War and Peace

The Rostov family receives a letter from Nikolai Rostov. He writes to them about his experiences in the battle, his recent promotion, and the injury he received. The Rostovs send mail and money back to the front for Nikolai through Boris Drubetskoy.

At the front, Nikolai, Boris, and a young German soldier and friend named Berg discuss their experiences in the military. Nikolai embellishes the details of his experiences in battle without meaning to do so. Andrei arrives and dismisses his fanciful stories. Nikolai resents Andrei because he feels humiliated, but he cannot help but admire Andrei’s cool demonstration of authority.

The Russian-led allied army is made up of 80,000 men from several countries. When their countries’ respective emperors inspect the forces, the Russian Tsar Alexander impresses Nikolai, who would be happy to die for the charismatic tsar in exchange for a single smile. However, his warm feelings vanish when he sees Andrei sitting on a horse in a relaxed and indifferent manner. Andrei’s pose angers Nikolai, but his love for the tsar allows him to put aside his fury for the moment.

Andrei speaks with Boris Drubetskoy, keeping an important general waiting. Boris wants a better position in the army and has learned to try anything to improve his status in life. The waiting general shows Boris that rank alone does not determine importance. There are “more important” (265) protocol systems and expected ways to act that exist outside the traditional military ranks. Andrei promises to help Boris with a promotion to an administrative role with more prestige than his current rank. However, the busy preparation for the upcoming battle at Austerlitz delays Boris’s potential promotion.

Nikolai Rostov feels dejected when he does not take part in a battle, but the tsar’s arrival in the camp lifts his spirits. He does everything in his power to attract the tsar’s attention. Later, he raises a toast to the tsar’s health. He bonds with Denisov over their increased sense of patriotism.

The following day, the tsar feels unwell. The sight of the dead bodies on the battlefields has affected him. Rumors spread through the Russian camp of a French offer of a truce. The rumors come to nothing.

Andrei attends the war council before the Battle of Austerlitz. He has devised a plan and wants to impress Kutuzov. However, Kutuzov is pessimistic about Russia’s chances. He expects his army to lose. When a general provides a long and boring speech about the plans for the campaign, Kutuzov falls asleep and begins to snore. By the time he wakes up, the discussion is over and the plans are made. Andrei does not get his opportunity to impress Kutuzov. Unsatisfied, he relentlessly paces his room that night, imagining how he might lead his men to a glorious victory by executing his own plan on the battlefield. Andrei envisions himself as a national hero. He would even be willing to sacrifice the love of his closest friends and relatives to make this a reality—he prefers the love and respect of the soldiers to that of everyone else.

Nikolai wearily patrols the perimeter of the Russian camp. The French are nearby and, just before dawn, a chorus of shouts goes up from the enemy camp. Nikolai leads a scouting party to investigate the sounds, and he is involved in a brief fracas with the French troops, who were cheering at a speech from Napoleon himself. The experience exhilarates Nikolai as he rides back to the Russian camp. He is rewarded for his scouting work by being transferred from the reserves to the front line for the battle.

At dawn, the Russians prepare to attack. The valley where the battle will be fought is filled with fog. The lack of visibility separates the units and results in confusion, chaos, and a loss of morale, reflecting the split in the high command. From high up on the side of a hill, a spot with a good view of the battle, Napoleon signals for the fighting to begin.

Andrei is sent to reposition a group of riflemen; Kutuzov is furious that someone changed his orders and moved them to a different part of the battlefield. The arrival of the Austrian and the Russian emperors lifts the spirits of Kutuzov’s men. However, the French army is far closer than expected, and the troops’ brief excitement gives way to confusion. Kutuzov worries that the battle is already lost, but Andrei sees his chance to succeed. He grabs a flag and tries to rally the Russian men around him, just as he dreamed the night before. Hardly any soldiers follow him. Andrei is hit by a bullet and falls to the ground. He cannot keep his men in sight. All he sees is the clear, “infinite sky” (299), which fills him with a strange peace and happiness.

Bagration is keen to turn the tide of the battle. He dispatches Nikolai to Kutuzov to get orders on how to engage the enemy. Nikolai rides his horse through the chaos of the battlefield into a village already overrun with French troops. Riding through the village, Nikolai spots the charismatic young tsar standing on the battlefield, seemingly forlorn and alone. Nikolai is too shy to assist the tsar, missing his opportunity to impress the ruler.

Andrei regains consciousness. The battle is over, and he is lying on the ground among the dead. Near him, Napoleon and two French officers are inspecting the destruction. Napoleon looks at Andrei and declares that he has died a fine death. The words mean nothing to Andrei. Napoleon is his hero, but the French tactician now seems insignificant when compared to the infinite sky. Andrei groans, and Napoleon calls for a medic. A short time later, Andrei wakes up in a field hospital. Napoleon is again nearby and recognizes Andrei from the battlefield. Andrei looks his former hero in the eye, experiencing nothing. His thoughts are suddenly filled with memories of home, his family, the future, and the vast, infinite sky.