Tolstoy uses the Schöngraben engagement as Nikolay's"baptism of fire," a ceremonial rite initiating him into the world of anonymity and death. His happy childhood is a dream of the past as he abandons himself to the grim presentness of war. By contrast, Prince Andrey sees war as the background for self-assertion, and he dreams his life will become significant when he is a hero. Twice he is disillusioned in these chapters. Bringing the news of Kutuzov's victory to the court at Brünn, Bolkonsky's exhilaration vanishes among the cold responses of the politicians for whom war is an instrument of gamesmanship. For the first time he is aware of the gap between the commanders and the men who do the actual fighting. His second disappointment occurs when he bears witness to Captain Tushin's courage, which otherwise would have remained in obscurity. That heroic acts can be undiscovered and unrewarded fills Andrey with bitterness. Bolkonsky has not yet learned that heroism expresses submissiveness and resignation, like that of Captain Tushin, and not egotism and self-assertion. General Bagration understands this, realizing battles are won or lost according to the confidence and tranquility within each soldier and not according to the commander's plans. He does not initiate action himself, but reflects and underscores the best qualities of his men during battle. By submitting to inevitable forces, Bagration, as well as Kutuzov, can gain ultimate victory.
Tolstoy thus states an important idea that he repeats throughout the novel: Heroism and greatness derive from unselfconsciousness, whereas egotism and intellectuality lead to alienation, weakness, and illusion.
