The Most Serene Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov
"In war everything is simple, but the simplest is extremely difficult."
Karl Clausewitz
Karl Clausewitz
Michael Illarionovich was born 16 September 1745 in St. Petersburg in a noble family. His father's name was Illarion Matveyevich, and he was a well-educated man, a famous military engineer, on whose projects the construction of fortresses and the strengthening of cities and state borders were carried out. Historians know very little about the boy's mother - she belonged to the Beklemishev family and died when Michael was still a baby. Illarion Matveyevich was on business trips all the time, and the grandmother and cousin of his father Ivan Golenishchev-Kutuzov took care of the child. The brave admiral, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the head of the Naval Cadet Corps, Ivan Loginovich, was not only a prominent specialist in maritime and military affairs, but also an expert in fiction. With his extensive library, he became closely acquainted with Michael, who from early childhood had mastered German and French very well.
Portrait of M. I. Kutuzov by R. M. Volkov
Having received a good home education, an inquisitive lad, distinguished by a strong physique, in 1759, he was sent to the United Artillery Noble School of Engineering. Prominent teachers and educators worked in the school, in addition to that, students were taken to the Academy of Sciences to attend Mikhail Lomonosov’s lectures. Kutuzov graduated from his studies prematurely at the beginning of 1761 and, having received the rank of engineer-ensign, for some time remained at school as a teacher of mathematics. In March, 1762 young Kutuzov was transferred to the position of adjutant to the Revel governor. And in August of the same year he received the rank of captain and was sent as company commander to the Astrakhan infantry regiment near St. Petersburg.
Apparently, the young officer was eager to prove himself - in the spring of 1764, he went to Poland as a volunteer and took part in clashes between Russian troops and local rebels who opposed the Russian protege on the Polish throne, Stanislav Ponyatovsky. Despite the troubles of his father, who ensured a quick career for his son, already in those years Kutuzov was distinguished by an unusually deep knowledge, both in military affairs and in matters stories, politics and philosophy. The broad outlook and extraordinary erudition allowed Mikhail Illarionovich to join 1767 in the Layed Commission, convened by decree of Catherine II to develop a draft of the most important laws of the Russian state. The company was conducted on a large scale - a 573 deputy from state peasants, wealthy citizens, nobles and officials was included in the commission, and an 22 officer was involved in writing, among whom was Kutuzov. After completing this work, the young officer returned to the army and again took part in the fight against the Polish Confederates at 1769.
Kutuzov received a real baptism of fire during the Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774. At the beginning of 1770, he was sent to the first army of Rumyantsev operating in Moldavia, and during a major battle with the Turks at Ryaba Mohyla in June of the same year showed a rare courage, marked by the leadership. In July, 1770, developing the offensive, the Russians inflicted two more defeats on the enemy - in the battles of Cahul and Larga. In both operations, Kutuzov was in the very center - drove the grenadier battalion to the attack, pursued a fleeing enemy. And soon he became "chief quartermaster of the prime minister's rank" (chief of staff of the corps). The organization of marches, drawing up dispositions, reconnaissance on the ground, reconnaissance — Michael Illarionovich coped with all his duties brilliantly, and he was promoted to bravery in the battle of Poleshtah to lieutenant-colonel. However, not all Kutuzov went smoothly. His sharp criticism of the actions of the senior in rank was finally noticed by Rumyantsev, and the inexperienced intrigue Prime Minister was sent to 1772 in the Crimean army Dolgorukov. There, he took part in the siege of Kinburn, fought in the south of the Crimea, eliminated the Turkish troops, who had strengthened near the village of Noises. It was there that, during the attack, Kutuzov was seriously wounded - a bullet pierced his left temple and went out near the right eye. Such a wound - almost certain death, but the brave warrior, fortunately, survived and was awarded the Order of St. George of the fourth degree.
He was granted a vacation, and Kutuzov went on a long trip abroad, visiting Germany, England and Austria. During the journey, he read a lot, studied the structure of the Western European armies, met with well-known military leaders, in particular, the Prussian king Frederick and the Austrian theorist Lassi. In 1777, Kutuzov, who returned from abroad, was promoted to colonel and placed at the head of the Lugansk Pikiner Regiment. And in May, 1778, Mikhail Illarionovich, married Ekaterina Bibikova, the daughter of a famous lieutenant-general. Subsequently, they had six children - one boy and five girls. The couple lived peacefully, and Catherine Ilinichna often accompanied her husband in military campaigns. Both were passionate theater-goers and visited almost all the temples of art in Russia.
Over the next decade, Kutuzov was slowly advancing in service — he became a brigadier on 1782, and Crimea was transferred to the post of commander of the Mariupol Light Regiment on 1783. At the end of 1784, Mikhail Illarionovich after the successful suppression of the uprising in the Crimea was awarded the rank of major general, and in 1785 he became the head of the Bug Chasseur Corps. The commander prepared his huntsmen very thoroughly, paying special attention to actions in loose formation and shooting. Like Suvorov, he did not forget to take care of the life of the soldiers, and Kutuzov’s authority among the troops was high. It is curious that, in addition, Michael Illarionovich was known as an unusually brave and dashing rider.
In 1787, Turkey demanded a revision of the Kyuchuk-Kaynardzhi peace treaty from the Russian Empire, and, having been refused, began hostilities. At the very beginning of the war, Kutuzov's rangers corps was part of the Potemkin Ekaterinoslav army and had the main task of protecting the south-western borders of Russia along the Bug River. In 1788, the units of Mikhail Illarionovich were transferred to the Kherson-Kinburn region under the command of Alexander Suvorov. Service under the leadership of this illustrious commander was invaluable experience for Kutuzov. Major events unfolded around Ochakov. In August, Mikhail Illarionovich, reflecting the attack of the Turkish cavalry, received a new wound - a bullet, almost repeating the previous "route", went right through both eyes from the temple to the temple, causing his "somewhat distorted" eye. Austrian General de Lin wrote: “Just now they shot Kutuzov’s head. Today or tomorrow he will die. " However, Mikhail Illarionovich again escaped death. The surgeon who treated him commented on it this way: “It must be assumed that fate appoints a person to something great, because after two wounds, according to all the rules of the medical science of mortal ones, he remained alive”. Already four months after recovery, the brave general participated in the capture of Ochakov.
After this glorious victory, Kutuzov was entrusted with troops between the Dniester and the Bug. He took part in the battle near Kaushani, contributed to the capture of the fortress Hadzhibey (located on the site of Odessa), stormed Bender and Ackerman. In April 1790, Mikhail Illarionovich received a new task - to keep the border along the Black Sea coast. Having set up posts, having organized constant reconnaissance and flying mail, he timely learned about the appearance of fleet Turks. Particularly vivid abilities of the commander were discovered during the capture of Izmail. Kutuzov took part in the development of the assault, in the preparation and logistics of the troops. His troops were to strike at the Kiliysky gates and capture the New Fortress - one of the most powerful strongholds. The general personally led the soldiers to storm - twice Russian soldiers were launched and only the third attack, with the support of rangers and grenadiers in reserve, overturned the enemy. After the capture of the fortress, Suvorov reported: “General Kutuzov was walking with me on the left wing, but he was the right hand.” Mikhail Illarionovich, awarded the Order of St. George of the third degree and promoted to lieutenant general, was appointed commandant of Ishmael.
In October, 1791 Suvorov set out to strengthen the Russian-Finnish border, and the commander-in-chief of the united army, Repnin, appointed to command the united army, relied heavily on Kutuzov. In the summer of 1791, the commandant of Ismail, commanding a separate corps, smashed 22 with a thousand-strong army of Ahmed Pasha at Babadag and successfully commanded the left wing of the Russian army in the battle of Machin (during which the 80-thousandth army of Yusuf Pasha was destroyed). Repnin wrote to the Empress: "The quick wit and quickness of General Kutuzov surpass all praise." For this battle, Mikhail Illarionovich was awarded the Order of St. George of the second degree. Soon, Turkey was forced to conclude a peace of Yassia, through which the Northern Black Sea region passed to Russia. Kutuzov, meanwhile, went to a new war - to Poland. In May, the Polish Sejm approved 1791 a constitution, which the Russian Empire did not want to recognize. Stanislav Ponyatovsky abdicated the throne and went to St. Petersburg, and the Russian troops in 1792 moved against the rebels. Mikhail Illarionovich successfully led one of the corps for half a year, after which he was suddenly summoned to the Northern capital of Russia.
Upon arrival, Kutuzov learned of the empress’s desire to send him to Turkey as the Russian ambassador. The appointment of a combat general to this crucial and difficult section for the majority of high society representatives was a big surprise, but Mikhail Illarionovich brilliantly proved that Catherine II was not mistaken in him. Heading to Constantinople, he deliberately did not hurry, studying Turkish life and history on the way, collecting information about the peoples of Porta. The objectives of the mission were not easy - it was necessary to replay sophisticated Western diplomats who were trying to push the Turks into another war with Russia, and gather as much information as possible about the Greek and Slavic subjects of Turkey. Upon arrival, Mikhail Illarionovich literally captivated the Turkish nobility - in the terrible enemy commander they found always a smiling, amiable, and courteous man. Russian General Sergey Mayevsky declared: “Kutuzov did not speak, but played with his tongue. Truly Rossini or Mozart, which fascinates the ear with a spoken bow. ” All the tasks were set by Kutuzov during their stay in the Turkish capital (from 1793 to 1794 in the fall) were fulfilled - the French ambassador was asked to leave Turkey, the Russian ships got an opportunity of free access to the Mediterranean, the Moldavian ruler, who decided to orient himself on the French, lost his throne. Mikhail Illarionovich relished the new post, he wrote: “However diplomatic career, however, is not as tricky as a military one.”
Returning to his homeland, Kutuzov was generously rewarded with the empress, who had granted him over two thousand serfs in his possession. Despite the brilliant prospects that had opened up in the diplomatic field, the almost fifty-year-old general was obviously tired of nomadic life. Having decided to settle in the capital, with the assistance of Platon Zubov, he beat out the position of the director of the Land Cadet Corps, decisively changing the whole educational process of the institution. Discipline improved in the corps, and the focus of the training of future officers was on field tactical exercises and practical skills weapons. Kutuzov himself lectured on military history and tactics.
In 1796, the empress died, and Paul I ascended the throne. Unlike Alexander Suvorov, Kutuzov got along peacefully with the new emperor, although he did not welcome Prussian innovations in the army. In December, the 1797 eccentric emperor remembered Kutuzov’s diplomatic abilities and sent him to the King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm III. The task he was assigned is no less difficult than in Constantinople to create the conditions for Prussia to join the anti-French coalition. The ambassador successfully handled the mission, and, full of confidence to Mikhail Illarionovich, Pavel I granted him the rank of General of Infantry, appointing him commander of all troops in Finland. After completing the audit and obtaining subsidies from the state, Kutuzov energetically began to strengthen the Russian-Swedish border. The activities that took place impressed the king, and in October 1799 the general took the post of Lithuanian military governor, starting to prepare troops for war, first with the French, and then - after the conclusion of a military alliance with Bonaparte - with the British. Mikhail Illarionovich reigned in an exemplary order, and he himself devoted much time to staffing parts with recruits, supplying troops with ammunition, ammunition, weapons, and food. At the same time, Kutuzov was responsible for the political situation in the region.
In March, 1801 Pavel Petrovich was killed, and his son Alexander, in the first year of his reign, brought Mikhail Illarionovich closer to him - in June, the 1801 general was appointed military governor of St. Petersburg. However, in August, the new emperor 1802 suddenly cooled to the commander. The historians cannot explain the exact reasons for this, but Kutuzov was “dismissed from all posts” and sent into exile to his estate Peas (in the Volyn province), where he lived for three years.
In 1803, hostilities began again between England and France. The new anti-French coalition includes: Russia, Austria and Sweden. The Austrians put out three armies, the second of which (about eighty thousand people under the leadership of the Archduke Ferdinand, and essentially General Mack) went to the area of Ulm Fortress, where it was supposed to wait for the Russians. Russia by that time gathered two armies. At the head of the first - Volyn - was put General Buksgevden, and the command of the second - Podolsk - called disgraced Kutuzov. Mikhail Illarionovich, formally considered the commander-in-chief, received the already developed plan and was subordinated not only to the two emperors, but also to the Austrian general staff. By the way, his own action plan, which proposed to transfer military operations to the lands of France as soon as possible, was rejected, and Kutuzov moved along the drawn-up route to the Inn River.
Napoleon, preparing in Boulogne a huge army to cross the English Channel, seeing the inconsistency of the actions of the opponents in the east, drastically changed his plans and threw the entire Boulogne grouping towards the troops of Archduke Ferdinand. Thus, the army of Kutuzov and Napoleon staged a correspondence competition - who will first get to Ulm. Here are just the strength of the French separated from the goal of four hundred kilometers less. The two-month march, by itself in organization and speed, which became a confirmation of Kutuzov’s high leadership talent, was doomed to failure. There were only a few transitions left for the Russians before unification with the Austrians, when the French, having made a roundabout maneuver, cut off Makka’s army and retreated completely in the battle of Ulm. The Allied army ceased to exist, and Kutuzov, who had reached Braunau, found himself in an extremely difficult position. His forces were more than twice inferior to the enemy, on the left were the Alps, on the right - the Danube, and behind no reserves up to Vienna.
Now both emperors gave Mikhail Illarionovich freedom of action. And he made the decision to retreat to connect with the forces of Buxgewden. Thus began the amazing cast of the Russians of Braunau-Olmuts, during which Kutuzov showed all his cunning, resourcefulness and ability not to lose sight of a single detail. The departure of Russian troops from Napoleon in 1805 is rightfully considered to be an exemplary retreat in military history, an excellent strategic march maneuver. It lasted almost a month. During this time, Russian soldiers marched more than four hundred kilometers, leading almost uninterrupted rearguard battles with superior enemy forces. If Napoleon could have deployed an 150-thousand army in Braunau, then he had about seventy thousand left for Olmutsu. The rest remained to guard the captured territories or were lost in the battles. At the same time, the Russians here had up to eighty thousand people. However, Kutuzov believed that it was too early to converge in the field with the French army of the newest model, led by a brilliant commander. The proposal of the general was to await the approach of the Russian corps under the command of Bennigsen and Essen, as well as the Prussian accession to the coalition.
The emperors, unfortunately for Mikhail Illarionovich, who arrived in Olmuts and again took command, adhered to a different opinion. Kutuzov, not trying to insist on the continuation of the retreat, to a certain extent, withdrew himself from participating in further actions. Napoleon, misleading the enemy, allowed the Allied vanguard to destroy one of his units and even left the heights dominating the terrain. He could not deceive Kutuzov, but he could not do anything already - Alexander I was sure that in the general battle he was finally acquiring military laurels. Soon a grand slaughter took place near the village of Austerlitz. Michael Illarionovich commanded the fourth column and under pressure from the king was forced to extremely untimely to enter it into battle. The outcome of the battle was predetermined before it began, and the Russian commander's conviction in this, in all likelihood, did not add confidence to him during the battle. The allies were routed, and the third anti-French coalition ceased to exist. Kutuzov himself, wounded in the cheek, was almost captured. The emperor, although he rewarded the commander with the Order of St. Vladimir, was never able to forgive him for the fact that the commander-in-chief did not insist on his own and did not convince him. When in one conversation, many years later, someone cautiously remarked to the tsar that Mikhail Illarionovich persuaded him not to enter the battle, Alexander sharply replied: "Therefore, he was not persuading him badly!"
Returning to Russia, Kutuzov was put by the Kiev military governor - the post is equivalent to an honorary exile. His family persuaded him to abandon his humiliation and resign, but Mikhail Illarionovich wanted to continue to help his homeland. And the case of such a pretty soon presented itself - in 1806 Turkey, violating the Yassky peace, again launched a war with Russia. It was obvious even to the emperor that nobody understands Turkish affairs better than Kutuzov, and in the spring of 1808 he was entrusted with the main body of the Moldavian army. However, shortly after his arrival, Mikhail Illarionovich had a strong quarrel with commander Alexander Prozorovsky, who eventually succeeded in transferring him to the post of military governor of Lithuania.
The return of the sixty-five year old commander to Moldova occurred only in the spring of 1811. By this time, the imminent end of the war with the Turks became absolutely necessary - a new war with Napoleon was looming. The number of Russian troops scattered across the Danube over more than a thousand kilometers did not exceed 45 thousand people. The Turks, meanwhile, intensified - the size of their army was reduced to eighty thousand people concentrated against the center of the Russians. Taking command, Mikhail Illarionovich began to implement his plan of action, which was to gather an army on the north bank of the Danube in one fist, to bleed the enemy in small skirmishes, and then by all means finally defeat. It is curious that Kutuzov spent all the preparatory activities in an atmosphere of secrecy, encouraged the spread of rumors about the vulnerability of the Russian army, struck up friendly correspondence with Ahmet Pasha, and even began negotiations for peace. After the Turks understood that negotiations only delayed time, they launched an offensive. The battle of the fortress Rushchuk, despite the enemy's fourfold numerical superiority, ended with the complete victory of the Russians. Least of all in life, Kutuzov loved to risk, and, refusing to pursue the still numerically superior enemy, he unexpectedly gave orders to all to blow up the fortress and withdraw the army to the north bank of the Danube. The commander was accused of indecision and even cowardice, but the commander knew very well what he was doing. In early September, the 36-thousandth Turkish army forced the river, camped outside the town of Slobozia. The Russians did not interfere with the crossing, but as soon as it ended, the Turks suddenly discovered that they were under blockade, and all attempts to expand the bridgehead were in vain. Soon the ships of the Danube Flotilla approached, and the enemy grouping was in complete surroundings. Hunger forced the remnants of the Turkish forces to capitulate. Having lost the army, Turkey wanted peace, and Mikhail Illarionovich assumed the role of a diplomat. In May, 1812 - a month before the start of World War II - in the city of Bucharest, a peace treaty was concluded, under which the Turks could not side with France. When Napoleon learned about this, he, in the words of Academician Tarle, "completely exhausted the stock of curses." Even Alexander I was forced to acknowledge the invaluable service that Michael Illarionovich did to his country - the title of count was granted to Kutuzov.
In the summer of 1812, a huge French army headed for the borders of Russia. At the first stage of the war, the main task of the Russians was to unite the two armies commanded by Barclay de Tolly and Bagration. By giving rearguard battles and skillfully maneuvering, the Russian generals were able to meet near Smolensk in early August. Despite the fact that the fiercest fight broke out in the city, the general battle did not take place. Barclay de Tolly gave the order to move east, and Napoleon followed him. At the same time, dissatisfaction with the actions of the commander-in-chief grew in the Russian army. And the court, and most of the generals found him too cautious, there were even rumors of betrayal, especially given the foreign origin of Barclay de Tolly. As a result, it was decided to change the commander. A special committee advised the emperor to put at the head of the army a sixty-seven-year-old from Infantry Kutuzov. Alexander I, not wanting to resist, reluctantly signed a decree.
Mikhail Illarionovich arrived at the location of the Russian army in the village of Tsarevo-Zaymische in mid-August. Before leaving, Kutuzov's nephew asked him: "Surely you hope to defeat Napoleon?" To this the commander replied: “I do not hope to crush. I hope to cheat. Absolutely everyone was convinced that Mikhail Illarionovich would stop retreating. He himself supported this legend, having toured the troops on arrival and declared: “Well, how can you retreat with such good fellows!”. However, his first order came very soon ... to continue the retreat. Kutuzov, known for his caution, was generally of the same opinion as Barclay-Napoleon needed to wear out, and it was risky to engage in battle with him. However, the retreat did not last long, the enemy did not lose sight of the main Russian forces. The rearguard Konovnitsyna did not cease to repel the attacks of the attacking French, and Mikhail Illarionovich still had to give a general fight.
The place for the battle was chosen near the village of Borodino. Russian troops numbered 120 thousand people, Napoleon had 135 thousand. Kutuzov set his stake in the deep rear, prudently giving Bagration and Barclay de Tolly complete freedom of action - they could use their forces at their own discretion, not cope with the commander-in-chief, who left the right to dispose of reserves. He took his age, and Kutuzov, unlike Napoleon, who had carefully studied the site of the upcoming battle, was unable to do this - obesity did not allow him to mount his horse, and it was impossible to drive through the roadster everywhere.
The battle of Borodino began on 5: 30 on the morning of September 7 and lasted twelve hours. Positions so often passed from hand to hand that gunners did not always have time to adapt themselves and often shelled their own. The generals personally led the soldiers into deadly attacks (Kutuzov lost 22 general, Napoleon - 47) showed amazing courage. Late in the evening, the French withdrew from Kurgan height and occupied with flushes to their original positions, but individual fights lasted all night. Early in the morning Kutuzov gave the order to retreat, which the army had done in perfect order. Shocked by Her, seeing this, he told Murat: "What kind of army is this, which after such a battle is so exemplary departed?" The total losses of the Russians amounted to over forty thousand people, the French - about sixty thousand. Later Bonaparte said: “Of all my battles, the worst is the one I gave near Moscow ...”.
Nevertheless, the Russians were retreating, and for the first time September 13 at the famous council in Fili Kutuzov suggested that the ancient capital should be left. The opinion of the military leaders was divided, but Mikhail Illarionovich put an end to the debate, saying: “With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost. As long as the army will exist, the hope remains to end the war happily ... " News this made a stunning impression both in Moscow itself and in the army. Encouraged by the success of the Battle of Borodino, the townspeople were not going to throw all their possessions and flee into the unknown. Many soldiers also found the order traitorous and refused to carry it out. Despite this, in mid-September the Russian army passed through Moscow and went along the Ryazan road. In the following days, the Russian soldiers probably made the most brilliant maneuver for the entire Patriotic War. While the French were robbing Moscow, the “wonder-bogatyrs” of Kutuzov, having crossed the Borovo river across the Moscow River, unexpectedly turned to the west. The commander-in-chief kept his plan in the strictest secrecy, and most of the march the army committed at night - moving, the soldiers observed the strictest discipline, no one had the right to leave. The rearguard of Miloradovich, moving behind, disoriented the enemy, carrying out movements in false directions. Napoleon's marshals reported to the emperor for a long time that the one hundred thousandth Russian army seemed to have evaporated. In the end, the Russian army camped near the village of Tarutino, south-west of Moscow, where Kutuzov declared: "Now, no step back!". This flank maneuver, in fact, turned the tide of the war. The forces of the Russians covered Tula and its armory, the rich south of the country and Kaluga, in which considerable military reserves were concentrated. The commander in chief established contact with the partisan detachments and took control of their actions. Napoleon's troops found themselves in a ring formed by partisans and the Russian army and could not, with the Russians in the rear, make a speech to Petersburg, which they feared at the court of Alexander. It is curious that while he was in the Tarutinsky camp, Chief of Staff Bennigsen sent Alexander I a denunciation that Kutuzov, a seriously ill patient, "doesn’t show much, sleeps a lot and doesn’t do anything." The letter appeared in the military department, and General Knorring put the following resolution on it: “This is not our business. Sleeps and let them sleep. Every hour of sleep of this old man inexorably brings us closer to victory. ”
The longer the French stayed in Moscow, the weaker their army became - discipline fell, stores with food burned, and looting flourished. Wintering in the city was absolutely impossible, and Napoleon decided to leave the city. In early October, having blown up the Kremlin in the end, Napoleon moved towards Kaluga. The French’s plans for a secret round of the left flank of the Russians were unsuccessful — Kutuzov had received the news of the enemy’s maneuvers from the scouts on time and moved across the path. On October 12, a fierce battle took place near the small town of Maloyaroslavets, located on the right bank of the Puddle, in which, however, the main forces of the opponents did not participate. Kutuzov, considering this fight decisive for the whole company, was on the front line, personally wanting to see the intentions of the French. A contemporary wrote: “In none of the battles of that war, did the prince remain under gunfire for so long.” At nightfall, the battle began to subside. Kutuzov withdrew his forces south of the city and was ready to continue the battle, but for the first time in his life Napoleon decided to avoid a general battle and gave the order to retreat along the ravaged Smolensk road.
On the way, the French were disturbed by partisans and Russian cavalry. The main forces were moving south parallel to the enemy, not giving a break and covering food areas. The hopes of the French emperor to find provisions in Smolensk did not materialize, and his exhausted army moved further to the west. Now the enemy’s retreat was like flight. The Russians attacked the sprawling enemy columns, trying to prevent their formation and cutting off their escape routes. Thus, the corps of Beaugarne, Ney, and Davou were defeated. The "Great Army" no longer existed, and Kutuzov could rightly say that he was the first man to defeat Napoleon. According to contemporaries, after the battle of Red Kutuzov, he read out to the troops the just-written fable of Ivan Krylov “Wolf in the kennel”. After reading the wolf's reply to the wolf: “You are gray, and I, friend, gray,” the commander-in-chief took off his headdress and shook his head. At the end of 1812, the All-Russian Hunter was awarded the Order of St. George of the First Degree.
Napoleon was in a hurry to his homeland, where he was going to immediately take up the formation of a new army. Everyone, including Kutuzov, understood the need for the final destruction of the tyrant. However, Mikhail Illarionovich, mortally tired of traveling life, unlike the Russian emperor, believed that it was necessary to first strengthen the army, sufficiently suffered during the counteroffensive. The wise commander did not believe in the sincerity of the intentions of the British, in the timely support of the Austrians, or in the considerable assistance of the inhabitants of Prussia. However, Alexander was relentless, and, despite the protests of the commander-in-chief, he ordered the attack.
In mid-January, the 1813 army under the leadership of Kutuzov crossed the Neman. One by one, Russian troops liberated cities on the territory of Prussia, the duchy of Warsaw and the German principalities. Berlin was liberated in late February, and by mid-April, the main forces of Kutuzov stood behind the Elbe. However, Mikhail Illarionovich did not have to face off with Napoleon. Already in March, the commander barely moved, and his forces were running out. In early April, 1813, heading for Dresden, commander-in-chief caught a cold and was forced to stay in the town of Bunzlau. Fail ten days, April 28 Mikhail Illarionovich died. They say that shortly before his death he had a conversation with Alexander I, who said: “Mikhailo Illarionovich, will you forgive me?”. Kutuzov replied: "I will forgive you, Russia will not forgive ...". The body of the deceased commander was embalmed, transported to St. Petersburg and buried in the Kazan Cathedral.
According to the materials of the book V.L. Karnatsevich “10 geniuses of war” and the weekly edition “Our history. 100 great names. "
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