- The battle at Tarutino is a huge mess. No one goes where they are supposed to, there is no strategy, it’s just a dumb free-for-all. But, Tolstoy points out, that’s pretty much how all battles go.
- In any case, it doesn’t really matter. Even though none of the goals that were set out for this battle were achieved, the bigger picture shifted a lot. This battle is the first push to rattle the French army and set it on the run.