Tolstoy starts his infamous epilogue by giving his definition of the term "history" as the life of nations and humanity. He describes that a limitation of this definition is the inability of man to sufficiently pin down the history of any nation or human movement. He posits there is more to it than the scientific approach of piecing together what happened and then attributing motivations based on objective analysis. For the most part, piecing together history is inadequate guesswork, some efforts more eloquent than others. 

Tolstoy then focuses on ancient civilizations and how they dealt with explaining reasons for historical events. He suggests ancient historians tended to regard rulers (say a Julius Caesar, Hannibal, or famous King), as symbolic of the group ruled. Tolstoy thinks that approach has shortcomings. 

He then asks the most important question of the Second Epilogue, How do rulers get the masses to act as they wished? He doesn’t think it is just a question of acquiring the raw power to impose one's will. 

Rulers obviously held tremendous influence but Tolstoy feels they are figureheads. Notably, an under-appreciated amount of power is in the hands of the masses whose actions make up historical events. Said in another way: there is a symbiotic energy between the ruler and ruled. 

Tolstoy very much agreed with the ancients on not look too deeply for the reasoning of monumental events - they often believed that God willed events to be so.  

Tolstoy laments the role of God being cast aside by Enlightenment historians, especially in discussing the Napoleonic Wars. He doesn’t think the great movements between 1793-1812 can all be attributed to Napoleon -- despite the adulation Napoleon received during his own lifetime and from the generations that followed. Tolstoy is suggesting Napoleon (who was no great man of Faith) was a tool in God’s arsenal for His divine plan. 

Like the ancients, Tolstoy believed God acts, at least in part, to reward, punish or teach. Perhaps it was a reaction to his time’s attempt to remove the perception of God’s influence that led to creation of what is widely regarded as the greatest novel written.

Some background on Pierre: He never got around to deciding on a career in the short time he was in St. Petersburg. He was then kicked out of the then-capital by reason of the scandal involving tying a police officer to a small bear and throwing them both into a river. 

In Moscow, Pierre was staying in his usual quarters at the estate of his ill father - Count Kirill Bezukhov. However, Pierre was not allowed access to his dad. Pierre was isolated by the Count’s relatives and servants. Early in his stay, he went to see his cousins, referred to as the “princesses.” They are three young women who are the Count’s nieces and were also staying at the house, ostensibly caring for the Old Man. Pierre kindly asked the princesses how they were doing, if they remembered him and when he could see his father. They gave Pierre the blow-off. This group is hoping for a large bequeath upon the Count’s death. 

Prince Vasili Kuragin also met with Pierre, ever so briefly, only to lecture him that he will come to a bad end if he continues to behave like he did in St. Petersburg. Vasili is hoping to take the Lion’s share of the estate, given he is a relative to the Count through his wife and the Count doesn't have any legitimate children. 

Pierre did not have any further visitors until the day Anna & Boris visited. Boris appears at the door while Pierre is in a world of his own, pretending to be Napoleon - Yes, Pierre admires him that much! Pierre is acting out having crossed the English Channel and successfully defeated the English. He is about to pronounce sentence on William Pitt…when he notices Boris in the doorway. Historically, Pitt was a well-known Prime Minister, famous for his length of service and administrative acumen.  

Boris announces his presence but Pierre does not recognize him. He suspects that he was once familiar with the lad. He initially mistakes Boris for one of the Rostovs. When Boris reveals who he is, Pierre is genuinely happy to remake his acquaintance. Such is Pierre's nature. Pierre tries to get the conversation going by focusing on world politics but Boris concedes he doesn’t know much about current events and keeps occupied with the affairs in Moscow, which includes dinner parties and local gossip. Boris reveals all Moscow is guessing who will get the Count's estate as beneficiary and many think Pierre is a candidate. Pierre is somewhat fearful Boris would say something that will embarrass himself but is ultimately impressed with his candidness. Boris notes that he and his mother will not be pursuing such claims. He feels they do not deserve any financial windfall as they are not true relatives. Pierre hopes he and Boris become fast friends. 

There is an interesting contrast between Pierre and Boris:

Pierre went off the Europe and became a worldly man - in the early 19th century sense. He comes home and is indecisive about what he will do. He has ideals and vague plans. He is a student of the French Revolution and Enlightenment. He is enthralled with Napoleon and wants to shape the New World but doesn’t know in what way. 

Then there is Boris, who has remained home and doesn’t have the same level of prospects or confusion. He has a mother without funds, but she was able to put her son on a steady career path in the Imperial Guard (a better position than Pierre or Nikolai currently have). Boris is grateful for the opportunity, accepts his lot, and out of a sense of personal honor, does not want to squander his chance.

A footman calls for Boris as his mother is ready to leave. She tells Prince Vasili she will be back to attend to the Count and prepare his soul for it's ultimate journey.  While Boris and his mother exit, Anna reveals the Count appears close to death.

Anna Drubestkoya is able to borrow a horse and carriage from the Rostovs to head to Count Bezukhov’s mansion, where the Count is said to be on his deathbed.  Anna relays her plan to her son – to delicately ask Count Bezukhov for some financing…..in the Count's last moments. Humbly asking for money was surely as uncomfortable then as it is now. 

Anna tells her son, who is embarrassed about asking for a hand-out: This is about your future, not mine, so don’t let pride get in the way. She realizes she needs 500 rubles to get her son outfitted and supplied to join the prestigious Imperial Guards. 

They arrive at the extravagant estate. Anna scurries passed the porter and gets in the vestibule. The staff tells her the Count is not taking visitors due to his health. She then asks to speak to Vasili Kuragin. He is a relation of Count Bezukhov, through his wife, and since Count Bezukhov doesn’t appear to have any legitimate children, Vasili is near the front of the line to inherit. Three nieces, labeled “princesses” are also staying at the mansion and are in a similar position. Boris is the Count’s godson, so he may also warrant minor consideration at least in relation to money needed to join the Guards. Lastly, Pierre, is taking up one of the many spare rooms at this solemn time. The potential distributees are in one place, and eyes are on the prize. 

Prince Vasili comes to speak to Anna and relays how poorly the Count is doing. Anna insists she be one of the patient’s nurses/caregivers. This would involve cleansing the Count for Last Rites. She puts on a bit of a show in effort to keep herself in the inner circle and announces that although the duties of a Christian are onerous, she is there to fulfill them. Vasili is trying to get rid of her. One of Count Bezukhov's nieces complains of the stir Anna is causing and that it is disturbing the Count. Anna has entrenched herself for what are likely the Count's final moments. She tells her son to go meet with Pierre and convey Ilya Rostov’s invitation to dinner.

The Countess Rostova and Anna Drubestkoya get to their brief discussion. Anna displays the art of asking for something, without directly asking. After some small talk, Anna divulges she needs 500 rubles to set her son up in the Imperial Guard. The money will be for uniforms and related equipment/supplies, which a recruit had to pay for. Officers could be expected to afford the expense as they were primarily from aristocratic circles while the general body of soldiers were taken from the Czar’s drafts and the recruitment of those without connections. 

The Countess and Anna both have their problems. Countess Rostova explains that hers come from keeping up with her lifestyle. She fears her husband may spend them out of house and home. In effect, it is a lot of work to keep up with appearances. Even ventures to the country, with the attendant flock of servants, are quite the ordeal. This is the life of someone well-propertied.

Anna’s problems are very different and more relatable. She explains the difficulty of being a widow whose assets are tied up in some type of lawsuit. She discusses how she loves her son to the point she will go to any length for him. In practical terms, she will write letters, meet ministers, travel far distances, in order to get Boris any opportunity. Still, Boris needs 500 rubles and her discretionary income consists of a 25 ruble note. Anna does not ask the Countess, but instead voices how Pierre’s father, Count Kirill, is Boris’s godfather. She notes that she will appeal to Count – even though there may be no appeal to make as the old Count may have lost competency. She laments how the Count is at the end of his life with such a great estate and so much overflow while Boris is at the beginning of his journey. She doesn't want her financial status to his launch into life.

As Anna takes her leave and she runs into Count Rostov. He notes that since Anna is going to see Count Kirill, Anna should ask Pierre to come to the Rostovs for a more private dinner.

This subset of episodes, will take on the twelve chapters of the second epilogue of War & Peace. This somewhat controversial epilogue is a presentation of the author’s philosophy that underlies the book.

A common critique of the second epilogue is how confusing and apart it seems from the rest. The first epilogue revolves around the characters and resolves some of their journeys. The readers are then presented with an epilogue that takes on metaphysical questions – i.e., questions about the nature of reality, space and time, as well as change. 

It tackles the following issues: the of nature of history, nature of man, reverence for the Almighty, God as the ultimate mover of events (favoring Classical thinkers over Enlightenment ones), the relationship of the citizenry to the leaders they march off to war for, the lack of an ability to determine human causality, the nature of free will, as well as other mysteries of the ages. 

Tolstoy suggests never having the pride to think you can figure out something so complicated as the reasons, from a historical perspective, for the epic movements such as the Napoleonic wars and in particular, Bonaparte’s invasion of Russia.

Instead, the epilogue highlights the author’s presumption that “Man is the creation of all powerful, all good, and all seeing God,” who moves the course of history in accord with His mysterious Will.  That ideal drove Tolstoy and his novel.

The epilogue, as well as the very title of the book, also explores the duality of man. War and peace, for example, like light and darkness, is within each of us. Tolstoy posits we are all connected, in that we often make individual choices in similar patterns with comparable motivations. Therefore, when working together (knowingly or not) we can pull the world in virtuous or troublesome destinations (including war-mongering or peace-making). Another lesson of the epilogue: try not to let you inner state of war overtake your peaceful nature more than necessary; such decisions can effect you more than you realize.

Tolstoy discusses 'free will' in this epilogue. He questions how free we can be when so many circumstances constrain our freedom. For example, if we have three young children - how free can one be with respect to a subset of their decisions. And when discussing free will, are we even talking about the freedom to do something (like live in some unorthodox way); or freedom from something (like poverty or an oppressive leader). No matter, Tolstoy argues human actions, as the ancients posited, all work to effect God’s ultimate purpose, which we can explore but have lack the complete ability to understand. In Tolstoy's own exploration of these heady concepts, he created one of the great novels of the ages.

The first part of chapter 11 focuses on the unbeloved Rostov child, Vera. Since it is one of the few sections devoted to her, this episode is dedicated to Vera. 

 As Countess Rostova is prepared to “hold court,” tête-à-tête, with Anna Drubestkoya, they both notice Vera is in the vicinity. In cold words, the Countess tells her daughter that she is not wanted and should have realized it before the mother had to say so. Vera deals with the rejection superficially but likely internalizes the rejection. After a diplomatic response, she quietly leaves.

Vera retreats to more private quarters in her family’s mansion. She stumbles upon her younger siblings with their love interests – Nikolai & Sonya and Natasha & Boris. They are a merry quartet and Vera disturbs their enjoyment. Vera notices her brother Nikolai is writing poetry for Sonya with Vera’s ink set. She takes it and chastises him for always using her things. Vera tells the group that their open affection in front of the guests was embarrassing and undignified. This is likely a case of Vera's bitterness by reason of the lack of any warm feelings being sent her way.

Young Natasha takes up the defense of the group and ultimately tells her sister that it seems Vera’s only goal is to make life more miserable for everyone. It is revealed that Vera has an officer interested in her, Lt. Alphonse Berg, who is of German-Russian decent and in the Russian service. The implication is that whatever feelings stem from Lt. Berg, they are more transactional as opposed to true love. Insults are traded about everyone’s propriety but Natasha gets the knife in the deep by telling her sister that Vera has never been loved by anyone. 

Vera’s disposition eventually just gets the kids to leave as they announce their nickname for Vera – Madame de Genlis (the historic: Stéphanie Félicité de Genlis). This is quite an interesting and obscure reference.  It also shows the author’s and characters' knowledge and respect for French culture. Madame de Genlis was ahead of her time. She was a Royal tutor, a harp virtuoso, a prolific writer, even penning a novel over 1,200 pages - Les Chevaliers du cygne ou la cour de Charlemagne. 

The length of her novel may have caused Tolstoy to give her a nod. Madame de Genlis was slammed in the press, and public opinion was often less than kind toward her, mainly for undertaking ambitious pursuits that what were thought to be a man’s province. In fostering education for herself and young royals, as well as having a demeanor that wasn’t ingratiating, aristocrats as far away as Moscow knew Madame de Genlis well-enough to use her as an insult. This was Vera, somewhat rejected, but perhaps because she was ahead of her time in that she was not a placeholder for traditional feminine virtue.

This podcast has made it through a commentary on the first ten chapters of War & Peace. It has compiled literally dozens of views - okay, my attempts at humor can be self-effacing.

There are over 360 chapters in this book (and chapter can differ by the version you are picking up). Nevertheless, every three and a half chapters will amount to 1% of the book. Covering 10 chapters indicates just over 3% of the novel has been discussed, so completion of this project can be expected………much further than I would like to imagine.

It is no overestimate to say classic literature is under-appreciated, even this classic of classics. Often not appreciated is that War & Peace centers on Napoleon and the lead-up to his June 1812 invasion of Russia. The connections between Russia and the French of also unexplored, as the aristocracy of Russia generally spoke French to one another (though it was a relatively crude form) and the Russian language was more popular among the peasantry. Ukrainian was also spoken among farmers and serfs of that geographical area and also among the free Cossacks of Zaporizhia.   

Tolstoy used his characters and families to symbolize the struggle in the War of 1812. Some of these were introduced early; including two of the great characters of literature -- Pierre Bezukhov and Prince Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky.

The novel was written a bit over half a century from period depicted, and Tolstoy’s perspective was from his own class, as a member of the aristocracy.  Tolstoy was a Count (meaning from nobility or having a rank in government service) and the book contains various personages of rank – especially counts, princes and princess, titles used quite liberally. The title of County was introduced to Russian by Peter the Great.

This episode reviews the first ten chapters in about 15 minutes. 

The action goes briefly back in time to Chapter 8 when young Natasha Rostov leaves the drawing room, which is filled with guests for the name-day celebration. The name being celebrated: Natasha, which mother and daughter of the Rostov family share.

Natasha appeared embarrassed the adults noticed her affection for Boris. She runs into the conservatory, hoping her young love would follow her. She hid behind some plants. Boris came in, saw nobody, and carefully looked at himself in the mirror. He is a quiet and serious type as well honest and forthright. Boris admired his own image and then left.

Before Natasha moved from behind the plants, Sonya came in crying. She was upset that her own young love, Nikolai Rostov, was getting overly friendly with another girl (Julie Kuragin) at the event. Nikolai followed Sonya and immediately comforted her. He took Sonya by the hand and revealed she meant everything to him. As far as Nikolai is concerned, they are the only two people in the world. He expressed that she should not be upset by such small trifles as him speaking to someone else at a dinner party. He brought her close and kissed her. It was quite reassuring for Sonya. Natasha thought her brother's actions were sweet and was influenced to find her own love interest.

Natasha found Boris and brought him back to the spot where she was hiding. They were alone and Natasha took charge of the situation - like her brother. She stood up on a little stool, grabbed Boris around the neck, threw her head back and kissed him. Boris was taken aback. He felt it was out of place for Natasha to kiss him - it was a reversal of expected roles. He said he loved Natasha BUT.... He implied they were not the right age for each other. However, in four years, he would ask for her hand in marriage. Natasha was comforted by that thought and considered the matter "settled." They walked out arm-in-arm.

At the Rostov dinner party at their Moscow estate, the genial host, Count Illya Rostov, tells visitors that his son has joined the Hussars. A Colonel Schubert (fictional) is visiting the Rostovs and set to take their dear son to the front. Ilya does not come across as overly worried. The intensity of the war to come is unknown and heavy engagement is not looked upon as realistic. There is always talk of war but Napoleon and his Grande Armée seem very far away.

Though the Rostovs are fictional, the Pavlograd Hussars are not. They are a light calvary unit created by Peter the Great in 1723. The identity was based on the Serbian Hussars of the Habsburg dynasty. The officers were known for their distinctive uniforms as well as carrying a sword and two pistols.

In modern times, Pavlohrad is a city in Ukraine that desires nothing to do with Russia. Just as Napoleon invaded a people he could not defeat, the people of Pavlohrad (using the Ukrainian-English spelling) overwhelmingly feel the same way about foreign encroachment. Pavlohrad was an important city historically; as it was the home of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, a group who greatly contributed the Ukrainian identity. The Cossacks were of various ethnicities, including Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Tatar. As opposed to the serfs tied to the land and their lords (depicted quite extensively in War & Peace), the Cossacks of the Pavlohrad area went beyond the borders areas to chart their own course. Their legendary status is something akin to samurai or medieval knights.

The Russian Empire recognized this legacy and stamped the name "Pavlograd" on an Army regiment given the fierce history associated with the city. 

Back to Chapter 9: Nikolai explains to his father that the Army is his vocation as he does not see himself as a clerk or diplomat.  He is going where his talents, ability and interests lead him. His father accepts this with humor and grace. 

Sonya sees that Julie Karagina is getting close to Nikolai -- the two smile while in quiet conversation. Sonya gets jealous, tears up and leaves the drawing room. The adults get a a kick out of the youthful demonstration. Nikolai follows her. Nikolai’s mother starts relaying some timeless parental wisdom to her peers – including that the relationship between parent and child should be open. She praises her own relationship with Natasha but notes her relationship with her eldest daughter, Vera, is distant.

While the Name-Day celebration (in honor of "Natasha") continues at the Rostov estate in Moscow, the children of the household make an appearance.

A door bursts open to the Drawing Room (a room commonly near the front of a mansion where guests are entertained), and Natasha Rostov, 13, leads the way. She appears to be a natural leader and radiates confidence. She is followed by her brother Nikolai as well as Boris and Sonya (15). Sonya is Count Rostov's niece. Pulling up the rear (and noticeably younger) is little Petya Rostov. Natasha is warmly welcomed by her father and tolerated by her mother. She is clearly her father's special "pet." There was a general feeling that kids should be kept in more private quarters and away from the guests.

The host, Ilya Rostov, is a warm man and happy to see the children. With the kids entering the domain of the adults, each has a different level of comfort. Boris and Nikolai are the same age, somewhere from 15-18 (but the ages lack consistency in the novel), and grew up together. Boris is quite comfortable among the adults while Nikolai is not. Boris is polished in his presentation while Nikolai can never find the right words. This is the same Boris who was recently accepted into the Imperial Guards. Nikolai is described as an "undergraduate," namely a student of some type. Russia was going through a period of educational reform as in 1802 a Minister of Education was appointed to adopt an educational system based upon French and English models.

There is some small talk about Natasha's old doll - nicknamed "Mimi." Boris was explaining the doll's history to the adults - that it was about five years old and looked quite raggedy. He remembered how the doll received most of her major defects. Natasha may have been a bit embarrassed at this subject and left. Boris helped arrange a carriage for his mother and then pursued Natasha.

The chapter shows that the young Rostovs are at the point they are ready to put away childish things like dolls.