like a shackled convict, you lose all freedom. And everything that you have in you of hope and strength, everything only weighs you down and torments you with remorse. Living rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot escape. I'm going to war now, greatest war, which has only happened, but I don’t know anything and I’m no good for anything. “Je suis tres aimable et tres caustique, [I am very sweet and very eater,” continued Prince Andrei, “and Anna Pavlovna listens to me.” And this stupid society, without which my wife and these women cannot live... If only you could know what it is toutes les femmes distinguees [all these women of good society] and women in general! My father is right. Selfishness, vanity, stupidity, insignificance in everything - these are women when they show everything as they are. If you look at them in the light, it seems that there is something, but nothing, nothing, nothing! Yes, don’t get married, my soul, don’t get married,” Prince Andrei finished.
“It’s funny to me,” said Pierre, “that you consider yourself incapable, that your life is a spoiled life.” You have everything, everything is ahead. And you…
He didn’t say you, but his tone already showed how highly he valued his friend and how much he expected from him in the future.
“How can he say that!” thought Pierre. Pierre considered Prince Andrei to be a model of all perfections precisely because Prince Andrei united to the highest degree all those qualities that Pierre did not have and which can be most closely expressed by the concept of willpower. Pierre was always amazed at Prince Andrei's ability to calmly deal with all kinds of people, his extraordinary memory, erudition (he read everything, knew everything, had an idea about everything) and most of all his ability to work and study. If Pierre was often struck by Andrei’s lack of ability for dreamy philosophizing (to which Pierre was especially prone), then in this he saw not a disadvantage, but a strength.
In the best, most friendly and simple relationships, flattery or praise is necessary, just as greasing is necessary for the wheels to keep them moving.
“Je suis un homme fini, [I am a finished man,” said Prince Andrei. - What can you say about me? Let’s talk about you,” he said, after a pause and smiling at his comforting thoughts.
This smile was reflected on Pierre’s face at the same instant.
– What can we say about me? - said Pierre, spreading his mouth into a carefree, cheerful smile. -What am I? Je suis un batard [I am an illegitimate son!] - And he suddenly blushed crimson. It was clear that he made a great effort to say this. – Sans nom, sans fortune... [No name, no fortune...] And well, that’s right... - But he didn’t say that’s right. – I’m free for now, and I feel good. I just don’t know what to start. I wanted to seriously consult with you.
Prince Andrei looked at him with kind eyes. But his glance, friendly and affectionate, still expressed the consciousness of his superiority.
– You are dear to me, especially because you are the only living person among our entire world. You feel good. Choose what you want; it does not matter. You will be good everywhere, but one thing: stop going to these Kuragins and leading this life. So it doesn’t suit you: all these carousings, and hussarism, and everything...
“Que voulez vous, mon cher,” said Pierre, shrugging his shoulders, “les femmes, mon cher, les femmes!” [What do you want, my dear, women, my dear, women!]
“I don’t understand,” Andrey answered. – Les femmes comme il faut, [Decent women] is another matter; but les femmes Kuragin, les femmes et le vin, [Kuragin’s women, women and wine,] I don’t understand!
Pierre lived with Prince Vasily Kuragin and took part in the wild life of his son Anatole, the same one who was going to be married to Prince Andrei’s sister for correction.
“You know what,” said Pierre, as if an unexpectedly happy thought had come to him, “seriously, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.” With this life I can neither decide nor think about anything. My head hurts, I have no money. Today he called me, I won’t go.
- Give me your word of honor that you won’t travel?
- Honestly!
It was already two o'clock in the morning when Pierre left his friend. It was a June night, a St. Petersburg night, a gloomless night. Pierre got into the cab with the intention of going home. But the closer he got, the more he felt it was impossible to fall asleep that night, which seemed more like evening or morning. It was visible in the distance through the empty streets. Dear Pierre remembered that that evening the usual gambling society was supposed to gather at Anatole Kuragin's place, after which there would usually be a drinking party, ending with one of Pierre's favorite amusements.
“It would be nice to go to Kuragin,” he thought.
But he immediately remembered his word of honor given to Prince Andrei not to visit Kuragin. But immediately, as happens with people called spineless, he so passionately wanted to once again experience this dissolute life so familiar to him that he decided to go. And immediately the thought occurred to him that this word meant nothing, because even before Prince Andrei, he also gave Prince Anatoly the word to be with him; finally he thought that all these honest words- such conventional things that do not have any definite meaning, especially if you realize that maybe tomorrow either he will die or something so extraordinary will happen to him that there will no longer be anything honest or dishonest. This kind of reasoning, destroying all his decisions and assumptions, often came to Pierre. He went to Kuragin.