# The Raid explained — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories > Chapter companion for The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy. ## What happens The narrator, a volunteer, joins a Russian military expedition into the Caucasus. He observes the preparations and march with Captain Hlopov, discussing the nature of courage. During the raid on a village, he witnesses the initial excitement of battle, the brutal looting and destruction by the troops, and his own growing disillusionment with the spectacle of war. ## Themes in this chapter ### War and Peace The chapter depicts the mechanics and psychology of a military raid, contrasting the romantic anticipation and aestheticized view of battle with its brutal, chaotic, and destructive reality. ### Moral Philosophy and Virtue Central dialogue explores the definition of courage, debating whether it stems from a sense of duty or can be corrupted by base motives like vanity or curiosity. ### Hypocrisy and Social Pretense The General and Major's refined, French-speaking appreciation of the 'charming spectacle' of war stands in stark, hypocritical contrast to the suffering and pillage they oversee. ## Character check-ins ### The Captain Captain Hlopov leads the expedition. He is thoughtful, unpretentious, and provides a pragmatic, weary perspective on war and bravery. ### The General Commands the raid. He observes the action with aesthetic detachment, making remarks in French and appearing unmoved by the violence. ### The Stranger The narrator, a civilian volunteer who seeks to experience battle firsthand but becomes increasingly critical of its glorification. ### Ensign Alanin A young, handsome officer, fresh from the Cadet Corps, who gallops past with youthful excitement for his first action. ### The Major Accompanies the General, sharing his aesthetic appreciation for the 'charming spectacle' of war in beautiful country. ### Colonel Hasanov Leads the cavalry charge against the enemy, shouting 'Hurrah!' as he draws his sword. ### The Cossacks Part of the raiding force, seen looting and setting fire to the captured village alongside infantry and dragoons. ### The Tartars The enemy forces. They are seen on horseback with colours, engage in a brief skirmish, and then retreat into the woods. ## Key lines > He who does what he ought to do is brave. The Captain defines bravery simply as fulfilling one's duty. _A pragmatic, soldier's definition of courage, contrasted with philosophical abstractions._ > Quel charmant coup d’œil!... C'est un vrai plaisir, que la guerre dans un aussi beau pays. "What a charming sight!... It's a real pleasure to wage war in such beautiful country." _The General and Major's dialogue highlights the detached, aestheticized view of war held by the high command._ > This moaning strikes me in so strange a manner that the warlike scene instantly loses for me all its charm. The sound of a wounded man's moan shatters the narrator's romantic perception of the battle. _Marks the turning point in the narrator's perspective from spectator to critic._ > ...in an instant the empty village was animated again. There crashed a roof... a pillar of thick smoke rises up... a Cossack dragging along a sack of flour... The troops immediately begin looting and destroying the captured village, animating it with acts of pillage and arson. _Depicts the brutal, chaotic reality that follows the 'magnificent' military action._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/the-raid - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters