About the first volume
The first volume of the novel “War and Peace” describes the events of 1805. In it, Tolstoy sets the coordinate system of the entire work through the opposition of military and peaceful life. The first part of the volume includes descriptions of the heroes’ lives in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Bald Mountains. The second is military operations in Austria and the Battle of Shengraben. The third part is divided into “peaceful” and subsequent “military” chapters, ending with the central and most striking episode of the entire volume - the Battle of Austerlitz.
To get acquainted with the key events of the work, we recommend reading online a summary of volume 1 of “War and Peace” in parts and chapters.
Important quotes are highlighted in grey; this will help you better understand the essence of the first volume of the novel.
War and Peace. Volume 2. Part 1. Chapter 16
Lev Tolstoy
XVI It has been a long time since Rostov experienced such pleasure from music as on this day. But as soon as Natasha finished her barcarolle, reality came back to him again. He left without saying anything and went downstairs to his room. A quarter of an hour later the old count, cheerful and satisfied, arrived from the club. Nikolai, hearing his arrival, went to him. - Well, did you have fun? - said Ilya Andreich, smiling joyfully and proudly at his son. Nikolai wanted to say “yes,” but he couldn’t: he almost burst into tears. The Count was lighting his pipe and did not notice his son’s condition. “Oh, inevitably!” - Nikolai thought for the first and last time. And suddenly, in the most casual tone, such that he seemed disgusted to himself, as if he was asking the carriage to go to the city, he told his father. - Dad, I came to you for business. I forgot about it. I need money. “That’s it,” said the father, who was in a particularly cheerful spirit. - I told you that it won’t be enough. Is it a lot? “A lot,” Nikolai said, blushing and with a stupid, careless smile, which for a long time later he could not forgive himself. – I lost a little, that is, a lot, even a lot, 43 thousand. - What? Who?... You're kidding! - shouted the count, suddenly turning apoplectic red in the neck and back of his head, like old people blush. “I promised to pay tomorrow,” said Nikolai. “Well!...” said the old count, spreading his arms and sank helplessly onto the sofa. - What to do! Who hasn't this happened to? - said the son in a cheeky, bold tone, while in his soul he considered himself a scoundrel, a scoundrel who could not atone for his crime with his whole life. He would have liked to kiss his father's hands, on his knees to ask for his forgiveness, but he said in a careless and even rude tone that this happens to everyone. Count Ilya Andreich lowered his eyes when he heard these words from his son and hurried, looking for something. “Yes, yes,” he said, “it’s difficult, I’m afraid, it’s difficult to get... never happened to anyone!” yes, who hasn’t happened to... - And the count glanced briefly into his son’s face and walked out of the room... Nikolai was preparing to fight back, but he never expected this. - Daddy! pa... hemp! - he shouted after him, sobbing; excuse me! “And, grabbing his father’s hand, he pressed his lips to it and began to cry. While the father was explaining to his son, an equally important explanation was taking place between the mother and daughter. Natasha ran to her mother excitedly. - Mom!... Mom!... he did it to me... - What did he do? - I did, I proposed. Mother! Mother! - she shouted. The Countess could not believe her ears. Denisov proposed. To whom? This tiny girl Natasha, who had recently been playing with dolls and was now taking lessons. - Natasha, that’s complete nonsense! – she said, still hoping that it was a joke. - Well, that's nonsense! “I’m telling you the truth,” Natasha said angrily. – I came to ask what to do, and you tell me: “nonsense”... The Countess shrugged. “If it’s true that Monsieur Denisov proposed to you, then tell him that he’s a fool, that’s all.” “No, he’s not a fool,” Natasha said offendedly and seriously. - Well, what do you want? You are all in love these days. Well, you’re in love, so marry him! – the countess said, laughing angrily. - With God blessing! - No, mom, I’m not in love with him, I must not be in love with him. - Well, tell him so. - Mom, are you angry? You’re not angry, my dear, what’s my fault? - No, what about it, my friend? If you want, I’ll go and tell him,” said the countess, smiling. - No, I’ll do it myself, just teach me. Everything is easy for you,” she added, responding to her smile. - If only you could see how he told me this! After all, I know that he didn’t mean to say this, but he said it by accident. - Well, we still have to refuse. - No, don't. I feel so sorry for him! He is so cute. - Well, then accept the offer. “And then it’s time to get married,” the mother said angrily and mockingly. - No, mom, I feel so sorry for him. I don't know how I'll say it. “You don’t have anything to say, I’ll say it myself,” said the countess, indignant that they dared to look at this little Natasha as if she were big. “No, no way, I myself, and you listen at the door,” and Natasha ran through the living room into the hall, where Denisov was sitting on the same chair, by the clavichord, covering his face with his hands. He jumped up at the sound of her light steps. “Natalie,” he said, approaching her with quick steps, “decide my fate.” It's in your hands! - Vasily Dmitrich, I feel so sorry for you!... No, but you are so nice... but don’t... this... otherwise I will always love you. Denisov bent over her hand, and she heard strange sounds, incomprehensible to her. She kissed his black, matted, curly head. At this time, the hasty noise of the countess's dress was heard. She approached them. “Vasily Dmitrich, I thank you for the honor,” said the countess in an embarrassed voice, but which seemed stern to Denisov, “but my daughter is so young, and I thought that you, as a friend of my son, would turn to me first.” In this case, you would not put me in the need of refusal. “Gafinya,” Denisov said with downcast eyes and a guilty look, he wanted to say something else and faltered. Natasha could not calmly see him so pitiful. She began to sob loudly. “Countess, I am guilty before you,” Denisov continued in a broken voice, “but know that I adore your daughter and your entire family so much that I would give two lives...” He looked at the countess and, noticing her stern face... “Well, farewell, lady,” he said, kissed her hand and, without looking at Natasha, walked out of the room with quick, decisive steps. The next day, Rostov saw off Denisov, who did not want to stay in Moscow for another day. Denisov was seen off at the gypsies by all his Moscow friends, and he did not remember how they put him in the sleigh and how they took him to the first three stations. After Denisov’s departure, Rostov, waiting for the money that the old count could not suddenly collect, spent another two weeks in Moscow, without leaving the house, and mainly in the young ladies’ room. Sonya was more tender and devoted to him than before. She seemed to want to show him that his loss was a feat for which she now loves him even more; but Nikolai now considered himself unworthy of her. He filled the girls' albums with poems and notes, and without saying goodbye to any of his acquaintances, finally sending all 43 thousand and receiving Dolokhov's signature, he left at the end of November to catch up with the regiment, which was already in Poland. Continuation, beginning in printed “Likbez” No. 4-7, 10-18 and in electronic “Likbez” No. 4-85, 87, 89, 91.
To the list of issues of the magazine “LIKBEZ” | To the contents of the issue
Summary of volume 1
Part 1
Chapter 1
The events of the first part of the first volume of the novel “War and Peace” take place in 1805 in St. Petersburg. The maid of honor and close associate of Empress Maria Feodorovna Anna Pavlovna Scherer, despite her flu, receives guests. One of the first guests she meets is Prince Vasily Kuragin. Their conversation gradually moves from discussing the horrific actions of the Antichrist-Napoleon and secular gossip to intimate topics. Anna Pavlovna tells the prince that it would be nice to marry his son Anatoly, “a restless fool.” The woman immediately suggests a suitable candidate - her relative Princess Bolkonskaya, who lives with her stingy but rich father.
Chapter 2
Many prominent people of St. Petersburg come to see Sherer: Prince Vasily Kuragin, his daughter, the beautiful Helen, his son Ippolit, the Bolkonsky couple - Prince Andrei and his wife, the pregnant young princess Lisa, known as the most charming woman in St. Petersburg, and others.
Pierre Bezukhov also appears - “a massive, fat young man with a cropped head and glasses” with an observant, intelligent and natural look. Pierre was the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov, who was dying in Moscow. The young man had recently returned from abroad and was in society for the first time.
Chapter 3
Anna Pavlovna carefully monitors the atmosphere of the evening, which reveals in her a woman who knows how to behave in society, skillfully “serving” rare guests to more frequent visitors as “something supernaturally refined.” The author describes in detail the charm of Helen, emphasizing the whiteness of her full shoulders and external beauty, devoid of coquetry.
Chapter 4
Andrei Bolkonsky, the husband of Princess Lisa, enters the living room. Anna Pavlovna immediately asks him about his intention to go to war, specifying where his wife will be at this time. Andrei replied that he was going to send her to the village to her father.
Bolkonsky is glad to see Pierre, informing him that Pierre can come to visit them whenever he wants, without asking about it in advance.
Prince Vasily and Helen are getting ready to leave. Pierre does not hide his admiration for Helene passing by, so the prince asks Anna Pavlovna to teach the young man how to behave in society.
Chapter 5
At the exit, an elderly lady approached Prince Vasily - Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya, who had previously been sitting with the maid of honor's aunt. The woman, trying to use her former charm, asks the man to place her son Boris in the guard.
During a conversation about politics, Pierre speaks of the revolution as a great cause, going against the other guests who consider Napoleon's actions horrific. The young man could not fully defend his opinion, but Andrei Bolkonsky supported him.
Chapters 6-9
Pierre at the Bolkonskys. Andrei invites Pierre, who is undecided in his career, to try himself in military service, but Pierre considers the war against Napoleon, the greatest man, an unwise thing. Pierre asks why Bolkonsky is going to war, to which he replies: “I am going because this life that I lead here, this life is not for me!”
In a frank conversation, Andrei tells Pierre to never marry until he finally knows his future wife: “Otherwise everything that is good and lofty in you will be lost. Everything will be spent on little things.” He really regrets that he got married, although Lisa is a wonderful woman. Bolkonsky believes that Napoleon's meteoric rise happened only due to the fact that Napoleon was not tied to a woman. Pierre is struck by what Andrei said, because the prince is a kind of ideal for him.
Having left Andrei, Pierre goes on a spree with the Kuragins, although he promised Prince Andrei not to go to their company.
Chapters 10-13
Moscow. The Rostovs celebrate the name day of their mother and youngest daughter - two Natalias. Women gossip about Count Bezukhov's illness and the behavior of his son Pierre. The young man got involved in bad company: his last spree led to Pierre being expelled from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The women are wondering who will become the heir to Bezukhov's wealth: Pierre or the direct heir of the count - Prince Vasily.
The old Count of Rostov says that Nikolai, their eldest son, is going to leave the university, deciding to go to war with a friend. Nikolai replies that he really feels drawn to military service.
Natasha (“dark-eyed, with a big mouth, not to say a beautiful, but lively girl, with her childish open shoulders”), accidentally seeing the kiss of Sonya (the count’s niece) and Nikolai, calls Boris (Drubetskaya’s son) and kisses him herself. Boris confesses his love to the girl, and they agree on a wedding when she turns 16.
Chapters 14-15
Vera, seeing Sonya and Nikolai and Natasha and Boris cooing, scolds him that it is bad to run after a young man and tries to offend young people in every possible way. This upsets everyone and they leave, but Vera remains satisfied.
Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya tells Countess Rostova that Prince Vasily arranged for her son to join the guard, but she does not even have money for uniforms for her son. Drubetskaya hopes only for the mercy of Boris’s godfather, Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov, and decides to visit him right away. Anna Mikhailovna asks her son to “be as nice as you know how to be” towards the count, but he believes that this will be humiliating.
Chapter 16
Pierre was expelled from St. Petersburg for disorderly conduct: he, Kuragin and Dolokhov, taking the bear, went to the actresses, and when the policeman appeared to calm them down, Pierre participated in tying the policeman with the bear. Pierre has been living in his father’s house in Moscow for several days, not fully understanding why he is there and how serious Bezukhov’s condition is. All three princesses (Bezukhov's nieces) are not happy about Pierre's arrival. Prince Vasily, who soon arrived at the count’s, warns Pierre that if he behaves here as badly as in St. Petersburg, he will end very badly.
Getting ready to convey an invitation from the Rostovs to the name day, Boris comes to Pierre and finds him doing a childish activity: a young man with a sword introduces himself as Napoleon. Pierre does not immediately recognize Boris, mistakenly mistaking him for the Rostovs' son. During the conversation, Boris assures him that he does not lay claim (although he is the godson of old Bezukhov) to the count’s wealth and is even ready to refuse a possible inheritance. Pierre considers Boris an amazing person and hopes that they will get to know each other better.
Chapter 17
Rostova, upset by her friend’s problems, asked her husband for 500 rubles and, when Anna Mikhailovna returned, gave her the money.
Chapters 18-20
Holiday at the Rostovs. While they are waiting for Natasha's godmother, Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, a sharp and straightforward woman, in Rostov's office, Countess Shinshin's cousin and the selfish guards officer Berg argue about the advantages and benefits of serving in the cavalry over the infantry. Shinshin makes fun of Berg.
Pierre, who arrived just before dinner, feels awkward, sits in the middle of the living room, preventing the guests from walking, and is embarrassed and cannot carry on a conversation, constantly seeming to be looking for someone in the crowd. At this time, everyone is assessing how such a bumpkin could participate in the bear business that the gossips were gossiping about.
Over dinner, the men talked about the war with Napoleon and the manifesto that declared this war. The colonel claims that only through war can the security of the empire be preserved, Shinshin does not agree, then the colonel turns to Nikolai Rostov for support. The young man agrees with the opinion that “Russians must die or win,” but understands the pomposity of his remark.
Chapters 21-24
Count Bezukhov suffered a sixth stroke, after which the doctors announced that there was no longer any hope for recovery - most likely, the patient would die at night. Preparations began for unction (one of the seven sacraments that grants forgiveness of sins if the patient is no longer able to confess).
Prince Vasily learns from Princess Ekaterina Semyonovna that the letter in which the count asks to adopt Pierre is in the mosaic briefcase under the count's pillow.
Pierre and Anna Mikhailovna arrive at Bezukhov’s house. Heading to the dying man’s room, Pierre does not understand why he is going there and whether it is worth appearing in his father’s chambers at all. During the unction, Counts Vasily and Catherine quietly take away the briefcase with papers. Seeing the dying Bezukhov, Pierre finally realized how close his father was to death.
In the reception room, Anna Mikhailovna notices that the princess is hiding something and is trying to take the briefcase from Catherine. At the height of the quarrel, the middle princess reported that the count had died. Everyone is saddened by Bezukhov's death. The next morning, Anna Mikhailovna tells Pierre that his father promised to help Boris and she hopes that the count’s will will be carried out.
Chapter 25
The estate of Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, a strict man who considered “idleness and superstition” to be the main human vices, was located in Bald Mountains. He raised his daughter Marya himself and was demanding and harsh with everyone around him, so everyone was afraid of him and obeyed him.
Andrei Bolkonsky and his wife Lisa come to the estate to visit Nikolai Bolkonsky. Andrei tells his father about the upcoming military campaign, and in response he is met with obvious discontent. The elder Bolkonsky is against Russia's participation in the war. He believes that Bonaparte is “an insignificant Frenchman who was successful only because there were no longer Potemkins and Suvorovs.” Andrei does not agree with his father, because Napoleon is his ideal. Angry at his son’s stubbornness, the old prince shouts at him to go to his Bonaparte.
Andrey is preparing to leave. The man is tormented by mixed feelings. Marya, Andrei’s sister, asks her brother to put on “an old icon of the savior with a black face in a silver robe on a finely made silver chain” and blesses him with the image.
Andrei asks the old prince to take care of his wife Lisa. Nikolai Andreevich, although he seems strict, hands over a letter of recommendation to Kutuzov. At the same time, saying goodbye to his son, he says: “Remember one thing, Prince Andrei: if they kill you, it will hurt me, an old man... And if I find out that you did not behave like the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky, I will be... ashamed!” . Having said goodbye to Lisa and Princess Marya, Andrei leaves.
Part 2
Chapter 1
The beginning of the second part of the first volume dates back to the fall of 1805, Russian troops are located at the Braunau fortress, where the main apartment of Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov is located. A member of the Gofkriegsrat (court military council of Austria) from Vienna comes to Kutuzov with a demand to join the Russian army with Austrian troops led by Ferdinand and Mack. Kutuzov considers such a formation unprofitable for the Russian army, which is in a deplorable state after the campaign to Braunau.
Kutuzov orders the soldiers to be prepared for inspection in field uniform. During the long campaign, the soldiers were pretty worn out, their shoes were broken. One of the soldiers was dressed in a different overcoat from everyone else - it was Dolokhov, demoted (for the story with the bear). The general shouts at the man to immediately change his clothes, but Dolokhov replies that “he is obliged to follow orders, but is not obliged to endure insults.” The general has to ask him to change his clothes.
Chapters 2-7
News arrives of the defeat of the Austrian army (an ally of the Russian Empire) led by General Mack. Having learned about this, Bolkonsky is involuntarily glad that the arrogant Austrians have been put to shame and he will soon be able to prove himself in battle.
Nikolai Rostov, a cadet of the hussar regiment, serves in the Pavlograd regiment, living with a German peasant (a nice man whom they always happily greet for no particular reason) with squadron commander Vaska Denisov. One day Denisov’s money disappears. Rostov finds out that the thief turned out to be Lieutenant Telyanin and exposes him in front of other officers. This leads to a quarrel between Nikolai and the regimental commander. The officers advise Rostov to apologize, because otherwise the honor of the regiment will suffer. Nikolai understands everything, however, like a boy, he cannot, and Telyanin is expelled from the regiment.
Chapters 8-9
“Kutuzov retreated to Vienna, destroying behind him bridges on the rivers Inn (in Braunau) and Traun (in Linz). On October 23, Russian troops crossed the Enns River.” The French begin shelling the bridge, and the commander of the rear guard (the rear part of the army) orders the bridge to be set on fire. Rostov, looking at the burning bridge, thinks about life: “And the fear of death and stretchers, and the love of the sun and life - everything merged into one painful and disturbing impression.”
Kutuzov's army moves to the left bank of the Danube, making the river a natural barrier to the French.
Chapters 10-13
Andrei Bolkonsky stays in Brünn with a diplomat friend, Bilibin, who introduces him to other Russian diplomats - “his” circle.
Bolkonsky returns back to the army. The troops are retreating chaotically and hastily, wagons are scattered along the road, and officers are driving aimlessly along the road. Watching this disorganized action, Bolkonsky thinks: “Here it is, a sweet, Orthodox army.” He is annoyed that everything around him is so different from his dreams of the great feat that he must accomplish.
There is anxiety and anxiety at the commander-in-chief's headquarters, since it is not clear whether to retreat or fight. Kutuzov sends a small detachment of Bagration to delay the advance of the French troops and ensure the withdrawal of the Russians.
Chapters 14-16
Kutuzov receives news that the position of the Russian army is hopeless and sends Bagration with a four-thousand-strong vanguard to Gollabrunn to hold the French between Vienna and Znaim. He himself sends an army to Znaim.
French Marshal Murat offers Kutuzov a truce. The commander-in-chief agrees, because this is a chance to save the Russian army by advancing troops to Znaim during the truce. However, Napoleon reveals Kutuzov's plans and orders the truce to be broken. Bonaparte goes to Bagration's army to defeat him and the entire Russian army.
Having insisted on his transfer to Bagration’s detachment, Prince Andrei appears to the commander-in-chief. Inspecting the troops, Bolkonsky notices that the farther from the border with the French, the more relaxed the soldiers are. The prince makes a sketch of the layout of the Russian and French troops.
Chapters 17-19
Battle of Shengraben. Bolkonsky feels a special revival, which was also read on the faces of the soldiers and officers: “It has begun! Here it is! Scary and fun!
Bagration is on the right flank. A close battle begins, the first wounded. Bagration, wanting to raise the morale of the soldiers, dismounting from his horse, himself leads them into the attack.
Rostov, being at the front, was glad that he would now find himself in battle, but almost immediately his horse was killed. Once on the ground, he cannot shoot the Frenchman and simply throws his pistol at the enemy. Wounded in the arm, Nikolai Rostov ran to the bushes “not with the feeling of doubt and struggle with which he went to the Ensky Bridge, he ran, but with the feeling of a hare running away from dogs. One inseparable feeling of fear for his young, happy life controlled his entire being.”
Chapters 20-21
Russian infantry is taken by surprise by the French in the forest. The regimental commander futilely tries to stop the soldiers scattering in different directions. Suddenly the French are pushed back by Timokhin's company, which turned out to be unnoticed by the enemy. They forgot about the battery of Captain Tushin (“a small, stooped officer” with an unheroic appearance), leading on the front flank. Andrei Bolkonsky barely manages to convey to Tushin the order to immediately retreat.
On the way, they pick up the wounded, including Nikolai Rostov. Lying on the cart, “he looked at the snowflakes fluttering over the fire and remembered the Russian winter with a warm, bright house and caring family.” “And why did I come here!” - he thought.
Part 3
Chapter 1
In the third part of the first volume, Pierre receives his father's inheritance. Prince Vasily is going to marry Pierre to his daughter Helen, since he considers this marriage beneficial, first of all, for himself, because the young man is now very rich. The prince arranges for Pierre to be a chamberlain cadet and insists that he go with him to St. Petersburg. Pierre stops with the Kuragins. Society, relatives and acquaintances completely changed their attitude towards Pierre after he received the count's inheritance; now everyone found his words and actions sweet.
At Scherrer's evening, Pierre and Helene are left alone, talking. Pierre is fascinated by Helene's marble beauty and lovely body, although he felt that there was something vicious in this beauty. Returning home, Bezukhov thinks about Helen for a long time, dreaming “how she will be his wife, how she can love him,” although his thoughts are ambiguous: “But she is stupid, I myself said that she is stupid. There is something disgusting in the feeling that she aroused in me, something forbidden.”
Chapter 2
Despite his decision to leave the Kuragins, Pierre lives with them for a long time. In the “society” young people are increasingly being associated as future spouses.
On Helen's name day they are left alone. Pierre is very nervous, however, having pulled himself together, he confesses his love to the girl. A month and a half later, the newlyweds got married and moved into the newly “decorated” Bezukhovs’ house.
Chapters 3-5
Prince Vasily and his son Anatoly come to Bald Mountains. Old Bolkonsky does not like Vasily, so he is not happy with guests. Marya, getting ready to meet Anatole, is very worried, fearing that he will not like her, but Lisa calms her down.
Marya is fascinated by Anatole's beauty and masculinity. The man doesn’t think about the girl at all; he is more interested in the pretty French woman, Bourien’s companion. It is very difficult for the old prince to give permission for the wedding, because for him parting with Marya is unthinkable, but he still asks Anatole about everything, studying him.
After the evening, Marya thinks about Anatole, but, seeing Mlle Bourienne in Anatole’s arms and learning that Bourienne is in love with him, she refuses to marry. “My calling is different,” thought Marya. “My calling is to be happy with another happiness, the happiness of love and self-sacrifice.”
Chapters 6-7
Nikolai Rostov comes to Boris Drubetsky in the guards camp, located nearby, for money and letters from his relatives. They are very happy to see each other and discuss military matters. Nikolai, greatly embellishing, tells how he took part in the battle and was wounded. Andrei Bolkonsky joins them, Nikolai says in front of him that the staff, sitting in the rear, “receive awards without doing anything.” Andrey correctly reins in his agility. On the way back, Nikolai is tormented by mixed feelings towards Bolkonsky.
Chapters 8-10
Emperors Franz and Alexander I review Austrian and Russian troops. Nikolai Rostov is in the forefront of the Russian army. Seeing Emperor Alexander passing by and greeting the army, the young man feels love, adoration and admiration for the sovereign. For his participation in the Battle of Shengraben, Nicholas was awarded the Cross of St. George and promoted to cornet.
The Russians won a victory in Wischau, capturing a French squadron. Rostov sees the emperor again. Admired by the sovereign, Nicholas dreams of dying for him. Many people had similar sentiments before the Battle of Austerlitz.
Boris Drubetskoy goes to Bolkonsky in Olmutz. The young man witnesses how dependent his commanders are on the will of other, more important people in civilian clothes: “These are the people who decide the fate of nations,” Andrei tells him. “Boris was worried about the closeness to the highest power in which he felt at that moment. He recognized himself here in contact with those springs that guided all those enormous movements of the masses, of which he felt in his regiment to be a small, submissive and insignificant part.”
Chapters 11-12
The French envoy Savary conveys a proposal for a meeting between Alexander and Napoleon. The Emperor, refusing a personal meeting, sends Dolgoruky to Bonaparte. Returning, Dolgoruky says that after meeting with Bonaparte he was convinced: Napoleon fears a general battle most of all.
Discussion of the need to start the battle of Austerlitz. Kutuzov suggests waiting for now, but everyone is unhappy with this decision. After the discussion, Prince Andrei asks Kutuzov’s opinion about the upcoming battle; the commander-in-chief believes that the Russians will face defeat.
Meeting of the military council. Weyrother was appointed as the overall commander of the future battle: “he was like a harnessed horse that ran away with the cart downhill. Whether he was driving or being driven, he did not know,” “he looked pitiful, exhausted, confused, and at the same time arrogant and proud.” Kutuzov falls asleep during the meeting. Weyrother reads the disposition (disposition of troops before the battle) of the Battle of Austerlitz. Langeron argues that the disposition is too complex and would be difficult to implement. Andrei wanted to express his plan, but Kutuzov, waking up, interrupts the meeting, saying that nothing will be changed. At night, Bolkonsky thinks that he is ready to do anything for the sake of glory and must prove himself in battle: “Death, wounds, loss of family - nothing is scary to me.”
Chapters 13-17
The beginning of the Battle of Austerlitz. At 5 am the movement of Russian columns began. There was heavy fog and smoke from the fires, behind which it was impossible to see those around us or the direction. There is chaos in the movement. Due to the shift of the Austrians to the right, there was great confusion.
Kutuzov becomes the head of the 4th column and leads it. The commander-in-chief is gloomy, as he immediately saw confusion in the movement of the army. Before the battle, the emperor asks Kutuzov why the battle has not yet begun, to which the old commander-in-chief replies: “That’s why I’m not starting, sir, because we are not at the parade and not in Tsaritsyn Meadow.” Before the start of the battle, Bolkonsky is firmly convinced that “today was the day of his Toulon,” that is, the day that will elevate and glorify him. Through the dissipating fog, the Russians see French troops much closer than expected, break the formation and flee from the enemy. Kutuzov orders to stop them, and Prince Andrei, holding a banner in his hands, runs forward, leading the battalion.
On the right flank, commanded by Bagration, at 9 o’clock nothing has yet begun, so the commander sends Rostov to the commander-in-chief or the tsar for orders to begin military operations, although he knows that this is pointless: the distance is too great. Rostov, advancing along the Russian front, does not believe that the enemy is already practically in their rear.
Near the village of Praca, Rostov finds only upset crowds of Russians. Beyond the village of Gostieradek, Rostov finally saw the sovereign, but did not dare to approach him. At this time, Captain von Toll, seeing the pale Alexander, helps him cross the ditch, for which the emperor shakes his hand. Rostov regrets his indecisiveness and goes to Kutuzov’s headquarters.
At five o'clock in the Battle of Austerlitz, the Russians lost on all counts. The Russians are retreating. At the Augesta Dam they are overtaken by French artillery cannonade. The soldiers are trying to advance by walking over the dead. Dolokhov jumps from the dam onto the ice, others run after him, but the ice cannot stand it, everyone drowns.
Chapter 19
The wounded Bolkonsky lies on Pratsenskaya Mountain, bleeding and, without noticing it, quietly groaning, in the evening he falls into oblivion. Waking up from burning pain, he felt alive again, thinking about the high Austerlitz sky and that “he knew nothing, nothing until now.”
Suddenly the tramp of approaching French is heard, among them Napoleon. Bonaparte praises his soldiers, looking at the dead and wounded. Seeing Bolkonsky, he says that his death is wonderful, while for Andrei all this did not matter: “His head was burning; he felt that he was emanating blood, and he saw above him the distant, high and eternal sky. He knew that it was Napoleon - his hero, but at that moment Napoleon seemed to him such a small, insignificant person in comparison with what was now happening between his soul and this high, endless sky with clouds running across it. Bonaparte notices that Bolkonsky is alive and orders him to be taken to the dressing station.
Along with the other wounded, the man remains in the care of the local population. In his delirium, he sees quiet pictures of life and happiness in the Bald Mountains, which little Napoleon destroys. The doctor claims that Bolkonsky’s delirium will end in death rather than recovery.
Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace. Volume 1
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prose_classic Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy War and Peace. Volume 1
Lev Tolstoy
War and Peace
Volume 1
1867 ru ru Vitmaier Sergei Chumakov adeptt FB Tools; emeditor, FB Editor v2.0 2009-12-14 https://www.lib.ru DED55A5F-C667-46EB-800A-7E0179CDBF75 2.01
v 1.0 - creation of fb2 Vitmaier
2.0 - Dec 26, 2006 - formatting changes
2.01 - general cleaning and some proofreading by adeptt - December 2009
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
WAR AND PEACE
Volume 1
PART ONE
I
- Eh bien, mon prince. Genes et Lucques ne sont plus que des apanages, des estates, de la famille Buonaparte. Non, je vous previens, que si vous ne me dites pas, que nous avons la guerre, si vous vous permettez encore de pallier toutes les infamies, toutes les atrocites de cet Antichrist (ma parole, j'y crois) - je ne vous connais plus, vous n'etes plus mon ami, vous n'etes plus my faithful slave, comme vous dites. [ Well, Prince, Genoa and Lucca have become no more than estates of the Bonaparte family. No, I’m warning you, if you don’t tell me that we have a war, if you still allow yourself to defend all the nasty things, all the horrors of this Antichrist (really, I believe that he is the Antichrist) - I don’t know you anymore, you don’t my friend, you are no longer my faithful slave, as you say . ] Well, hello, hello. Je vois que je vous fais peur, [ I see that I'm scaring you ,] sit down and tell me.
This is what the famous Anna Pavlovna Sherer, maid of honor and close associate of Empress Maria Feodorovna, said in July 1805, meeting the important and official Prince Vasily, who was the first to arrive at her evening. Anna Pavlovna had been coughing for several days; she had the flu, as she said (flu was a new word then, used only by rare people). In the notes sent out in the morning by the red footman, it was written without distinction in all:
“Si vous n'avez rien de mieux a faire, M. le comte (or mon prince), et si la perspective de passer la soiree chez une pauvre malade ne vous effraye pas trop, je serai charmee de vous voir chez moi entre 7 et 10 heures. Annette Scherer."
[If you, Count (or Prince), have nothing better in mind and if the prospect of an evening with a poor sick woman does not frighten you too much, then I will be very glad to see you today between seven and ten o’clock. Anna Scherer . ]
- Dieu, quelle virulente sortie [ Oh! what a brutal attack! ] - answered, not at all embarrassed by such a meeting, the prince who entered, in an embroidered court uniform, in stockings, shoes, with stars, with a bright expression on his flat face. He spoke in that refined French language, in which our grandfathers not only spoke, but also thought, and with those quiet, patronizing intonations that are characteristic of a significant person who has grown old in the world and at court. He walked up to Anna Pavlovna, kissed her hand, offering her his perfumed and shining bald head, and sat down calmly on the sofa.
- Avant tout dites moi, comment vous allez, chere amie? [ First of all, tell me, how is your health? ] Reassure your friend,” he said, without changing his voice and in a tone in which, due to decency and sympathy, indifference and even mockery shone through.
- How can you be healthy... when you suffer morally? Is it possible to remain calm in our time when a person has feelings? - said Anna Pavlovna. “You’re with me all evening, I hope?”
— What about the holiday of the English envoy? It's Wednesday. “I need to show myself there,” said the prince. - My daughter will pick me up and take me.
— I thought that the current holiday was cancelled. Je vous avoue que toutes ces fetes et tous ces feux d'artifice commencent a devenir insipides. [ I admit, all these holidays and fireworks are becoming unbearable . ]
“If they knew that you wanted this, the holiday would be cancelled,” said the prince, out of habit, like a wound-up clock, saying things that he did not want to be believed.
- Ne me tourmentez pas. Eh bien, qu'a-t-on decide par rapport a la depeche de Novosiizoff? Vous savez tout. [ Don't torture me. Well, what did they decide on the occasion of Novosiltsov’s dispatch? You know everything . ]
- How can I tell you? - said the prince in a cold, bored tone. — Qu'a-t-on decide? On a decide que Buonaparte a brule ses vaisseaux, et je crois que nous sommes en train de bruler les notres. [ What do you think? They decided that Bonaparte had burned his ships; and we, too, seem ready to burn ours . ] - Prince Vasily always spoke lazily, like an actor speaking the role of an old play. Anna Pavlovna Sherer, on the contrary, despite her forty years, was filled with animation and impulses.
Being an enthusiast became her social position, and sometimes, when she didn’t even want to, she, in order not to deceive the expectations of people who knew her, became an enthusiast. The restrained smile that constantly played on Anna Pavlovna’s face, although it did not match her outdated features, expressed, like spoiled children, the constant consciousness of her dear shortcoming, from which she does not want, cannot and does not find it necessary to correct herself.
In the middle of a conversation about political actions, Anna Pavlovna became heated.
- Oh, don't tell me about Austria! I don’t understand anything, maybe, but Austria has never wanted and does not want war. She's betraying us. Russia alone must be the savior of Europe. Our benefactor knows his high calling and will be faithful to it. That's one thing I believe in. Our good and wonderful sovereign has the greatest role in the world, and he is so virtuous and good that God will not leave him, and he will fulfill his calling to crush the hydra of the revolution, which is now even more terrible in the person of this murderer and villain. We alone must atone for the blood of the righteous... Who can we rely on, I ask you?... England, with its commercial spirit, will not and cannot understand the full height of the soul of Emperor Alexander. She refused to clean up Malta. She wants to see, looking for the underlying thought of our actions. What did they say to Novosiltsov?... Nothing. They did not understand, they cannot understand the selflessness of our emperor, who wants nothing for himself and wants everything for the good of the world. And what did they promise? Nothing. And what they promised will not happen! Prussia has already declared that Bonaparte is invincible and that all of Europe can do nothing against him... And I don’t believe a word of either Hardenberg or Gaugwitz. Cette fameuse neutralite prussienne, ce n'est qu'un piege. [ This notorious neutrality of Prussia is only a trap . ] I believe in one God and in the high destiny of our dear Emperor. He will save Europe!.. - She suddenly stopped with a smile of mockery at her ardor.
“I think,” said the prince, smiling, “that if you had been sent instead of our dear Winzengerode, you would have taken the consent of the Prussian king by storm.” You are so eloquent. Will you give me some tea?
- Now. A propos,” she added, calming down again, “today I have two very interesting people, le vicomte de MorteMariet, il est allie aux Montmorency par les Rohans, [ By the way, Viscount Mortemar ,] he is related to Montmorency through the Rohans ,] one of the best surnames in France. This is one of the good emigrants, the real ones. And then l'abbe Morio: [ Abbé Morio: ] do you know this deep mind? He was received by the sovereign. You know?
- A! “I will be very glad,” said the prince. “Tell me,” he added, as if he had just remembered something and especially casually, while what he was asking about was the main purpose of his visit, “it’s true that l’imperatrice-mere [the Empress Mother ] wants appointment of Baron Funke as first secretary in Vienna? C'est un pauvre sire, ce baron, a ce qu'il parait. [ This baron seems to be an insignificant person . ] - Prince Vasily wanted to assign his son to this place, which they tried to deliver to the baron through Empress Maria Feodorovna.
Anna Pavlovna almost closed her eyes as a sign that neither she nor anyone else could judge what the Empress wanted or liked.
“Monsieur le baron de Funke a ete recommande a l'imperatrice-mere par sa soeur, [ Baron Funke was recommended to the Empress Mother by her sister ,” she just said in a sad, dry tone. While Anna Pavlovna named the empress, her face suddenly presented a deep and sincere expression of devotion and respect, combined with sadness, which happened to her every time she mentioned her high patron in a conversation. She said that Her Majesty deigned to show Baron Funke beaucoup d'estime, [ a lot of respect ,] and again her gaze was filled with sadness.
1 …
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Results of the first volume
Even in a brief retelling of the first volume of War and Peace, the opposition between war and peace can be traced not only at the structural level of the novel, but also through events. Thus, the “peaceful” sections take place exclusively in Russia, the “military” ones - in Europe, while in the “peaceful” chapters we encounter the characters’ war among themselves (the struggle for Bezukhov’s inheritance), and in the “military” chapters – peace (friendly relations between a German peasant and Nicholas). The finale of the first volume is the Battle of Austerlitz - the defeat of not only the Russian-Austrian army, but also the end of the heroes’ faith in the highest idea of war.
Summary of the second volume “War and Peace” >
War and Peace Volume 1. Part Three. Chapter XVI
XVI.Kutuzov, accompanied by his adjutants, rode at a pace behind the carabinieri.
Having traveled half a mile at the tail of the column, he stopped at a lonely abandoned house (probably a former inn) near the fork of two roads. Both roads went downhill, and troops marched along both.
The fog began to disperse, and vaguely, about two miles away, enemy troops were already visible on opposite hills. To the left below the shooting became louder. Kutuzov stopped talking with the Austrian general. Prince Andrei, standing somewhat behind, peered at them and, wanting to ask the adjutant for a telescope, turned to him.
“Look, look,” said this adjutant, looking not at the distant army, but down the mountain in front of him. - These are the French!
Two generals and adjutants began to grab the pipe, snatching it from one another. All the faces suddenly changed, and everyone expressed horror. The French were supposed to be two miles away from us, but they appeared suddenly, unexpectedly in front of us.
- Is this the enemy?... No!... Yes, look, he... probably... What is this? - voices were heard.
Prince Andrey with a simple eye saw below to the right a dense column of French rising towards the Absheronians, no further than five hundred steps from the place where Kutuzov stood.
“Here it is, the decisive moment has come! The matter has reached me,” thought Prince Andrei, and, hitting his horse, he rode up to Kutuzov.
“We must stop the Absheronians,” he shouted, “Your Excellency!”
“Well, brothers, it’s a coven!” And it was as if this voice was a command. At this voice, everything started to run.
Mixed, ever-increasing crowds fled back to the place where five minutes ago the troops had passed by the emperors. Not only was it difficult to stop this crowd, but it was impossible not to move back along with the crowd. Bolkonsky only tried to keep up with her and looked around, perplexed and unable to understand what was happening in front of him. Nesvitsky with an embittered look, red and not like himself, shouted to Kutuzov that if he did not leave now, he would probably be captured. Kutuzov stood in the same place and, without answering, took out a handkerchief. Blood was flowing from his cheek. Prince Andrei pushed his way up to him.
-Are you injured? - he asked, barely keeping his lower jaw from trembling.
- The wound is not here, but here! - said Kutuzov, pressing a handkerchief to his wounded cheek and pointing at the fleeing people.
- Stop them! - he shouted and at the same time, probably making sure that it was impossible to stop them, he hit the horse and rode to the right.
The troops fled in such a dense crowd that, once they got into the middle of the crowd, it was difficult to get out of it. Who shouted: “Go! Why did you hesitate? Who immediately turned around and fired into the air; who beat the horse on which Kutuzov himself was riding. With the greatest effort, getting out of the flow of the crowd to the left, Kutuzov with his retinue, reduced by more than half, rode towards the sounds of close gun shots. Having emerged from the crowd of those running, Prince Andrei, trying to keep up with Kutuzov, saw on the descent of the mountain, in the smoke, a Russian battery still firing and the French running up to it. The Russian infantry stood higher up, moving neither forward to help the battery nor back in the same direction as those fleeing. The general on horseback separated from this infantry and rode up to Kutuzov. Only four people remained from Kutuzov’s retinue. Everyone was pale and silently looked at each other.
- Stop these scoundrels! - Kutuzov said breathlessly to the regimental commander, pointing to the fleeing; but at the same instant, as if in punishment for these words, like a swarm of birds, bullets whistled through Kutuzov’s regiment and retinue.
The French attacked the battery and, seeing Kutuzov, fired at him. With this volley, the regimental commander grabbed his leg; Several soldiers fell, and the ensign standing with the banner released it from his hands; the banner swayed and fell, lingering on the guns of neighboring soldiers. The soldiers began to shoot without a command.
- Oooh! - Kutuzov muttered with an expression of despair and looked around. “Bolkonsky,” he whispered, his voice trembling from the consciousness of his senile impotence. “Bolkonsky,” he whispered, pointing to the disorganized battalion and the enemy, “what is this?”
- Guys, go ahead! - he shouted childishly.
"Here it is!" thought Prince Andrei, grabbing the flagpole and hearing with pleasure the whistle of bullets, obviously aimed specifically at him. Several soldiers fell.
- Hooray! - Prince Andrei shouted, barely holding the heavy banner in his hands, and ran forward with undoubted confidence that the entire battalion would run after him.
"hooray!" ran forward and overtook him. A non-commissioned officer of the battalion ran up and took the banner, which was shaking from the weight in the hands of Prince Andrei, but was immediately killed. Prince Andrei again grabbed the banner and, dragging it by the pole, fled with the battalion. Ahead of him, he saw our artillerymen, some of whom fought, others abandoned their cannons and ran towards him; he also saw French infantry soldiers who grabbed artillery horses and turned the guns. Prince Andrei and the battalion were already 20 steps from the guns. He heard the incessant whistling of bullets above him, and soldiers constantly groaned and fell to the right and left of him. But he didn't look at them; he looked only at what was happening in front of him - on the battery. He clearly saw one figure of a red-haired artilleryman with a shako knocked on one side, pulling a banner on one side, while a French soldier was pulling the banner towards himself on the other side. Prince Andrey already clearly saw the confused and at the same time embittered expression on the faces of these two people, who apparently did not understand what they were doing.
“What are they doing? - thought Prince Andrei, looking at them: - why doesn’t the red-haired artilleryman run when he has no weapons? Why doesn't the Frenchman stab him? Before he can reach him, the Frenchman will remember the gun and stab him to death.”
Indeed, another Frenchman, with a gun at his best, ran up to the fighters, and the fate of the red-haired artilleryman, who still did not understand what awaited him and triumphantly pulled out the banner, was to be decided. But Prince Andrei did not see how it ended. As if with a strong stick, one of the nearest soldiers, as if with full swing, hit him in the head. It hurt a little, and most importantly, it was unpleasant, because this pain entertained him and prevented him from seeing what he was looking at.
“What is this? I'm falling? My legs are giving way,” he thought and fell on his back. He opened his eyes, hoping to see how the fight between the French and the artillerymen ended, and wanting to know whether the red-haired artilleryman was killed or not, whether the guns were taken or saved. But he didn't see anything. There was nothing above him anymore except the sky - a high sky, not clear, but still immeasurably high, with gray clouds quietly creeping across it. “How quiet, calm and solemn, not at all like how I ran,” thought Prince Andrei, “not like how we ran, shouted and fought; It’s not at all like how the Frenchman and the artilleryman pulled each other’s banners with embittered and frightened faces - not at all like how the clouds crawl across this high endless sky. How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized him. Yes! everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky. There is nothing, nothing, except him. But even that is not there, there is nothing but silence, calm. And thank God!…"
