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Why did Leo Tolstoy criticize governments and military service?

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Portrait of Leo Tolstoy with a long white beard, wearing a dark shirt and looking slightly to the side. — Leo Tolstoy Russian writer Leo Tolstoy is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest novelists. His masterpieces are *War and Peace* (1865–69) and *Anna Karenina* (1875–77).

Leo Tolstoy’s criticism of governments and military service was rooted in his interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount, which led him to adopt a philosophy of pacifism and nonresistance to evil.1

Tolstoy believed that true Christianity required individuals to love their enemies and refrain from violence. Because he concluded that governments rely on the threat of violence to enforce their laws, he viewed the state as inherently incompatible with his moral convictions, leading him to adopt a form of anarchism.1

Consequently, he urged his followers to refuse military service, as participation in the armed forces necessitated the use of violence, which he deemed a violation of the Christian message. His commitment to these principles was absolute; he believed that evil should not be fought with further violence, a doctrine that later significantly influenced Mahatma Gandhi.12