In the nineteenth century, Russia was a European power but in many ... the fight to throw off serfdom. Tolstoy was only eighteen when he inherited the estate of Yasnaya Polyana, which means ...

popular revolt during the eighteenth century; the domestic and foreign policies of Catherine II; the impact of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution on Russia; Russia and the Napoleonic Wars; ...

He advocates serfdom and says that it was the main "staple" holding Russia together in the 19th century. He subsequently justifies his argument by saying that serfdom is beneficial for the serfs.