War and Peace: That Midst Nations and Nationals

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War and Peace: That Midst Nations And Nationals War and Peace, a classical fiction by Leo Tolstoy, first published as Voyna I Mir in 1865–69. This picturesque reflection of early 19th-century Russian culture saw as its power of vivid detail and change from subconscious interpretation, is commonly viewed essentially a masterwork of Russian literature and one of the world’s greatest novels. War and Peace are known for their realism, something Tolstoy achieved through intensive research. He visited battlefields, read history books on the Napoleonic Wars, and drew on real historical events to create a novel of living history. Tolstoy had originally planned to write a novel centering on the Decembrists, whose revolution in 1825 against the tsar attempted to end autocratic rule in Russia. The Decembrists failed, however, and those who were spared execution were sent to Siberia. Tolstoy wanted to depict a Decembrist, now old, returning from exile. As Tolstoy wrote and revised, however, the novel evolved into the War and Peace known today—a novel that takes place more than a decade before the Decembrist movement. The novel’s primary historical setting is the French invasion of Russia in 1812, which was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars and a period of patriotic significance to Russia. Some historians argue that this invasion was the event that metamorphosed into the Decembrist movement years later.Many of the family names used in War and Peace are slight alterations of real names Tolstoy had encountered in his life—a deliberate strategy intended to make the novel feel familiar to the Russians who read it. Bolkonsky, for example, is a manipulated version of Tolstoy’s mother’s family name, Volkonsky. Tolstoy also created the majority of his characters with his family members in mind; for example, his sister-in-law, Tanya, was the inspiration behind Natasha. Tolstoy’s firsthand knowledge of war likewise influenced War and Peace. When he was 26 years old, he fought in the Crimean War, which he also wrote about in three sketches describing, graphically, his experiences during the Siege of Sevastopol, published 1855–56. Tolstoy wrote War and Peace for over six years. The novel was originally serialized by the Russian periodical Russkiy Vestnik under the title 1805 starting in 1865, but its somewhat indifferent reception and Tolstoy’s compulsion to revise spurred him and his wife, Sofya, to decide to stop the serialization and instead focus on publishing the novel in volumes. Tolstoy continued to write, and he also hired the prominent artist Mikhail Bashilov to illustrate the novel. By 1868 three volumes had been released and were selling rapidly. Tolstoy finished three more volumes between 1868 and 1869. Sofya had copied several drafts, all by hand. All told, War and Peace filled more than 1,200 pages when first published. War and Peace: That Midst Nations And Nationals "War and Peace" opened in the Russian city of St. Petersburg in 1805, as fear of Napoleon’s continuous war-making begins to insert itself. Most of the characters are acquainted at a reception, including Pierre Bezukhov, Andrey Bolkonsky, and the Kuragin and Rostov families. Much of the novel centers on the communications between the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, and the Rostovs. Following their debut, Andrey Bolkonsky and Nikolay Rostov go to the Austrian front under General Kutuzov, a fictional image of Mikhail Kutuzov, to engage with Napoleon’s troops. Andrey is then injured at the Battle of Austerlitz and presumed dead until he arrives home to his wife, Lise, who dies during childbirth soon after. Pierre, meanwhile, has married Helene Kuragina. She is unfaithful to him, and Pierre duels with the other man, almost killing him. He soon grows overwhelmed by his wedlock and abandons Helene. He enlists amongst the Freemasons, which influences his personal and business fortunes greatly. In the meantime, Nikolay has racked up a considerable quantity of gambling debt, which causes the Rostov family to lose most of their fortune. He is encouraged to marry a wealthy heiress, despite promising to marry Sonya, his cousin. Nikolay ultimately witnesses the peace amidst Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon (Treaties of Tilsit, signed in 1807). Andrey promptly becomes linked with Natasha Rostov only to be told by his father that he must wait a year before marrying her. After some time away, Andrey discovers that Natasha has been adulterous. He renounces her, and Pierre sympathizes with her, eventually falling in love. In 1812 Napoleon invades Russia, forcing Alexander to declare war. Andrey returns to service, and Pierre is forced to believe he must privately assassinate Napoleon. As the French advance, Mary, Lise’s sister, is forced to leave her house. Nikolay finds her in the streets, and the two reconnect. Pierre, still crazed by his imaginary duty, is apprehended by French forces and witnesses many executions, which deeply affect him. During his imprisonment, he befriends Platon Karatev, a wise peasant. He is later freed from the French and promptly falls ill. After recovering, he marries Natasha, and they have four children. Nikolay weds Mary, and the two enjoy a happy married life. 2020 February 13

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