The novel "War and Peace" tells about the events that took place during three stages of Russia's struggle with Bonapartist France. The 1st volume describes the events of 1805, when Russia fought in alliance with Austria on its territory; in the 2nd volume - 1806-1811, when Russian troops were in Prussia; Volume 3 - 1812, volume 4 - 1812-1813. Both are dedicated to a broad depiction of the Patriotic War of 1812, which was fought by Russia in native land. In the epilogue, the action takes place in 1820. Thus, the action in the novel covers fifteen years.
The basis of the novel is historical military events, artistically translated by the writer. We learn about the war of 1805 against Napoleon, which the Russian army waged in alliance with Austria, about the battles of Schöngraben and Austerlitz, about the war in alliance with Prussia in 1806 and the Peace of Tilsit. Tolstoy depicts the events of the Patriotic War of 1812: the passage of the French army across the Neman, the retreat of the Russians into the interior of the country, the surrender of Smolensk, the appointment of Kutuzov as commander-in-chief, Battle of Borodino, council in Fili, leaving Moscow. The writer depicts events that testify to the indestructible power of the national spirit of the Russian people, which suppressed the French invasion: Kutuzov’s flank march, the Battle of Tarutino, the growth of the partisan movement, the collapse of the invading army and the victorious end of the war.
The range of problems in the novel is very wide. It reveals the reasons for the military failures of 1805-1806; the example of Kutuzov and Napoleon shows the role of individuals in military events and in history; with extraordinary artistic expression pictures are drawn guerrilla warfare; reflects the great role of the Russian people, who decided the outcome of the Patriotic War of 1812.
Simultaneously with historical problems era of the Patriotic War of 1812, the novel also reveals current issues of the 60s. 19th century about the role of the nobility in the state, about the personality of a true citizen of the Motherland, about the emancipation of women, etc. Therefore, the novel reflects the most significant phenomena of political and public life countries, various ideological movements (Freemasonry, legislative activity of Speransky, the emergence of the Decembrist movement in the country). Tolstoy depicts high-society receptions, entertainment of secular youth, ceremonial dinners, balls, hunting, Christmas fun of gentlemen and servants. Pictures of transformations in the village by Pierre Bezukhov, scenes of the rebellion of Bogucharovsky peasants, episodes of indignation of urban artisans reveal the nature of social relations, village life and the life of the urban lower classes.
The action takes place either in St. Petersburg, then in Moscow, then in the Bald Mountains and Otradnoe estates. Military events - in Austria and Russia.
Social problems are resolved in connection with one group or another characters: with images of representatives of the masses who saved their homeland from the French invasion, as well as images of Kutuzov and Napoleon, Tolstoy poses the problem of the masses and individuals in history; the images of Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky - the question of the leading figures of the era; images of Natasha Rostova, Marya Bolkonskaya, Helen - affects women's question; images of representatives of the court bureaucratic horde - the problem of criticism of rulers.
L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” is, in the opinion famous writers and critics, " greatest novel in the world." “War and Peace” is an epic novel of events from the history of the country, namely the war of 1805-1807. and the Patriotic War of 1812 Central heroes There were generals during the wars - Kutuzov and Napoleon. Their images in the novel “War and Peace” are built on the principle of antithesis. Tolstoy, glorifying Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov in the novel as the inspirer and organizer of the victories of the Russian people, emphasizes that Kutuzov is truly folk hero who is guided in his actions by the national spirit. This is a simple Russian man, free from pretense, and at the same time a wise historical figure and commander. The main thing in Kutuzov for Tolstoy is his blood connection with the people, “that national feeling that he carries within himself in all its purity and strength.” That is why, Tolstoy emphasizes, the people chose him “against the will of the tsar as a producer people's war».
Tolstoy portrays Kutuzov as a wise commander who deeply and correctly understands the course of events. It is no coincidence that Kutuzov’s correct assessment of the course of events is always confirmed later. Thus, he correctly assessed the significance of the Battle of Borodino, declaring that it was a victory. As a commander, he is clearly superior to Napoleon. It was precisely such a commander that was needed to wage the people's war of 1812 on Russian territory, and Tolstoy emphasizes that after the war moved to Europe, the Russian army needed another commander in chief. And “the representative of the people’s war had no choice but death. And he died."
At the same time, it should be noted that the image of Kutuzov in the novel is somewhat distorted and is not without shortcomings, the reason for which is the incorrect positions of Tolstoy the historian. Based on the spontaneity of the historical process, Tolstoy denied the role of the individual in history. The writer ridiculed the cult of “great personalities” created by bourgeois historians. He believed that the course of history is decided by the masses. He came to accept fatalism, arguing that all historical events are predetermined from above. It was Kutuzov who expressed these views of Tolstoy in the novel. He, according to Tolstoy, “knew that the fate of the battle was decided not by the orders of the commander-in-chief, not by the place where the troops stood, not by the number of guns and killed people, but by that elusive force called the spirit of war, and he followed this force and led it "as far as it was in his power." Kutuzov has a Tolstoyan fatalistic view of history, according to which the outcome of historical events is predetermined. Tolstoy's mistake was that, denying the role of the individual in history, he sought to make Kutuzov only a wise observer of historical events. He appears in the novel as a commander, with all his passivity, accurately assessing the course of military events and unerringly directing them.
Kutuzov's antipode is Napoleon. Tolstoy resolutely opposed the cult of Napoleon. For the writer, Napoleon is an aggressor who attacked Russia, an ambitious man striving for world domination. Tolstoy shows that there was no meaning in Napoleon’s actions, his claims to world domination, other than a whim, but “he believed in himself, and the whole world believed in him.”
It must be said that in relation to Napoleon, Tolstoy was not objective enough, asserting: “He was like a child who, holding on to the ribbons tied to the inside of the carriage, imagines that he is ruling.” But Napoleon was not powerless in the fight against Russia, he simply turned out to be weaker than his opponent, “the strongest in spirit,” as Tolstoy put it.
Napoleon appears in the novel as a narcissistic, arrogant ruler of France, blinded by glory. Tolstoy's Napoleon is a man for whom "only what was happening in his soul" was of interest. And “everything that was outside of him did not matter to him, because everything in the world, as it seemed to him, depended only on his will.” It is no coincidence that the word “I” is Napoleon’s favorite word. As much as Kutuzov expresses the interests of the people, Napoleon is so petty in his egocentrism.
Comparing the two great commanders, Tolstoy concludes: “There is and cannot be greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” Therefore, it is Kutuzov who is truly great - a people’s commander who thinks about the freedom of the Fatherland.
Here is a picture of the campaign before the battle: “Prince Andrei looked with contempt at these endless, interfering teams, carts, parks, artillery... from all sides, behind and in front, as long as he could hear, the sounds of wheels, the rumble of bodies, carts and carriages, and the clatter of horses were heard , blows with a whip, shouts of urging, cursing of soldiers, orderlies and officers... The soldiers, drowning knee-deep in mud, picked up guns and wagons in their hands..." Reading the description, we feel enormous tension human strength, the severity of work, reaching the limit of fatigue.
And here is a complex and multicolored picture of the Battle of Shengraben: “Infantry regiments, taken by surprise in the forest, ran out of the forest, and companies, mixing with other companies, left in disorderly crowds...” One can feel the chaotic nature of the escape of the Russian army, “... but at that moment the French, advancing on ours, suddenly, for no apparent reason, they ran back... and Russian riflemen appeared in the forest. It was Timokhin’s company... The runners returned, the battalions gathered, and the French were... pushed back.”
Elsewhere, “four unprotected cannons fired boldly” under the command of Staff Captain Tushin. Here a significant number of soldiers were killed, an officer was killed, two cannons were broken, a horse with a broken leg was struggling, and the artillerymen, having forgotten all fear, beat the French and set fire to the village they occupied. In this battle, as well as in the attack of Timokhin’s company, there was nothing particularly effective and nothing ostentatious; the people here were simply doing their duty, without thinking that they were heroes.
After the battle, “it was as if an invisible gloomy river was flowing in the darkness... In the general roar, due to all the other sounds, the moans and voices of the wounded were heard most clearly... Their groans seemed to fill all this darkness surrounding the troops. Their groans and the darkness of this night were one and the same.” War brings suffering and death to people. Started with aggressive goals, it is hateful and disgusting to Tolstoy. A just war can only be caused by absolute necessity. The Battle of Shengraben was necessary to save the Russian army, which was in a difficult situation. On the part of the Russians, the Patriotic War of 1812 was fair. The enemy entered Russia and advanced towards Moscow. An unknown soldier, expressing the general opinion of the Russians, told Pierre that they “want to attack the enemy with all the people; one word - Moscow. They want to make one end.”
The greatest manifestation of Russian patriotism was the Battle of Borodino, in which the Russian army defeated the French: “the Russians hold their ground and produce hellish fire, from which the French army melts.”
“Our fire is tearing them out in rows, but they are standing,” the adjutants reported to Napoleon. And Napoleon felt “how the terrible sweep of his arm fell magically powerless.” In the episodes of the novel dedicated to the people's struggle for their national independence, there is no place for theatrical effects and beautiful phrases.
“From the time of the fire of Smolensk,” writes Tolstoy, “a war began that did not fit any previous legends of wars. The burning of cities and villages, retreat after battles, Borodin’s attack and retreat again, the fire of Moscow, catching marauders, rehiring transports, guerrilla warfare - all these were deviations from the rules.”
Many of these chapters can also be attributed to the Patriotic War, which deviated no less, and even more cruelly, from the rules. But, as in the war of 1812, so in the Great Patriotic War, the Russian people survived, the “club of the people’s war” destroyed the invasion.
Military events in L. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”
Prepared by Sergey Golubev
Prince Adrey and the war
The novel describes the military events of 1805-1807, as well as the Patriotic War of 1812. We can say that war, as a kind of objective reality, becomes the main plot line of the novel, and therefore the fate of the heroes must be considered in the same context with this event “hostile” to humanity. But at the same time, the war in the novel has a deeper understanding. This is a duel between two principles (aggressive and harmonious), two worlds (natural and artificial), a clash of two life attitudes (truth and lies).
Throughout his life, Andrei Bolkonsky dreams of “his Toulon.” He dreams of accomplishing a feat in front of everyone so that, having proven his strength and fearlessness, he can plunge into the world of fame and become a celebrity. “I will be sent there,” he thought, “with a brigade or division, and there, with a banner in my hand, I will go forward and crush everything that is in front of me.” At first glance, this decision seems quite noble; it proves the courage and determination of Prince Andrei. The only repulsive thing is that he is focused not on Kutuzov, but on Napoleon. But the Battle of Shengraben, namely the meeting with Captain Tushin, becomes the first crack in the hero’s belief system. It turns out that a feat can be accomplished without knowing it, not in front of others; but Prince Andrei is not yet fully aware of this. It can be noted that in this case, Tolstoy sympathizes not with Andrei Bolkonsky, but with Captain Tushin, a good-natured man who comes from the people. The author even somewhat condemns Bolkonsky for his arrogance and somewhat contemptuous attitude towards ordinary people. (“Prince Andrei looked at Tushin and, without saying anything, walked away from him.”) Shengraben undoubtedly played a positive role in the life of Prince Andrei. Thanks to Tushin, Bolkonsky changes his view of the war.
It turns out that war is not a means of achieving a career, but dirty, hard work where an inhumane deed is committed. The final realization of this comes to Prince Andrey on the Field of Austerlitz. He wants to accomplish a feat and accomplishes it. But he later remembers not his triumph, when he ran towards the French with a banner in his hands, but the high sky of Austerlitz.
Battle of Shengraben
Depicting the war of 1805 at Shengraben, Tolstoy paints various pictures of military operations and various types of its participants. We see the heroic transition of Bagration's detachment to the village of Shengraben, the Battle of Shengraben, the courage and heroism of Russian soldiers and the poor work of the quartermaster, honest and courageous commanders and careerists who use the war for personal gain. Typical of staff officers is Zherkov, who at the height of the battle was sent by Bagration with an important assignment to the general of the left flank.
The order was to retreat immediately. Due to the fact that Zherkov did not find the general, the French cut off the Russian hussars, many were killed and Zherkov’s comrade Rostov was wounded.
As always, Dolokhov is daring and brave. Dolokhov “killed one Frenchman at point-blank range and was the first to take the surrendering officer by the collar.” But after that he will approach the regimental commander and say: “I stopped the company... The whole company can testify. Please remember...” Everywhere, always, he remembers first of all about himself, only about himself; everything he does, he does for himself.
They are not cowards, these people, no. But in the name of the common good, they cannot forget themselves, their pride, their careers, their personal interests, no matter how many loud words they speak about the honor of the regiment and no matter how they show their concern for the regiment.
Tolstoy shows with particular sympathy the commander Timokhin, whose company “alone remained in order” and, inspired by the example of its commander, unexpectedly attacked the French and drove them back, making it possible to restore order in the neighboring battalions.
Another unsung hero is Captain Tushin. This is a “small, stooped man.” In his figure “there was something special, not at all military, somewhat comical, but extremely attractive.” He has “big, smart and kind eyes.” Tushin is a simple and modest man who lives the same life as the soldiers. During the battle, he does not know the slightest fear, he commands cheerfully and animatedly, at decisive moments, consulting with Sergeant Major Zakharchenko, whom he treats with great respect. With a handful of soldiers, heroes just like their commander, Tushin carries out his job with amazing courage and heroism, despite the fact that the cover stationed next to his battery left on someone’s orders in the middle of the case. And his “battery... was not taken by the French only because the enemy could not imagine the audacity of firing four unprotected cannons.” Only after receiving the order to retreat, Tushin left the position, taking away the two guns that had survived the battle.
Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz 1805 The general battle between the Russian-Austrian and French armies took place on November 20, 1805 near the town of Austerlitz in Moravia. The Russian-Austrian army numbered almost 86 thousand people. with 350 guns. It was commanded by General M.I. Kutuzov. The French army numbered about 3 thousand people. with 250 guns. It was headed by Napoleon. The main forces of the allied army under the command of F. F. Buxhoeveden attacked the corps of Marshal L. Davout and, after stubborn battles, captured the Castle, Sokolnitsy, and Telnitz. Meanwhile, the 4th Allied column under the command of I.-K. Kolovrata, which formed the center of the allied forces, went on the offensive late, was attacked by the main forces of the French and left the Pratsen heights dominating the area. Under these conditions, Buxhoeveden received an order from Kutuzov to retreat, but did not carry it out. Meanwhile, Napoleon, having defeated the center of the allied forces, deployed his troops and attacked the left wing of the allies (Buxhoeveden) with the main forces both from the front and from the flank. As a result, the Allied forces withdrew with heavy losses. The losses of Russian troops amounted to 16 thousand killed and wounded, 4 thousand prisoners, 160 guns; Austrians - 4 thousand killed and wounded, 2 thousand prisoners, 26 guns; French - about 12 thousand killed and wounded. As a result of the defeat at Austerlitz, the 3rd anti-French coalition collapsed.
Conclusions
One of the main lines of the book is Prince Andrei's disappointment in the very idea of war, in heroism, in the special calling of the military. From the dream of accomplishing a feat and saving the entire army, he comes to the idea that war is a “terrible necessity,” which is permissible only when “they have ruined my house and are going to ruin Moscow,” that the military class is characterized by idleness, ignorance, cruelty, debauchery, and drunkenness.
The theme of the novel “War and Peace” is the image of Russian society in the first quarter of the XIX century. The main historical event of this period is, of course, the Patriotic War of 1812, which became the most important turning point in Russian history.
Firstly, the war and the victory over Napoleonic France contributed to the growth of the national self-awareness of the Russians, who until now sincerely admired France, and now have become the conquerors of their own idols. Secondly, the victory in the Patriotic War exacerbated all social and economic contradictions in Russia and acutely raised the issue of government reforms. In particular, advanced Russian people understood that ordinary people played a huge role in the victory over Napoleon, and hoped that Alexander the First would limit or even abolish serfdom, so painful for the victorious people. But no decisive government reforms followed after the Patriotic War, which ultimately led to an increase in public discontent and to the Decembrist uprising on Senate Square. It is precisely because of internal politics that historians call the reign of Alexander the First “the era of lost opportunities.”
Tolstoy shows the War of 1812 as a historical event in which the most in a bright way Russian showed up national character. In the novel, the author describes in detail the most important points of this war: the battle of Smolensk (the fire and surrender of the city are not a formal, but a real beginning of the Patriotic War), Borodino, the military council in Fili, the retreat of Russian troops from Moscow, a fire in Moscow, Napoleon’s attempt to start peace negotiations with Alexander, the French retreat the old Smolensk road, the Battle of Krasnenskoye, the battle of Berezina, the partisan war.
Tie-up historical novel can be considered the formal beginning of the Patriotic War - the crossing of the French army across the Neman (3,1,11). The Battle of Borodino is the culmination of War and Peace as a historical novel because, according to Tolstoy, this battle demonstrated the moral superiority of the Russian army over the enemy. For the writer there is no question who won at Borodino; he rejects all the learned arguments of historians about whether Borodino was a victory or defeat for the Russians, and decisively declares that it was a victory: “The direct consequence of the Battle of Borodino was Napoleon’s causeless flight from Moscow, his return along the old Smolenskaya road, the death of a five-hundred-thousand-strong invasion and the death of Napoleonic France, which for the first time at Borodino was laid down by the hand of a strong-willed enemy” (3, 2, XXXIX).
The Patriotic War is a people's war, so Tolstoy pays great attention to the description of partisan warfare. Here the author acts both as a historian and as an artist. He talks about the emergence, organization, and role of the partisan movement in the victory over the French. Partisan detachments were created not only by officers (real historical heroes A.N. Seslavin, D.V. Davydov - Tolstoy’s heroes Dolokhov, Denisov), but also peasants (real historical heroes G. Kurin, E. Chetvertakov, V. Kozhina) without any order from above. Tolstoy writes caustically about the indignation of the French, who, in historical works about Napoleon’s Russian campaign, wrote that the War of 1812 was not won by the Russians according to the rules. As if there were any rules for war! The writer in his novel responds to the reproaches of the French: the Russians, seeing their Fatherland in danger, did not think long about whether they were fighting correctly with the aggressor who had invaded their land or not. “Blessed are those people who, in a moment of trial, without asking how others acted according to the rules similar cases, with simplicity and ease, picks up the first club he comes across and nails it with it until in his soul the feeling of insult and revenge is replaced by contempt and pity,” the author exclaims (4, 3,1). The symbol of the people's war in the novel becomes Tikhon Shcherbaty, the most useful person in Vasily Denisov's detachment. For Tolstoy it is absolutely clear that Napoleon could not win the Russian campaign, since he fought not with an army, but with an entire people.
The action of the novel does not end with the end of the Patriotic War. The French are expelled from Russia, Kutuzov dies, but the life of Russian society and the heroes of the novel continues. In the epilogue, from the reflections of Pierre, who had just returned from St. Petersburg to Bald Mountains, it becomes clear that Tolstoy’s favorite hero is one of the active participants in the emerging Decembrist movement, and this socio-political movement itself is one of the historical consequences of the War of 1812.
The description of the Patriotic War occupies only the third and fourth volumes of the novel, so the first and second volumes, which describe the participation of Russian troops in the Napoleonic Wars of 1805-1807, can be called an exposition of the main historical action. Tolstoy himself wrote about his plan as follows: “From 1812 to 1805 I returned according to a feeling that may seem strange to most readers. (...) I was ashamed to write about our triumph over Napoleonic France without describing our failures and shame. (...) If the reason for our triumph was not accidental, but lay in the essence of the character of the Russian people, then this character should have been expressed even more clearly in the era of failures and defeats” (“Introduction, Preface and Variants of the Beginnings of War and Peace”).
The most important historical events of the first and second volumes of the novel are descriptions of two military operations - the Battle of Shengraben and the Battle of Austerlitz - and the Peace of Tilsit.
Near the village of Shengraben, Bagration's special corps covered the retreat of the Russian army, which found itself in a dangerous position due to the defeat of the Austrian allies. Russian soldiers realized the need to save the army, so they fought courageously, starting with General Bagration, who marched with the privates on the attack, and ending with the artillerymen of Captain Tushin. As a result, Bagration's four-thousand-strong barrage detachment held back the advance of the entire French army of Marshal Murat. Under Austerlitz, according to Tolstoy, the Russian soldiers did not understand what they were fighting for, so the Russian regiments fled in panic from the battlefield, succumbing to the first terrible cry of “Bypassed!” Prince Andrei and Kutuzov see the scene of panicked retreat, the latter even cries from powerlessness and shame. As a result, Austerlitz became the pinnacle of Napoleon's military genius and the disgrace of the allied forces.
Depicting Tilsit and the emperors who celebrate the conclusion of a peace treaty, the writer talks about the immorality of politics and war. Nikolai Rostov, observing the celebrations and ceremonies, cannot understand why so much blood was shed, why so many soldiers were maimed, if it all ended in the friendly embrace of Alexander and Bonaparte, who was recently called the Antichrist (1, 1, I). Rostov had just visited his wounded friend Vasily Denisov in the hospital, saw there the one-armed captain Tushin, the unnoticed hero of the Battle of Shengraben, and many more mutilated and unfortunate patients. The hero never finds an answer to his question, and the author does not formulate a direct answer, but depicts the senselessness and cruelty of war.
The novel presents not only genuine historical events, but also real historical figures: Alexander the First, Napoleon, Kutuzov, Bagration, Speransky, numerous heroes of the Patriotic War - Ermolov, Raevsky, etc. Next to them the work describes fictional characters. Tolstoy begins the story about the private life of all the characters in 1805, so the characters approach the main historical event of the novel - the Patriotic War - as fully formed people, well known to the reader. Assessing the role of each hero in the history of Russia, Tolstoy develops a general formula: there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness, truth.
For example, according to Tolstoy, Alexander the First is not a great historical figure, because he does not understand the truth of life. The young king does not realize the severity of the war, the suffering of his own soldiers, but sees only its front side and his power over ordinary people, which are intended to glorify the adored sovereign. In the scene before Austerlitz, the Russian emperor demonstrates his attitude to the war: for him, the battle is less important than the parade in St. Petersburg: “After all, we are not in Tsaritsyn Meadow, Mikhail Larionovich, where they don’t start the parade until all the regiments arrive.” “That’s why I’m not starting, sir,” Kutuzov said in a sonorous voice, as if warning the possibility of not being heard, and something trembled in his face once again. “That’s why I’m not starting, sir, because we are not in Tsaritsyn Meadow and at the parade,” he said clearly and distinctly” (1.3, XV). There is no simplicity in Alexander. In the scene of the World of Tilsit, his behavior is artificial; he is also an actor, like Napoleon, but in a different way. On the eve of Austerlitz, Nikolai Rostov sees the Tsar surrounded by his retinue in the city of Wischau: the Tsar, “leaning to one side, with a graceful gesture holding a golden lorgnette to his eye, looked at the soldier lying face down without a shako, with a bloody head” (1, 3, X). This looking at a dying soldier through a lorgnette is a parody of Napoleon, who loves to look at corpses on the battlefield. And Alexander’s kindness is somehow feigned, which Tolstoy ironically emphasizes in the next scene. When the king satisfied his curiosity, they began to put the dying soldier on a stretcher: “Hush, hush, can’t it be quieter?” - apparently suffering more than a dying soldier, the sovereign said and rode away” (ibid.).
Another example. After disappointment in Napoleon’s personality, Prince Andrei believed “that in Speransky he found the ideal of a completely reasonable and virtuous person” (2, 3, VI). Bolkonsky was helped to understand Speransky’s hypocrisy by Natasha Rostova, “a poetic, overflowing with life, lovely girl” (2.3, XIX). The day after the ball, where he danced with Natasha for the first time, Prince Andrei went to dinner with Speransky and saw his new idol at home: “Everything that had previously seemed mysterious and attractive to Prince Andrei in Speransky suddenly became clear to him and unattractive" (2, 3, XVIII). Prince Andrei suddenly noticed not simplicity and truth, but falsehood in the neat laughter of the great reformer, demonstrativeness in Speransky’s relations with his daughter and guests. Unpleasantly surprised by his observations, Bolkonsky began to mentally try on the laws that he wrote in Speransky’s constitutional committee to his men and realized that they did not affect pressing issues folk life, and therefore are completely unnecessary.
In conclusion, it should be said that “War and Peace” is not a historical work, but a historical, philosophical, family, psychological epic novel. Tolstoy looks at history early XIX century as a Russian writer living in the 60s of the 19th century, that is, half a century later. The facts of recent history excited the author in connection with modern circumstances. Tolstoy was a participant in the Crimean War (1853-1856), which was unsuccessful for Russia, and, starting to write his novel, he sought to unravel “why we spanked the famous and previously invincible commander Napoleon the First in 1812 and why we were spanked by the insignificant in all respects Napoleon the Third in 1856 year" ("Decembrists"). Of course, the author was prompted to write the novel by the events of the first revolutionary situation of 1859-1861, peasant unrest, which became one of the main reasons for the abolition of serfdom. After these events, it was already clear to Tolstoy that it was the people who were the decisive force of history; thanks to them, the Patriotic War of 1812 ended victoriously, and fifty years later the reform of 1861 was carried out. That is why the writer stated that in “War and Peace” he was occupied with “popular thought.”
Tolstoy's historical assessments and reasoning differ from those of professional Russian, French, and German historians who studied the era of Napoleon and the Patriotic War. On the pages of the novel, the writer provides many quotes from historical works and argues with them. This applies, for example, to the assessment of the Battle of Borodino, the causes of the fire in Moscow, the maneuver of the Russian army near Maloyaroslavets, etc. In the novel, the Shengraben battle is given too much great value, although it was a minor skirmish with the French, and Tolstoy compares Shengraben with the “battle of three emperors” at Austerlitz. The writer sees Kutuzov’s wisdom and the correctness of his military tactics in his slowness and restraint, justified by the French (!) proverb: “Everything comes on time for those who know how to wait.” Tolstoy denies Napoleon greatness, even military leadership talent, which also disagrees with generally accepted assessments of this historical figure.
One can argue with the writer’s historical conclusions, but one cannot fail to note that in his novel he presented his own holistic, thoughtful and well-founded view of history in general and Patriotic War especially. Artistic comprehension The stories in the novel are extremely vivid and convincing. This applies to both individual heroes and the depiction of the Russian people as a whole, the Russian national character.
In the novel “War and Peace” L.N. Tolstoy tells not only about the life of fictional characters from high society, not only describes real events beginning of the 19th century, but also expresses his view of history. The writer has a peculiar concept historical development, in accordance with which the logic of the work is built, the actions of a particular character are explained.
Tolstoy rejects the history of kings, heroes, generals, great personalities. He argues that it is impossible to explain the development of historical events by the will, desires, and actions of individual great people - “ historical figures" History, according to Tolstoy, is the result of the coincidence of interests and actions of many people who make up the masses. This idea is confirmed in many episodes of the novel. Thus, victory in the Battle of Shengraben for the Russian troops was brought not by the successful orders of Prince Bagration, who “... only tried to pretend that everything... was done in accordance with his intentions,” but by the actions of the “little” captain Tushin, as well as everyone’s awareness of the need for this battle for salvation army. Under Austerlitz, neither the German command’s knowledge of the terrain, nor a thoughtful disposition, nor the presence of the emperors could influence a favorable outcome. The masses did not understand the purpose of the battle, and therefore did not win it.
The situation was completely different in 1812. The Battle of Borodino was fought by the Russians in an open, almost unfortified area with forces twice as weak against the French. Napoleon's generals brought huge numbers of troops into action several times. But instead of the expected news of the enemy’s flight, orderly masses of troops returned “in frightened crowds.” Tolstoy writes: “... all the generals, all... the soldiers of the French army... experienced the same feeling of horror in front of that enemy who, having lost half the army, stood just as menacingly at the end as at the beginning of the battle.”
However, according to the writer, the actions of the masses are only at first glance spontaneous, but in fact they are subordinate to a supernatural, mysterious force - providence, fate, fate. According to Tolstoy, “fatalism in history is inevitable,” history is “the unconscious, common, swarm life of humanity.” The life of peoples is controlled by fate, and the individual remains only the role of an obedient executor of the will of mysterious fate. According to Tolstoy's concept, the start of the war cannot be explained by someone's individual will, for example, the desire of Napoleon. Napoleon was objectively involved in this event, like any corporal going to war on that day. The war was inevitable, it began according to the invisible historical will, which consists of “billions of wills.” The role of personality in history is practically negligible.
However, the writer denied only such a person who puts himself above the masses and does not want to reckon with the will of the people. Kutuzov is a “positive” hero of history, because he understood that “it is impossible for one person to lead hundreds of thousands of people fighting death.” He knew that the fate of the battle was decided not by an individual, not by the number of guns, but by “that elusive force called the spirit of the army, and he monitored this force and led it as far as it was in his power.” Although Kutuzov does not attach decisive importance to his “I,” he is shown by Tolstoy not as a passive, but as an active, wise and experienced commander, who with his orders helps the growth of popular resistance and strengthens the spirit of the army. “... He will listen to everything, remember everything, put everything in its place, will not interfere with anything useful and will not allow anything harmful...” So, according to Tolstoy, the task of the individual is not to interfere natural course history, “swarm” life.
The writer leads his favorite heroes to a “common” life with the people. Pierre and Prince Andrei find the truth in 1812, at a time of testing for the Fatherland. Pierre on the Borodino field realizes his inextricable connection with every soldier. The spiritual strength that exists in a truly Russian person and which determines the outcome of the entire war arises and flares up in him. The War of 1812 was also a high point in the life of Prince Andrei. At this time, personal resentment - Natasha's betrayal - was overshadowed by understanding common tragedy, which fell on its native land.
Natasha Rostova is endowed with an original closeness to the people. She perceived from the Russian air that she breathed, truly folk spirit and folk techniques. Tolstoy believed that the subject of history could be not only an entire era, but even one day from someone’s life. That is why the writer describes in such detail and detail privacy, for example Rostova. This allows us to understand the foundations of national character.
Tolstoy believes that every person must coordinate his actions with moral standards. Historical figures are also obliged to obey these moral laws. The writer derives a general formula: people’s activities can only be based on goodness, simplicity, and truth. Therefore, the author gives a negative assessment to Napoleon, who thinks only about greatness. The great emperor is likened in the novel to a child pulling the strings tied inside the carriage, and thinking that he rules. Tolstoy condemns those who interfere with what should happen with their selfish aspirations. All the heroes of the novel, who tried to be Napoleons, sooner or later become disappointed in their idol.
Ideal for Tolstoy historical life– a state of harmony. To do this, personal life must be reasonably coordinated with the laws of “swarm” life. Wrong existence is enmity with these laws, a state of “war”, when the hero opposes himself to people, tries to impose his will on the world.
“War and Peace” is a Russian national epic, which reflected the character of a great people at the moment when they were deciding historical destinies. Tolstoy, trying to cover everything that he knew and felt at that time, gave in the novel a set of life, morals,...
Creating the image of Pierre Bezukhov, L.N. Tolstoy started from specific life observations. People like Pierre were often encountered in Russian life at that time. These are Alexander Muravyov and Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, to whom Pierre is close in his eccentricity...
Natasha Rostova - central female character the novel “War and Peace” and, perhaps, the author’s favorite. Tolstoy presents us with the evolution of his heroine over the fifteen-year period of her life, from 1805 to 1820, and over more than one and a half thousand...
Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" talks about much of what we have to face in life. real life. This includes friendship, betrayal, the search for the meaning of life, death, war, and, of course, love. Everyone chooses for themselves...
