War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide

In his Sevastopol Sketches, Tolstoy develops his ability to depict the reality of death within military conflict.   His proficiency stemmed from experience. Most notably, Tolstoy’s military service included three years in the Caucuses and action during the Crimean War (1853-56), both as a junior artillery officer.During his time near Chechnya (north of Georgia and west of Dagestan), Tolstoy observed such brutal Russian tactics as punitive raids and the indiscriminate the shelling of small villages. He was also affected by the burning of forests to deny Chechens cover.  This area hosts a Muslim population by reason of Ottoman influence.  Russia has attempted to purge Chechens from what Russia claimed as a southern frontier multiple times and this area remains filled with tension – an inheritance of the aforementioned rivalry. With respect to the Crimean War, in 1853, Czar Nicholas declared war on the Ottoman Empire, Russia’s historical rival.  Nicholas asserted the obligation to protect Christians in Ottoman