ManyhistorianssaythattheFrenchdidnotwinthebattleofBorodinobecauseNapoleonhadacold, —PetertheGreat—andthatFrancefromarepublicbecameanempireandFrencharmieswenttoRussiaatthewillofoneman—Napoleon—tosaythatRussiaremainedapowerbecauseNapoleonhadabadcoldonthetwenty-fourthofAugustmayseemlogicalandconvincing.
IfithaddependedonNapoleon'swilltofightornottofightthebattleofBorodino, andifthisorthatotherarrangementdependedonhiswill, thenevidentlyacoldaffectingthemanifestationofhiswillmighthavesavedRussia, , asindubitableasthedeductionVoltairemadeinjest (withoutknowingwhathewasjestingat) ', PeterI, orthattheFrenchEmpirewasformedandthewarwithRussiabegunbythewillofoneman, Napoleon, thatargumentseemsnotmerelyuntrueandirrational, , namely, thatthecourseofhumaneventsispredeterminedfromonhigh—dependsonthecoincidenceofthewillsofallwhotakepartintheevents, andthataNapoleon'sinfluenceonthecourseoftheseeventsispurelyexternalandfictitious.
'swill, thoughhegavetheorderforitandthoughtitwasdoneasaresultofthatorder; andstrangeasitmayseemtosupposethattheslaughterofeightythousandmenatBorodinowasnotduetoNapoleon'swill, thoughheorderedthecommencementandconductofthebattleandthoughtitwasdonebecauseheorderedit; strangeasthesesuppositionsappear, yethumandignity—whichtellsmethateachofusis, ifnotmoreatleastnotlessamanthanthegreatNapoleon—demandstheacceptanceofthatsolutionofthequestion, andhistoricinvestigationabundantlyconfirmsit.
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