Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 24: Where Have All the Potemkins Gone?

An intimate meal is held at the Bolkonsky estate on the sole day Andrei will reconnect with his father, Nikolay. The following day Andrei will be heading off to fight the indomitable forces of Napoleon.  

Awaiting in the dining room is Andrei, Lise, Marya, Mlle Bourienne, as well as Nikolay's architect, Mikhail Ivanovich, who is an odd addition. Usually a sticker for social class divisions, the old General invites his architect (considered a servant) to dine with him. This appears to be an attempt to teach his daughter that everyone is equal, in line with more liberal thinking. Nikolay does not keep a circle of close friends, so he may also be demonstrating a need to have a companion, even though Ivanovich largely remains silent. 

As he waits for his father, Andrei is made to laugh by a new addition on the wall, a framed genealogical tree tracing the Bolkonsky family roots to the ancient princes of the Kyivan-Rus’ and the legendary Rurik. Such family trees were fictional but taken seriously by the aristocrats who commissioned them. Andrei saw through the self-aggrandizement.

The “King of Prussia” arrives to the meal when various clocks strike two o'clock. The flock of house servants well-outnumber those who have a seat at the table. Nikolay leads the conversation, at first talking with his daughter-in-law, Lise, about her pregnancy.

Nikolay then leads a discussion regarding the Coalition against Napoleon. Andrei is surprised of his father’s ability to keep abreast of military news given he lives in secluded Bald Hills. Nickolay reveals he spends a lot of time running through scenarios on how the military effort can play out. He doesn’t think much of Napoleon but thinks equally little of Napoleon’s adversaries, including the leaders of Russia and Austria. In his mind, nobody lives up to the leaders of his generation, such as Alexander Suvorov and Grigory Potemkin -- titans, responsible for unprecedented expansion and success.

Suvorov was famous for leading efforts against the Ottomans and Poles and suppressing a peasant revolt. Potemkin successfully fought the Ottomans. He came up with the military plan that secured Crimea from Ottoman influence.  For hundreds of years Crimea had been run by the Crimean Khanate. Potemkin was also a favorite and lover of Catherine the Great. For decades Potemkin was regarded as the most powerful man in the country.

The awe Nikolay holds for his own (dying) generation rivals what young men, both followers and adversaries of Napoleon, have for the French Leader. Even though Tolstoy critiques Napoleon he is compelled to acknowledge how he is regarded as a transcendent figure. 

When Andrei defends Napoleon’s reputation from his father’s insults, the Old Man gets defensive. More specifically, Andrei points out what happened to the mighty Suvorov when he met French forces in 1799. This effort, more a battle against nature than the French, wore down Suvorov and he died the following year. However, this march through the Swiss Alps saved more men than expected. The perceived affront causes Nickolay to lose his temper and throw a plate.

The elder Bolkonsky calms himself and asks what his son thinks of General Mikhail Kutuzov. Andrei avoids the subject. That question will be answered in the rest of the book as Kutuzov’s leadership was instrumental in defending against Napoleon’s invasion.   

The meal ends and when exiting, Lise points out to Mayra how intelligent General Bolkonsky is and also how he has the ability to intimidate. Mayra responds with a blind adulation and just remarks how kind her father is. Marya sees only the good - like the ideal daughter.