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Text content of presentation slides: THE BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ IN THE NOVEL WAR AND PEACE by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy One of the central events in Tolstoy's work is the Battle of Austerlitz, tragic for the Russian State. A huge role falls on him to convey the author of his ideas. In the Battle of Austerlitz, the Russian-Austrian troops were defeated by Napoleon's troops. The main reason for this victory of Napoleon was the mistakes of the actual commanders of the allied army of the emperors of Russia and Austria, Alexander I and Franz II. Traditionally, the author gives a short introduction to the upcoming battle. He describes the mood of Prince Andrei on the night before the supposed decisive battle of his life. Tolstoy gives an emotional inner monologue of the hero. He sees the confusion of all military commanders. Here he gets his chance to become famous, which has haunted him for so long in his cherished dreams. “I will never tell anyone this, but, my God! what am I to do if I love nothing but glory, human love. Death, wounds, loss of family, nothing scares me. And no matter how dear and dear to me are many people - father, sister, wife - the people dearest to me - but, no matter how terrible and unnatural it seems, I will give them all now for a moment of glory, triumph over people, for love for to myself people whom I do not know and will not know, for the love of these people” Tolstoy skillfully describes the battle on behalf of Prince Andrei. This is one of the most impressive pictures of the epic - a global turning point in the worldview of a person, sharp and unexpected. The prince knows that Napoleon will directly participate in the battle. He dreams of meeting him personally. According to the forecasts of all the commanders, the battle must be won. Therefore, Andrei is so busy with the disposition. He carefully observes the course of the battle, notices the servility of staff officers. All groups under the commander-in-chief wanted only one thing - ranks and money. The common people did not understand the significance of the military events. Therefore, the troops so easily turned into a panic, because they defended the interests of others. Many complained about the dominance of the Germans in the ranks. Prince Andrei is enraged by the mass exodus of soldiers. For him, this means shameful cowardice. At the same time, the hero is struck by the actions of the headquarters top. Bagration is busy not organizing a huge army, but maintaining its fighting spirit. Kutuzov is well aware that it is physically impossible to lead such a mass of people standing on the edge of life and death. He monitors the development of the mood of the troops. But Kutuzov is also at a loss. The sovereign, whom Nikolai Rostov admired so much, himself takes to flight. The war turned out to be unlike magnificent parades. The flight of the Apsheronians, which Prince Andrei saw, served as a signal of fate for him: “Here it is, the decisive moment has come! It came to me, ”thinks Prince Andrei and, hitting the horse, grabs the banner from the hands of the standard-bearer slain by a bullet and leads the regiment on the attack, but he himself is seriously wounded. Putting his hero on the brink of life and death, Tolstoy thereby tests the truth of his beliefs, the morality of ideals - and Bolkonsky's individualistic dreams do not stand this test. In the face of death, everything untrue, superficial disappears, and only eternal surprise remains before the wisdom and unshakable beauty of nature, embodied in the boundless sky of Austerlitz. Andrei thinks: “How could I not have seen this high sky before? Everything is empty, everything is a lie, except for this endless sky. There is nothing, nothing but him, but even that is not there, there is nothing but silence, calmness. And glory to God! Waking up after oblivion, Andrei first of all remembers the sky, and only after that he hears steps and voices. This approaches Napoleon with his retinue. Napoleon was the idol of Andrei, like many young people of that time. Bolkonsky could not count on meeting his idol in any way; in any other case, such a meeting would be happiness for him. But not now. So unexpectedly for himself having discovered the existence of the eternal high sky, not yet understanding, but already feeling a change in himself, Andrei at this moment does not change the new one that has opened up to him. He did not turn his head, did not look in Napoleon's direction. This psychological state of great change is also felt in the hospital. A new, not yet fully realized truth withstands another test - another meeting with an idol. Napoleon comes to look at the wounded Russians, and, remembering Prince Andrei, turns to him. But Prince Andrei only silently looks at Napoleon, not answering him. Andrei simply has nothing to say to his recent idol. For him, the old values ​​no longer exist. “Looking into Napoleon’s eyes, Prince Andrei thought about the insignificance of life, which no one could understand the meaning of, and the even greater insignificance of death, the meaning of which no one could understand and explain from the living.” That's what Andrew thinks now. Under the sky of Austerlitz, a new road to truth opened up for him, he freed himself from those vain thoughts that he had lived before. Ultimately, Andrei comes to the idea of ​​the need for spiritual unity of people.

The Battle of Shengraben is the only event in the history of the war of 1805 that, from Tolstoy's point of view, had a moral justification. And at the same time, Bolkonsky's first practical encounter with the laws of war, which psychologically undermined his voluntaristic aspirations. The plan to save the bulk of the Russian army by Bagration’s detachment was an act of Kutuzov’s will, rested on the moral law (the “whole” was saved by the sacrifice of the “part”) and was opposed by Tolstoy to the arbitrariness of the decision to fight at Austerlitz. The outcome of the battle is decided by the general "spirit of the army", which is sensitively felt by Bagration. He perceives everything that happens as something foreseen by him. The failed personal “Tulon” of Bolkonsky is contrasted with the “general Toulon” of the Tushin battery, which determined the course of the battle, but was not noticed and not appreciated by others.

Shengraben is just as important for the self-determination of Rostov. The incompatibility of inner motivation (ardor and determination) and the objective result (wound and stampede) plunges the hero into an abyss of questions that are terrible for him and again, as on the Ensky bridge (Tolstoy draws this parallel twice), makes Rostov think.

The decision on the battle of Austerlitz is made against the will of Kutuzov. It seemed that all possibilities, all conditions, all "slightest details" were foreseen. Victory is presented not as “future”, but already as “past”. Kutuzov is not inactive. However, his energy of opposition to the speculative constructions of the participants in the military council on the eve of the battle, based on the feeling of the “moral world” of the army, its “common spirit” and the internal state of the enemy’s army, is paralyzed by the arbitrariness of others vested with greater power. Kutuzov foresees the inevitability of defeat, but is powerless to break the activity of a multitude of arbitrariness and therefore is so inert at the council preceding the battle.

Bolkonsky in front of Austerlitz - in a state of doubt, ambiguity and anxiety. It is generated by the “practical” knowledge acquired next to Kutuzov, the correctness of which has always been confirmed. But the power of speculative constructions, the power of the idea of ​​"triumph over all" translates doubt and anxiety into a feeling of the reliably coming "day of his Toulon", which should predetermine the general course of affairs.

Everything envisaged by the attack plan collapses at once, and collapses catastrophically. Napoleon's intentions turn out to be unpredictable (he does not avoid battle at all); erroneous - information about the location of his troops; unforeseen - his plan to invade the rear of the allied army; almost unnecessary - excellent knowledge of the area: even before the start of the battle in thick fog, commanders lose their regiments. The feeling of energy with which the soldiers moved towards the battlefield turns into “vexation and anger” (9, 329).

The allied troops, who already saw themselves as attacking, were attacked, and in the most vulnerable place. The feat of Bolkonsky was accomplished, but did not change anything in the general course of the battle. At the same time, the Austerlitz disaster exposed for Prince Andrei the inconsistency between the constructions of the mind and the “revelations” of consciousness. Suffering and the “close expectation of death” revealed to his soul the incorruptibility of the general stream of life (the present), symbolized by the “eternal” sky for all people, and the transient significance of the person who is made a hero by an ongoing historical event.

Nikolai Rostov is not a direct participant in the battle. Sent by courier, he acts as a spectator, involuntarily contemplating different periods and participation in the battle. That state of mental and spiritual tension, in the power of which Rostov found himself as a result of Shengraben, is beyond his power and cannot be long. Find his instinct for self-preservation? a ground that guarantees security from the intrusion of terrible and unnecessary questions. The “deification” of the emperor, who, from the point of view of Rostov, creates history, destroys the fear of death. The unreasoning readiness to die for the sovereign at any moment brings the question “why?” out of the hero’s consciousness, returns Rostov to the norm of “healthy narrow-mindedness”, thereby predetermining his reasoning about the “duty” of obedience to the government in the epilogue of the novel.

The path of doubts, grave crises, revivals and new catastrophes for both Andrei and Pierre (in the period 1806-early 1812) is the path of knowledge - and the path to other people. That understanding, without which, according to Tolstoy, there can be no talk of “unity of people,” is not only a natural intuitive gift, but an ability and at the same time a need acquired by experience.

For Drubetskoy and Berg, who in the period from Austerlitz to 1812 (i.e., during the period of “failures and defeats”) reach the maximum possible boundaries of “service and personal careers” for each of them, there is no need for understanding. The life-giving element of Natasha at some point leads Drubetskoy away from Helen, but the world of human "ashes", which allows you to easily and quickly climb the steps of the perverted virtues, gains the upper hand. Nikolai Rostov, endowed with "sensitivity of the heart" and at the same time "common sense of mediocrity", carries the ability to understand the intuitive. That is why the question “why?” so often invades his mind, why he feels the “blue glasses of the hostel”, which determine the behavior of Boris Drubetskoy.

This “understanding” of Rostov largely explains the possibility of Marya Bolkonskaya’s love for him. However, Rostov's human mediocrity constantly forces him to avoid questions, complexities, ambiguities - from everything that requires significant mental and emotional efforts. Between Austerlitz and 1812, Rostov was either in the regiment or in Otradnoye. And always in the regiment he is “quiet and calm”, in Otradnoye - “it is difficult and confused”. Regiment for Rostov - salvation from "everyday confusion." Otradnoe is “the whirlpool of life” (10, 238). It’s easy to be a “beautiful person” in the regiment, it’s difficult in the “peace” And only twice - after a huge card loss to Dolokhov and at the moment of reflection on the peace between Russia and France concluded in Tilsit - the harmony of “healthy narrow-mindedness” collapses in Rostov. Nikolai Rostov, within the limits of the “novel”, cannot gain understanding associated with the depth of knowledge of the particular and general laws of human life.

For Tolstoy (and his hero of the 1950s) every passing day is a fact of history, living history, a kind of "epoch" in the life of the soul. Bolkonsky does not have this sense of the significance of each passing day. The idea of ​​personality movement at every “infinitely small moment”, which is the basis of the philosophical concept of “War and Peace”, and the year of separation, which Prince Andrei offers Natasha at the discretion of his father, are clearly correlated in the novel. The law of the movement of personality in time, the power of which the hero has already experienced, is not transferred by him to another person.

Essay topics:

• Shengraben and Austerlitz

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Battle of Shengraben and Austerlitz in the context of the novel “War and Peace”

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In the autumn of 1805, Russian troops won the battle near Shengraben. The victory was unexpected and easy due to the circumstances, so the Third Coalition, waging war with Napoleon, was inspired by success. The emperors of Russia and Austria decided to give the French army another lesson near the city of Austerlitz, underestimating the enemy. Leo Tolstoy describes the battle of Austerlitz in the novel "War and Peace" on the basis of studied documents, dispositions of troops and facts found in numerous historical sources.

Dawn before the battle

They went into battle with the first rays of the sun in order to have time to kill each other before dark. At night, it was not clear who was ours, and who were the enemy soldiers. The left flank of the Russian army was the first to move, it was sent according to its disposition to break the right flank of the French and push them back into the Bohemian mountains. Fires were burned to destroy everything that could not be carried with them, so as not to leave strategic values ​​\u200b\u200bto the enemy in case of defeat.

The soldiers felt the imminent performance, guessed the approach of the signal from the silent Austrian columnists, flickering among the Russian troops. The columns moved, each soldier did not know where he was heading, but he walked with his usual step in the crowd with a thousand feet of his regiment. The fog was very thick, and the smoke was eating away at the eyes. It was not visible either to the area from which everyone was coming out, nor to those surroundings where they were approaching.

Those who walked in the middle asked what they could see along the edges, but no one saw anything in front of them ten paces ahead. Everyone told each other that Russian columns were coming from all sides, even from behind. The news was reassuring, because everyone was pleased that the whole army was going where he was going. Leo Tolstoy, with his characteristic humanism, reveals the simple human feelings of people who go through a foggy dawn to kill and be killed, as military duty requires.

morning battle

The soldiers marched for a long time in a milky fog. Then they felt disorder in their ranks. It is good that the cause of the fuss could be attributed to the Germans: the Austrian command decided that there was a long distance between the center and the right flank. The free space must be filled with the Austrian cavalry from the left flank. The entire cavalry, on the orders of the higher authorities, turned sharply to the left.

The generals quarreled, the spirit of the troops fell, and Napoleon watched the enemy from above. The emperor could clearly see the enemy, who was scurrying around below, like a blind kitten. By nine o'clock in the morning the first shots were heard here and there. The Russian soldiers could not see where to shoot and where the enemy was moving, so orderly shooting began over the Goldbach River.

Orders did not arrive in time, because the adjutants wandered with them for a long time in the thick morning mist. The first three columns began the battle in disorder and disorder. The fourth column, led by Kutuzov, remained on top. After a couple of hours, when the Russian soldiers were already tired and weak, and the sun completely illuminated the valley, Napoleon gave the order to attack in the direction of the Pracen Heights.

Andrei Bolkonsky's wound

Prince Andrei began the battle of Austerlitz next to General Kutuzov, he looked enviously into the valley. There, in the cold milky darkness, shots were heard, and on the opposite slopes the enemy army was guessed. Mikhail Illarionovich with his retinue stood on the edge of the village and was nervous, he suspected that the column would not have time to line up in the right order, passing the village, but the general who arrived insisted that the French were still far from the disposition.

Kutuzov sent the prince to the commander of the third division with the order to prepare for battle. Adjutant Bolkonsky fulfilled the order of the commander. The field commander of the third division was very surprised, he could not believe that the enemy was so close. It seemed to the military authorities that there were other columns of soldiers ahead who would be the first to meet the enemy. Having adjusted the omission, the adjutant returned back.

Meeting Kutuzov with Alexander I

The commander waited, yawning like an old man. Suddenly, a greeting from the regiments was heard from the rear along the entire line of the advancing Russian army. Soon a squadron of riders in colorful uniforms could be distinguished. The emperors of Russia and Austria followed in the direction from Prazen, surrounded by their retinue.

The figure of Kutuzov changed, he froze, bowing before the monarch. Now it was a loyal subject of His Majesty, not reasoning and relying on the will of the sovereign. Mikhail Illarionovich overacted, saluting the young emperor. Bolkonsky thought that the tsar was handsome, he had beautiful gray eyes with an expression of age innocence. Alexander ordered the battle to begin, although the commander tried his best to wait until the fog completely dissipated.

Regimental colors

When the Russian command, due to weather conditions, was able to examine and assess the location of the army, it turned out that the enemy was two versts away, and not ten, as Alexander assumed due to his inexperience. Andrei managed to notice that the enemies were advancing five hundred meters from Kutuzov himself, he wanted to warn the Absheron column, but panic ran through the ranks with lightning speed.

Five minutes ago, slender columns passed through that place in front of the emperors of the coalition, now crowds of frightened soldiers were running. The mass of the retreating did not let out the one who got into it and chaotically captured Kutuzov. Everything happened very quickly. Artillery was still firing on the slope of the mountain, but the French were too close.

The infantry stood nearby in indecision, suddenly they opened fire on it, and the soldiers began to shoot back without orders. The wounded ensign dropped the flag. With a cry of "Uraaaaa!" Prince Bolkonsky picked up the fallen banner, never doubting for a moment that the battalion would follow its banner. It was impossible to hand over the cannons to the French, because they would immediately turn them against the fugitives and turn them into a bloody mess.

Hand-to-hand fighting was already in full swing for the guns when Andrey felt a blow to the head. He did not have time to see how the fight ended. Sky. Only blue skies, not causing any feelings and thoughts, as a symbol of infinity, opened up above him. There was peace and quiet.

The defeat of the Russian army

By evening, the French generals were talking about the end of the battle in all directions. The enemy took possession of more than a hundred guns. The corps of General Przhebyshevsky laid down their arms, other columns fled in chaotic crowds.

At the village of Augesta, a handful of soldiers from Dokhturov and Lanzheron remained. In the evening, one could hear the bursts of shells fired from the cannons, as the French shot down the retreating military units.

Plan.

Depiction of the war 1805-1807

1. Historical concreteness in Tolstoy's portrayal of the war.

2. The versatility of the image of the war.

3. Tolstoy's demonstration of the uselessness and unpreparedness of this war. The attitude of Kutuzov and the soldiers towards her. Review scene in Braunau.

4. Tolstoy's attitude to the war. His assertion of the senselessness and inhumanity of war. Her image is "in blood, in suffering, in death." The storyline of Nikolai Rostov.

5. Description of the Shengraben battle:

a) Tolstoy's depiction of the cowardice of Zherkov and the staff officer, the ostentatious courage of Dolokhov, the true heroism of Timokhin and Tushin;

b) the behavior of Prince Andrei, dreams of Toulon.

6. Description of the Battle of Austerlitz:

a) by whom and how it was conceived; Tolstoy's ironic attitude towards "dispositions";

b) how nature affects the course of the battle;

c) Kutuzov and Emperor Alexander; flight of the Russians;

d) the feat of Prince Andrei and his disappointment in "Napoleonic" dreams.

7. Austerlitz - the era of shame and disappointment for all of Russia and individuals. Austerlitz by Nikolai Rostov, Pierre Bezukhov and others.

1-2 . "In July 1805" collected her evening A.P. Scherer. “In October 1805, Russian troops occupied the villages and cities of the Archduchy of Austria. The historical genre of the novel required authenticity. The narrative is transferred to the battlefields in Austria, many heroes appear: Alexander 1, the Austrian emperor Franz, Napoleon, army commanders Kutuzov and Mack, commanders Bagration, Weyrother, ordinary commanders, staff officers, soldiers.

WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE WAR?

3. The Russian government entered the war out of fear of the spread of revolutionary ideas and the desire to prevent Napoleon's aggressive policy. Tolstoy successfully chose the scene of the review in Braunau for the initial chapters on the war. There is a review of people and battle. What will he show? Is the Russian army ready for war?

CONCLUSION. Appointing a review in the presence of the Austrian generals, Kutuzov wanted to convince the latter that the Russian army was not ready for the campaign and should not join the army of General Mack. For Kutuzov, this war was not a sacred and necessary matter. Therefore, his goal is to keep the army from fighting.

4. The attitude of the author to the war can be traced through the storyline of Nikolai Rostov. He has not yet managed to become a military man, for the first time he will take part in the war. Tolstoy deliberately shows the war not in a heroic way, but focuses on "blood, suffering, death." N. Rostov at first sought to get into the war, but became disillusioned with it: romantic ideas about the war collided with its real cruelty, inhumanity, and wounded, he thinks, “Why did I come here?”

5. The battle of Shengraben, undertaken on the initiative of Kutuzov, gave the Russian army the opportunity to join forces with its units marching from Russia. Kutuzov still considers the war unnecessary, but here it was about saving the army. Tolstoy once again shows the experience and wisdom of Kutuzov, his ability to find a way out in a difficult historical situation.

BATTLE OF SHENGRABEN. The behavior of a warrior in battle: cowardice and heroism, feat and military duty can be traced in the episodes of this battle.

Timokhin's company, in conditions of confusion, when the troops taken by surprise fled, "one in the forest was kept in order and then unexpectedly attacked the French." After the battle, one Dolokhov boasted of his merits and injury. His courage is ostentatious, he is characterized by self-confidence and protruding himself to the fore. Real heroism is accomplished without calculation and without sticking out one's exploits.

BATTERY TUSHIN. THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE BATTLE.

In the hottest area, in the center of the battle, Tushin's battery was without cover. Tushin, to whom they owed the "success of the day", not only did not demand "glory and human love." But he did not even know how to stand up for himself in front of the unfair accusation of his superiors, and the feat generally remained unrewarded. It was about such a feat that Prince Andrei Bolkonsky dreamed of when he went to war. To achieve "his Toulon", in which he saw the meaning of life, which will lead him to glory. This was the original presentation of the book. Andrew about his place in battle and the nature of the feat. Participation in the Battle of Shengraben makes him look at things differently. And the meeting with Tushin before the battle and on the battery, then after the battle in the hut at Bagration made him see real heroism and military feat. He did not give up his idea of ​​a feat, but everything he experienced that day makes him think.

This is the composition center. All the threads of an inglorious and unnecessary war go to him.

1. The idea of ​​the battle and the mood of its participants, the author's attitude to the carefully thought-out plan of General Weyrother. Advice the day before. Kutuzov's behavior.
2. Battle, confusion, fog.

CONCLUSION: the lack of a moral incentive for waging war, the incomprehensibility and alienation of its goals to the soldiers, distrust between the allies, confusion in the troops - all this was the reason for the defeat of the Russians. According to Tolstoy, it was in Austerlitz that the true end of the war of 1805-1807. “The era of our failures and our shame” - this is how Tolstoy himself defined the war.

Austerlitz became an era of shame and disappointment not only for the whole of Russia, but also for individual heroes. Not at all the way he would like, N. Rostov behaved. Even a meeting on the battlefield with the sovereign, whom Rostov adored, did not bring him joy.

On the eve of the Battle of Austerlitz, Prince Andrei thinks only of his future glorious deed.

And now the feat of Prince Andrei seems to be carried out exactly in that classical picture. As it seemed to him in his dreams: "with a banner in my hand, I will go forward." So, as he dreamed, he happened to "go ahead of the troops", and the whole battalion ran after him.

This, of course, is a glorious feat worthy of the Bolkonsky family honor. Honors of a Russian officer. But for Tolstoy, the inner essence, the very type of achievement, is important. After all, Napoleon also has unconditional personal courage and he is able to go ahead of the troops. But this feat is not poeticized in the novel. His feat adds another touch to his portrait of an impeccable soldier.

With a feeling of the greatest disappointment in Napoleon, who was his hero, Prince Andrey also lies on Pratsenskaya Hill. Napoleon introduced himself to him as a small, insignificant little man, "with an indifferent, limited and happy look from the misfortune of others." True, the wound to Prince Andrei brought not only disappointment in the futility and insignificance of feats in the name of personal glory, but also the discovery of a new world, a new meaning of life. The immeasurably high, eternal sky, the blue infinity opened a new line of thought in him, and he wished that people "helped him and return him to life, which seemed to him so beautiful, because he understood it differently now."

THE GENERAL RESULT is a feeling of disappointment in life as a result of realizing the mistakes made by the heroes. In this regard, it is remarkable. That next to the Austerlitz battle scenes are chapters telling about the marriage of Pierre to Helene. For Pierre, this is his Austerlitz, the era of his shame and disappointment.

GENERAL AUSTERLITS - this is the result of volume 1. The started war for the sake of glory, for the sake of the ambitious interests of the Russian court circles, it was incomprehensible and not needed by the people, and therefore ended with Austerlitz. Such an outcome was all the more shameful because the Russian army could be courageous and heroic when it had at least some understanding of the objectives of the battle, as was the case with Shengraben.

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The epic "War and Peace", located on the pages of four books and two volumes and written by Leo Tolstoy, describes the battle of Austerlitz, in addition to spiritual quests and romance. This indicates that in the novel the reader will find reflections on the historical nuances of the development of Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.

Historical summary of the Battle of Austerlitz

The Battle of Austerlitz took place on November 20 (December 2, according to the old style), 1805. The battle was recognized as decisive, a turning point in the course of the war of the Third Anti-French Coalition and France. Here, near the town of Austerlitz (now - a city located in the Czech Republic, in the historical region of Moravia), the forces of the armies of Emperor Napoleon, as well as the emperors Alexander I and Franz II, clashed. As a result of the battle, France won a decisive victory, which led to the liquidation of the coalition. Napoleon entered the field of Austerlitz with smaller forces, but the losses of the allies of the coalition were incomparably greater.

The reader, however, should take into account that the real battle of Austerlitz and the battle described by Leo Tolstoy are not identical phenomena. The first relates to the field of historical reality, and the second - to the artistic, literary rethinking of events.

Emperors and war: what is the role of heads of state?

History, Clio, is known to be a capricious muse. Clio preserves the names of the "great": emperors and generals, scientists and writers... The names of ordinary people, soldiers, workers are lost in the darkness of time, in the darkness of bygone eras. The experience gained by humanity is a series of wars, victories and defeats, inventions and scientific breakthroughs.

Leo Tolstoy captured the image of the battle between France and the combined forces of Russia and Austria. Earlier, the Russian army defeated the French in the battle of Shengraben. This event motivated the Russians to go further in the war with Napoleon. However, despite the numerical superiority, the heads of Russia and Austria lost the battle of Austerlitz.

Historians say: there are many reasons for victories and defeats, but among them there are three main ones. First, the allied emperors were blinded by victory; secondly, lulled vigilance and narcissism made Franz and Alexander relax, not properly preparing for further battles. Finally, the third reason - military parades and numerous balls did not contribute to the discipline and composure of the soldiers.

Have you heard about Anna Karenina and her platform shoes? We invite you to find out and also read its summary.

This confrontation is called the "war of the three emperors." Leo Tolstoy plays on the contrast, portraying the rulers of the warring powers as self-confident and proud. Meanwhile, after the defeat, the images of the sovereigns change: now they are just people seized by despair and loss. As a result, the Emperor of Austria Franz surrendered to Napoleon, accepting the conditions of the French ruler. Russia continued the war against France.

A few words about the composition of the enemy troops

Let's represent the data in the form of a list.
French Army Forces:

1. Napoleon brought to the field of Austerlitz more than 73 thousand people, who controlled almost 140 guns. After the battle, France lost 1,305 soldiers killed, about 7,000 people were wounded in battle, almost 600 French were captured. The army lost one banner.
2. The allied army of the Anti-French Coalition consisted of more than 85 thousand soldiers and almost 300 guns. The losses of the Russian and Austrian armies were much greater - 16 thousand people died in battle, 20 thousand were captured by the French. Almost 190 guns were destroyed, and more than forty banners were lost.

So, 60 thousand Russian soldiers under the leadership of General Mikhail Kutuzov and 25 thousand Austrians under the command of General Franz von Weyrother entered the field at Austerlitz. The reader noticed that the army of the allied emperors outnumbered the French, but Napoleon had large troops in reserve. The French emperor decided that 73,500 soldiers were enough to win the battle. Demonstrating a superior army is dangerous in strategic terms.

Alexander I and Franz II

In the novel "War and Peace" the writer refers to the opposition of the rulers of Russia and Austria. After the defeat at Austerlitz, the Emperor of Austria decided to stop resisting Napoleon.

Leo Tolstoy notes how strange it is that both armies have the same sky, but the French are fighting harmoniously and boldly, while the Russians and Austrians do not come to a common denominator in actions on the battlefield. The soldiers of the allied army are full of uncertainty, being in extreme confusion of feelings.

The battle of Austerlitz exposes the pitfalls, revealing the cynicism and brutal realism of the theater of war.

Soldiers are cannon fodder, victims juggled by superiors to further their own ambitions.

Characteristics of Generals Mikhail Kutuzov and Franz Weyrother

The Austrian generals led the main forces of the Allied forces: the battle took place on Austrian territory, so this decision seemed logical. Within the framework of the novel "War and Peace", the author gave a central role in the planning of strategy and the approval of tactics to General Franz Weyrother. Mikhail Kutuzov considered the adopted plan to be deliberately false and losing, but the opinion of the Russian commander was not taken into account.

Leo Tolstoy, describing the council of military leaders before the battle of Austerlitz, says that this event was more like an exhibition of vanity, a demonstration of the superiority, complacency of each of the generals present. The military leaders wanted to make it clear to the Austrian commander that he had something to learn from them.

As for Mikhail Illarionovich, the general slept during the council, because Kutuzov realized that no one would listen to his opinion, and it would hardly be possible to change anything. This episode is one of the central ones in the writer's description of the attitude towards the Russian general. Kutuzov was considered unsuitable for the place he occupied.

Leo Tolstoy expresses his own opinion about the council through the words of Andrei Bolkonsky: the nobleman says that the council is just an excuse to satisfy the ambitions of the assembled military leaders, but with such an attitude, the battle is doomed to defeat. For Andrei Bolkonsky, however, the battle of Austerlitz is one of the main moments on the path of the character's spiritual search. Perhaps every reader, a fan of "War and Peace" remembers the episode where the wounded prince contemplates the "sky of Austerlitz". The prince is sure that the allies will lose the battle, but for a nobleman to retreat is humiliating. Andrey wonders why, in order to indulge the complacency and pomposity of his superiors, it is necessary to endanger the lives of hundreds and thousands of people, including his own life.

Analysis of the Battle of Austerlitz and the results of the battle

Mikhail Kutuzov, the writer assigns a central role in the realization of the impending defeat. The general went through many battles, so the victories of the French army did not confuse Kutuzov. The commander was aware of the strategic talent of the French emperor, but realistically assessed the situation. Given that Napoleon knew about the number of soldiers in the armies of the troops of the allied emperors, it is therefore logical that the Frenchman prepared a trap for the Russians and Austrians.

Mikhail Illarionovich calculated Napoleon's move in advance: the Russian commander tried to delay the start of the battle in order to figure out what kind of trap awaited the allied troops. Kutuzov's slowness also manifested itself in a direct collision with the French already on the Austerlitz field.

As a result of the battle, Austria withdrew from the Anti-French Coalition, and the Third Coalition ceased to exist. The war against France continued with the states in the Fourth Coalition, which included Russia, Prussia, Sweden, Saxony and Great Britain. This war was fought against France and her allies, as well as satellites.

The loss of Russia had an impact on public minds and led to the spread of a painful, oppressed mood among the masses. Before Austerlitz, the Russian army was considered invincible, because the Russians had not lost a battle since the Battle of Narva. However, there are other opinions in the literature regarding the results of the Battle of Austerlitz. The defeat did not disorganize the allied troops: on the contrary, the armies of the Russians and Austrians, retreating, took an advantageous position, having managed to save most of the guns and the skeleton of the soldiers who fought near Preussisch-Eylau. This battle is recognized as the most brutal among the other battles of France and the armies of the Fourth Coalition. The main mistake of the French army was that, in the rapture of victory, the French did not destroy the main body of the enemy troops, allowing him to retreat.

Figures of Andrei Bolkonsky and Nikolai Rostov: the sky of Austerlitz

Leo Tolstoy describes two characters who are similar in that both dream of glory and feats of arms. Nikolai Rostov and Andrei Bolkonsky go to war as dreamy youths, but return as men who have realized what life and death are.

Nikolai Rostov is the eldest son in the Rostov family. When the reader first meets Rostov, he is a student studying at the university. However, Nicholas leaves his studies to become a soldier in the army and fight against the French.

During the Battle of Shengraben, Nikolai boldly rushes into battle, but is wounded. The young man hurts his hand. The wound is not fatal, it is an occasion to think about the problems of life and death. Nikolai - everyone's favorite - is aware of his own fragility and perishability. The young man does not want to die at all, he is not ready for death.

In the future, the reader will see Nikolai - already a mature man who demonstrates loyalty to his homeland and responsibility in relation to duty. When the year 1812 comes and it becomes clear that Napoleon opposed Russia, and the battle will take place on the territory of the Russian Empire, Rostov shows courage by fighting as a hussar.

The war tempers the character of Nicholas, making the hero's nobility especially refined. Rostov is going to marry his second cousin Sonya, a girl who does not have a dowry, against the will of her parents. Later, Nikolai will begin an affair with Prince Andrei's sister Maria, whom Rostov will marry.

As for Andrei Bolkonsky, the battle of Austerlitz began for the hero in the same way as for Nikolai Rostov Shengraben. Ready to perform feats, the prince bravely rushed ahead of the detachment, but was wounded. By his example, Andrei inspired other soldiers to rush into battle, but the hero himself remained lying on the field. Bolkonsky's eyes, fixed on the sky, suddenly saw its depth: this caused reflection and bewilderment in the prince. Andrei wondered how it was possible to risk the lives of thousands of people for the sake of personal ambitions. Among these thousands of lives was his life.

The similarity of the life situations of the two heroes of "War and Peace" led to different results. Nikolai Rostov is in a panic: the character is afraid of danger and hides. The prince is ready to meet the danger face to face. It seems that Bolkonsky is driven by vanity - a family trait. But this is not so: the reader mistakenly takes the spiritual depth and nobility of the prince for vanity.

Leo Tolstoy places Andrei Bolkonsky against the backdrop of the life of ordinary, simple, mundane soldiers, who are unaware of the prince's inner searches. The sky of Austerlitz is a contrast that makes it possible to see that everything that happens is vanity, nothing - before the eyes of eternity. The writer describes the behavior of Prince Andrei during the Battle of Austerlitz using simple words, avoiding pathos.

The battle of Austerlitz in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

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