War and Peace

For other uses of this term, seeWar and Peace (disambiguation).

War and Peace

ofLeo Tolstoy

Genre Novel

Subgenre Historical, romantic, warlike, philosophical

Original edition inRussian(1865)

Original title War and Peace

Editorial MagazineThe Russian messenger

War and PeaceRussianWar and Peace, also known as The War and the Peace, is
a novel by the Russian writeroLeo Tolstoy(1828–1910) that began to write in a time of
convalescence after breaking the arm when he fell off the horse during a hunting trip in 1864. War
and Peace is considered the crowning work of the author along with his other work,Anna
Karenina(1873–1877).
The publication of War and Peace began in the Ruski Viéstnik.(The Russian messenger)in the number of
January of 1865. Thethe first two parts of the novel were published in that magazine during the course
two years later and shortly after they were published separately with the title Year1805. At the end of1869 the
The entire work was printed and in 2009 it was part of the list of the 100 Best-Selling Books.
It is one of the masterpieces of Russian literature and undoubtedly of universal literature.
she,Tolstoyhe wanted to narrate the vicissitudes of numerous characters of all kinds and conditions throughout
of about fifty years of Russian history, from the Napoleonic Wars to well beyond the middle
the nineteenth century.

One part of the criticism claims that the original meaning of the title would be War and World. In fact, the
The words 'peace' and 'world' are homonymous inRussianand they are written the same from the reform
Russian orthography of 1918. However, Tolstoy himself translated the title into French as The War and
Peace. Tolstoy ultimately gave this definitive title inspired by the work of the
theoreticaloanarchistFrenchPierre Joseph Proudhon(War and Peace, 1861), which he found
inBrusselsin 1861 and towards whom he felt a deep respect.

Index
[hide]

1 Argument
2 Summary of the plot
o Volume One
o Volume Two
o Volume Three
o 2.4 Volume Four
o 2.5 Epilogue in two parts
3 Main Characters
4 Meaning of uncommon words
5 film adaptations and opera
6 External links

Argument[edit]
The plot mainly unfolds during theNapoleonic invasion of Russiafollowing the
intertwined history of four families:

The Bezújov family (essentially Pierre)

The Bolkonsky family (the old prince Nikolai Andreyevich, prince Andrei [or Andrew,
depending on the translation], Princess María)
The Rostov family (Count Ilya Andreyevich, Natasha, Nikolai)
The Kuraguin family (Elena and Anatoly)
Alongside fictional characters, which are traditionally considered as true supports
from the plot, numerous historical characters appear, less defined and perhaps less
"humans": the emperorNapoleon I, andthe Russian emperorAlexander Iand the generalKutuzov.
In this novel, there are three central characters, including: Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, intelligent and
erudite although discontented; Count Pierre Bezukhov, the heir to a vast fortune and the
problems of being an important person in Russian society and a friend of Prince Andrei; and the
Countess Natasha Rostova, a very beautiful and charming young woman from a family with many debts.
There are several parts in War and Peace, including: the introduction to the reader about the characters.
main; the Russian army in Europe (and theBattle of Austerlitz)the peace; the war of Russia in 1812
and the defeat of the French armies after the occupation of Moscow; and the post-Napoleonic peace.
Also describe the dances and gatherings that took place in the homes of aristocratic families.
Russia where the topic of conversation was the war and the Napoleonic invasion. They recount
also the way Russian families were connected through marriage arrangements
and the importance that they had for society.
Tolstoy also abundantly writes his own opinions on history, war, the
philosophy and religion.

Plot Summary[edit]
War and Peace has a large cast of characters, most of whom are introduced in the
first book. Some are real historical characters, such as the emperors.itNapoleonyAlejandro
IHe isThe scope of the novel is very broad, although it focuses on the lives of five aristocratic families.
Russians. The plot and the interaction of the characters take place around 1812, in the context of
theNapoleonic Wars, dduring theNapoleonic invasion of Russiaby the French troops.
Volume One[edit]
The novel begins in July 1805 inSaint Petersburg, andat an evening organized by Ana
(Annette) Pavlovna Scherer, lady-in-waiting and confidante of the queen motherMaria Fiodorovna.
Some of the main characters and aristocratic families of the novel are introduced to the
entrar en el salón Ana Pavlovna. Pierre (Piotr Kirilovich) Bezujov es el hijo ilegítimo de un rico
count, Kiril Bezujov, an old man whose days are numbered. Pierre is about to get embroiled in
a struggle for his inheritance. Pierre, educated abroad at his father's expense after his death
from his mother, he is essentially kind-hearted, but socially awkward, and partly due to his openness
benevolent nature, has difficulties integrating into Petersburg society. It is
known during the evening that Pierre is the favorite son among all the illegitimate ones he has
Count Kiril Bezujov.
A friend of Pierre, the intelligent and sarcastic Prince Andrey, also attends the evening.
Nikolaievich Bolkonsky, husband of Lisa, finds life in the society of St. Petersburg
untuosa y desilusionante al descubrir tras casarse, que su esposa es vacía y superficial, y toma la
decision to be the Prince's field assistantMikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzovin the next war
against Napoleon.
The plot then shifts towardsMoscow, theancient city and capital of Russia, contrasting its
more provincial customs with those of high society in St. Petersburg. It is then presented to
the Rostov family. Count Ilya Andreivich Rostov has four teenage children. The youngest of
Among the daughters, Natasha (Natalia Ilyinichna), thirteen years old, believes she is in love with Boris.
Drubetskoy, a disciplined young man who is about to enter the army as an officer. Nikolai
Ilyich, twenty years old, promises his love to his fifteen-year-old cousin, Sonia (Sofia)
Alexandrovna), an orphan who was raised with the Rostov family. The eldest of the children of the family
Rostov, Vera Ilyinichna is cold and somewhat arrogant, but with good marriage prospects.
with a Russian-German officer, Adolf Karlovich Berg. Petya (Pyotr Ilyich), the youngest of nine years old,
Just like his older brother, he is impulsive and wants to join the army when his age allows him to.
allow. The heads of the family, the count and the countess, are a loving couple, but always
worried about their messy finances.
In Lysia Gori, the Bolkonsky estate, Prince Andrei goes off to war and leaves his wife.
Lisa pregnant, alone with her eccentric father, Prince Nikolai Andreievich Bolkonsky and her
devoted daughter, Maria Nikolaevna Bolkonskaya.
The second part begins with the description of the preparations for the war between the empire.
Russian and the Napoleonic troops. In theBattle of Schögrabern, Nikolai Rostov, recruited as a second lieutenant
in a squadron ofhussars, he has his first combat experience. He encounters the
Prince Andrei, whom he insults in a fit of impulsiveness. He finds himself deeply
drawn by the charisma of Tsar Alexander I, even more than the other young soldiers. Nikolai
plays and interacts with his officer Vasily Dmitrich Denisov, and becomes friends with the ruthless, and perhaps
psychopath Fyodor Ivanovich Doloyov.
Volume Two[editar]
The second book begins with Nikolai Rostov's brief return home. He finds his family in
the financial ruin due to the mismanagement of his assets. Nikolai spends a winter at his home.
full of events in the company of his friend Denisov, his regiment officer
Pavlogrado to whom it serves. Natasha has become a beautiful young woman and Denisov falls in love with.
She. He proposes marriage, but is rejected. Although her mother begs Nikolai to find
for you a good marital perspective that helps the family, he does not agree to your request and
he promises to marry his childhood sweetheart, Sonia.

Scene in theRed Square, Moscow, 1801. Painting ofFyodor Alekseev.

Pierre Bezujov, in order to receive his great inheritance, goes from being a clumsy young man to being the richest bachelor.
and coveted by the Russian Empire. Pierre is also convinced of marrying the
beautiful and immoral Helene, daughter of Prince Kuragin (Elene Vasilyevna Kuragina), for whom
feels superficially attracted, despite knowing that her decision is not correct. Helene, who
It is rumored that she is involved in an incestuous relationship with her brother, the no less charming one.
And immoral Anatol tells Pierre that he will never have children with him. It is also rumored that Helene
he has a romance with Dolojov, who mocks Pierre in public. Pierre then loses the
stirrups and challenges Dolojov, an experienced duelist and ruthless killer, to a duel.
Unexpectedly, Pierre wounds Dolojov. Helene denies their romance, although Pierre is convinced.
of his guilt, and after behaving violently with her, he abandons her. In the middle
from his moral and spiritual confession, Pierre joins theMasonic societyand is surrounded by
consequent in its internal policy and way of life. A large part of this second volume deals with the
passions and spiritual conflicts of Pierre to become a better man. He abandons his
old carefree behavior of a rich aristocrat and enters into a particular philosophical journey
by Tolstoy: How to lead a life of acceptable morality in an ethically imperfect world? The
the question constantly perplexes and confuses him. He tries to free himself from his servants, but
he finally does not achieve important accomplishments.

Pierre is a clear contrast to the intelligent and ambitious Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. During
theBattle of AusterlitzAnthree is inspired by the vision of the glory of carrying a load with a
scattered army. Suffers a nearly fatal wound from artillery. Close to death, Andrei
realizes that all his previous ambitions lack vital meaning and his former hero,
Napoleon (who rescues him on a horseback excursion to the battlefield) is apparently so
they saw him as he himself.

Prince Andrei is recovering from his wounds in a military hospital and returns home to witness
the death of his wife Lisa during the birth of their son. Andrei is struck by his conscience for not
he should have treated his wife better when she was still alive, and he is haunted by the sad expression of the
face of his deceased wife. His son Nikolienka manages to survive the birth.
Overwhelmed by disappointmentnihilist, andPrince Andrei decides not to return to the army, but
he prefers to stay on his farm working on a project about military behavior in
views to solve the disorganization problems responsible for the loss of human lives
in the Russian side during the conflict. Pierre visits him bringing new questions, where is
God in this amoral world? Pierre is intensely interested in thepantheismand the possibility
of a life after death.
Pierre's ex-wife, Helene, begs him to take her back, and against his better judgment and
the Masonic laws, it does. Despite its insipid superficiality, Helene establishes herself
as an influential hostess in Petersburg society.
Prince Andrei feels the urge to bring his newly written military notions to San
Petersburg, naively hoping to exert some influence both on the emperor and
about the people closest to him. The young Natasha, also in Saint Petersburg, is
caught up in the excitement of getting dressed for her first dance, where she will meet the
Prince Andrei who will be enchanted by her lively charm. Andrei then believes he has found
new purpose in his life and, after visiting the Rostovs several times, proposes marriage
a Natasha. However, the old Prince Bolkonsky, Andrei's father, advises against this union, as
The Rostovs are not a family he likes, and he insists on a one-year delay for the engagement. The prince
Andrei leaves for abroad to recover from his injuries, leaving Natasha immersed in a
profound anguish. Soon she will recover her spirits and Count Rostov will take her and Sonia to
spending time in Moscow with a friend.
Natasha visits the Moscow opera, where she will meet Helene and her brother Anatol. Anatol has
married a Polish woman who has left her home country, which does not prevent
who feels strongly attracted to Natasha and decides to try to seduce her. Helene and Anatol
they conspire together to carry out this plan. Anatol kisses Natasha and writes to her passionately.
letters, finally establishing a plan to escape together. Natasha is convinced that she loves
Anatol writes to Princess Maria, Andrei's sister, breaking off their engagement. In the last
moment, Sonia discovers her escape plans. Pierre is initially horrified by the
Natasha's behavior, but he realizes that he is in love with her. During the time
in that theGreat Comet of 1811Under the sky, life seems to begin anew for Pierre.
Prince Andrei coldly accepts the breakup of the engagement with Natasha. He tells Pierre that
His pride will not allow him to renew his proposal. Embarrassed, Natasha makes a suicide attempt.
and falls seriously ill.
Volume Three[edit]

TheBattle of Borodinoit is one of the main historical events around which much of the
novel and is detailed meticulously by Tolstoy. It took place on September 7, 1812, and it is estimated that
More than 250,000 men took part and there were around 70,000 casualties, and it was an event
fundamental in Napoleon's failed attempt to take Russia. Painting ofLouis-François Lejeune, 1822

With the help of her family, especially Sonia, and the awakening of religious faith, Natasha
stay in Moscow during this difficult period. Meanwhile, the whole of Russia is facing
affected by the confrontation between Napoleon's troops and the Russian army. Pierre becomes convinced
himself through thegematriaThat Napoleon is theAntichristof the Apocalypse. The old prince
Bolkonsky passes away from a heart attack while trying to protect his belongings from looters.
French. There is no organized help from the Russian army for the Bolkonskys, but Nikolai Rostov.
arrives on time at his estate to quell an emerging peasant uprising. Nikolai
he is also attracted to Princess María, but remembers his promise to Sonia.
Back in Moscow, Petya, observed with the war, manages to snatch a small piece of
tsar's cookie on the outskirts of theCathedral of the Dormition, andfinally manages to convince his
parents to allow him to enlist.
Napoleon is the main character of this part of the novel and is presented in great detail, both
his facet as a thinker as well as a strategist. His clothing, as well as his usual attitudes and
mindsets are meticulously represented. The strength of more than 400,000 is also described.
French army men (although only 140,000 were Francophone) who march swiftly to
through the Russian countryside at the end of summer and manages to reach the outskirts of the city
ofSmolensk. PPierre decides to leave Moscow and go to witness theBattle of Borodinofrom a
viewpoint next to a Russian artillery team. After observing the battle for a while, it begins to
to truly participate in it by bringing ammunition for the army. Amidst the confusion,
experience firsthand the death and destruction inherent in war. The battle is
turns into a horrific massacre for both armies and ends in a dead end. The
Russians, however, have achieved a moral victory by defending themselves against the army supposedly.
invincible of Napoleon. For strategic reasons and due to its heavy losses, the Russian army
he withdraws the next day. Among the victims are Anatol Kuraguin and Prince Andrei.
Anatol loses a leg and Andrei suffers a serious injury to the abdomen due to a grenade.
Both are declared dead, but the families will not receive the notification due to the chaos.
imperative.

Napoleonretreating from the fire in Moscow.

The Rostovs have waited until the last moment to leave Moscow, even knowing that
that Kutuzov has retreated beyond Moscow. The Muscovites receive contradictory orders, to
propaganda in nature, whether in the form of fleeing or fighting. The
countRostopchinIt publishes posters urging the population to fight with gallows if necessary.
Before fleeing, Rostopchin orders the burning of some buildings in the city, although thefire
from Moscow of 1812it had other causes as Leo Tolstoy recounts in the novel. The Rostovs
they must decide what to take with them in their escape from Moscow, but in the end, Natasha convinces them to
load the cars with injured from theBattle of Borodino. ThePrince Andrei is among them.
injured, although Natasha will not be aware of it until later.
When the great army ofNapoleonfinally occupies an abandoned and burned Moscow, Pierre
decide to carry out a quixotic mission: to assassinate Napoleon. He becomes a man
anonymously within all the chaos, leaving his responsibilities as a noble and dressing like a
peasant, in turn rejecting his previous duties and way of life. The only people to whom
You see while dressed in such a way are Natasha and part of her family as they depart from Moscow.
Natasha recognizes him and smiles at him, and he, in turn, realizes the extent of his love for her.
Pierre saves the life of a French officer who fought at Borodino, but is taken as a prisoner.
by the French in retreat during their assassination attempt on Napoleon, after saving a
woman raped by soldiers of the French army.
Volume Four[edit]
Pierre befriends a fellow prisoner, Platon Karatiev, a peasant with a
the behavior of a saint, who is incapable of doing evil. Pierre finally finds in
Karatiev was looking for: a completely honest person (unlike the ...
aristocrats of the Petersburg society), who lacks any pretensions. Pierre
discover the meaning of life simply by living and interacting with Karatiev. After witnessing
from the sack of Moscow and the execution of Russian civilians by French soldiers, Pierre finds himself
forced to march with the great French army during its disastrous retreat from Moscow in the harsh
and cold Russian winter. After months of trials and tribulations - during which Karatiev is injured
by a shot from a French soldier - Pierre is finally freed by an assault group from the
Russian Empire after a small skirmish with French troops. During this conflict the
young Petya will perish.
Meanwhile, Andrei, wounded during the Napoleonic invasion, accidentally comes across the family.
Rostov, who will take care of him, while they flee from Moscow to Yaroslav. He meets with Natasha and her
sister María before the end of the war. Having lost all will to live, she forgives in
his last moment to Natasha before dying.
As the novel reaches its end, Pierre's wife, Helene, dies from an overdose.
an abortive medication (Tolstoy does not state it explicitly, as the euphemism he uses is
something ambiguous). Pierre meets Natasha, while victorious Russia rebuilds Moscow.
Natasha talks about the death of Andrei and Pierre of Karatiev. Both aware of a bond.
increasingly among them. With the help of Princess Maria, Pierre finds love and, after being
Released by the death of his ex-wife, he marries Natasha.
Epilogue in two parts[edit]
The first part of the epilogue begins with the wedding of Pierre and Natasha in 1813. It is the last
a happy event for the Rostov family, who are going through a period of transition. Count Rostov
passes away shortly after, leaving his eldest son Nikolai in charge of the indebted estate.
Nikolai faces the task of keeping the family on the brink of bankruptcy. His aversion to
The idea of marrying for wealth almost gets in her way, but she ultimately marries Maria.
Bolskonskaya, thus saving her family from financial ruin.
Nikola and María move to Lysia Gori with their mother and Sonia, whom he will support for the rest of his life.
Thanks to his wife's fortune, Nikolai pays off all his family's debts. They also welcome the
orphaned son of Prince Andrei, Nikolai Andreievich (Nikolienka) Bolkonsky.
As in any good marriage, there are misunderstandings, but both Pierre and Natasha as well as Nikolai
and María remains faithful and attentive to her spouse. Pierre and Natasha visit Lysia Gori in 1820.
in the joy of all those involved. In this part of the novel, there are indications that both Pierre
like the idealistic young Nikolienka will be part ofof theDecember uprising. The prhyming epilogue
concludes that Nikolienka promises to carry out an action with which even her late father
he would be satisfied (presumably as a revolutionary in the Decembrist uprising).
The second part of the epilogue is a criticism by Tolstoy of all existing forms of History.
conventional. While the Great Man Theory states that historical events
are the result of the actions of 'heroes' and other great characters, Tolstoy states that this
it is impossible due to the low frequency with which these actions result in large
historical events. Rather, according to Tolstoy, the great historical events are the
result of many small acts driven by the thousands of people who participate in them
(compare this with Calculus, and the sum of infinitesimals). Next, argue that these
smaller events are the result of an inverse relationship between need and free will
Will. Necessity is based on reason and therefore can be explained through historical analysis.
and free will is based on consciousness, and therefore it is inherently unpredictable.

Main characters[edit]

Pierre Bezukhov
Natasha Rostova
Andréi Bolkonsky
Maria Bolkonskaya
Nikolai Rostov
Napoleon Bonaparte
Mijaíl Kutúzov
Elena Kuragina
Anatoly Kuraguin
Anna Mikhailovna
Many of Tolstoy's characters were based on real people he knew. For example,
Nikolai Rostov and Maria Bolkonskaya are a reflection of Tolstoy's memories of his parents.
while Natasha is a mix of his wife and his sister-in-law. Pierre and Prince Andrei have
traits of the author's personality, while many autobiographical details are
employees in the history of both characters.

Meaning of uncommon words[edit]

Hussar: cavalry soldier dressed in Hungarian style.

Ulano: in the Austrian, German, and Russian armies, light cavalry soldier armed with a lance.
Room: wooden housing.
Scroll: Russian linear measure, equivalent to 1067 meters.
Mir (community): rural community in the tsarist era.
Troika: in the novel, a sled pulled by three horses arranged parallel to each other.

Film adaptations and opera[edit]

Guerra y paz–Película de 1956 dirigida por King Vidor y protagonizada porAudrey Hepburn.
War and Peace- 1968 film directed bySergei Bondarchuk.
Guerra y paz (miniserie) –1972 BBC television series starringAnthony
Hopkins.
War and Peace–Opera in 2 parts composed bySergei Prokofiev.
War and Peace - Miniseries 2007 starringClémence PoésyyAlessio Boni.