A huge amount of literature has been written about this historical figure, because it is he who is considered the main author of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, and this is how he, in particular, is shown in the great novel War and Peace. Thanks to such attention, the portrait of Kutuzov has become so detailed, has received such a large number of small details that you can simply drown in this sea of \u200b\u200binformation. Therefore, it makes sense to return again to a portrait that is only slightly outlined, consisting of only a few strokes, but showing the main thing.
Beginning of service and first significant successes
The portrait of Kutuzov in history, like the portrait of any nobleman of that time, begins with the origin. His father, Illarion Matveyevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, held the high rank of lieutenant general, and after the birth of his son he became a senator. Mikhail Illarionovich, like all nobles under Catherine II, first arrived in the army immediately in the rank of officer, many years after he formally entered the service. He received his first baptism of fire in the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, commanded by A. V. Suvorov.
School of military artfor the young Kutuzov, the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774 and 1877-1878 became. He quickly rose through the ranks, not only because of his father's connections, but also because of his bravery in battle. During these wars with the Turks, he received two wounds to the head, both of which were considered fatal in those years (because of one of them, he was forced to wear a bandage on the remaining, in fact, eye for the rest of his life).
Austerlitz
The portrait of Kutuzov would be incomplete without his participation in the battle of Austerlitz. Before the battle, Mikhail Illarionovich commanded one of the two Russian armies, therefore, he had a word among the generals during the battle itself. Austerlitz became one of the greatest victories of Napoleon I. The allies believed that the French did not have the strength to attack, and they just needed to prevent the enemy from leaving, because they left the dominant heights without regret. But Napoleon's troops, instead of retreating, occupied these heights and defeated the forces put up against them. The literature repeatedly emphasizes that Kutuzov was against the orders given by the allied command. However, this general was not completely removed from command, which says a lot. You should not think that if later Kutuzov strategically beat Napoleon, then he surpassed the French emperor in military leadership all his life.
Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812
This war has been going on for a relatively long time and without results. The main forces of the Russian troops were concentrated on the western and northwestern borders,relatively small forces were put up against the Turks. However, when M. I. Kutuzov was appointed commander of the Moldavian army, the situation changed dramatically. In the Battle of Ruschuk on June 22 (July 4), 1811, having only 18,000 soldiers at his disposal, the general defeated the 60,000th enemy army. But his successes were not limited to this. The portrait of Kutuzov at all times was characterized by the non-standard of his thinking. Instead of advancing after such a brilliant victory, the Russian troops, on the contrary, retreated beyond the Danube, and when the Turks tried to organize a pursuit, they blocked them at the crossing. Thanks to the energetic and non-standard actions of Kutuzov, this war was able to end with a complete victory, despite the fact that relatively small forces of the Russian army were involved there.
Patriotic War
This confrontation is considered the finest hour of Mikhail Illarionovich. It is often presented in literature as a double portrait of Kutuzov and Napoleon, namely their confrontation, although, strictly speaking, Napoleon I and Alexander I were opponents, and Kutuzov was only the commander of the second. The strategic plan of the company was not developed by Kutuzov, but it was he who brought its implementation to its logical conclusion and broke the skepticism of both the emperor and the army with his authority. It was also Kutuzov who commanded the Russian troops during the great Battle of Borodino. In general, the company really became a triumph for Kutuzov and the crowning achievement of his military career. It is known that he did not want to continue it, he believed that the foreign campaign would bring much more benefit to Russia's allies than to Russia itself.
Historical portrait of Kutuzov
What kind of person was Mikhail Illarionovich? It is known that this is a man of great military talent, as evidenced by his victories, and significant personal courage, as evidenced by his battle wounds. But at the same time, the portrait of Kutuzov would be incomplete without mentioning his caution. He always left escape routes for himself, as well as cover. And even the fateful decision for his career to leave Moscow, he did not express himself, but waited until the speech of another speaker, whose opinion he simply supported. Relatively little has been written about Kutuzov's cautious steps to build and maintain his career in a huge amount of literature, but this is also an integral part of his personality.
