# Part III: 1812 explained — War and Peace

> Chapter companion for War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

## What happens

The narrative shifts to the eve of the French invasion of Russia. Emperor Alexander addresses the Moscow nobility, rallying them for the coming war. Pierre, feeling a sense of destiny, tours the battlefield position at Borodino with a Russian officer. He then experiences the brutal reality of war firsthand at the Raevski Redoubt during the Battle of Borodino. The chapter concludes with Pierre surveying the horrific aftermath of the battle.

## Themes in this chapter

### War and History

The chapter is centered on the historical event of the Battle of Borodino, depicting its strategic preparations, the chaotic reality of combat, and its devastating human cost.

### Search for Meaning

Pierre's journey to the battlefield is driven by a personal quest to understand his role and the nature of the colossal historical forces at play.

## Character check-ins

### Count Pyotr Kirílych Bezúkhov

Feels a sense of fate drawing him to the war; tours the Borodino position and witnesses the battle's carnage at the redoubt, grappling with its horror and meaning.

### Prince Andréy Nikoláevich Bolkónski

Reports to Kutuzov's headquarters, demonstrating his return to military service and engagement in the pivotal campaign.

### Count Nikoláy Ilyítch Rostóv

His military experience is part of the broader context of the 1812 campaign, though not directly featured in these specific excerpts.

## Key lines

> The Emperor spoke of the danger threatening Russia and of the hopes he placed in the Moscow nobility...

Alexander I appeals to the patriotism and duty of the Moscow nobility to support the war effort against Napoleon.

_Highlights the mobilization of Russian society and the personal role of the Tsar._

> Pierre felt that this predestination which he did not like to believe in was nevertheless coming to pass.

Pierre senses a fateful force drawing him to the battlefield, despite his rational disbelief in such concepts.

_Shows Pierre's mystical or philosophical frame of mind as he approaches the war._

> He looked around him. 'Who is firing? At whom?', Pierre wondered.

Pierre, amidst the battle, is utterly disoriented and cannot comprehend the basic logic of the violence around him.

_Emphasizes the chaos and absurdity of war from a civilian's perspective._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/war_and_peace/chapters/part-iii-1812
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/war_and_peace
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/war_and_peace/chapters