In which war did Leo Tolstoy serve as a Russian army officer?

Leo Tolstoy served as a Russian army officer during the Crimean War.

Tolstoy entered the Russian army in 1851 and served in the Caucasus before transferring to the Danube front and then Sevastopol during the Crimean War. The conflict lasted from 1853 to 1856 and pitted Russia against the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France, and Sardinia-Piedmont.

His experiences during the siege and defense of Sevastopol strongly influenced his early writing. He published Sevastopol Sketches in 1855 and 1856, presenting combat through vivid scenes rather than conventional heroic storytelling. The work brought him literary attention in Saint Petersburg.

Tolstoy left the army after the war. His military experience did not lead him to glorify warfare; instead, it contributed to his later criticism of violence, authority, and militarism. The Crimean War is also remembered for military medical reforms associated with Florence Nightingale.