The volume tells of the defeat and expulsion of the French army, and of the resolution of the personal tragedies of the main characters. Among the key events are the death of Petya Rostov in a partisan clash, the spiritual transformation of Pierre Bezukhov in captivity under the influence of Platon Karataev, and the death of Prince Andrei in Natasha’s arms.
In the epilogue, a calm life is depicted seven years later: we see the happy families of Pierre and Natasha, Nikolai Rostov, and Princess Marya.