The summary of War and Peace makes it possible to superficially familiarize yourself with the work of Leo Tolstoy, examine the characters and learn the plot with only the most basic details. This article contains a retelling of all four volumes with an epilogue for people who want to understand the essence of the work. The description is as short as possible, so only the main details are considered.
Beginning of Volume One
A brief summary of the 1st chapter of “War and Peace” from the first volume will tell how the maid of honor Scherer gathered guests of various stripes, among whom was Pierre Bezukhov. Talk was about the attack of Napoleon. Officer Dolokhov reflected on his demotion, and the aforementioned illegitimate son of a nobleman was looking for something to do.
Events are then transferred to the house of the landowner Rostov, where the whole family gathered. At the same moment, in the Bezukhov house, the old count dies and the struggle for property begins. The court prince Kuragin with the support of distant relatives wants to steal a will, according to which everything falls into the hands of Pierre. They fail to do this due to the intervention of poor aristocrat Anna Drubetskaya.
As a result, the illegitimate son becomes the owner of the property, and Prince Kuragin draws him to marriage with his beautiful daughter Helen. After chapter 1, a brief summary of “War and Peace” in the first volume tells about the sending of young Prince Andrei to the front. Before this, he left his wife with his father in the Bald Mountains.
Continuation of the first book
The summary of the first volume of “War and Peace” takes the reader to 1805, when General Kutuzov joined the allies with the army. He avoids the battle in every possible way, and in the meantime the French are approaching. Thanks to Bagration’s detachment and the armistice with the French Marshal Murat, the general wins time.
Further events are transferred to the Pavlograd hussar regiment, where Nikolai Rostov accuses Lieutenant Telyanin of stealing a wallet from their captain. Officers force him to drop charges because of the reputation of the army. He is inferior, and the culprit is allegedly sent because of illness. Then the cadet Rostov go through the baptism of fire in a battle on the River Ens.
The next battle was the Shengraben battle, where Nikolai was wounded. He threw a gun at a French soldier and fled. After the battle, he is awarded, and the guy goes to the location of the Izmaylovsky regiment. There he was met by a childhood friend - Boris Drubetskoy, with letters for him from Moscow.
Nicholas tells an altered story about his wound and the course of the battle. After that, a brief summary of the first volume of “War and Peace” continues with the story of a junker who considers Tsar Alexander to be the embodiment of valor and sees him crying on the field after the Battle of Austerlitz.
Completion of Volume One
Events return to Andrei Bolkonsky, who is impatient to accomplish a feat. In a brief summary of the first volume of War and Peace, he is annoyed by jokes between the Allied forces and the need to intercede for the doctor’s wife because of the claims of the convoy officer.
For the young prince, Captain Tushin became a hero after the victory of his battery, but the meeting with him brought disappointment. He was timid before Bagration, and the commander himself did not live up to expectations. At a military council before the Battle of Austerlitz he was not allowed to speak. General Kutuzov was asleep, as he knew of a near defeat. And after the commander abruptly completed the meeting. At night, Andrei was tormented by thoughts of fame, for which he was ready to give everything.
The summary of the 3rd part of “War and Peace” in the first volume continues with the battle. Napoleon gave a signal to attack, but Kutuzov was in no hurry to deploy the army. As a result, the ranks quickly caved in, and the flight began.
By order to stop the soldier, Andrei, with a banner in his hand, rushed into battle, and the battalion followed him. The guy was instantly injured and, in a state of half-death, continued to regret his unfulfilled dreams. Napoleon, when driving around the field, noticed that he was still alive, and ordered him to leave. The French left it to the locals for care.
Beginning of Volume Two
A detailed summary of the chapters of “War and Peace” in the second volume tells about the meeting of Rostov in his homeland as a hero. Meanwhile, Dolokhov offers her hand and heart to Sonya, but receives a refusal because of her love for Nikolai. That evening he defeats the cadet for a large sum.
Nikolai returns to his house, where fun reigns and Natasha sings beautifully. Nikolai forgets about the bad mood and admits his father in losing money. Meanwhile, captain Denisov, who came with Rostov, makes an offer to Natasha, but she refuses him.
The summary of War and Peace, in parts, further describes the arrival of Prince Vasily Kuragin and his son Anatoly in Lysy Gory. He wanted to marry the guy to Marya, but she refused because of the embrace of a possible groom with one Frenchwoman. A letter from Kutuzov came to the Bolkonsky’s house with news of Andrei’s death, although his body was not found. Wife Lisa dies during childbirth during childbirth, and it was on this night that her cured husband returns. Now Prince Andrew will always feel guilty.
Meanwhile, Pierre suspected Dolokhov in connection with his wife due to hints and anonymous letters. He challenges him to a duel after a quarrel, where he injures the enemy. After explaining with his wife Helen, he leaves for St. Petersburg, and she leaves a power of attorney to manage the property. On the way, Pierre meets the freemason Osip Bazdeev, who showed him new goals in life. After arriving in St. Petersburg, he became a member of a secret lodge.
Further events
The summary of War and Peace in parts in the second volume continues the story of Pierre. He visited a friend of Bolkonsky, who completely began to devote time to his son. Bezukhov conveyed the views of the Masons to the young prince on the way to the Bald Mountains. Inwardly, Andrey seemed to be reborn and fired up with new desires.
At this time, Rostov arrived in the regiment, and captain Denisov went to knock out supplies for the army. At headquarters, he meets Telyanin and beats him, but instead of the court goes to the hospital. Nikolai comes to a friend and is amazed at the conditions of detention. After the friend’s requests, Vasily Denisov submits a letter of clemency to the tsar. With a letter, Nikolai went to Tilsit, where negotiations were ongoing between Alexander and Napoleon. He stayed with a friend, Boris Drubetskoy, and was unpleasantly amazed that the heads of state communicate with each other in this way.
They reward enemy soldiers with their orders, and faith in the king shook. It only got worse after Denisov’s pardon was refused. Rostov decided to grieve the sorrow with wine with thoughts that the emperor knows best. Further, a brief summary of “War and Peace” in the chapters in the third part of the second volume tells about Andrei’s activities for the benefit of people.
He managed to transfer 300 peasants to free cultivators, to achieve the education of common people and other things. After that, he went on guardianship to the Rostovs, where the leader of the nobility Ilya could help him. On the estate, he accidentally heard Natasha talk about nightly delights, and desire aroused in him.
The end of the second volume
A detailed summary of War and Peace continues with the story of Andrei’s friendship with the Secretary of State. He was taken to the commission on the compilation of a military charter.
Pierre, meanwhile, became disillusioned with the Freemasons. He was told that he must develop inwardly, in spite of all his kindness. In the Rostovs' house, meanwhile, the ups and downs of love begin. Vera is getting married to Berg, and Boris Drubetskoy wants to make an offer to Natasha. She reciprocates, but after the intervention of her mother, the boyfriend stops visiting her lover.
After arriving in his native Otradnoye, Nikolai decides to check the accounts, but nothing comes of it. He goes hunting with his family. They are joined by a distant relative and neighbors of Ylagina. Entertainment was successful, and Natasha said that she would never be so well again. She begins to yearn for Andrei, and Nikolai is especially keenly fond of Sonya. The desire to marry her upsets his parents.
Nikolai and Natasha go to visit the Bolkonsky, but the old count does not accept them rosy. The young Princess Mary takes a ticket to Natasha’s opera in order to console her. There she meets Helen, Drubetskoy, Dolokhin and Anatol Kuragin. The latter fell in love with her and wanted to steal. Further, a brief summary of “War and Peace” in the second volume tells of the failed abduction of Natasha by Anatole because of Sonya.
Andrei learns about his lover’s romance and returns through Pierre all her letters. Bezukhov tries to console Natasha with gentle words.
Beginning of the third volume
A detailed summary of War and Peace begins with the War of 1812. Alexander sends Adjutant Balashev to Napoleon, but he does not even listen to him at the reception. Andrei, meanwhile, wants to challenge Anatole to a duel, but finds out about the war. He asks for a transfer from the Turkish army to the Western one, and General Kutuzov releases him on behalf of Barclay de Tolly. On the way, a man drives home, where he conducts a difficult conversation with his father. After his arrival, Bolkonsky realizes that no one is going to use the military craft in the army, and ask to serve directly at the front.
Nikolai Rostov was appointed captain, and he and his regiment retreated from Poland to the Russian borders. Soon, they encountered the French in battle, which pressed the allied forces. Nikolai won the battle and captured the officer, for which he received the St. George Cross, but he was not happy with his feat.
In the Rostov family, everyone is busy with Natasha’s disease. In the service of the Razumovskys, a prayer helped her, and she again took up singing. Petya, meanwhile, was going to ask the sovereign for the opportunity to fight for the fatherland. He was at the Kremlin and even caught one biscuit that Alexander was distributing from the balcony. The guy is confident in the desire to go to war, and his father went to find out where to send him away from danger.
Continuation of the third volume
Summary of Part 2 of “War and Peace” in the third volume tells about Andrei’s warnings of his family. Despite this, the father only more decorates the estate in the Bald Mountains. Meanwhile, the army loved Prince Bolkonsky, and the bombing of Smolensk only caused him more anger.
In the meantime, only his father and Marya remained in their native estate - the rest were sent to Moscow. Soon he has a blow, and his daughter orders to move to Bogucharovo. There, the old Prince Bolkonsky suffered for three weeks, after which he died. Nikolai helped pacify the peasants who did not want to let Marya go to Moscow.
In the continuation of the summary of 3 volumes of “War and Peace” Kutuzov calls on Andrei to himself and expresses his sympathy for the death of his father. Denisov arrives here with a partisan action plan. The calmness of the army commander gave confidence to Andrei. He understands the meaning of appointing Kutuzov to such a great post and explains this to Pierre. During the battle of Borodino, Bolkonsky is injured and ends up in a hospital. In the next bunk he sees Anatoly Kuragin, and in Andrei there appears a feeling of compassion for all people in the war.
The end of the third volume
In the brief summary of War and Peace, Volume 3 tells how Pierre participated in the battle of Borodino. He was mistaken for his Rayevsky battery. When he left for supplies, the French struck their ranks. Soon the Russian soldiers again took up a position, and the sight of the dead comrades struck him to the core. At night, he had a dream with instructions from Bazdeev.
Further, the author shows the essence of the battle of Borodino. Napoleon gave the right orders, but the French army was defeated because of morality. The following is a description of Kutuzov’s thoughts on the course of the battle and a story about his fighting spirit. After the battle of Borodino, he decides to leave Moscow to the enemy.
The Rostovs, upon departure, convinced Natasha to give carts to wounded officers and leave their property. Among the soldiers was Andrei Bolkonsky, whom his former lover constantly looked after after discovering.
To continue the summary of War and Peace, Pierre remains in Moscow, although he received advice to flee the capital. Due to Masonic research, he decides that his mission is to kill Napoleon. It so happened that Pierre in the house of Bazdeev rescues the French officer Rambal, who became his friend. In the morning, he no longer believes in the desire to kill Napoleon. Instead, he is trying to help people in Moscow, for which he is being arrested.
Beginning of the fourth volume
The summary of War and Peace in Part 1 of the fourth volume begins in the evening at the maid of honor Scherer. After the letter of Metropolitan Plato, discussions began on foreign matters. Kutuzov arrived, who spoke about the surrender of Moscow and the big fire in the city. The king said that he did not intend to sign the world.
The proposal of the envoy of Napoleon Loriton was rejected by the general. Soon the Battle of Tarutino happened, although Kutuzov did not want it. The commander in chief in the fall tries to restrain his army, so as not to lose people in vain. The French are retreating, and their army is dying without bloody battles.
Alexander reprimands his general for indecision, but awards the Order of George of the first degree. When the battles began outside of Russia, Kutuzov was no longer needed, and civilian life brought him only death.
A summary of War and Peace, part 2 of the fourth volume, talks about Nikolai’s desire to marry again. Sonya returns his word to him about the engagement because of his mother. Princess Mary finds Andrei in a deplorable state. Soon, the remnants of life leave him, and she and Natasha mourn over a loved one.
End of the last book
The summary of the 4th volume of “War and Peace” continues with the interrogation of Pierre by Marshal Davout. The Frenchman was famous for cruelty, but with the suppression of views, the soldiers found kinship. Bezukhov was not sent to execution, but he saw execution, and in his soul everything turned upside down because of this. He is calmed by his neighbor Karataev, who can amaze anyone with his good nature. He sews shirts to the French and says that among them there are also different people.
Prisoners are taken away upon retreat from Moscow, and soon guerrilla units save them. Denisov and Dolokhov commanded the operation, and Petya Rostov was among the soldiers. In a shootout to save prisoners, the guy dies.
The shortest content of “War and Peace” tells further about how Pierre was in Orel. He is physically ill, but he mentally feels unprecedented freedom. He is told about the death of Andrei Bolkonsky and his wife Helen. Having recovered, the man goes to the Rostovs house, where Natasha closed up due to the loss of her beloved. Here he is overtaken by the news of the death of Peter, which unites the Countess and Natalia.
Together they try to survive hard times. Later, Marya, Pierre and Natasha leave for Moscow, and Bezukhov on the way ponders the attempt to make Nikolai’s sister happy. She reciprocates him.
Epilogue
A summary of War and Peace in the epilogue talks about the wedding of Natasha and Pierre. Old Count Rostov dies, and Nikolai, by agreement, marries Mary. He does not have any feelings for Princess Bolkonskaya, but marriage gives him the opportunity to pay off debts, which have accumulated too much. They begin to live together in the Bald Mountains, where Nicholas tries to conduct a good household.
Sonya, meanwhile, remained to live in her native estate. In December 1820, Natasha arrived with her children with her brother, and Pierre himself soon arrived. He brings gifts and soon with Denisov and Rostov go to the office to communicate. Bezukhov is trying to convey the ideas of the Masons that the country has a poor government, many problems and there is a need to change everything.
Rostov does not agree with this and says that he cannot accept ideas. The whole conversation was heard by the son of Andrei Bolkonsky Nikolenka. Already that night, he had a dream about his future exploits with Uncle Pierre.