The role of war in the novel "War and Peace". The image of the war in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

The idea of the novel "War and Peace" arose in Tolstoy back in 1856. The work was created from 1863 to 1869.

Opposition to Napoleon in 1812 - the main event of the history of the early 19 th century. The role of war in the novel "War and Peace" was very important. Philosophical thought of Leo Tolstoy was embodied in many ways due to her portrayal. In the composition of the novel, the war occupies a central place. Tolstoy Leo Nikolayevich connects the fate of most of his heroes with it. The war became in their biography a decisive stage, the highest point in spiritual development. But this is the culmination of not only all the plot lines of the work, but also a historical plot in which the fate of the entire people of our country is revealed. The role of war in the novel "War and Peace" will be discussed in this article.

War - a test not carried out by the rules

It became a test for Russian society. Lev Nikolaevich The Patriotic War is regarded as an experience of extra-class living unity of people. It occurred on a national scale on the basis of the interests of the state. In the writer's treatment of the war of 1812 is popular. It started from the time of the fire in the city of Smolensk and did not fit into any legends of the previous wars, as Tolstoy remarked Lev Nikolaevich. Burning villages and cities, retreat after numerous battles, Moscow's fire, Borodin's blow , marauding, guerrilla warfare, transport recapture - all this was a clear deviation from the rules. From the political game that Napoleon and Alexander I conducted in Europe, the war between Russia and France turned into a people's war, on whose outcome the fate of the country depended. In this case, the higher military authorities were unable to control the state of the units: its dispositions and orders were not correlated with the actual state of affairs and were not fulfilled.

The paradox of war and the historical pattern

The main paradox of the war Lev Nikolaevich saw that the army of Napoleon, having won virtually all battles, eventually lost the campaign, collapsed without noticeable activity from the Russian army. The content of the novel "War and Peace" shows that the defeat of the French is a manifestation of the laws of history. Although at first glance it can inspire the idea that the event is irrational.

Role of the Battle of Borodino

Many episodes of the novel "War and Peace" describe in detail the military actions. At the same time Tolstoy tries to recreate a historically truthful picture. One of the main episodes of the Patriotic War is, of course, the Battle of Borodino. It made no sense either for Russians or for the French in terms of strategy. Tolstoy, arguing his own position, writes that the immediate result was to become and became for the population of our country that Russia dangerously approached the death of Moscow. The French nearly killed their entire army. Lev Nikolaevich emphasizes that Napoleon and Kutuzov, accepting and giving the battle of Borodino, acted senselessly and involuntarily, obeying the historical necessity. The consequence of this battle was the causeless flight from Moscow of the conquerors, the return of the Smolensk road, the death of Napoleon's France and the 500,000th invasion, which was first imposed on Borodino by the strongest of the enemy. The battle, thus, although it did not make sense from the standpoint of military strategy, was a manifestation of the inexorable law of history. It was inevitable.

Abandonment of Moscow

The abandonment of the inhabitants of Moscow is a manifestation of our compatriots' patriotism. This event, according to Lev Nikolaevich, is more important than the withdrawal of Russian troops from Moscow. This is an act of civic consciousness manifested by the population. Residents, not wanting to be under the rule of the conqueror, are ready to make any sacrifices. In all cities of Russia, and not only in Moscow, people left their homes, burned cities, destroyed their own property. The Napoleonic army faced this phenomenon only in our country. The inhabitants of other conquered cities in all other countries simply remained under the rule of Napoleon, and even provided a solemn reception to the conquerors.

Why did the residents decide to leave Moscow?

Lev Nikolayevich stressed that the Moscow population of the capital left spontaneously. A sense of national pride moved the inhabitants, not Rastopchin and his patriotic "chips." The very first to leave the capital were educated, rich people who knew very well that Berlin and Vienna remained intact, and that during the occupation of these cities Napoleon had fun with the French, whom Russian men and, of course, women loved at the time. They could not have acted differently, since there was no question for our compatriots of whether it would be bad or good in Moscow under French rule. It was impossible to be at the mercy of Napoleon. It was simply unacceptable.

Features of guerrilla movement

An important feature of the war with Napoleon was a large-scale partisan movement. His Leo Tolstoy calls "the club of the people's war." The enemy was being beaten unconsciously by the people, just as dogs bite a rabid runaway dog (a comparison of Lev Nikolaevich). People destroyed part of the great army. Lev Nikolaevich writes about the existence of various "parties" (partisan detachments), the only purpose of which is the expulsion of the French from the Russian land.

Without thinking about the "course of affairs", intuitively the participants in the people's war acted as the historical necessity dictated. The true purpose pursued by partisan detachments was not to destroy completely the army of the enemy or to catch Napoleon. Only as a fiction of historians, who study on the letters of generals and princes, according to reports, relativistic events of that time, according to Tolstoy, there was such a war. The goal of the "club" was a task that every patriot understood - to cleanse his land from an invasion.

The attitude of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy to the war

Tolstoy, justifying the liberation war of people in 1812, condemns the war as such. He evaluates it as contrary to the whole nature of man, his mind. Any war is a crime against all mankind. On the eve of the battle of Borodino Andrei Bolkonsky was ready to die for his fatherland, but at the same time he condemned the war, believing that it was "the most disgusting affair". This is a senseless massacre. The role of war in the novel "War and Peace" is to prove it.

Horrors of war

In the depiction of Tolstoy, 1812 is a historical test, which the Russian people with honor withstood. However, it is at the same time suffering and grief, the horrors of the extermination of people. Moral and physical torments are experienced by all - and "guilty", and "right", and civilians, and soldiers. By the end of the war, it is no accident that the feeling of revenge and insult is replaced in the Russian soul by pity and contempt for the defeated enemy. And the fate of the heroes reflected the inhuman nature of the events of that time. Petya and Prince Andrey died. Finally, she broke the death of her younger son, Countess Rostov, and also accelerated the death of Count Ilya Andreevich.

This is the role of war in the novel "War and Peace". Leo Nikolayevich as a great humanist, of course, could not confine himself to patriotic pathos in her portrayal. He condemns the war, which is natural, if you read his other works. The main features of the novel "War and Peace" are characteristic of the creativity of this author.