War And Peace

8 any number of Godfreys and Louis: Godfrey of Bouillon (1061? – 1100), French nobleman, soldier and leader of the First Crusade (1095—9); Louis VII (1121—80), King of France 1137-80, a participant in the Second Crusade (1145—8).

9 Peter the Hermit: (c. 1050—1115), a French preacher who led a band of Crusaders during the First Crusade, which was defeated by the Ottomon Turks in 1096. He later fought with Godfrey of Bouillon in the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099.

10 Minnesingers: German lyric poets and singers in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. Godfrey was the hero of many medieval songs and epic poems.

11 off go the French to Mexico: The French supported F. J. Maximilian (1832-67) in his bid to become Emperor of Mexico in 1864, but when the French army withdrew at the end of the American Civil War he was betrayed and executed.

12 The King of Prussia . . . Bohemia: The reference is to the Austro-Prussian war of 1866, which ended in defeat for the Austrians.

13 the miracle of Joshua: Joshua was the successor to Moses who gave his name to the sixth book of the Old Testament. His most famous exploit was commanding the sun and moon to stand still. (Joshua 10, 12 – 3).

The Characters

The Bezúkhovs¹

Count Kiríll Bezúkhov

Pierre Bezúkhov, his natural son, also known as Pyotr Kirillovich (or Kirillych), which means Peter, son of Kirill

Pierre’s cousins, the Mamontov sisters, Katerina (or Katishe), Olga and Sofya

The Bolkónskys

Prince Nikoláy Bolkónsky

Prince Andréy Bolkónsky, his son

Princess Márya, his daughter

Princess Líza, or Lise, Andrey’s wife

Prince Nikoláy Bolkónsky, son of Andrey and Lise

The Rostóvs

Count Ilyá Rostóv

Countess Natálya, his wife

Count Nikoláy Rostóv, their elder son

Count Pyotr Rostóv, or Pétya, their younger son

Countess Véra, their elder daughter

Countess Natálya, or Natásha, their younger daughter

Sófya, or Sónya, a cousin brought up in the family

The Kurágins

Prince Vasíly Kurágin

Prince Anatole, his elder son

Prince Hippolyte, his younger son

Princess Yeléna, known throughout as Hélène, his daughter

The Drubetskóys

Princess Ánna, known throughout as Ánna Mikháylovna

Borís, her son

Other Prominent Characters

Akhrosímov, Márya Dmítriyevna, a formidable personality, friend of the Rostov family

Alpátych, old Prince Bolkonsky’s steward

Bazdéyev, Ósip, a leading freemason, a strong influence on Pierre

Berg, Alphonse, a Russian officer

Bilíbin, a Russian diplomat

Bourienne, Mademoiselle, Princess Marya’s French Companion

Denísov, Vasíly or Váska, a Russian officer, a close friend of Nikolay Rostov

Dólokhov, Fédya, a Russian officer and high-living man-about-town

Dron, a village elder at Bogucharovo

Ilágin, one of the Rostovs’ neighbours at Otradnoye

Iógel, a dancing master

Karágin, Julie, an heiress

Karatáyev, Platón, a simple peasant whose natural goodness makes a great impact on Pierre

Karp, an insubordinate serf at Bogucharovo

Mávra, a maid with the Rostovs

Pelagéya, a pilgrim

Schérer, Ánna Ánna Pávlovna), a leading Petersburg society hostess

Túshin, Captain, a battery captain at the battle of Schöngrabern

Historical Figures in War and Peace

Alexander I, Tsar of Russia, often referred to as the Emperor

Arakchéyev, Count A., minister under Alexander, a reactionary and ruthless figure

Armfeldt, Count G. M., a Swedish soldier and statesman

Bagration, Prince P., a Russian general

Barcláy de Tólly, M., a senior Russian general

Baláshev, General A., one of Alexander’s most trusted aides

Bennigsen, Count I., a Hanoverian general in the Russian army

Berthier, P.-A., Marshal of France, Chief of Staff to Napoleon

Bessières, Jean-Baptiste, a distinguished soldier, Marshal of France

Caulaincourt, General A. de, French Ambassador to Russia

Chichagóv, Admiral P., commander of the Army of Moldavia

Clausewitz, Karl Marie von, a Prussian soldier serving as a Russian staff-officer, later to become famous for his treatise On War (1833)