CHAPTER 1
year 1812
Tolstoy describes the way in which the French ultimately lost their war and had to retreat. After winning at Moscow, the French only declined and did not take over like proper rulers.
Important Quotes
"An army gains a victory, and at once the
rights of the conquering nation have increased to the detriment of the
defeated. An army has suffered defeat, and at once a people loses its
rights in proportion to the severity of the reverse, and if its army
suffers a complete defeat the nation is quite subjugated."
" The period of the campaign of 1812 from the battle of Borodino to the
expulsion of the French proved that the winning of a battle does not
produce a conquest and is not even an invariable indication of conquest;
it proved that the force which decides the fate of peoples lies not in the
conquerors, nor even in armies and battles, but in something else."
CHAPTER 2
Tolstoy writes about the spirit of the men in the army and how smaller groups have more spirit and will to fight the great masses. Therefore, guerilla warfare has more spirit than traditional warfare.
Important Quotes
"Military science, seeing in history innumerable instances of the fact that
the size of any army does not coincide with its strength and that small
detachments defeat larger ones, obscurely admits the existence of this
unknown factor and tries to discover it—now in a geometric
formation, now in the equipment employed, now, and most usually, in the
genius of the commanders. "
" The spirit of an army is the factor which multiplied by the mass gives the
resulting force. To define and express the significance of this unknown
factor—the spirit of an army—is a problem for science."
" The Russians, on the contrary, ought
according to tactics to have attacked in mass, but in fact they split up
into small units, because their spirit had so risen that separate
individuals, without orders, dealt blows at the French without needing any
compulsion to induce them to expose themselves to hardships and dangers."
CHAPTER 3
The Russian partisans kill the French themselves. "Partisan warfare" breaks out. Denisov and Dolokhov are planned to surprise attack the French at their camps in Smolensk. Many French are killed and Denisov is apprehensive to attack again for fear of being too obvious.
CHAPTER 4
Denisov awaits orders to hear news on Dolokhov's position. While waiting, he sees a procession of captured French soldiers and horses. Petya comes to him with a message from his commander saying that the German troops are ready to attack the French. This makes Denisov want to make haste in attacking the French first.
CHAPTER 5
Denisov, Petya, and the esaul (horseman) watch the French troops from above, preparing to attack with or without Dolokhov. They also see the peasant, Tikhon, who was the bravest and strongest man in the army, running from French fire. Apparently, the French had exposed him and the plan of attack had been found out.
Important Quotes
[Tikhon]: "He was the bravest and most useful man in the party. No one found more
opportunities for attacking, no one captured or killed more Frenchmen, and
consequently he was made the buffoon of all the Cossacks and hussars and
willingly accepted that role."
CHAPTER 6
Tikhon tells Denisov why he had been running from the French. He had captured one of them, but let him go because he thought he wasn't good enough for Denisov to question. Denisov, Petya, and other soldiers think Tikhon is a fool for letting his captive go.
CHAPTER 7
Petya wants to prove himself as a man. He forgets all about his German commander and sees Denisov and Tikhon as his new heroes. He begs to stay with them longer, hoping to fight alongside them. He also pities a French drummer boy they've captured who is his age. He asks to bring him food, afraid that the soldiers will think his pity is weak and child-like. Petya is eager to get on the soldiers' good side and offers them anything to make them happy and to make himself likeable.
Important Quotes
"Pétya had been in a constant state of blissful
excitement at being grown-up and in a perpetual ecstatic hurry not to miss
any chance to do something really heroic. He was highly delighted with
what he saw and experienced in the army, but at the same time it always
seemed to him that the really heroic exploits were being performed just
where he did not happen to be. And he was always in a hurry to get where
he was not."
Petya: "I might ask," he thought, "but they'll say: 'He's a boy himself and so he
pities the boy.' I'll show them tomorrow whether I'm a boy. Will it seem
odd if I ask?" Pétya thought. "Well, never mind!" and immediately,
blushing and looking anxiously at the officers to see if they appeared
ironical"
CHAPTER 8
Dolokhov arrives and Petya is star-struck by him. He begs him to let him check out the French troops before attacking, disguised as a French soldier. Denisov advises against it, but Petya stands his ground.
Important Quotes
"Pétya had heard in the army many
stories of Dólokhov's extraordinary bravery and of his cruelty to the
French, so from the moment he entered the hut Pétya did not take his eyes
from him, but braced himself up more and more and held his head high, that
he might not be unworthy even of such company."
[Petya to Denisov]: "For you'll admit that if we don't know for sure how many of them there
are... hundreds of lives may depend on it, while there are only two of us.
Besides, I want to go very much and certainly will go, so don't hinder
me," said he. "It will only make things worse..."
CHAPTER 9
Petya and Dolokhov sneak into the French campground dressed as the French hussars. Petya is quite frightened as Dolokhov makes conversation with the French soldiers, inquiring about their numbers and captives. Petya feels as if they suspect them both, but they make it out alive and well.
Important Quotes
"Pétya, his heart in his mouth with excitement, rode by his side. 'If we're caught, I won't be taken alive! I have a pistol," whispered he."
CHAPTER 10
It's the eve of battle and Petya cannot sleep. He talks to a soldier and asks him to sharpen his sword since he never learned how. He is so excited for battle that he seems to be living a fantasy. His excitement creates a music in his head. Everything seems good.
Important Quotes
"Nothing Pétya could have seen now would have surprised him. He was in a
fairy kingdom where everything was possible.
"
Petya:
He closed his eyes, and, from all sides as if from a distance, sounds
fluttered, grew into harmonies, separated, blended, and again all mingled
into the same sweet and solemn hymn. "Oh, this is delightful! As much as I
like and as I like!" said Pétya to himself. He tried to conduct that
enormous orchestra.
