Mikhail Kutusov

Russian General
1745-1813

Napoleon BonaparteOne-eyed and with a penchant for young women, Mikhail Kutusov was a much underrated leader in the Napoleonic era.

His early and middle military days saw him in conflict with Russia's southern enemy - the Turks - and his first clashes with European soldiers came along the Danube.

Leading Russia's military arm of the Third Coalition he arrived too late to assist Austria against the French at Ulm, but did skilfully exorcise his men from a potential trap afterwards.

Pursued by Napoleon Bonaparte and hamstrung by having to explain his tactics to Tsar Alexander and King Frederick-Wilhelm, Kutusov was unable to avoid taking on the French at Austerlitz.

Following that debacle, he continued his wars against the Turks until being recalled to defend Mother Russia against the Grand Armee in 1812.

Replacing Barclay de Tolly after the battle of Smolensk, Kutusov's tactics of retreat, which traded space for time, earnt him no friends.

At Borodino he gave Bonaparte a bloody nose, but at great cost, and left Moscow to be captured by the French.

As Bonaparte retreated, Kutusov's forces allowed him no respite and had luck been more with him, his strategies of trapping the retreating French army before it escaped over the Beresina could have completely destroyed the invaders.

 
 
Napoleon Bonaparte
Career Portraits
Quotes Family
Loves Letters
Plots Murdered?
His will Places
   
Era of Napoleon
Powers Opponents
Coalitions Allies
People Timelines
Key sites Shrapnel
   
Warfare
Campaigns Battles
Armies Generals
Marshals Winners
Glossary Medical
Weapons 1812 War
Uniforms Battlefields
   
War at Sea
Naval War Heroes
Artworks Signals
Nelson Trafalgar
   
Maps
Key Maps Peninsula
Animated 1796/1800
1809 Russia
   
French Revolution
Revolution Guillotine
Posters People
   
Art, Film, Games
Education Goya
Sharpe Hornblower
Books Movies
DVDs Music
Wargames Images
Cartoons Caricatures
   
Other
About Us Sources
Awards Sitemap
Links Militaria
Miniatures Reenactors
Forum Quizzes
Home Waterloo Diorama
   
   
Copyright Richard Moore 1999-2017 | Privacy Policy | Contact Us