11 (i) : Sergius is no longer a soldier as he is offended that his courageous attack on the Serbian positions at Slivnitza which led the Bulgarians to victory was not acknowledged in military circles. Those in the military considered his cavalry attack on cannon to be madness and unprofessional He has thus been overlooked for promotion. He is even more offended as two Cossack colonels who had their regiments routed "on the most correct principles of scientific warfare" were promoted to major-generals in place of the major Generals who "got killed strictly according to military etiquette". Sergius has, thus, resigned from the army.
(ii) : Sergius says that the act of soldering is like bullying or at best opportunistic.. He says that the opposing armies wait for the best opportunity to strike at their opponents, i.e when they are in the strongest position and when their opponents are at their greatest disadvantage. It is thus a cowardly act as when an attack is taken they mercilessly cut down their weaker opponents. Armies never "on any account" engage in an equal fight.
(iii) : According to Sergius, the secret of successful fighting is to judge the most opportune moment - the moment when the opposing army is at its weakest or when they are at a particular disadvantage which ensures that there will not be a battle on equal terms and that it is sure to defeat one's opponents. When such an opportunity presents itself the army having the advantage should attack its opponents "mercilessly" - thus ensuring no come-back for them.
(iv) : It seems, from his comment that Paul Petkoff considers trading (business) as trying to maximise one's profits by all means. He probably has seen that traders raise their prices when good are in sort supply and their demand is high and that they extort the highest amount of money from their customers in such circumstances. Such commercial situations wold be very similar to the type of soldiering that Sergius has just described, i.e. taking advantage of one's strength and exploting an opposing army's weaknesses. Petkoff seems to agree with Sergius about what soldiering is unromantically like. He notes that that the Serbs "wouldn't let us make a fair stand-up fight of it."
(v) : "That bagman of a captain that settled the exchange of prisoners with us at Pirot" refers to a Swiss mercenary who was fighting with the Serbian army. Later we will learn that it is Captain Blunschli or 'The Man' who has sought refuge in Raina's room when fleeing from the Bulgarian army after the Serbian defeat at Slivnitza. At this moment Sergius and Petkoff merely refer to his expertise in getting a better deal from them.
The "advice" Sergius refers to could either be "that bagman's" advice to him to quit the army, or it could have been his advice to accept the terms of exchange - fifty Serbian prisoners of war in exchange for two hundred "worn out chargers".
(vi) : Sergius seems to have gone into battle full of idealistic and romantic notions of war. His making a daring attack, risking his life and the lives of his regiment and throws his cavalry regiment against a battery of machine guns. Thus he shows that he believes that willingness to make daring challenges for the sake of his country is an essential part of warfare and soldiering. However, he finds that he receives no praise and gratitude as a result of winning the war for his country. Rather he is criticized, overlooked for promotion and considered a madman. He is thus disillusioned.
(ii) : Sergius says that the act of soldering is like bullying or at best opportunistic.. He says that the opposing armies wait for the best opportunity to strike at their opponents, i.e when they are in the strongest position and when their opponents are at their greatest disadvantage. It is thus a cowardly act as when an attack is taken they mercilessly cut down their weaker opponents. Armies never "on any account" engage in an equal fight.
(iii) : According to Sergius, the secret of successful fighting is to judge the most opportune moment - the moment when the opposing army is at its weakest or when they are at a particular disadvantage which ensures that there will not be a battle on equal terms and that it is sure to defeat one's opponents. When such an opportunity presents itself the army having the advantage should attack its opponents "mercilessly" - thus ensuring no come-back for them.
(iv) : It seems, from his comment that Paul Petkoff considers trading (business) as trying to maximise one's profits by all means. He probably has seen that traders raise their prices when good are in sort supply and their demand is high and that they extort the highest amount of money from their customers in such circumstances. Such commercial situations wold be very similar to the type of soldiering that Sergius has just described, i.e. taking advantage of one's strength and exploting an opposing army's weaknesses. Petkoff seems to agree with Sergius about what soldiering is unromantically like. He notes that that the Serbs "wouldn't let us make a fair stand-up fight of it."
(v) : "That bagman of a captain that settled the exchange of prisoners with us at Pirot" refers to a Swiss mercenary who was fighting with the Serbian army. Later we will learn that it is Captain Blunschli or 'The Man' who has sought refuge in Raina's room when fleeing from the Bulgarian army after the Serbian defeat at Slivnitza. At this moment Sergius and Petkoff merely refer to his expertise in getting a better deal from them.
The "advice" Sergius refers to could either be "that bagman's" advice to him to quit the army, or it could have been his advice to accept the terms of exchange - fifty Serbian prisoners of war in exchange for two hundred "worn out chargers".
(vi) : Sergius seems to have gone into battle full of idealistic and romantic notions of war. His making a daring attack, risking his life and the lives of his regiment and throws his cavalry regiment against a battery of machine guns. Thus he shows that he believes that willingness to make daring challenges for the sake of his country is an essential part of warfare and soldiering. However, he finds that he receives no praise and gratitude as a result of winning the war for his country. Rather he is criticized, overlooked for promotion and considered a madman. He is thus disillusioned.
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