Mikhail Kutuzov

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Kutuzov" and "Kutusov" redirect here. For other uses, see Kutuzov (disambiguation).
In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Illarionovich and the family name is Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

Field marshal
Commands heldCommander in Chief of Austro-Russian force in the Third Coalition,
Commander in Chief of Imperial Russian Army in Patriotic war of 1812
Battles/wars
AwardsRussian:
Duke of
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky;
Order of St. John of Jerusalem;
Order of St. Andrew;
Golden Weapon for Bravery.
Foreign:
Military Order of Maria Theresa;
Order of the Black Eagle;
Order of the Red Eagle.
Signature
Selected battles
Map
500km
300miles
Berezina
9
Battle of Berezina from 26 to 29 November 1812 Kutuzov is 67 years old
Krasnoi
8
Battle of Krasnoi from 15 to 18 November 1812 Kutuzov is 67 years old
Maloyaroslavets
7
Battle of Maloyaroslavets on 24 October 1812 Kutuzov is 67 years old
Borodino
6
Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812 Kutuzov is 66 years old
5
Treaty of Bucharest (1812) on 28 May 1812 Kutuzov is 66 years old
Slobozia
4
Battle of Slobozia from 28 August to 14 November 1811 Kutuzov is 66 years old
Austerlitz
3
Battle of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805 Kutuzov is 60 years old
Dürenstein
2
Battle of Dürenstein on 11 November 1805 Kutuzov is 60 years old
Măcin
1
Battle of Măcin on 9 July 1791 Kutuzov is 45 years old
     1791      1805      1811      1812

Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky (

Tsar during Napoleon's invasion, would write that he would be remembered amongst Europe's most famous commanders and that Russia would never forget his worthiness.[2]

Early career

Youth

Mikhail Kutuzov was born in Saint Petersburg on 16 September 1745.[3] His father, Lieutenant-General Illarion Matveevich Kutuzov [ru] (1717—1784), had served for 30 years with the Corps of Engineers, had seen action against the Turks and served under Peter the Great. His mother was Anna Illarionovna Beklemisheva (b. 1728), whose family was also part of the Russian nobility. Given his father's distinguished service and his mother's high birth, Kutuzov had contact with the imperial Romanov family from an early age.[4]

In 1757, at the age of 12, Kutuzov entered an elite military-engineering school as a cadet private. He quickly became popular with his peers and teachers alike, proving himself to be highly intelligent, and showed bravery in his school's numerous horse-races. Kutuzov studied military and civil subjects there, learned to speak French, German and English fluently, and later studied Polish, Swedish, and Turkish; his linguistic skills served him well throughout his career. In October 1759, he became a corporal. In 1760, he became a mathematics instructor at the school.[3][5][6][7]

In 1762, Kutuzov, by then a captain, became part of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, which was commanded by Colonel Alexander Suvorov.[6] Kutuzov studied Suvorov's style of command and learned how to be a good commander in battle. Suvorov believed that an effective order should be simple, direct, and concise, and that a commander should care deeply about the health and training of his soldiers. Kutuzov also adopted Suvorov's conviction that a commander should lead his troops from the front (instead of from the rear) to provide an example of bravery for the troops to follow. Suvorov also taught Kutuzov the importance of developing close relationships with those under his command. Kutuzov followed this advice to the benefit of his career. This advice contributed to Kutuzov's appointment as Commander-in-Chief in 1812.[8]

Late in 1762, Kutuzov became aide-de-camp to the military governor of

rebelled against Russian influence. In this conflict, Kutuzov captured several strong defensive positions, thereby proving his skill on the battlefield.[9]

First Russo-Turkish war (1768–1774) and beyond

In October 1768, the Ottoman Empire declared war on the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. Two years later, Kutuzov, now a major, joined the army of the soon-to-be-famous Count Pyotr Rumyantsev in the south to fight against the Turks. Though Kutuzov served valiantly in this campaign, he did not receive any medals, as another officer reported to Rumyantsev that Kutuzov mocked Rumyantsev behind his back. Rumyantsev had Lieutenant-Colonel Kutuzov transferred into Prince Vasily Dolgorukov-Krymsky's Russian Second Army fighting the Turks and the Tatars in the Crimea. During this campaign Kutuzov learned how to use the deadly Cossack light cavalry, another skill which would prove useful in the defence of Russia against Napoleon's invading armies in 1812. In 1774 he was ordered to storm the well-defended town of Alushta on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula. When his troops' advance faltered, Kutuzov grabbed the fallen regimental standard and led the attack. While charging forward, he was shot in the left temple—an almost certainly fatal wound at the time.[10] The bullet went right through his head and exited near the right eye. However, Kutuzov slowly recovered, though frequently overcome by sharp pains and dizziness, and his right eye remained permanently twisted. He left the army later that year due to his wound.[9]

Kutuzov's pain did not subside, and so he decided to travel to Western Europe for better medical care. He arrived in Berlin in 1774, where he spent much time with King Frederick the Great of Prussia, who took great interest in Kutuzov. They spent long periods of time discussing tactics, weaponry, and uniforms. Kutuzov then travelled to Leyden, Holland and to London in England for further treatment. In London Kutuzov first learned of the American Revolutionary War. He would later study the evolution of American general George Washington's attrition campaign against the British. The American experience reinforced the lesson that Rumyantsev had already taught Kutuzov; that one does not need to win battles in order to win a war.[11]

Kutuzov between 1777 and 1780, Pietro Rotari's copy of Karel Brož [ru]

Kutuzov returned to the Russian Army in 1776 and again served under Suvorov—in the Crimea—for the next six years. He learned that letting the common soldier use his natural intellect and initiative made for a more effective army. Suvorov also taught him how to use mobility in order to exploit the constantly changing situation on the battlefield. By 1782 Kutuzov had been promoted to brigadier general as Suvorov recognised Kutuzov's potential as a shrewd and intelligent

leader. Indeed, Suvorov wrote that he would not even have to tell Kutuzov what needed to be done in order for him to carry out his objective. In 1788 Kutuzov was again wounded in the left temple, in almost exactly the same place as before, and again doctors feared for his life.[12] However, Kutuzov recovered, though his right eye was even more twisted than before and he had even worse head-pains.[13]

Second Russo-Turkish war (1787–1792) and beyond

In 1784 he became a major general, in 1787

Odessa, Bender, and Izmail, and in the battles of Rymnik (1789) and Mashin (July 1791). He became a lieutenant-general (March 1791) and successively occupied the positions of ambassador at Istanbul, commander of Russian forces in Finland,[14]
commandant of the corps of cadets at Saint Petersburg, ambassador at Berlin, and governor-general of Saint Petersburg (1801–1802).

Kutuzov was a favourite of Tsar Paul I (reigned 1796–1801), and after that emperor's murder he was temporarily out of favour with the new monarch Alexander I, though he remained loyal.

Napoleonic Wars

M. I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov by G. Dawe.
Hermitage Museum, Winter Palace, Military Gallery

Austerlitz

Main article: Battle of Austerlitz

In 1805, Kutuzov commanded the Russian corps to oppose

Napoleon's advance on Vienna, but the Austrians were quickly defeated at Ulm
in mid-October before they could meet up with their Russian allies.

Kutuzov was present at the battle of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805. On the eve of battle, Kutuzov tried to convince the Allied generals of the necessity of waiting for reinforcements before facing Napoleon.[15] Alexander believed that waiting to engage Napoleon's forces would be seen as cowardly. Kutuzov quickly realised that he no longer had any power with Alexander and the Austrian chief of staff General-Major Franz von Weyrother. When he asked Alexander where he planned to move a unit of troops, he was told "That's none of your business."[16] Though Alexander's orders made it clear that the Russians should move off the strategic Pratzen Plateau, Kutuzov stalled for as long as possible as he recognised the advantage that Napoleon would gain from this high ground. Finally, Alexander forced Kutuzov to abandon the Plateau. Napoleon quickly seized the ridge and broke the Allied lines with his artillery which now commanded the battlefield from the Pratzen Plateau. The battle was lost, and over 25,000 Russians were killed. Kutuzov was put in charge of organising the army's retreat across Hungary and back into Russia as Alexander was overcome by grief.[17][18][19]

Third Russo-Turkish war

Main article: Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)

Kutuzov was then put in charge of the Russian army operating against the Turks in the

Treaty of Bucharest, which stipulated the incorporation of Bessarabia into the Russian Empire, and earned the title of graf
(1811).

The Patriotic War (1812)

Main article: French invasion of Russia
Kutuzov before the Battle of Borodino. Lithograph by N. S. Samokish. 1912
Yermolov at the Battle of Borodino
in 1812 (by Safonov)
Kutuzov at the Fili conference decides to spare the army and leave Moscow to Napoleon. Painting by Aleksey Kivshenko.
Tretyakov Gallery
Manoeuvre of Tarutino

Appointment as supreme commander

When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812,

Madame de Stael
, a strong opponent of Napoleon.

Borodino

Main article: Battle of Borodino

Within a week Kutuzov decided to give major battle on the approaches to Moscow. He withdrew the troops still further to the east, deploying them for the upcoming battle.[20] Two huge armies clashed near Borodino on 7 September 1812, involving nearly a quarter of a million soldiers, with a ratio about 1.1 French soldiers to 1 Russian soldier. The result of the battle of Borodino was a kind of pyrrhic victory for Napoleon, with near a third of the French army killed or wounded. Although the Russian losses were nearly 50% higher, the Russian army had not been destroyed.

On 10 September the main quarter of the Russian army was situated at

Mortier and Joachim Murat's vanguard.[27] On Sunday afternoon the Russian military council at Fili
discussed the risks and agreed to abandon Moscow without fighting.

Further events

See also: Tarutino, Maloyaroslavets, and Krasnoi

This came at the price of

Battle of Winkovo. Bennigsen was supported by Kutuzov from his headquarters at distance. Bennigsen asked Kutuzov to provide troops for the pursuit. However, the General Field Marshal refused.[38] Napoleon's goal was to get around Kutuzov, but on the 24th he was stopped at Maloyaroslavets
on his way to Medyn and forced to go north on the 26th.

After the

Mozhaisk to Smolensk into a higher probability of starvation, as it was the devastated route of his advance. The old general "escorted" Napoleon on the more southern roads but attacked him at the Battle of Vyazma, at the Battle of Krasnoi, fought with a ratio of 1 French soldier to 1.4 Russian soldiers, and at the Battle of Berezina, fought with a ratio of 1 French soldier to 1.75 Russian soldiers. In parallel Cossack bands and peasants assaulted isolated French units during their whole retreat. With Kutusov's strategy of attrition warfare, on 14 December the remainder of the French main army left Russia. The only remaining troops were the flanking forces (43,000 under Schwarzenberg, 23,000 under Macdonald), about 1,000 men of the Guard and about 40,000 stragglers. About 110,000 soldiers were all that were left of the 612,000 (including reinforcements) that had entered Russia.[39]

Charles Joseph Minard's famous graph showing the decreasing size of the Grande Armée as it marches to Moscow (brown line, from left to right) and back (black line, from right to left) with the size of the army equal to the width of the line. Temperature is plotted on the lower graph for the return journey (multiply Réaumur temperatures by 1¼ to get Celsius, e.g. −30 °R = −37.5 °C). See also Attrition warfare against Napoleon.

Alexander I awarded Kutuzov the victory title of His Serene Highness Knyaz Golenischev-Kutuzov-Smolensky (Светлейший князь Голенищев-Кутузов-Смоленский, pre-1918: Свѣтлѣйшій князь Голенищевъ​-​Кутузовъ​-Смоленскій; "Smolensky" means "of Smolensk") on 18 December [O.S. 6 December] 1812, for his victory at the Battle of Krasnoi at Smolensk in November 1812.[40]

Death and legacy

1837 Russian monument to Kutuzov in Saint Petersburg
Kutuzov on a 1945 Soviet stamp

Early in 1813, Kutuzov fell ill, and he died on 28 April 1813 at Bunzlau, Silesia, then in the

Kazan Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, where he is buried, by Boris Orlovsky. He had five daughters with his spouse Princess Catherine Ilytchina Kutuzova née Bibikova (1754–1824); his only son Nicolay died of smallpox as an infant. As he had no male heir, his estates passed to the Tolstoy family
, as his eldest daughter, Princess Praskovya Kutuzova (1777–1844), had married Count Matvei Fyodorovich Tolstoy (1772-1815).

Today, Kutuzov is still held in high regard, alongside Barclay and his mentor Suvorov.[42]

Alexander Pushkin addressed the Field Marshal in the famous elegy on Kutuzov's sepulchre. The novelist Leo Tolstoy clearly idolised Kutuzov. In his influential 1869 novel War and Peace, the elderly, sick Kutuzov plays a major role in the war sections. He is portrayed as a gentle spiritual man, far removed from the cold arrogance of Napoleon, but with a much clearer vision of the true nature of warfare.[43] Tolstoy wrote of Kutuzov's insight and the national sentiment, "... this sentiment elevated Kutuzov to the high pinnacle of humanity from which he, the general-in-chief, employed all his efforts, not to kill and exterminate men, but to save and have pity on them."[44]

During World War II (known as "The Great Patriotic War" in Russia), the Soviet government established the Order of Kutuzov which, among several other decorations, was preserved in Russia upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union, thus remaining among the highest military awards in Russia,[45] only second to the Order of Soviet Marshall Zhukov.[46]

Also, during World War II, one of the key strategic operations of the Red Army, the Orel Strategic Offensive Operation "Kutuzov" was named after the Field Marshal (Russian: Орловская Стратегическая Наступательная Операция Кутузов) (12 July – 18 August 1943).

1954 Soviet monument to Kutuzov in Smolensk

No less than ten Russian towns have been named "

Schirwindt (now Kutuzovo in the Krasnoznamensky District of the Kaliningrad Oblast) – the first town in Germany proper that was reached by Soviet infantry in 1945. One of the largest prospekts of Moscow, Kutuzovsky Prospekt
, bears Kutuzov's name since 1952.

A

Evgeny Primakov, as a museum ship in Novorossiysk.[47] From May 1813 to 2020, at least 24 ships were identified in United Kingdom, United States, Russian Empire, Soviet Union and Russia, named after Kutuzov.[48]

The monument to Kutuzov in the city of Brody in Western Ukraine was demolished in February 2014 as part of the Euromaidan demonstrations.[49] Due to decommunization policies (although Kutuzov is not related to communism, his image was used by the Soviets for propaganda purposes) the street named after Kutuzov in (Ukraine's capital) Kyiv was renamed after Oleksa Almaziv [uk; pl; ru] and a lane dedicated to his legacy was renamed after Yevhen Hutsalo (both) in 2016.[50]

Aeroflot named one of its planes after Kutuzov.[51]

Praise and criticism

  • Napoleon: ...the sly old fox from the north...[52]
  • Leo Tolstoy: ...a simple, modest and therefore truly great figure...[53]
  • Suvorov: ...he is crafty. And shrewd. No one will fool him...[54]
  • Jean Colin: ...Napoleon's audacity succeeded at Austerlitz, but only because Kutuzov was ignored...[55]
  • Alexander I: ...a hatcher of intrigues and an immoral and thoroughly dangerous character...[56]
  • Barclay de Tolly: ...get the answer in writing. One has to be careful with Kutuzov...[57]
  • Clausewitz: ...a true Russian, a slightly reduced Suvorov...[58]
  • General Bennigsen: ...he, Bennigsen, would be a far better leader for the army...[59]
  • Alexander's sister: ... the inaction of his army is the result of his laziness...[60]
  • Wilson: ...Kutuzov was utterly lazy, incompetent and perhaps even a friend of the French...[61]
  • Richard K. Riehn: ..Napoleon was the master of the short run, Kutuzov understood the long...[62]

Personality

All citations taken from "The Fox of the North" by Roger Parkinson unless otherwise stated:

  • Kutuzov by Józef Oleszkiewicz from Hermitage Museum
    Kutuzov by Józef Oleszkiewicz from Hermitage Museum
  • Kutuzov by Roman Volkov
    Kutuzov by Roman Volkov
  • Memorial erected in 1819 in Bunzlau (Bolesławiec), where Kutuzov died in 1813
    Memorial erected in 1819 in Bunzlau (Bolesławiec), where Kutuzov died in 1813
  • Statue of Kutuzov on the Millennium of Russia monument
    Statue of Kutuzov on the Millennium of Russia monument
  • Kutuzov's house in St. Petersburg, from which he left for the army in 1812. A pre-1917 plaque dedicated to him is on the left.
    Kutuzov's house in St. Petersburg, from which he left for the army in 1812. A pre-1917 plaque dedicated to him is on the left.
  • Kutuzov obelisk on the site of Kutuzov's headquarters during the Battle of Borodino
    Kutuzov obelisk on the site of Kutuzov's headquarters during the Battle of Borodino
  • The Order of Kutuzov, established during World War II by the Soviet Union
    The Order of Kutuzov, established during World War II by the Soviet Union
  • Modern bust of Kutuzov in Malayaroslavets
    Modern bust of Kutuzov in Malayaroslavets

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mikhail Kutuzov.

Notes

  1. ^ pre-1918: Михаилъ Илларіоновичъ Голенищевъ​-​Кутузовъ​-Смоленскiй

References

  1. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 4.
  2. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 233.
  3. ^ a b Grossman 2007.
  4. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 5.
  5. ^ Kushchayev 2015.
  6. ^ a b Fremont-Barnes 2006, p. 538.
  7. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 6.
  8. ^ Parkinson 1976, pp. 7–10.
  9. ^ a b Parkinson 1976, pp. 11–17.
  10. ^ Two bullets to the head and an early winter: fate permits Kutuzov to defeat Napoleon at Moscow (2016)
  11. ^ Parkinson 1976, pp. 18–21.
  12. ^ Two bullets to the head and an early winter: fate permits Kutuzov to defeat Napoleon at Moscow (2016)
  13. ^ Parkinson 1976, pp. 21–26.
  14. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 35.
  15. ^ "Napoleon's Masterpiece: Austerlitz 1805". YouTube. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021.
  16. ^ Troyat 1986, p. 87.
  17. ^ Troyat 1986, pp. 84–91.
  18. ^ Parkinson 1976, pp. 76–91.
  19. ^ Lieven 2010, pp. 37, 43.
  20. ^ a b Mikaberidze 2014, p. 4.
  21. ^ Troyat 1986, pp. 149–151.
  22. ^ Parkinson 1976, pp. 117–119.
  23. ^ Lieven 2010, pp. 188–189.
  24. OCLC 5034988
    .
  25. ^ "Большие Вязёмы". www.nivasposad.ru.
  26. ^ Lieven 2010, pp. 210–211, 5. The Retreat.
  27. ISBN 978-1-84415-161-5
    .
  28. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 170, Position of the Russian Army on the road to Kalouga.
  29. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 175, Manoeuvres of hostile armies.
  30. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 177, Manoeuvres of the hostile armies.
  31. ^ Lieven 2010, p. 214, 5. The Retreat.
  32. ^ Lieven 2010, p. 252, 6. Borodino and the Fall of Moscow.
  33. YouTube
  34. ^ Lieven 2010, p. 253, 6. Borodino and the Fall of Moscow.
  35. ^ Lieven 2010, p. 296, 7. The Home Front in 1812.
  36. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 203, Letter of reproof from Alexander to Kutusow.
  37. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 181, Contemplated treachery of Kutusow.
  38. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 209, Combat of Czenicznia and brilliant conduct of Murat.
  39. ^ Riehn 1990, p. 390.
  40. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 217.
  41. ^ Fremont-Barnes 2006, p. 540.
  42. ^ "31 greatest commanders in Russian history". russian7.ru. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  43. ^ "War and peace: analysis of major characters". SparkNotes. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  44. ^ Tolstoy 1949, p. 638.
  45. ^ "Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 29, 1942" (in Russian). Legal Library of the USSR. 29 July 1942. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  46. ^ Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 16 December 2011 No 1631
  47. ^ "The Cruiser "Mikhail Kutuzov"". Central Naval Museum. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  48. ^ Patriotic War of 1812 about the liberation campaigns of the Russian Army of 1813–1814. Sources. Monuments. Problems. Materials of the XXIII International Scientific Conference, 3–5 September 2019. Borodino, 2020. // S. Yu. Rychkov. The historical memory about the participants of the Borodino battle in the names of ships. Pp.302–329.
  49. ^ "Ukraine: Russia Angry as Another Soviet Hero Statue Toppled". International Business Times. 25 February 2014.
  50. Ukrayinska Pravda
    (22 April 2021)
  51. ^ "The airline's fleet". Aeroflot.ru. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  52. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 1.
  53. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 2.
  54. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 23.
  55. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 91.
  56. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 118.
  57. ^ Riehn 1990, p. 253.
  58. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 124.
  59. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 150.
  60. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 184.
  61. ^ Parkinson 1976, p. 200.
  62. ^ Riehn 1990, p. 260.
  63. ^ Two bullets to the head and an early winter: fate permits Kutuzov to defeat Napoleon at Moscow (2016)
  64. ISBN 5-7662-0143-5
    .
  65. ^ Riehn 1990, p. 263.
  66. ^ Wilson 1860, p. 234.

Sources

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Pyotr von der Pahlen
 War Governor of Saint Petersburg Governorate
1801–1802 		Succeeded by
Preceded by War Governor of Kiev Governorate
1806–1809 		Succeeded by
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