War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy, 1869):Part1-Plot Summary
- condiscoacademy
- Apr 1
- 51 min read
Updated: Apr 10
The first part of this two-part essay on War and Peace (the Briggs' translation) delves into its plot and historical context, while the second part examines its themes. The bulk of this epic novel is set between 1805 and 1812, during the time of the Napoleonic Wars between France and Russia. The dates in this essay convert the Julian calendar dates (used widely in Russia till 1918) in the Briggs translation to the Gregorian calendar.
The French Revolution (1789–1799) ended the monarchy with King Louis XVI's removal in 1792, paving way for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte who grabbed power in 1799 and crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804. Not content with dominion over France, he positioned himself as a liberator of oppressed peoples in the European monarchies of the time. This triggered the Napoleonic Wars-a series of conflicts between France and shifting coalitions of European powers, including Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia.
The narrative of War and Peace weaves together two strands- war and peace. The war strand follows grand historical events, such as the French invasion of Russia and the Battle of Borodino, featuring historical figures like Napoleon and his Russian nemesis, General Kutuzov. The peace thread explores the ideals, loves, and longings of ordinary people swept up in these events. Most characters in the second strand come from the Russian aristocracy, who as a class were wary of the egalitarian (or violent, depending on your perspective) ideas of the French Revolution.
Juxtaposing intimate personal tales in the second strand with the cataclysms of the first, War and Peace demonstrates that the impact of monumental historical events on the tangible experience of individuals cannot be captured in academic texts. Through the story, Tolstoy challenges the misconception that that those who lived through turbulent events were consumed by them. They had rich inner lives even during the moments they were engaged in the act of battle. They pursued their human aspirations with as much agency as they could within the constraints the events imposed on them.
Tolstoy goes on to make the more provocative point that the great men in the first strand, who ostensibly shaped historical events, exercised no more or less agency than the humblest character in the second strand. He argues that, like gravity and evolution in the physical and biological worlds, history is shaped by unseen forces that remain poorly understood because historians focus too much on the great-man theory.
The central characters
As befitting a novel of its length, War and Peace contains a large number of characters. However, there are only four major ones belonging to three aristocratic families. The Russian aristocracy of the early 19th century was a privileged elite defined by vast landholdings, serfdom and loyalty to the Tsarist regime. The characters of War and Peace, like their aristocratic peers, are heavily influenced by French culture, embracing its language, literature, and manners as symbols of sophistication and cosmopolitanism.
Pierre
Pierre is the illegitimate son of Count Kirill Bezukhov, who despite his bastard status, inherits his father's vast fortune (forty thousand serfs and millions of roubles) after his death. The Moscow based philandering Count Bezukhov is rumored to have many out-of-wedlock children but Pierre is his favorite child. For readers, the father's attachment is easy to understand, as Pierre Bezukhov stands out as one of literature’s most endearing characters, at par with Alyosha Karamazov. He is the protagonist of War and Peace, not because the novel's events revolve around him but because, as Tolstoy's alter-ego, he explores the existential question of finding purpose in life.
Andrey: The Bolkonsky Family
Prince Andrey Bolkonsky is the eldest child and only son of Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky, a retired general and patriarch of a wealthy family. Prince Nikolay resides at his family estate, Bald Hills, a hundred miles from Moscow, with his daughter, Princess Marya Bolkonsky. Ill-tempered and emotionally distant, both his children find him difficult. Princess Marya, fearful of her father, finds comfort in Christian piety.
Nikolay and Natasha: The Rostov Family
Prince Nikolay Rostov is the eldest son of the Count Ilya Rostov, a generous and convivial man, whose Moscow home is a popular social hub. Nikolay's open-hearted honest nature makes him one of the most endearing characters in War and Peace, a close second to Pierre. The count and his wife, Countess Natalya Rostov have four children- Vera, the eldest daughter, Nikolay, the eldest son, Natasha and the youngest son Petya. While Pierre is the hero of War and Peace, Natasha is its heroine. Quite appropriately, the two eventually get together but not before some dramatic twists and turns.
In addition to the above fictional characters, War and Peace also features many historical ones, the two most important being Napoleon and General Kutozov.
The Plot
The plot of War and Peace moves between the contrasting settings of war-unfolding on battlefields in Austria and Russia-and peace, depicted in the salons of St. Petersburg, the political capital, and Moscow, the cultural capital. This essay explores the narrative through the dual lenses of war and peace. In this essay, war encompasses not only battlefield conflicts but also political intrigue, diplomacy, and the characters' professional pursuits. Peace, meanwhile, examines their family ties, romantic relationships, and inner lives.
Volume 1
The events chronicled in Volume 1 of War and Peace take place in 1805.
Peace
The story begins in 1805, with war against Napoleon looming. Pierre has recently returned from abroad and spends his days drinking, gambling, and womanizing in St. Petersburg instead of pursuing a career, as his ailing father, Count Kirill Bezukhov, had hoped. His companion in debauchery is Anatole Kuragin, the reckless younger son of Prince Vasily Kuragin, a relative of Count Kirill's wife.
During a wild drinking party at Anatole Kuragin's house, Pierre and his friends witness a foolhardy bet. Dolokhov, a daring military officer, wagers that he can drink an entire bottle of rum while sitting on a third-floor window ledge with his feet dangling outside. With no support behind him, he calmly drains the bottle. Drunk and agitated, Pierre attempts to follow suit, but his friends pull him back before he can climb out. In another escapade, Pierre and his companions tie a policeman to a bear and toss them into the Moika River. The bear swims around with the wretched man on its back until the odd couple is rescued.
Count Kirill, is on his deathbed, and the question of inheritance looms. In line of direct inheritance are his relatives, including Prince Vasily Kuragin and the Mamontov sisters, Pierre’s cousins. Unfortunately for them, Count Kirill has petitioned the Emperor to legitimize Pierre and has written a will bypassing his direct heirs, leaving his entire fortune to his son.
Prince Vasily, a financially strained and unscrupulous schemer, conspires with one of the Mamontov sisters to destroy Count Kirill's will and the accompanying letter. However, their plan is thwarted by Princess Anna Mikhaylovna Drubetskaya, a noblewoman fallen on hard times, who hopes Pierre will reciprocate by aiding her beloved son, Boris Drubetskoy. Pierre witnesses a sordid confrontation in which Anna physically prevents Katishe Mamontov from carrying out the plot. Despite Vasily Kuragin's earlier efforts to secure Boris a safer military position through a petition to the emperor, Anna has no qualms in foiling his scheme, driven by her single-minded devotion to her son.
When Prince Vasily fails to inherit Count Kirill's property, he pivots to an alternate strategy: securing a share of that property by arranging the marriage of his daughter Helene to Pierre. To his frustration, Pierre, despite being visibly captivated by Helene's seductive charms, refrains from proposing. An internal struggle between reason and primal desire holds him back, with reason seemingly prevailing. In a move as devious as his earlier attempt to steal Count Kirill’s will, at a family gathering, Prince Vasily abruptly announces that his wife has informed him of Pierre’s proposal. Relieved to have his internal struggle decided for him, Pierre passively accepts the lie.
While Pierre's life is marked with high drama of treachery and mercenary seduction, Prince Andrey finds himself overwhelmed with ennui and trapped in an unhappy marriage with the beautiful but empty-headed society girl Liza. He seeks purpose by volunteering for the army as an adjutant to the Russian commander-in-chief General Kutozov, leaving his pregnant wife under the custody of his father Nikolay Bolkonsky.
Following his success with Pierre, Prince Vasily Kuragin sets his sights on the Bolkonsky fortune, plotting to marry his handsome younger son, Anatole Kuragin, to the plain Princess Marya. He visits the Bolkonskys at their Bald Hills estate, causing consternation in Prince Nikolay, who dreads losing his daughter but does not wish to seem selfish. The elder Bolkonsky quickly discerns that the dissolute Anatole is more interested in Mademoiselle Bourienne, Princess Marya's companion, than in his daughter and the young man's interest in Marya is purely mercenary. The Kuragins' scheme unravels when Princess Marya discovers Anatole in a compromising position with Mademoiselle Bourienne and decisively rejects his proposal.
Nikolay and Natasha Rostov have yet to experience the adult personal dramas of Pierre and the Bolkonskys. Nikolay has dropped out of university to join the hussars in the military. He is full of idealism and harbors fantastical views of war. He engages in lighthearted flirtation with Sonya, a poor relation of the Rostovs who lives with them, although she ascribes more meaning to his attentions than is warranted. Similarly, Natasha has childish romantic banter with Boris Drubetskoy, whose mother, Anna Mikhaylovna, is an old friend of her mother, the Countess Natalya.
War
The war segment of War and Peace begins in October 1805 with the arrival of General Kutozov in Austria. The war strand in Volume 1 is structured around three historical events: the arrival of Russians in Austria, the Schöngraben engagement and the Battle of Austerlitz.
Event 1: Arrival of Russians in Austria
A brief historical context is helpful here to frame the unfolding narrative. Russia was part of the Third Coalition, a military alliance formed in 1805, consisting of Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Sweden to oppose Napoleon's expansionist ambitions. The Russians, arrived in Austria to fight alongside the Austrian troops led by General Kutozov's Austrian equivalent, Archduke Ferdinand, the son of the Austrian Emperor Francis. However, by the time, General Kutozov arrives at their makeshift headquarters in the Austrian village of Braunau, the Austrian army had suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Ulm.
Karl Mack von Leiberich, an Austrian General, was tasked to advance into Bavaria (part of modern Germany) to confront the French. A series of misjudgments by Mack allowed Napoleon to encircle General Mack's forces in Ulm, cutting off his supply lines and communication with potential reinforcements, including the Russian army, which was still far from the battlefield. Mack surrendered without significant fighting, leading to the capture of 27,000 Austrian soldiers. Mack was court-martialed, convicted of incompetence, and imprisoned, spending his later years in obscurity. Bilibin, a Russian diplomat and friend of Prince Andrey, stationed at the Austrian court coins the term Macked to describe the unfortunate general's fate.
War and Peace introduces General Kutuzov through a humorous episode involving his inspection of a regiment near Braunau. The regiment's commander scrambles to smarten up his men, aiming to present a professional image of the troops. However, at the last minute, he learns that Kutuzov wants the soldiers to appear shabby. This tactic is intended to signal to the accompanying Austrian general that the Russian forces are unprepared for immediate deployment, contrary to Austrian expectations. It is likely that General Kutozov had heard rumors of the debacle at Ulm and did not want to, unwittingly, send his troops on a suicide mission.
Soon after, the humiliated General Mack arrives at General Kutuzov's command post to announce his defeat. In response, the Russians retreat along the Danube, destroying or rigging bridges for detonation to slow the advancing French. They engage in rearguard skirmishes only when the French overtake them. Despite being outnumbered-35,000 exhausted Russian soldiers against Napoleon's 100,000-strong army-they fight with remarkable valor. At Krems, about fifty miles from Vienna, they achieve a minor but morale-boosting victory by ambushing a French regiment led by Marshal Édouard Mortier. This battle marks Prince Andrey's first experience on the battlefield, where he witnesses the death of Johann Heinrich von Schmitt, a respected Austrian officer and historical figure-a significant loss for Austrian leadership.
As a mark of recognition, General Kutuzov entrusts Prince Andrey with delivering news of the victory at Krems to the Austrian emperor, whose court has relocated to Brno due to Vienna's vulnerability. However, to Prince Andrey's disappointment, the Austrian court's reception of the news is lukewarm. The reason for this is revealed to be the fall of Vienna, a calamitous event for the Austrians, for which the Krems' victory is poor consolation. The loss of Vienna is a humiliation exacerbated by the events leading up to it, as Prince Andrey learns from his friend Bilibin.
After the disastrous defeat at Ulm, the Austrians secretly entered peace negotiations with the French. Hoping for a settlement, they refrained from destroying the Danube bridges leading to Vienna, deeming such actions potentially unnecessary. One of these was the Tabor Bridge, entrusted to an Austrian aristocrat, Count Auersperg. When French forces, led by Generals Joachim Murat and Jean Lannes, arrived at the bridge, they sought to cross the Danube. However, knowing the bridge was rigged with explosives and would be destroyed if taken by force, the generals opted to capture it through a clever ruse.
The French generals approached the bridge with an air of nonchalance. As the bewildered Austrian guards raised their muskets, Murat and Lannes casually mentioned a recently signed armistice and peace treaty. Boldly crossing to the other side, they asked to see Count Auersperg, feigning curiosity about whether he had already left to attend the peace signing ceremony. When the Count arrived, he fell for their ruse. A skeptical Austrian sergeant tried to object, but Murat berated Auersperg for allowing such insubordination. Convinced, the gullible Count handed control of the bridge to the French, who crossed the Danube and captured Vienna.
Episode 2: The Schöngraben Engagement
The Austrian court and the residents of Brno evacuate the city, bracing for the advancing French army. Meanwhile, Prince Andrey returns to Krems, where General Kutuzov faces a Hobson's choice. Remaining in Krems risks encirclement by Napoleon, cutting the Russian forces off from supplies and reinforcements-a fate similar to General Mack's at Ulm. Yet, marching toward Olmütz, where newly arrived Russian soldiers were gathering, meant risking an encounter with the pursuing French army at Znaim, 70 miles away. As Kutuzov was heading toward Znaim from Krems, the French were simultaneously approaching Znaim from Vienna.
To gain time, Kutuzov devises a bold strategy: sending a small detachment to delay Napoleon’s forces on the Vienna-Znaim road. This move sets the stage for the first battle scene in War and Peace: the Schöngraben engagement, named after a small village outside of Vienna, and also known as the Battle of Hollabrun, after a nearby town. This episode introduces another key historical figure, Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, who is entrusted with the desperate gambit of holding off Napoleon’s formidable army with just 4,000 soldiers.
In an ironic twist, the very ruse Murat had successfully used against the Austrians at the Tabor Bridge backfires on the French. Mistaking Bagration's 4,000-strong detachment for Kutuzov's entire army, Murat proposes a three-day ceasefire, claiming that a truce is being negotiated, to buy time for larger French forces to arrive. Although the truce is cut short when Napoleon, enraged by Murat's blunder, sends him a scathing letter, the brief reprieve allows Kutuzov to reach Olmütz safely and provides Bagration's weary detachment with much-needed rest.
The Schöngraben engagement is mostly depicted through Prince Andrey's perspective. Eager to prove his valor, he persuades Kutuzov to let him join Bagration's forces. However, Andrey quickly learns that once the battle begins, carefully laid plans are jettisoned, with commanders improvising and reacting to the chaos. The soldiers fight driven by a mix of adrenaline, fear, and instinct.
A key figure in the battle is Captain Tushin, a junior artillery officer commanding four cannons and forty men. Tushin and his unit maintain a relentless barrage on the French, eventually setting the village of Schöngraben ablaze. The fire distracts the French troops, who attempt to extinguish it, giving the Russian cavalry and infantry time to retreat. As the Russians withdraw, having delayed the French as long as possible, Prince Andrey helps Tushin and his surviving men transport two of their four cannons back to the Russian encampment.
The Schöngraben engagement also includes Nikolay Rostov. The young man's military career as a cadet in the Pavlograd Hussar regiment begins on a rocky note when he accuses Telyanin, an officer, of stealing money from Vasily Denisov-Nikolay’s roommate and immediate commanding officer. Although his allegation is accurate, the optics of a mere cadet publicly alleging theft among officers unsettles the regiment’s leadership.
His first combat experience, which occurs in the Schöngraben engagement, is anticlimactic. After his horse is shot, he falls, sprains his arms, and is pursued by French soldiers. Fleeing into the woods, he encounters Russian marksmen, who fend off his pursuers. This encounter, though underwhelming, is sufficient for Nikolay Rostov to get promoted to the officer cadre. Rostov, whose arm injury is very painful, is repeatedly refused assistance by the retreating soldiers who are unwilling to be slowed down by the wounded. However, Captain Tushin takes pity on him, offering a ride atop one of his cannons. While at this point in the story, Prince Andrey and Nikolay have had no direct interaction, Tushin is a common thread connecting them.
Episode 3: The Battle of Austerlitz
General Kutuzov's forces, upon reaching Olmütz, are bolstered by reinforcements from Russia under General Buxhöwden, along with a smaller contingent of Austrian soldiers. The Russian reinforcements are accompanied by Tsar Alexander I, who harbors a long-standing distrust of Kutuzov, a favorite of his predecessor Tsar Paul I. Although Kutuzov is nominally the commander of the Russo-Austrian army, his authority is continually undermined by the Tsar and his youthful entourage, who view the aging general as a relic of the past.
At Olmütz, Nikolay Rostov reconnects with his old friend Boris Drubetskoy and Vera’s fiancé, Berg, whose regiment is stationed there but has yet to see combat. Boris carries an introduction from Pierre to Prince Andrey, who takes an immediate liking to him. Seeking to help Boris secure the adjutant position he covets, Prince Andrey advises him to focus on influencing the Tsar, given Kutuzov's waning star within the Russian establishment. To that end, Andrey takes Boris to meet Dolgorukov, a general in the Tsar’s entourage. But they find Dolgorukov absorbed in war deliberations that would eventually lead to the famous Battle of Austerlitz.
At this time, there are two conflicting opinions on how the allied forces-Russia and Austria-should proceed. General Kutuzov advocates for a strategic retreat. He believes this would weaken the French by exposing them to the harsh Eastern European winter and further stretching their supply lines. The opposing view, championed by the Tsar, his retinue, and some vocal Austrian generals, is to attack the French. Ironically, this is exactly what Napoleon wanted, as Kutuzov had correctly anticipated.
Napoleon lured the allies into battle by feigning weakness. General Dolgorukov triumphantly recounts to Prince Andrey that Napoleon had sent a peace proposal to the Tsar and invited a meeting, during which he seemed to be on the defensive. However, this apparent vulnerability is all part of Napoleon's elaborate deception.
On the eve of the allied attack, General Weierother-likely inspired by Franz von Weyrother, the Austrian general and chief of staff at the Battle of Austerlitz-reads his meticulously detailed battle plan to the war council in a monotone. General Kutuzov dozes off during the presentation, while Prince Bagration pointedly refuses to attend. Prince Andrey, who has devised his own strategic plan, finds himself sidelined along with his boss, Kutuzov.
The central conceit behind General Weierother's plan is his belief that troop movements can be orchestrated with minute precision in advance. But it's fatal flaw is that it's designer has fallen prey to enemy deception.
Napoleon’s deception has two key elements. First, to bolster the illusion of French weakness, his forces retreat from the most prominent feature of the battlefield: Pratzen Heights, a gently sloping hill, about 50 feet high, at the center. Second, he deliberately weakens his right flank, correctly surmising that the allies will mistake it for a small rearguard, assuming most of his forces have retreated. He anticipates that they will concentrate their troops there, leaving the center, Pratzen Heights vulnerable. French forces, concealed nearby, will then strike and overwhelm the Russian center.
Events unfold according to Napoleon's plan. On a foggy December morning in 1806, General Kutuzov, Tsar Alexander I, and Austrian Emperor Francis I stand at Pratzen Heights with the troops assigned to defend it. Despite Alexander's orders to vacate Pratzen Heights, Kutuzov delays, aware of the advantage Napoleon would gain from this elevated position. Eventually, as the Russians begin marching downhill, French soldiers, concealed by the fog, launch a sudden attack from below.
Both Kutuzov and the Tsar are injured. Caught off guard and expecting the enemy to be farther away, the Russian troops panic and flee. Prince Andrey, standing beside Kutuzov, is devastated. Overcome with emotion, he dismounts, grabs a fallen soldier’s flag, and waves it fervently.
Napoleon took a calculated risk by weakening his right flank, counting on reinforcements from Vienna to arrive just in time for the allied attack. However, poor coordination between the Austrian and Russian armies, along with the lack of conviction among Russian generals-who had favored Kutuzov’s strategy of retreat-delayed the allied offensive at the right flank. In one scene, Tolstoy depicts a last-minute movement of Austrian cavalry that blocks Russian infantry for hours. Perversely, this dysfunction helps the allies by allowing more troops to reach Pratzen Heights and help their comrades there.
While the horrific events unfold at Pratzen Heights, Nikolay Rostov is stationed with Prince Bagration's regiment on the allied right flank, opposite the left flank (the French right)-where Napoleon had intended to lure the allies. Under pressure from General Dolgorukov to attack, Bagration, stalling for time, sends Rostov to seek guidance from General Kutuzov or the Tsar, whomever he finds first. Since Kutuzov is expected to be on the allied left flank, five miles away, Bagration does not anticipate Rostov’s return before evening-if he returns at all, given the high risk of couriers being killed en route.
On his way, Rostov encounters a regiment of Russian cavalry, as well as, Boris and Berg, who exude the exhilaration of soldiers experiencing their first taste of combat. However, the scene quickly turns grim as Rostov finds himself amidst a sea of fallen Russian soldiers. Eventually, he stumbles upon the Tsar, who appears isolated and forlorn. Seeing the devastation and recognizing the army’s defeat, Rostov feels it would be cruel to ask for orders for Bagration’s unit. Without a word, he turns his horse and gallops away.
Meanwhile, below Pratzen Hill, Prince Andrey lies bleeding from a head injury as Napoleon passes by. Noticing he is still alive, the French emperor orders him to receive medical attention. Andrey loses consciousness and later awakens in a field hospital. When Napoleon visits the wounded Russian soldiers, he recognizes Andrey and inquires about his condition, but Andrey remains silent. Napoleon directs his personal physician to care for the officers before riding away. Moved by the emperor’s benevolence towards the prisoners, a French soldier returns a gold Christ icon-a gift from Princess Marya-that he had improperly taken from Andrey's neck. As the French army advances, Andrey, along with other prisoners presumed unlikely to survive, is left in the care of local villagers as the French army moves on.
The Russo-Austrian defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz in December 1805 marks the conclusion of the first volume of War and Peace.
Volume 2
Volume 2 of War and Peace spans the period from 1806 to the beginning of 1812, a period largely devoid of war following the peace treaty between Russia and France signed at Tilsit in July 1807.
Peace
1806-1807
In early 1806, Nikolay Rostov's family greets him with effusive affection when he returns to Moscow on leave. As a dashing hussar and sought-after bachelor, he quickly becomes a prominent figure in Moscow's social scene, attending parties, flirting with women, and frequenting bordellos. Determined to maintain his independence, he pulls away from Sonya and urges her to reconsider rejecting a marriage proposal from Dolokhov-now a friend of Nikolay and a regular guest at the Rostov household. Another disappointed visitor at the Rostovs is Denisov, whose proposal is rejected by Natasha.
Pierre, as he had anticipated, is miserable in his marriage. Difficulties in the relationship arising from lack of intellectual compatibility is exacerbated by rumors swirling around Moscow soirées that Dolokhov is Helene's lover. Adding to Pierre’s humiliation, Dolokhov, benefiting from his generosity, is living as a guest in the Bezukhov home. At a party hosted at the English Club of Moscow by Nikolay Rostov's father in honor of Prince Bagration, Pierre, impetuously challenges Dolokohov to a duel.
The duel occurs in the desolate, snow-covered woods of Sokolniki, with Pierre accompanied by Nesvitsky and Dolokhov by Denisov and Rostov. Though Pierre has second thoughts, his masculine pride silences his doubts, even dismissing a conciliatory message from Dolokhov. Despite never having held a pistol before, Pierre manages to shoot and wound his opponent, and is instantly overcome with remorse for his actions. In a gesture of contrition, he approaches Dolokhov with arms outstretched, making no effort to protect himself. Dolokhov, however, misses his return shot-perhaps intentionally. Later, as Rostov escorts the injured Dolokhov home, he is struck by a surprising glimpse of his friend’s softer, domestic side: that of a devoted son and brother.
Despite the bond that forms between the two men after the duel, Dolokhov, embittered by Sonya’s rejection, harbors a simmering resentment toward Nikolay, the object of Sonya's attachment. Seized by spite, he lures Nikolay into a game of cards goading him to wager increasingly larger sums. The game ends disastrously for Nikolay, who loses a staggering forty-three thousand roubles-a deliberate sum, symbolizing the combined ages of Dolokhov and Sonya. This loss forces Nikolay into the humiliating position of asking his father for the money, a difficult request given the family estate's precarious state, already strained by the elder Rostov's extravagant spending. Nikolay is relieved to get back to the structure and discipline of army life when his leave ends.
The Bolkonsky family is delighted when the missing Prince Andrey returns to Bald Hills. However, their happiness is short-lived, as his wife, Princess Liza, dies in childbirth, leaving behind a baby boy. Andrey is deeply shaken by the look of pain and abandonment on Liza's face at the moment of her death and is consumed with guilt over his neglectful treatment of her during their marriage. The trauma of the near-death experience at the Battle of Austerlitz, combined with the guilt over his wife's death, leads Andrey to withdraw from society and civic life entirely. He retreats to his estate at Boguchárovo, near Bald Hills, and confines himself to a solitary existence focused on his family, managing his lands, and immersing himself in intellectual pursuits.
After the duel, Pierre transfers most of his estate to Helene and departs Moscow for St. Petersburg. Along the way, he encounters a stranger at a station who introduces him to the precepts of freemasonry. Seeking purpose and structure in his life, Pierre undergoes an elaborate initiation ritual and becomes a freemason. He endeavors to improve the lives of his serfs but achieves little due to his poor management skills. In early 1807, Pierre visits Prince Andrey at Boguchárovo, only to find his once-spirited friend disenchanted and cynical. Ironically, although Prince Andrey gently scorns Pierre's ideals, he successfully implements many of the same reforms on his estate-such as freeing serfs-that Pierre had failed to achieve.
1808-1811
In the years after their meeting, Andrey and Pierre's life trajectories change. On a spring day in 1809, Prince Andrey pays a business visit to the Rostov family, who are now living at their country estate, Otradnoe, near Moscow. There, he becomes captivated by Natasha. Later that year, on New Year's Eve, Andrey sees Natasha again at a grand ball attended by the Tsar and signals his interest by repeatedly dancing with her. By this time, the Rostovs have moved to St. Petersburg, necessitated by Count Ilya Rostov's financial need to assume a salaried position in the government.
The emergent romantic feelings rekindle a sense of purpose and thaws his inner nihilism. Inspired, Andrey begins to engage in civic life and builds ties with Mikhail Speransky, an influential advisor to the Tsar known for spearheading governance reforms. At Speransky's behest, Andrey takes on the role of chairing a committee on legal reforms. Eventually, he becomes disillusioned with this civic work, realizing it is disconnected from the real issues faced by citizens in their daily lives.
Prince Andrey becomes a frequent visitor at the Rostov household in St. Petersburg and eventually asks for Natasha's hand in marriage. The Rostovs accept his proposal but are uneasy about his condition to delay the wedding by a year. This stipulation is imposed by Andrey's father, Prince Nikolay, as a prerequisite for his consent. Wary of the changes in his domestic life that would inevitably follow the arrival of a young bride, Prince Nikolay hopes that within the year, either his son will reconsider or he himself will pass away. Andrey, at his father's instruction and his own desire to explore, departs abroad. Natasha is not the only Rostov girl to receive a proposal. Her elder sister, Vera, marries Berg, though, only after Count Ilya Rostov commits to paying him a large dowry.
While Prince Andrey is abroad, his father, Prince Nikolay, grows increasingly irritable and begins viciously lashing out at his daughter, Princess Marya, over the slightest pretext. His worsening temper-fueled by the frailty of aging and his son’s impending marriage, is exacerbated by his resentment towards Napoleon, who is being celebrated by the sovereigns of Europe, including Russia. To provoke and scandalize, he declares his intention to marry Mademoiselle Bourienne, conveying a false equivalence between the absurdity of this proposal to Prince Andrey’s marriage plans. Andrey keeps up a correspondence with Natasha, who grows increasingly anxious that some unforeseen event during their year apart might doom their relationship.
While the change in Prince Andrey's life relate to his exterior life, the transition in Pierre's life is spiritual. Disillusioned by the superficiality of Russian Freemasons, Pierre travels abroad to observe how Freemasonry is practiced elsewhere. When, on his return, Pierre's newly imbibed ideas are treated with disdain, he turns to his mentor Osip Bazdeyev for guidance. Through conversations with Osip, interactions with other like-minded Freemasons, and deep personal introspection, he begins to get glimpses of what a purposeful and joyous life looks like.
During this time, Pierre allows his estranged wife, Helene, to move back in with him. Seeking only to erase the stigma of abandonment, she seizes the opportunity to solidify her status as a prominent socialite. Though Pierre never openly acknowledges his feelings for Natasha, Prince Andrey’s romance with her leaves him disheartened. His wife’s oppressive presence further weakens his spiritual resolve, causing him to relapse into gluttony, alcoholism, and debauchery. Eventually, he leaves St. Petersburg for Moscow, yielding to Helene's remonstrance that his behavior is tarnishing her reputation.
Nikolay Rostov, whose regiment had not been engaged in combat since 1807, thrives on the camaraderie, discipline and idleness of peacetime army life. By 1809, he is promoted to commander of his unit, a position once held by Denisov. In 1810, after repeated entreaties from his mother about their dire financial situation and news of Natasha's engagement to Prince Andrey, Rostov returns home for an extended leave. By then, the Rostovs have relocated to their country estate Otradnoye, unable to sustain the costly social obligations of St. Petersburg, which Count Rostov deemed essential to his role as Marshal of the Nobility.
Like his father, the younger Rostov lacks a talent for business and can offer little more than moral support to his family. During his vacation, he spends time hunting, reminiscing with Natasha-now grown into a young lady-and resisting his mother's persistent attempts to arrange his marriage to the wealthy heiress Julie Karagin. On a snowy Christmas week evening, swept up in the magic of the moment while dressed as fanciful characters in elaborate costumes, Nikolay impulsively kisses Sonya. This unspoken marriage proposal strains his relationship with his mother and later becomes a source of regret for Nikolay himself when better sense prevails. Nikolay returns to his regiment in January of 1811.
While Nikolay Rostov deals with conflicts at home, the Bolkonskys move to Moscow for their annual visit in the winter of 1810. Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky enjoys popularity in Moscow's high society, as public opinion increasingly aligns with the old guard he represents. A surge in Russian patriotism accompanies growing criticism of the Tsar's appeasement of Napoleon among the city's elites. At Prince Nikolay's name day celebration, Count Rostopchin, a Russian statesman declares that Russians cannot oppose France while imitating its culture-a sentiment that gains traction among the French-speaking Russian aristocracy.
Boris becomes a regular visitor to the Bolkonskys, partly to network within their influential circle and partly to court Princess Marya for her considerable fortune. However, when Marya shows no interest in him, Boris settles for Julie Karagin, another wealthy heiress, despite secretly despising her overbearing and affected nature. Meanwhile, Princess Marya is miserable, enduring Prince Nikolay's increasingly senile outbursts and his persistent pretense of a romantic interest in Mademoiselle Bourienne.
Shortly after Nikolay's return, Count Ilya Rostov embarks on a fateful trip to Moscow with Natasha and Sonya to sell his estate. While the sale is successful, a misfortune befalls Natasha during their stay. The Rostovs lodge with a family friend, Marya Dmitriyevna Akhrosimov, to avoid the hassle of preparing their own home for occupancy. At an opera, Anatole Kuragin notices Natasha and schemes to seduce her with the help of his sister, Helene. His fervent pursuit, combined with a humiliating encounter Natasha has with Andrey's father and sister-also in Moscow at the time-leads the naïve young woman to break off her engagement and plan an elopement with Anatole. However, his plan to abduct her is thwarted when Marya Dmitriyevna, alerted by Sonya, intervenes.
When Andrey departed, he had told Natasha to seek Pierre’s help if she ever found herself in trouble. In a cruel twist of fate, his advice now comes to pass. Marya Dmitriyevna, swearing Pierre to secrecy, confides in him about the scandal and implores him to intervene with his brother-in-law, Anatole. She is also deeply worried that if the elder Count Rostov or Andrey learn of the events, they may feel compelled to challenge Anatole to a duel, resulting in loss of life.
Anatole agrees to Pierre's angry demand to leave Moscow but not before extorting money from him in exchange for protecting Natasha's reputation, by keeping the escapade secret and returning an indiscreet letter she had written. However, with the number of accomplices involved in the planned abduction, rumors quickly spread through Moscow society. Prince Andrey, now back in Russia, returns Natasha's letters and sternly asks Pierre never to mention her name to him again. At dinner with the Bolkonskys, Pierre finds Prince Nikolay and Princess Marya, who had always been opposed to the marriage, relieved that the engagement has been called off.
Pierre returns to Marya Dmitriyevna's home and reveals to Natasha that Anatole is already married, a fact known to only a few in Moscow society. Natasha is devastated by Anatole's betrayal and deeply ashamed of breaking Prince Andrey’s trust. In one of the most romantic scenes of world literature, Pierre, finally expresses his love to the object of his affection. Overwhelmed with self-reproach and the harsh slut-shaming by the well-meaning Marya Dmitriyevna, Natasha sheds tears of gratitude in response. On his way back, Pierre, with his heart in rapture from having provided solace to Natasha and having finally said what was bottled inside him for so long, witnesses the great comet of 1811(the comet was first visible in 1811 and remained so for a year).
War
After the Austro-Russian forces (the Third Coalition) were defeated at Austerlitz, Austria sued for peace through the Treaty of Pressburg in December 1805, while Tsar Alexander retreated to Hungary with the remnants of his army. To comprehend the events of 1806 referenced in War and Peace, a brief historical context is helpful.
In the early 19th century, Germany was a patchwork of over 300 independent states, each governed separately. These states were loosely tied to the Holy Roman Empire, itself a weak entity under the nominal leadership of the Austrian Emperor. In August 1806, pressured by Napoleon, Emperor Francis of Austria officially dissolved the Holy Roman Empire. In its place, Napoleon established the Confederation of the Rhine, a loose alliance of German states that eventually included 36 members. Prussia, one of the largest German states, was understandably alarmed by these developments, prompting the formation of a Fourth Coalition against Napoleon, with Prussia and Russia as the major partners.
In October 1806, Prussia declares war on France, and Russia begins mobilizing troops for its second campaign against Napoleon. At the Tsar’s request, Prince Andrey's father, Nikolay Bolkonsky, comes out of retirement to serve as one of eight commanders-in-chief overseeing military recruitment. While Nikolay had opposed war when Prince Andrey enlisted the previous year, their roles are now reversed: the father is enthusiastic about the war, while the son thinks that all wars are senseless.
In late 1806, the Russian army advances into Prussia. Prince Andrey learns through a letter from his diplomat friend Bilibin about the disarray within the Russian forces. Following the defeat at Austerlitz, General Kutuzov was sidelined and relegated to administrative roles, not returning to military command until 1811. The Prussian campaign initially fell under the command of Field Marshal Mikhail Kamensky, an elderly and eccentric figure who abruptly abandoned his post, citing ill health, and transferred leadership to General Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhöwden. This handover sparked a power struggle between Buxhöwden, senior in rank, and General Levin August von Bennigsen, who believed his superior abilities made him the rightful leader. The conflict was settled in Bennigsen’s favor after he, according to Bilibin, exaggerated Russian success over the French at the Battle of Pułtusk in December 1806.
Bennigsen, however, undeniably delivers a major blow to Napoleon at the Battle of Preussisch Eylau in February 1807, shattering the French emperor’s aura of invincibility. Prince Andrey learns of this victory through a letter from his father, who also requests his assistance with recruitment and provisioning efforts led by Prince Nikolay. However, Andrey shows little interest in rejoining military service. Bennigsen's triumph is short-lived, as Napoleon decisively defeats the Russians at the Battle of Friedland in June 1807 leading to the Treaty of Tilsit the following month. This agreement divides Europe into French and Russian spheres of influence under a pact between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I.
To symbolize their equal status, the two leaders meet on a raft anchored at the midpoint of the Niemen River, the boundary between Russia and Europe. A separate peace treaty is also signed in Tilsit between Napoleon and King Frederick William III of Prussia.
While these battles rage in Prussia, Nikolay Rostov's regiment, the Pavlograd Hussars, do not see any action. They stay back in Russia to replenish their ranks and when they arrive in Germany, they are mostly removed from the scene of action. Although the regiment loses just two soldiers in combat, half succumb to hunger and disease. Rostov’s friend and commanding officer, Denisov, gets into trouble after seizing supplies designated for the infantry, to feed his starving men. Denisov is shocked when the offense leads to proceedings for a possible court-martial. Seeking to avoid the army tribunal, he uses a minor injury as an excuse to take refuge in a military hospital.
Rostov visits Denisov at a military hospital and is appalled by the primitive conditions, particularly for the non-commissioned soldiers. After some indignant posturing, Denisov hands Rostov a petition seeking a pardon from the emperor. Rostov sets off for Tilsit on a day marked by celebrations of the newfound bonhomie between the French and Russian militaries. With the help of a kind General, he manages to submit Denisov’s petition, but the Tsar, speaking loudly enough for his entourage to hear, declares that no one, including the regent, is above the law.
Rostov is shocked to see his friend Boris fraternizing with French soldiers and the Tsar, whom he once idolized, treating Napoleon-whom Rostov regards as a man of low birth-as an equal. The stark contrast between the sacrifices of soldiers on the frontlines, still vivid in his mind from his hospital visit, and the Tsar's indifference as he engages in the grand game of geopolitics fills Rostov with bitterness. This frustration boils over during a meal with fellow officers at Tilsit, where he delivers a hysterical speech, bitterly proclaiming that a soldier’s sole purpose is to obey orders.
Following the treaty of Tilsit, a grand meeting between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander is organized at the Erfurt Congress in October 1808. Helen, who has become a tastemaker in St. Petersburg, is present at the conclave and reportedly attracts the attention of Napoleon himself. By 1809, there is speculation in the Russian aristocracy that the alliance might be cemented through a marriage between Napoleon and one of the Alexander's sisters.
By the end of Volume 2 of War and Peace, all the principal characters are in anguish, which is ironical as there is no war during this time. Nikolay is in conflict with his mother over his intention to marry Sonya and feels let down by his country. Natasha is consumed with shame. Prince Andrey is bitter at Natasha's betrayal, even though he projects indifference. Pierre has slipped back into his old habits, becoming the very kind of idle Moscow gentleman he never thought he would be, though his generosity endures.
Volume 3
Volume 3 of War and Peace covers the pivotal events of 1812, a year marked by Napoleon's strategic blunder of invading Russia and the tide turning against the hitherto ascendant French army at the Battle of Borodino. Unlike the earlier two volumes that are more fittingly titled Peace and War- the narrative in Volume 3 opens with war before switching to the civilian lives of its characters.
War
The war narrative in Volume 3 revolves around three key episodes: the lead-up to the Battle of Borodino, the pivotal battle itself, and the fall of Moscow.
Episode 1-the prelude to Borodino
The peace negotiated at the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 began unraveling in the face of Napoleon's expansionist ambitions. The late 1811, saw a massive build up of Napoleon's Grande Armée in Western Europe, and in 1812, these forces advanced towards Russia. In May 1812, Napoleon convened the Conference of Dresden to showcase his power and secure resources from his allies to support his hegemonic goals. Attendees included the Emperor of Austria (Napoleon's father-in-law), King Frederick William III of Prussia (whose alliance with Napoleon sealed at Tilsit, unlike Russia's, had endured), and rulers of smaller German states.
As Napoleon gathered his forces along Russia's western border, the Russian army defending the region was split into three divisions: the First, Second, and Third Western Armies, led by Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, Prince Pyotr Bagration, and Alexander Tormasov, respectively. Tsar Alexander, serving as de-facto commander-in-chief, was based in Vilna, the headquarters of Barclay de Tolly's division.
In late May 1812, Napoleon left Dresden to join his army in Poland. On 24th June, 1812 he arrived at the historically and geographically significant Niemen River. This river, which had been the site of the Treaty of Tilsit, marked the border between Russia and French-controlled territories. Just to its west lay the Duchy of Warsaw, a French client state formed from territories Prussia had ceded under the terms of the Tilsit treaty. To cross into Russian Poland, the Grand Army constructed pontoon bridges, breaching Russia's territorial integrity. As Napoleon stood on the Russian side of the Niemen reviewing his war plans, Tolstoy describes members of a Polish regiment leaping to their deaths into the river to impress their emperor-a dramatic embellishment that is likely historically inaccurate.
While in Vilna, Tsar Alexander learns of Napoleon's invasion from his advisor, General Balashev. Boris, now wealthy after marrying Julie Karagin, is present at court and overhears the news. The Tsar and Barclay de Tolly’s army evacuate Vilna and retreat eastward to Drissa. On June 26, two days after Napoleon crossed the Niemen, the Tsar sends a letter to Napoleon through Balashev, proposing negotiations on the condition that French troops withdraw from Russian territory. In reality, Napoleon had formally declared war on Russia through diplomatic channels two weeks before crossing the Niemen. The Tsar’s letter references this by mentioning the issue of Kurakin’s passport.
In early 1812, as tensions between Russia and France escalated, Russian ambassador Kurakin requested his passport-a move widely understood, under diplomatic protocol of the time, as a signal of his intent to leave Paris and sever ties. In response, the French ambassador to Russia, the Marquis de Lauriston, wrote to the Russian Foreign Ministry, stating that Napoleon viewed Kurakin’s request as an irreparable rupture and considered himself at war with Russia. In his letter, the Tsar counters that Kurakin had acted independently, without the sovereign’s approval, and argues that the ambassador’s actions cannot be a pretext for war.
Balashev is delayed by French officials until the end of June, when he finally meets Napoleon, now residing in the same quarters where the Tsar had written his letter. By then, Napoleon had captured Vilna. Balashev, struck by the opulence of Napoleon's court, endures a prolonged harangue by the French emperor. In his outburst against Russia, Napoleon cites three key grievances: its alliance with England, its recent peace treaty with Turkey, and the presence of certain individuals in the Tsar’s inner circle whom he finds intolerable. Each of these requires historical context.
Grievance 1: Russia's alliance with Britain
At Tilsit, Russia had agreed to the Continental Blockade, Napoleon's economic strategy to weaken Britain by prohibiting trade between British merchants and European nations. Alexander’s commitment was, at best, lukewarm. Russia’s economy heavily relied on British trade, and the blockade forced the Tsar to turn away British ships, depriving Russia of import duties and British goods while requiring the acceptance of French products instead. After 1809, the blockade, already enforced reluctantly, became even more lax. By 1812, alarmed by Napoleon's expansionist moves in Europe, the Tsar sought an alliance with England, which was formalized three weeks after Napoleon's crossing of the Niemen.
Grievance 2: Russia's peace treaty with Turkey
Napoleon refers to the Treaty of Bucharest (1812), a peace agreement between the Ottoman and Russian Empires. The conflict centered on the Danubian Principalities, Wallachia and Moldavia-semi-autonomous regions under Ottoman suzerainty. Russia sought influence over them to expand its presence in the Balkans and secure its southern borders. Their occupation by Russia triggered Ottoman resistance, leading to the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812. As Napoleon prepared to invade Russia, Tsar Alexander I sought a swift resolution to avoid fighting on multiple fronts. The treaty ended the war, granting Russia control of Bessarabia while restoring Ottoman rule in Wallachia and Moldavia. Napoleon, speaking to Balashev, condescendingly reminds him that had the Tsar allied with him, he could have secured both territories-just as Napoleon had previously granted Russia Finland at Tilsit.
Grievance 3: The Tsar's court
The most petty part of Napoleon's diatribe is his contempt for the Tsar's advisors. Among those he scorns is Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, a Swedish general and diplomat who had consistently opposed the leaders of the French Revolution and Napoleon. He also targets Ferdinand von Wintzingerode, a German nobleman and officer who became an aide to the Tsar in 1802 and played a key role in forming the 1805 coalition of Prussia, Austria, and Britain against France. Napoleon interweaves political grievances with personal attacks, questioning the Tsar’s ability to lead an army due to his lack of military experience.
Napoleon eventually writes a reply, which Balashev delivers to Alexander, now in Drissa.
Prince Andrey, now serving on General Kutuzov’s staff in Moldavia, arrives in Drissa with the intention of taking a frontline role under Barclay de Tolly. The army there is paralyzed by indecision, largely due to the Tsar’s presence. Although Alexander has not formally declared himself commander-in-chief, his presence makes him the de facto leader. Surrounded by diplomats and armchair generals with personal agendas, he presides over endless debates on strategy and theoretical battle plans, stalling decisive action. Eventually, some seasoned advisors bluntly point out that the Tsar’s presence is a distraction and that his duty is to govern the nation, not command the army. The Tsar departs for Moscow under the face-saving pretext of rallying patriotic fervor, leaving the German general Barclay de Tolly in charge.
On July 15, 1812, the Tsar convenes an extraordinary assembly of the estates general, with merchants and nobles seated in separate chambers. Pierre attends the nobles' chamber with a sense of urgency but soon grows disillusioned by their shallow, self-serving discussions. He struggles to express his convictions, feeling like an outsider among aristocrats who view the war as either an opportunity for personal gain or a distant concern.
Pierre’s misgivings notwithstanding, the Tsar delivers an impassioned plea in both chambers, moving his audience to tears. His appeal is so powerful that the Russian military triples in size. Pierre, himself, volunteers to raise an army of thousand.
Meanwhile, the Russian army continues its eastward retreat, avoiding battle with Napoleon because its forces on the western border are divided into three sections. The Russians only engage in battle after Prince Bagration’s regiment joins Barclay de Tolly at Smolensk on August 2, 1812-and even then, they are forced into it. It is believed that Bagration delayed his march to join Barclay out of hatred for the German general, to whom he was expected to report despite holding a higher rank.
On August 16, 1812, the Russian army lost 11,000 soldiers defending Smolensk. Following the heavy losses, Barclay de Tolly ordered a retreat, continuing his strategy of drawing Napoleon eastward, ostensibly to give the Tsar time to build up his forces. In reality, according to Tolstoy, Tolly hesitated to act decisively because he did not enjoy full confidence of the Tsar and was constantly undermined by the Tsar's courtiers.
Moreover, as a German by both heritage and temperament, Tolly struggled to connect with the rank-and-file Russian soldiers, who hated him. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrey, bitter over the abandonment of Smolensk, tells Pierre that Tolly’s actions reflect a clinical detachment, as compared with the fierce indignation Russian soldiers feel when defending their own soil. After the retreat from Smolensk, Prince Bagration writes a scathing letter to War Minister Aleksey Arakcheyev, suggesting that while Barclay de Tolly may be fit to serve as a minister, he is unfit to lead as a general.
The debacle at Smolensk sparked calls for a change in leadership. On August 20, 1812, the Tsar reluctantly appointed Kutuzov as commander-in-chief, yielding to the will of the Russian soldiers. The retreating Russian army, along with the peasants, practiced a scorched-earth strategy, burning towns, villages, farms, orchards, and fields to leave nothing for the invaders. Even the sacred city of Smolensk was reduced to smoldering ruins by the retreating Russians.
Meanwhile, Napoleon, having stayed in Smolensk until August 25 after capturing Vilna and Smolensk, set his sights on Moscow. The stage was now set for the pivotal Battle of Borodino, 75 miles west of Moscow.
Episode 2-Battle of Borodino
After his appointment as commander-in-chief, Kutuzov travels to Tsarevo-Zaimishche, 119 miles west of Moscow, where Prince Andrey visits him. Andrey declines the staff position Kutozov offers him, preferring to lead his regiment on the front lines, where he commands strong loyalty. Bagration and Barclay de Tolly had planned to confront the French at Tsarevo-Zaimishche but Kutuzov orders a retreat, continuing until they reach the village of Borodino, which is chosen as the battlefield.
On the left flank of the three-mile-long battlefield, about one mile in advance, the Russians construct a redoubt near the village of Shevardino. A redoubt is a makeshift fort made of earth or stone, designed to allow soldiers to defend themselves from all sides. Typically, a group of cannons or artillery guns, known as a battery, is placed atop the redoubt, providing the gun operators both protection and a strong position for launching attacks. Below is an illustration of a typical redoubt (no known image of the Shevardino Redoubt exists):
On September 5, 1812, the French attacked the Shevardino Redoubt, defended by about 18,000 Russian soldiers. By the time Prince Bagration withdrew, a third of them had perished. The French captured the redoubt, and on September 7, Napoleon, who had established his headquarters nearby, watched the Battle of Borodino from there.
While the Battle of Austerlitz is shown primarily through Prince Andrey's perspective, Borodino is described through Pierre’s eyes. Just days earlier, he had left Moscow after witnessing a mob brutally beat a French chef suspected of being a spy. On the eve of the battle, he surveys the battlefield from a hill in Gorki, watching a church procession carrying the Black Virgin of Smolensk, a sacred icon meant to inspire the Russian troops. Before it, he sees General Kutuzov kneeling in reverence.
That same day, Pierre encounters three familiar figures. Prince Andrey, who behaves coldly towards him to avoid reliving painful memories of Natasha. Dolokhov, his former duel rival, unexpectedly apologizes for their past misunderstanding. Finally, Boris Drubetskoy introduces him to Kutuzov's chief of staff, Count Bennigsen, who can give Pierre a tour of the military formations. During this tour, Pierre walks up a mound that would become famous as the Raevsky Redoubt- the site of the most famous episode in the Battle of Borodino. The redoubt was named after General Nikolay Raevsky, the Russian commander who led its defense against the French.
On the morning of the fateful battle, Pierre wakes up late and makes his way to the Raevsky Redoubt. The Russian soldiers defending it are initially puzzled by the aristocratic-looking man in a white hat but soon treat him like a stray dog that has somehow become theirs.
The day begins with the Russians successfully repelling the French, only to lose the redoubt under heavy artillery fire before reclaiming it in a counterattack led by General Yermolov. At first, Pierre is absorbed in watching the soldiers' camaraderie and resilience as they joke and fight amid relentless musket and cannon fire. But when the battle subsides, he is left stunned by the sea of corpses around him.
During the chaos, an artillery blast knocks him down the redoubt’s slope. Seeking safety, he scrambles back up toward the Russian cannon operators, only to be shoved down again in a clash with a terrified French soldier. When he climbs up one last time, after Yermolov’s counterattack, he finds his former soldier companions-among them a boyish young soldier-dead.
Apart from the Shevardino and Raevsky Redoubt, the Battle of Borodino is famous for a third form of earthwork- Bagration's flèches, which were small V shaped defensive structures made of dirt, shaped like arrows pointing outward. They helped soldiers fire at the enemy while staying somewhat protected. Below is an image of what flèches look like (the earthen structure on the left):
The Battle of Borodinó took place within a seven-thousand-foot stretch between the village of Borodinó and Bagratión’s flèches, with minor skirmishes elsewhere. Thick smoke from French and Russian artillery shrouded the battlefield. The flèches remained in turmoil, a chaotic mix of Russian and French soldiers-dead, wounded, or still fighting. From his vantage point at Shevardino, Napoleon struggled to see the battlefield clearly. However, the reports of panicked messengers urgently requesting reinforcements made him realize that, for the first time in the campaign, the French were being evenly matched.
Prince Andrey's regiment comes under heavy artillery fire, and a nearby shell explosion sends shrapnel into his abdomen. Carried to a chaotic dressing station crowded with wounded soldiers, he loses consciousness from the pain. When he wakes, he finds his old nemesis, Anatole Kuragin, now a fellow patient and amputee.
Prince Andrey, driven by vengeance against Anatole, had planned to challenge him to a duel under a fabricated pretext to protect Natasha's reputation. Upon learning that Anatole is serving in Moldavia, he enlisted in the army under Kutuzov, who is stationed there. But when Anatole evades him, Andrey pursued him to Drissa, using the desire to fight the French as a pretext-only to find that the quarry had once again slipped away. But now, in their shared vulnerability, Prince Andrey is overcome with compassion for the man he once despised.
The Battle of Borodino was a turning point in Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Around 70,000 soldiers perished on fields once peacefully tended by peasants. Though Napoleon technically claimed victory by forcing the Russians to retreat-and his depleted army remained larger than the Russian force-the battle left the French shaken by their first encounter with a formidable enemy far from home. Meanwhile, the Russians emerged with high morale, having resolutely defended their homeland.
Episode 3-the capture of Moscow
On the evening of Borodino, General Kutuzov is convinced Russia had won and intended to resume fighting the next day. However, after the harrowing day they had endured, expecting the Russian soldiers to fight again was unrealistic. Instead, the army retreats to the village of Fili, west of Moscow.
The Council at Fili takes place in a hut on September 13, 1812, where Kutuzov and his generals debate whether to defend Moscow or retreat. Kutuzov's chief of staff, Bennigsen, distances himself from the decision, cynically advocating for Moscow’s defense despite knowing the battlefield conditions would be disastrous for the Russian army. Tolstoy dramatizes the scene through the perspective of Malásha, likely a peasant’s daughter. The council disbands with Kutuzov making the gut-wrenching decision to abandon Moscow.
Even before Kutuzov made his fateful decision, Moscow was in turmoil after Borodino. Citizens fled the city daily, while truckloads of wounded soldiers arrived from the battlefield. Rumors spread unchecked, and few believed the broadsheets issued by Count Rostopchin, the Governor General, whose propaganda painted an optimistic picture of the Russian army’s strength. On the early morning of September 14, the Russian army marches through the capital, and by mid-day, most of its forces cross the city and move beyond it.
Kutuzov's retreat from Moscow is chaotic, with soldiers and civilians jostling for space as disorder spreads. Many Russian troops turn to looting Moscow’s tradesmen. Tolstoy depicts a drunken mob of blacksmiths and bootmakers brawling outside a tavern before chasing down the fleeing cart of the Moscow Police Superintendent-a symbol of the city’s elite, who have abandoned them to face the enemy's advance.
In another scene, he describes the Moskvá Bridge descending into chaos when General Ermolov orders a feigned attack to clear the way for retreating troops. A chilling, though likely fictional, incident involves Count Rostopchin, who, humiliated by his helplessness in preventing the siege of Moscow, incites a mob to lynch Vereshchágin, a political prisoner accused of spreading Napoleon’s propaganda. Vereshchágin becomes a scapegoat for the enraged crowd, who, like Rostopchin, need an outlet for their impotent fury.
Meanwhile, standing on a hill near Moscow’s Dorogomílov Gate, Napoleon indulges in fantasies of playing the magnanimous ruler to the city’s citizens. His illusion is shattered when his generals report that Moscow has been abandoned. Though the French army enter in an orderly manner, discipline quickly collapses. With no inhabitants to keep them in check, soldiers scatter through the city, looting homes, seizing supplies, and devolving into marauding bands driven by personal greed. Soon after their arrival on September 14, fires break out and rage until September 18, reducing much of Moscow to ashes.
The fire's cause remains disputed, with the French and Russians blaming each other. Tolstoy, however, views it as an inevitable result of an ungoverned wooden city where soldiers lit campfires to stay warm.
Peace
The events in the peace strand of Volume 3 are organized here by whether they occurred before or after the Battle of Borodino to make their sequence easier to follow.
Pre Battle of Borodino
Prince Andrey writes to his father, warning him that the French are approaching Bald Hills and urging evacuation. On the day of the French attack on Smolensk, Andrey unexpectedly encounters Alpatych, his father’s trusted servant, in the besieged town. Prince Nikolay, in denial about the impending danger, had sent Alpatych on a shopping errand, while Princess Marya, without her father’s knowledge, had asked him to assess the situation firsthand with the Governor.
At the Governor’s residence, Alpatych finds him in a state of panic. The Governor urgently advises that the Bolkonskys must evacuate to Moscow immediately. Amid the chaos of gunfire, burning buildings, and panicked crowds, Andrey quickly hands Alpatych a note, reinforcing his earlier warning to flee to Moscow. After the burning of Smolensk, he takes the opportunity to visit Bald Hills, which was short diversion from the marching route of Prince Andrey's regiment. There he is sad to see his childhood home deserted and an inconsolable Alpatych trying to make sense of a world that has suddenly turned upside down.
Despite Marya’s entreaties and Andrey’s urgent message, the patriarch Prince Nikolay refuses to leave Bald Hills. The decision is made for him when a stroke incapacitates him. Princess Marya moves her father to her brother’s estate, Boguchárovo, while sending her nephew to Moscow with his tutor.
The Bolkonskys remain at Boguchárovo for three weeks until the old man passes away. Paralyzed by grief, Princess Marya is roused into action when she hears Mademoiselle Bourienne suggesting they stay, in expectation of gallant treatment from the French army. The mere thought of a daughter of Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky seeking protection from a French general is enough to spur her into packing up the household and preparing to flee.
However, Alpatych, who arrives at Boguchárovo before the old prince's death, discovers that the estate’s serfs refuse to help Princess Marya’s entourage load the carts or harness the horses. Defiant by nature, they see Napoleon’s invasion as a path to their liberation. The damsel in distress is rescued by Prince Nikolay Rostov, who happens to be passing by and intervenes after Alpatych pleads for help. This fateful encounter plants the seed of their eventual marriage and marks the beginning of Rostov’s break from Sonya.
The Rostov family-except for Nikolay, who was on active duty-had settled in Moscow in the days leading up to Borodino. After her ordeal with Anatole, Natasha falls ill. Upon hearing of her daughter's condition, the countess leaves Otradnoye, the Rostov country estate, and the family moves from Marya Dmitrievna's home to their Moscow home. During her illness, Natasha is doted on by doctors, servants, and family. However, her ailment is revealed to be more mental than physical, as her condition improves after receiving holy communion, following several days of strict religious observance under the guidance of a family friend, Agrafena Ivanovna Belova.
Meanwhile, Pierre leads a dissipated life in Moscow-except when visiting the Rostovs. As a Freemason drawn to hidden meanings, he delves into numerology and convinces himself that Napoleon represents the number of the Beast, 666, from the Book of Revelation. By manipulating the spelling of his and Napoleon’s names in French, he calculates through arcane numerology that both add up to 666. Gripped by this "discovery" and longing for purpose amid his ennui, Pierre becomes convinced that he is destined to kill the French emperor. In addition to his offer of raising an army, he decides to enlist himself, much to the sardonic amusement of Julie Drubetskoy.
Pierre is not the only one stirred to action. Petya Rostov, inspired by Sonya’s reading of the Tsar’s proclamation at dinner, is determined to join the army-much to his family’s dismay. Naïve and eager, he rushes to the Kremlin, hoping to offer his service in person to someone in the Tsar’s court. But in the frenzy of the crowd, he is nearly trampled, loses consciousness, and is rescued by a clergyman. Undeterred by the ordeal, he ends the day in a state of patriotic ecstasy, scrambling to catch one of the biscuits the Tsar tosses to the adoring crowd. Petya’s father relents and arranges a safe position for him in the regiment Pierre is raising in Moscow.
Helene, now entangled in an adulterous triangle with a young foreign prince and an aging dignitary in St. Petersburg, decides to pursue a divorce. She converts to Catholicism, hoping to secure the Church's approval in exchange for generous donations. Tolstoy wryly notes that “the real purpose of religion is to preserve decencies and still satisfy every human desire.” She writes to Pierre requesting a divorce, but by the time her letter arrives, he has already departed for Borodino.
Post Battle of Borodino
The Rostov family delays their departure from Moscow, even though most residents had fled a week before Borodino. Five days after the battle, they finally begin packing. The city is overflowing with wounded soldiers, all desperate to escape. Natasha is horrified that her family refuses to take them, using the carts for their belongings instead. She persuades her parents to bring only the essentials, freeing up carts for the soldiers. Among the many carts in the departing entourage-though not one of the Rostovs’-is one carrying the injured Prince Andrey, unbeknownst to Natasha.
As they leave Moscow, Natasha spots Pierre, though he is unrecognizable to most due to his commoner’s attire. The back story to this encounter traces back to Pierre’s return from the Borodino battlefield. Already shaken by the violence he had witnessed, his patriotism is further eroded by Count Rostopchin’s duplicity. Disillusioned, Pierre takes refuge in the home of his late mentor, Osip Bazdeyev. With Osip’s wife and children having fled the city, the house is left in the care of his alcoholic brother Makar and the servant Gerasim. Still convinced he is destined to assassinate Napoleon, Pierre assumes a peasant's disguise and sets out with Gerasim to acquire a gun, when Natasha spots him.
The French forces eventually reach Osip's neighborhood. An officer Captain Ramballe, accompanied by his servant Morel, enters the Bazdeyev house. Pierre saves the captain's life by restraining the drunken Makar who tries to kill him. Grateful, Ramballe befriends Pierre and the two spend the evening in warm conversation. Meanwhile, the cook and Gerasim share a similar camaraderie with Ramballe’s staff, despite a language barrier, because unlike Pierre, the Russian working class did not speak French.
The next day, Pierre ventures into the burning city of Moscow, carrying a dagger instead of the pistol to avoid drawing attention. He is distracted from his mission to kill Napoleon when he hears the cries of a woman whose daughter is trapped in a burning building. Pierre heroically rescues the child. While searching for the child's family, he gets into a fight with some French soldiers who were molesting a young Armenian girl. Pierre is arrested on suspicions of being an arsonist.
Fifteen miles outside of Moscow Natasha learns that the injured Prince Andrey is part of their entourage. She walks into his hut, seeks his forgiveness and a reconciliation occurs between the dying man and the girl who had broken his heart.
Volume 4
Volume 4 covers the events covering the period from September 1812 to the end of the year.
Peace
While Moscow burnt, social life in St. Petersburg, with its soirées and gossip, carried on as usual. Helene dies suddenly from illness. Meanwhile, Nikolay travels to the provincial town of Vorónezh to buy horses for his division, where he meets Princess Marya, who is taking refuge with her aunt. The governor’s wife there takes a maternal interest in Nikolay and, with Princess Marya’s aunt, plays matchmaker. News of Borodino and Moscow’s fall reaches Vorónezh in late September. Upon learning of Prince Andrey’s injury, Princess Marya sets out to find him.
Nikolay receives a letter from Sonya releasing him from their informal engagement. Though written under duress from the Countess, Sonya believed Prince Andrey would recover and marry Natasha, making a union between Princess Marya and Nikolay impossible because they would become relatives. However, events unfold differently. By the time Marya reaches her brother in Yaroslávl, Prince Andrey's condition has deteriorated. Natasha and Marya care for him until he passes away.
Pierre, now a prisoner of the French in Moscow, is lined up for a public execution, where French soldiers are shooting inmates one by one. As he awaits his turn, he is unexpectedly spared-possibly due to an earlier interaction with Marshal Davout, a famous commander in Napoleon's army. A brief moment of human connection may have led Davout to classify him as a prisoner of war rather than a criminal. Pierre is then sent to the barracks with other Russian war captives. There, Pierre meets and is highly influenced by Platon Karatayev, an uneducated Russian soldier from a peasant family.
On October 19, 1812, as the French army evacuates Moscow, Pierre and his fellow prisoners are herded out of the city. Under the watchful eyes of their captors, they witness the city's devastation, gruesome scenes of death, and the disorderly conduct of French soldiers. Their group, initially over 300 strong, dwindles to fewer than 100 as many succumb to harsh conditions. Cold and starving themselves, the French soldiers execute prisoners, treating them as a burden-one of the victims being Platon Karatayev. Pierre and the remaining prisoners are eventually freed by Russian soldiers in the village of Shámshevo, a rescue that comes at the cost of Petya Rostov's life.
After being released, Pierre experiences the full physical effects of his ordeal and falls sick at the town of Orel (modern day, Oryol, 370 km. from Moscow). There he is nursed to health by his cousin, Princess Katerina, who had hitherto not liked him but now develops a sisterly affection for him. After convalescing for three months in Orel, Pierre returns to Moscow to rebuild his estate and settle his dead wife's debts.
Natasha, who was in a state of despair after Andrey's death, regains her energy to look after her traumatized mother, when the news of Petya's death reached the family. As the French army's retreat from Russia began, civilians begin returning to Moscow. Among them is Princess Marya, who leaves the Rostovs in January 1813 to take care of the family estate in Moscow that had emerged relatively unscathed. Count Rostov insists that Natasha go with her to consult Moscow doctors. One of the visitors at Princess Marya's house is quite naturally Pierre. A courtship develops between Natasha and Pierre, after the two confess their feelings to Princess Marya.
War
The war narrative in Volume 4 traces the fates of the French and Russian armies after the Battle of Borodino. While history records Borodino as the beginning of the end for Napoleon, this was not obvious at the time-technically, the Russians retreated, and the French advanced. Moreover, Bagration, a heavyweight of the Russian military, had been fatally wounded in the battle. Yet, Kutuzov was steadfast in his belief that Russia had won. The Tsar, aggrieved by the abandonment of Moscow warns Kutozov in a letter that he would hold him personally responsible if St. Petersburg fell.
The events in Volume 4 can be organized into two phases: those before Napoleon's evacuation of Moscow and those after.
Pre evacuation of Moscow
Napoleon entered Moscow on September 14, 1812, and evacuated about a month later. In that time, his disciplined army descended into disorder and looting. Meanwhile, the Russian army continued its retreat till encamping at Tarútino on October 3, where it replenished its strength with rest and fresh supplies. While the French forces in Moscow fell into disarray, the Russians fueled by vengeance for Moscow, stood ready for battle.
Kutuzov recognizes the enemy’s weakened position when, on October 5, he receives a peace proposal from Napoleon via French Ambassador Jacques Lauriston. The proposal might have arrived sooner, but it took Napoleon ten days after entering Moscow to locate the Russian army! At this juncture, Napoleon had three choices: retreat to avoid the brutal Russian winter, advance to capture St. Petersburg, or sue for peace. He chooses the last. Though Kutuzov has no intention of negotiating, he meets with Lauriston to buy time.
On October 18, the Battle of Tarútino is fought. The prelude to this minor battle can be traced to the retreat of the Russian army from Moscow. Initially, they marched along the Ryazan road but later crossed the Moskva River and took the Old Kaluga road. However, some Cossack units (a warrior tribe from Ukraine) continued along the Ryazan road. Despite his experience and stature, General Murat was misled into believing he was pursuing the full Russian army. When he realized his mistake, he set up camp about eight kilometers from the Russian position at Tarútino, intending to keep an eye on them. Despite the battle's misleading name, it was here that the two armies clashed.
In a somewhat fictionalized account, Tolstoy describes a Cossack scout, Shapoválov, stumbling upon Murat’s soldiers while chasing a wounded hare. Kutuzov, who preferred wearing down the French through attrition, faces mounting pressure from his generals and the Tsar to launch a direct attack. A battle plan is drawn up, but the officer tasked with delivering the order struggles to locate any generals. After a long search, he finally finds them attending a lively country ball. He hands the document to General Ermolov, who takes it without comment. The next day, Kutuzov, already frustrated by having to lead a battle he never wanted, is infuriated to learn that the attack order had not been carried out.
The next day, three columns under Bennigsen's command are set to attack the French, but two lose their way in the darkness. Only the column of Cossacks led by Count Vasily Orlóv-Denísov reaches the intended position. The real-life Denisov of the Battle of Tarútino is different from the fictional Denísov, Nikolay Rostov’s friend. Interestingly, Tolstoy said that naming his fictional character so similarly to a real historical figure from the same period was an oversight.
Tempted by the proximity of the French, Orlóv-Denísov launches an attack despite the risk of being the only regiment at the frontline. The sudden assault throws the French into disarray, allowing the Russians to capture prisoners, weapons, and horses. However, instead of pressing their advantage, the Cossacks become preoccupied with looting, giving the French time to regroup and counterattack. This time, Orlóv-Denísov waits for reinforcements, but their arrival only adds to the chaos. The generals-Bagovut, Toll, and Ermolov-act at cross-purposes, undermining the offensive. Upon learning of Murat’s retreat, Kutuzov deliberately slows the Russian pursuit. Apart from Orlóv-Denísov’s initial charge, the Russian efforts at the Battle of Tarutino were largely ineffective, with needless casualties-including Bagovút, whose impetuosity cost him his life.
By the time Tarutino was fought, Napoleon had realized that the Russians would not accept his peace overtures. His attempts at establishing the facade of civilian life in Moscow through cultural, philanthropic and administrative means were meaningless in the absence of Russian civilians willing to accept French rule. Faced with the choice between perishing in Russia’s brutal winter or conceding defeat, he chose the lesser evil. On October 19, 1812 the Grand Armée begins its retreat from Moscow but not before committing a final act of vandalism- the gratuitous bombing of the Kremlin.
Post evacuation of Moscow
The events following Napoleon's departure are better understood with a mental map of Napoleon's return route. The following sketch from Google Maps charts out how a modern day traveller would traverse the same route by car, though of course Napoleon did not have access to the same road network and relied on horses:
Source : Google Maps
The Grand Armée marches southwest from Moscow, as shown by the blue line starting at Point A on the map above. A Russian guerrilla detachment reports that a French division under Broussier, isolated from the main army, is vulnerable at Formínsk (modern-day Fominskoe, Point B on the map, near Tarutino, Point C, where the Russians are encamped). Kutuzov, having already been drawn into the Battle of Tarutino, is reluctant to engage in another unnecessary fight. As a compromise between his caution and his lieutenants' eagerness for battle, he sends a small detachment under General Dokhturov to attack the French at Formínsk.
However, the attack is called off when the Russians realize that Dokhturov is not just facing Broussier's division but the vanguard of Napoleon’s forces. Local sources confirm that the French had left Moscow days earlier and were advancing along the Kaluga road. Unsure how to proceed, Dokhturov sends an officer to Kutuzov with a message requesting instructions.
When the courier appears at General Kutozov's camp, his adjutants are sleeping and annoyed at the disturbance. But upon reading the message, they grasp its significance and immediately rouse the commander-in-chief. In a dramatic moment in the novel, Kutuzov, upon hearing the news, turns to the corner of the room where religious icons hung and with a trembling voice, tears filling his eyes thanks God for answering their prayers and declares that Russia has been saved.
The next clash between the two armies occurred at Maloyaroslavets (Point D on the map). Napoleon had originally planned to advance to Kaluga (Point X), where he intended to replenish his supplies. French forces, led by General Alexis Joseph Delzons, enter Maloyaroslavets, and on October 24, 1812, fierce fighting breaks out. Both sides suffer around 8,000 casualties. The following day, Kutuzov retreats. As with Borodino, the Battle of Maloyaroslavets was a technical victory for the French but a strategic win for the Russians. The French held the village, and the Russians withdrew, but Napoleon realized his army was in no condition to continue towards Kaluga.
On the evening of the battle, the French hold a council of war. General Georges Mouton, Napoleon’s aide-de-camp, finally voices the unspoken truth-the only option, shameful as it was, is to retreat from Russia. The final push for action comes the next morning, October 25, when Napoleon himself narrowly escapes capture by Cossacks. Shaken by the experience and with no viable path forward, Napoleon directs the French army to march north from Maloyaroslavets and then west towards Smolensk (Point E on the map), retracing the route of their once-triumphant advance. They follow the Smolensk Road, where the Russians had scorched the land, leaving nothing for the starving French soldiers.
Kutuzov saw little value in engaging an enemy already in retreat. However, many of his generals, driven in part by personal ambition, launch attacks on the withdrawing French. One such battle at Vyazama (Point E on the map) results in thousands of casualties on both sides.
Beyond these official engagements, the French also face relentless guerrilla attacks from irregular forces consisting of Cossacks, peasants, and other civilians. These units avoided direct confrontations with the main army, instead targeting small detachments and stragglers. While such attacks had occurred even before Borodino, by October 1812, the Russian military had begun organizing them into a more structured force. Guerrilla units ranged from individual bounty hunters and informal bands to more disciplined groups that mimicked aspects of a formal military, with varying levels of organization.
One such formal guerrilla unit is led by Denisov and Dolokhov, who, on November 4, 1812 plan to attack a large French convoy carrying arms and Russian prisoners. The two ignore the requests of larger military formations to join them and instead, coordinate an attack on the convoy between themselves. Denisov reaches first and with the help of a trusted peasant, Tikhon Shcherbat, gathers intelligence about the French camp, to plan the intended ambush.
Denisov receives an unexpected visitor-Petya Rostov-who has been been sent by the commanding officer of another guerrilla detachment to deliver information. Fueled by ideals of valor and eager to prove his manhood, Petya is supposed to return after completing his task. Instead, he pleads to stay. Petya gets his share of excitement when Dolokhov arrives, and the two, disguised as French soldiers, infiltrate the enemy camp to gather intelligence. At dawn, following this reconnaissance mission, Denisov leads an attack on the French convoy. Ignoring Denisov’s orders, Petya recklessly charges into a dangerous position and is killed. Among the Russian prisoners freed by the guerrilla detachment is Pierre Bezukhov.
Meanwhile, the French army’s retreat grows increasingly chaotic as they move from Smolensk (Point F on the map) towards Vilna (Point I). Along the way, the Russians intercept them at Krasnoe (Point G), where Kutuzov once again refuses to launch a full-scale attack. Even so, the limited skirmishes inflict heavy losses on the French. After the victories at Krasnoe, Tolstoy recounts a possibly fictionalized speech by Kutuzov, in which he expresses pity for the French soldiers while firmly affirming the righteousness of the Russian cause.
On December 5, 1812, Napoleon abandons his army at Smarhon (Point H), departing for Paris in a sled. His second-in-command, Murat, presses on to Vilna but ultimately deserts the starving and sick soldiers on January 18, 1813, returning to Naples. A campaign that had begun with a bang ends with the proverbial whimper.
On December 12, 1812, Kutuzov arrives in Vilna-a city where he had once served as governor-and settles into civilian life, awaiting the Tsar’s arrival. When the Tsar and his entourage reach Vilna on December 24, they award Kutuzov the Order of St. George of the First Class. While the Tsar maintains all outward niceties, Kutozov knows his career is effectively over. Never the Tsar’s favored choice, he further alienates the court with his reluctance to attack the retreating French or pursue symbolic goals like capturing Napoleon.
With plans to carry the war into Napoleon’s own territory, the Tsar would ally with Prussia and Austria to form the Sixth Coalition. Kutuzov, a figure of the past, could not play any role in the next chapter and is gently sidelined by the court.
Epilogue 1 and 2
The epilogues of War and Peace follow the characters beyond 1813, after they are no longer living under the shadow of war. Natasha and Pierre marry that year, and soon after, Count Kirill Rostov dies, leaving his only surviving son, Nikolay, to settle his debts.
Serving in Paris at the time, Nikolay returns to Moscow and, despite warnings from acquaintances, accepts his father’s inheritance-along with its debt repayment obligations. After selling family properties, he takes a government job to support his mother and repay the remaining debts. Forced to leave military service, work as a civil servant, and live modestly under the weight of his father's obligations, he becomes both wretched and too proud to rekindle his relationship with Marya, feeling they are no longer on equal footing. Yet despite his ego, the two marry in the winter of 1813, and the Rostovs-including Sonya-move to Bald Hills.
The epilogue later revisits the characters in 1820, portraying a picture of domestic bliss, a far cry from the upheavals of 1812.
This essay, the first in a two-part series, recounts the plot of War and Peace. Part 2 will explore its key themes and notable highlights.
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