The Battle of Krasnenskoye under the command of Field Marshal Kutuzov. A magnificent swan song! Service in the Crimean Army

Russian commander, Field Marshal General Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was born on September 16 (5 according to the old style) 1745 (according to other sources - 1747) in St. Petersburg in the family of an engineer-lieutenant general.

In 1759 he graduated with honors from the Noble Artillery School and was retained as a mathematics teacher there.

In 1761, Kutuzov was promoted to the officer rank of ensign engineer and sent to continue serving in the Astrakhan infantry regiment.

From March 1762, he temporarily served as adjutant to the Governor-General of Revel, and from August he was appointed commander of a company of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment.

In 1764-1765 he served in the troops stationed in Poland.

From March 1765 he continued to serve in the Astrakhan regiment as a company commander.

In 1767, Mikhail Kutuzov was recruited to work on the Commission for the drafting of a new Code, where he acquired extensive knowledge in the field of law, economics and sociology.

Since 1768, Kutuzov took part in the war with the Polish Confederates.

In 1770, he was transferred to the 1st Army, located in southern Russia, and took part in the war with Turkey that began in 1768.

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, Kutuzov, while in combat and staff positions, took part in the battles at the Ryabaya Mogila tract, the Larga and Cahul rivers, where he proved himself to be a brave, energetic and enterprising officer.

In 1772, he was transferred to the 2nd Crimean Army, where he carried out important reconnaissance assignments, commanding a grenadier battalion.

In July 1774, in a battle near the village of Shumy (now Verkhnyaya Kutuzovka) north of Alushta, Mikhail Kutuzov was seriously wounded in the left temple by a bullet that came out near the right eye. For his courage, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, IV class, and sent abroad for treatment. Upon his return, he was tasked with the formation of light cavalry.
In the summer of 1777, Kutuzov was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Lugansk engineering regiment.

In 1783, he commanded the Mariupol Light Horse Regiment in Crimea. For successful negotiations with the Crimean Khan, who ceded his possessions from the Bug to the Kuban to Russia, at the end of 1784 Kutuzov was promoted to major general and headed the Bug Jaeger Corps.

In 1788, during the siege of Ochakov, while repelling a Turkish attack, he was seriously wounded in the head for the second time: a bullet pierced his cheek and flew out into the back of his head.

In 1789, Kutuzov took part in the battle of Kaushany, in the assaults on Akkerman (now the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky) and Bender.

In December 1790, during the storming of Izmail, commanding the 6th column, Kutuzov showed high strong-willed qualities, fearlessness and perseverance. To achieve success, he promptly brought reserves into battle and achieved the defeat of the enemy in his direction, which played an important role in capturing the fortress. Suvorov praised Kutuzov’s actions. After the capture of Izmail, Mikhail Kutuzov was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commandant of this fortress.

On June 15 (4 old style), Kutuzov defeated the Turkish army at Babadag with a sudden blow. In the battle of Machinsky, commanding a corps, he showed himself to be a skilled master of maneuverable actions, bypassing the enemy from the flank and defeating the Turkish troops with an attack from the rear.

In 1792-1794, Mikhail Kutuzov headed the emergency Russian embassy in Constantinople, managing to achieve a number of foreign policy and trade advantages for Russia, significantly weakening French influence in Turkey.

In 1794, he was appointed director of the Land Noble Cadet Corps, and in 1795-1799 - commander and inspector of troops in Finland, where he carried out a number of diplomatic assignments: negotiated with Prussia and Sweden.

In 1798, Mikhail Kutuzov was promoted to infantry general. He was a Lithuanian (1799-1801) and St. Petersburg (1801-1802) military governor.

In 1802, Kutuzov fell into disgrace and was forced to leave the army and resign.

In August 1805, during the Russian-Austro-French War, Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army sent to help Austria. Having learned during the campaign about the capitulation of the Austrian army of General Mack near Ulm, Mikhail Kutuzov undertook a march maneuver from Braunau to Olmutz and skillfully withdrew Russian troops from the blow of superior enemy forces, winning victories at Amstetten and Krems during the retreat.

The plan of action against Napoleon proposed by Kutuzov was not accepted by his Austrian military advisers. Despite the objections of the commander, who was actually removed from the leadership of the Russian-Austrian troops, the allied monarchs Alexander I and Francis I gave Napoleon a general, which ended in a French victory. Although Kutuzov managed to save the retreating Russian troops from complete defeat, he fell into disgrace from Alexander I and was appointed to secondary posts: Kyiv military governor (1806-1807), corps commander in the Moldavian army (1808), Lithuanian military governor (1809-1811).

In the conditions of the impending war with Napoleon and the need to end the protracted war (1806-1812) with Turkey, the emperor was forced in March 1811 to appoint Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army, where Mikhail Kutuzov created mobile corps and began active operations. In the summer, near Rushchuk (now a city in Bulgaria), Russian troops won a major victory, and in October, Kutuzov surrounded and captured the entire Turkish army near Slobodzeya (now a city in Transnistria). For this victory he received the title of count.

Being an experienced diplomat, Kutuzov achieved the signing of the Bucharest Peace Treaty of 1812, which was beneficial for Russia, for which he received the title of His Serene Highness.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Mikhail Kutuzov was elected head of the St. Petersburg and then Moscow militia. After the Russian troops abandoned Smolensk in August, Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief. Having arrived in the army, he decided to give a general battle to Napoleon's troops at Borodino.

The French army did not achieve victory, but the strategic situation and lack of forces did not allow Kutuzov to launch a counteroffensive. In an effort to preserve the army, Kutuzov surrendered Moscow to Napoleon without a fight and, having made a bold flank march-maneuver from the Ryazan road to Kaluzhskaya, stopped in the Tarutino camp, where he replenished his troops and organized partisan actions.

On October 18 (6 old style), Kutuzov, near the village of Tarutino, defeated Murat’s French corps and forced Napoleon to accelerate the abandonment of Moscow. Having blocked the path of the French army to the southern Russian provinces near Maloyaroslavets, he forced it to retreat west along the devastated Smolensk road and, energetically pursuing the enemy, after a series of battles near Vyazma and Krasnoye, he finally defeated his main forces on the Berezina River.

Thanks to Kutuzov's wise and flexible strategy, the Russian army won a brilliant victory over a strong and experienced enemy. In December 1812, Kutuzov received the title of Prince of Smolensk and was awarded the highest military Order of George, 1st degree, becoming the first full Knight of St. George in the history of the order.

At the beginning of 1813, Kutuzov led military operations against the remnants of Napoleonic army in Poland and Prussia, but the commander’s health was undermined, and death prevented him from seeing the final victory of the Russian army.
On April 28 (16 old style) April 1813, His Serene Highness died in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau (now the city of Boleslawiec in Poland). His body was embalmed and transported to St. Petersburg, buried in the Kazan Cathedral.

Kutuzov's military leadership was distinguished by the breadth and variety of all types of maneuver in offensive and defensive, and the timely transition from one type of maneuver to another. Contemporaries unanimously noted his exceptional intelligence, brilliant military and diplomatic talents and love for the Motherland.

Mikhail Kutuzov was awarded the orders of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called with diamonds, St. George I, II, III and IV classes, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Vladimir I class, St. Anna I class. He was a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, awarded the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa, 1st class, and the Prussian Orders of the Black Eagle and Red Eagle, 1st class. He was awarded a golden sword “for bravery” with diamonds and was given a portrait of Emperor Alexander I with diamonds.
Monuments to Mikhail Kutuzov were erected in many cities of Russia and abroad.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, I, II and III degrees were established.

Kutuzovsky Prospekt (1957), Kutuzovsky Proezd and Kutuzovsky Lane were named after Kutuzov in Moscow. In 1958, the Filyovskaya metro station of the Moscow Metro was named after the commander.

Mikhail Kutuzov was married to Ekaterina Bibikova, the daughter of a lieutenant general, who later became a lady of state, His Serene Highness Princess Kutuzova-Smolenskaya. The marriage produced five daughters and a son who died in infancy.

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Russian commander, commander-in-chief in the Patriotic War of 1812. Field Marshal General.

Mikhail Illarionovich was born into the family of a military engineer, lieutenant general. In 1759 he graduated from the engineering and artillery school and was retained as a teacher there for his outstanding achievements in the knowledge of science. In 1761, he received the rank of ensign engineer and appointment to the position of company commander of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment. From 1762, with the rank of captain, he was an aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of Revel, then again served in the troops, including those stationed in Poland.

In 1767, Kutuzov was included in the “Commission for drawing up a new code” - one of the state projects of Empress Catherine II. Received extensive knowledge in the fields of law, economics and sociology.

Participated in the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774 as part of the 1st active army (since 1770). He had the opportunity to serve under such great commanders as P.A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky and A.V. Suvorov-Rymniksky. Kutuzov proved himself to be a brave, energetic and enterprising officer. Participated in large field battles at Ryaba Mogila, Larga and Kagul. He led a grenadier battalion into the attack and took part in the pursuit of the defeated Turks. He was promoted to prime major and appointed chief quartermaster (chief of staff) of the corps. For his distinction in the battle of Popesti in 1771, he received the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1772, Kutuzov was transferred to the 2nd Crimean Army. In July 1774, he commanded a grenadier battalion in a battle against a Turkish landing near the village of Shumy (now Kutuzovka) and was seriously wounded in the temple and right eye. He survived, although doctors considered the wound fatal. On the personal instructions of Empress Catherine II, he was given leave for treatment abroad. The Empress, who knew the officer personally, said: “We must take care of Kutuzov; he will be a great general for me.” For the battle near the village of Shumy, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.

After treatment abroad, Kutuzov served for six years under the command of Suvorov, organizing the defense of the Crimean coast. In 1777, he was appointed commander of the Lugansk pikemen, then the Mariupol light horse regiments. In 1784 he received the rank of major general. The following year, Kutuzov was appointed commander of the Bug Jaeger Corps, which he himself formed. Mikhail Illarionovich developed the basics of light Jaeger infantry tactics, setting them out in special instructions.

The glory of military leader M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov earned it during the second Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791. At first, he and his rangers of the Bug Corps guarded the state border on the Bug River. In the summer of 1788, he took part in the battles near the Turkish fortress of Ochakov, where he received a second serious wound from a bullet to the head. After recovery, he fought at Akkerman, Kaushany, and Bendery.

In December 1790, during the siege of a powerful Turkish fortress in the Northern Black Sea region, Izmail commanded the 6th column of storming Russian troops. Kutuzov's soldiers twice broke into the ramparts, and twice the Turks threw them into the fortress moat. Only after the third attack was enemy resistance broken. In the victorious report of A.V. Suvorov gave the highest assessment to the actions of General Kutuzov and appointed him commandant of this fortress, promoting him to lieutenant general.

In 1791 M.I. Kutuzov repelled an attempt by the Turks to recapture Izmail. As commandant of the fortress, he commanded Russian troops in the fighting between the Prut and the Dniester. In June 1791, with a sudden blow, he defeated the 23,000-strong Ottoman army at Babadag. Then, in July of the same year, at the head of a combined detachment, he crossed the Danube and captured the enemy fortress of Machin, destroying its fortifications. Then he was opposed by the Grand Vizier Yusuf Pasha, who had approximately 80-100 thousand troops under his command. Kutuzov won the battle thanks to a skillfully directed attack by the Russian cavalry, which, having broken through the enemy flank, went to the Turks’ rear. After this, the troops of the Grand Vizier fled, leaving the victors with 35 guns and a camp camp of the huge Sultan's army.

M.I. Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, for the capture of Machin. The commander-in-chief of the Russian troops, Prince Repnin, reported to St. Petersburg: “The efficiency and intelligence of General Kutuzov surpasses all my praise...”

After the Peace of Iasi, Lieutenant General Golenishchev-Kutuzov was sent in 1792 as the extraordinary ambassador of Russia to the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul (Constantinople), where he proved himself to be an outstanding diplomat, brilliantly carrying out the instructions of Empress Catherine II the Great.

In 1794, he was appointed director of the Land Noble Corps; in this post, Kutuzov trained many capable people who later distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812 and other wars of the Russian Empire in the first half of the 19th century.

Since 1795, Mikhail Illarionovich was the commander and inspector of troops stationed in Finland. In 1798, Golenishchev-Kutuzov received the rank of infantry general. Successfully completed a diplomatic mission in Prussia, making it an ally of Russia against France. He was the Lithuanian and St. Petersburg governor general. In 1802, Kutuzov displeased Emperor Alexander I with the unsatisfactory state of the capital's police and, having fallen into disgrace, asked to resign from service. For three years he lived on his estate, being out of work.

When the war with the conqueror of Europe Napoleon Bonaparte began, the Russian sovereign Alexander I sent two Russian armies in 1805 to help the allied Austria. He entrusted the command of one of them to infantry general Kutuzov. While his 50,000-strong army was on the march, the allied Austrian army suffered a complete defeat in the battle of Ulm. Kutuzov found himself alone against superior enemy forces.

Then the Russian commander made his famous retreat march from Braunau to Olmitz (Olomouc) in order to prevent the French from encircling his army. During the maneuver, the Russians defeated the troops of Napoleonic marshals Murat near Ashettin and Mortier near Durenstein. This march has entered the art of war as a wonderful example of strategic maneuver.

Contrary to Kutuzov's opinion, Emperor Alexander I and Austrian Emperor Franz I went on the offensive against the French army. On November 20, 1805, the Battle of Austerlitz took place, in which the Russian commander-in-chief was actually removed from command of the troops. Napoleon won one of his greatest victories at Austerlitz. Alexander I, the direct culprit of the defeat of the allied Russian-Austrian army, laid the blame for it on Kutuzov, and he again found himself in disgrace.

The infantry general was appointed Kyiv military governor. In March 1808, he was assigned to command the corps of the Moldavian Army. But due to disagreements over the conduct of military operations against the Turks in the war of 1806-1812 and the storming of the Brailov fortress, Kutuzov did not have a good relationship with the elderly commander-in-chief, Field Marshal A.A. Prozorovsky, and Mikhail Illarionovich was appointed military governor of Vilna.

However, it was Kutuzov who had to victoriously end this protracted Russian-Turkish war, on which high hopes were placed in Paris - Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte was already actively preparing for the invasion of Russia. In 1811, when the war with Turkey reached a dead end, the Russian emperor appointed the disgraced commander as commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army. In the Battle of Rushchuk, with only 15 thousand troops, Kutuzov inflicted a crushing defeat on the Sultan’s army of 60 thousand under the command of the experienced commander Akhmet Pasha.

After the victory, he deliberately withdrew the Russian army beyond the Danube, into Wallachia. The enemy rushed after him to the opposite bank of the Danube, and 40 thousand Turks found themselves blocked by Russian troops in a camp near Slobodzeya. Soon the Sultan’s army surrendered “for safekeeping” to the Russian commander-in-chief, and Sultan Mahmud II, having lost the color of his army, was forced to make peace with Russia on terms favorable to it.

General of Infantry M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov received the title of count for the victorious end of the war with the Ottoman Porte, but did not regain the favor of the emperor. Alexander I was dissatisfied with the actions of the commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army, and with the terms of the peace concluded by Kutuzov (he had such rights) with the Turks. The commander was again removed from command positions in the Russian army.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Mikhail Illarionovich was elected head of the St. Petersburg and then Moscow militias. After Russian troops left Smolensk, under public pressure, the emperor appointed Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the entire Russian army in the field, giving way to members of a special government committee.

The new commander-in-chief arrived at the Russian army retreating to Moscow near Tsarevo-Zaymishche. During the two months of retreat, the Russian army moved more than 800 kilometers from the state border. There were about 150 left before Moscow. And yet, Kutuzov decided to withdraw the 1st and 2nd Western armies further into the interior of Russia. He took into account the significant superiority of Napoleonic Grand Army and the lack of trained reserves in his army. Time will pass, and historians will call this decision of his genius.

Having not received the promised large reinforcements, Kutuzov decides to give Napoleon Bonaparte a general battle, choosing a convenient position for this. It became a huge field near the village of Borodino. The Battle of Borodino, which took place here on August 26, dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the emperor-commander Napoleon.

Napoleon brought 135 thousand soldiers with 587 guns to Borodino. He had troops from almost half of Europe at his disposal. The Russian army in the Patriotic War of 1812 did not have a single ally and numbered 120 thousand people, of which 10 thousand militias who did not participate in the battles, 7 thousand Cossacks and 640 guns.

Preparing for a battle with the strongest European army, Kutuzov skillfully took advantage of the natural features of his chosen position on the Borodino field. It protected the main roads leading to Moscow (Napoleon planned to strike Russia in the heart). Its flanks could not be bypassed, since they were covered: on the right by the Moscow River, and on the left by dense forests. The position was elevated above the terrain and was very convenient for artillery. Rivers and ravines located from the front prevented the French army from freely maneuvering.

At dawn on August 26, over a hundred French guns opened heavy fire on the Bagration flushes. Napoleonic troops, led by the best marshals of France, went on the offensive.

In this battle, neither side achieved a decisive advantage. By the end of the day, the Borodino position remained in the hands of the Russian army. With the onset of darkness, Emperor Napoleon ordered his troops to leave the battlefield and the destroyed enemy fortifications and return to their original positions.

In a report to Emperor Alexander I, Commander-in-Chief M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov reported: “The battle was general and lasted until nightfall. The loss on both sides is great: the enemy’s damage, judging by his persistent attacks on our fortified position, should greatly exceed ours. The Russian troops fought with incredible courage: the batteries passed from hand to hand, and the end result was that the enemy did not win a single step of ground with his superior forces.”

Borodino cost Napoleon dearly. His army lost more than 50 thousand people killed and wounded, or over 43 percent of its strength! And the French cavalry, the strongest in Europe, is 57 percent! 47 Napoleonic generals were out of action. But the losses of the Russian army turned out to be very significant. On the Borodino field M.I. Kutuzov achieved the main thing - he destroyed the strategy of Napoleon Bonaparte, based on victory in the general battle.

Kutuzov achieved three main results in the battle:

Firstly, the French army failed to break the Russian resistance, defeat it in a general battle and open a clear path to Moscow.

Secondly, the Russian army disabled almost half of Napoleonic Grand Army that opposed it in the battle.

And finally, thirdly, on the Borodino field, the French army suffered irreparable moral damage, while the Russian troops' confidence in victory increased.

For the Battle of Borodino M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov received the rank of Field Marshal.

After the battle, a military council was held in the village of Fili near Moscow, at which two questions were decided: whether to give another general battle to the French under the walls of the Russian capital, or to leave Moscow without a fight. The commander-in-chief understood that the Russian troops after the Battle of Borodino were not able to withstand another similar battle in the near future. “Russia is not lost with the loss of Moscow,” he said.

The decision to leave the capital without a fight and withdraw the army to the east is evidence of the great willpower and military wisdom of this man. It allowed him to preserve his strength and move the war into a new phase. Kutuzov saw Napoleon’s main strategic miscalculation in the fact that he did not count on long-term Russian resistance, and opposed his plan to his strategy of active defense followed by a transition to a decisive counteroffensive.

Kutuzov performs his famous secretive Tarutin flank march maneuver, and the Russian army emerges from the enemy’s attack. Napoleon Bonaparte was in considerable confusion - the Kutuzov army disappeared from his field of vision. The commander concentrated his troops in the area of ​​the village of Tarutino, where a fortified camp was created. Now the routes to the southern provinces of Russia were closed for the French. It was in Tarutino that Kutuzov began preparing for a counteroffensive.

Moscow became a real trap for Napoleon's Grand Army. Almost all of its inhabitants left the capital, and the French entered a huge deserted city. The disciplined army turned into a band of marauders. Soon the Russian capital was almost completely burned. During the great fire, Napoleon Bonaparte had to flee from the Moscow Kremlin.

During his stay in the Tarutino camp, Kutuzov significantly strengthened his troops. A wide partisan movement began in the occupied territory, started by army partisan detachments. Napoleon's army was losing strength in constant military clashes with the Russians, and the reserves approaching from the west could no longer replenish its strength. The food supply of the conquering troops deteriorated sharply.

From Tarutino, the commander-in-chief directed the actions of the troops and governed the provinces declared under martial law. All intelligence information about the enemy’s actions and the state of his forces flowed to him here. The Russian army was constantly replenished with reserves and provincial militias, and soon its numbers exceeded Napoleonic ones. At the same time, troops were being trained.

Napoleon Bonaparte, having suffered complete failure in his strategic plans and attempts to make peace with Russia, on October 7 decided to withdraw his army from Moscow and retreat along the New Smolensk Road in the hope of stocking up on provisions and fodder there. But after the Battle of Tarutino on the Chernishnya River and near Maloyaroslavets, the French were forced to retreat along the Old Smolensk Road, the environs of which were devastated at the beginning of the Napoleonic invasion.

Now Kutuzov’s army launched a decisive counter-offensive. It was organized in such a way that the French troops were constantly under attack from the Russian vanguard troops, flying cavalry detachments, the Cossack regiment of Ataman Platov and partisans. The milestones of the defeat of Napoleon's Great Army will be Vyazma and Krasnoe, following the Chernishnaya River and Maloyaroslavets. On the banks of the Berezina River the remnants of Napoleonic's army will be defeated, only a small part of which will be able to escape across the state border of the Russian Empire.

Thanks to Kutuzov's strategy and tactics, Napoleon Bonaparte's huge Grand Army ceased to exist as such. The French emperor himself had to leave her and go to Paris to gather a new army. The Russian commander with every right could declare the end of the Patriotic War after the complete extermination of the enemy.

For the skillful leadership of the Russian army in 1812, Field Marshal General M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov was awarded the highest military leadership award in Russia - the Order of St. George, 1st degree, and became the first of four commanders in the history of the country to have all four degrees of the order. He also received the honorary title of Prince of Smolensk. For Russians, he became the “savior of Russia.”

In January 1813, the Russian army crossed the state border and began its liberation campaign across Europe. Before the march, the troops were read the order of the commander-in-chief:

“We will earn the gratitude of foreign peoples,” Kutuzov addressed the victorious army, “and we will make Europe exclaim in surprise: the Russian army is invincible in battles and imitable in generosity and peaceful virtues! This is a noble goal worthy of warriors, let us strive for it, brave Russian soldiers!”

The commander-in-chief put a lot of effort into turning the Austrian and Prussian troops that were part of Napoleon's Grand Army into allies of Russia, and to attract the population of the Duchy of Warsaw and Germany to the fight against the French.

But Kutuzov did not have to command the Russian army for long: his health was undermined, and he died in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau (now the Polish city of Boleslawiec). The commander's body was embalmed and sent to the Russian capital. M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov was buried in the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral.

A monument was erected to the great Russian commander in the square of the Polish city of Boleslawiec. The inscription on it reads:

“Commander Kutuzov led the victorious Russian troops to this point, but here death put an end to his glorious deeds. He saved his fatherland and opened the path to the liberation of Europe. May the memory of the hero be blessed."

Kutuzov devoted more than 50 years of his life to military service. He was one of the most educated people of his time, fluent in five languages. He had a subtle mind and knew how to remain calm in the most critical moments of battle. He carefully considered every military operation, trying to act more through maneuvers and military cunning and not sacrifice the lives of soldiers. He considered military art as the most important factor determining the fate of the war. As a great strategist, he knew how to patiently wait for the situation to change and use the factor of time and the enemy’s mistakes.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Military Order of Kutuzov of the 1st, 2nd (1942) and 3rd (1943) degrees was established in the USSR. The highest degree of the order was a military leadership award.

Alexey Shishov. 100 great military leaders

The peculiarity of the Kursk offensive operation was that it was carried out on a wide front by large forces of three fronts - Central, Voronezh and Steppe, with the participation of troops of the Western and Bryansk fronts. The offensive of the Soviet troops was divided territorially into the Oryol offensive operation (Operation Kutuzov), which was carried out by the troops of the left wing of the Western, as well as the Central and Bryansk fronts, and the Belgorod-Kharkov offensive operation (Operation Rumyantsev), the Voronezh and Steppe fronts. Operation Kutuzov involved 1.28 million people, more than 21 thousand guns and mortars, 2.4 thousand tanks and over 3 thousand aircraft.

The Oryol offensive operation was launched on July 12, 1943 by attacks from the Western and Bryansk fronts, under the command of Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky and Markian Mikhailovich Popov. On July 15, the Central Front under the command of Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky also launched a counteroffensive. Army Group Center in the Oryol direction had a main defensive line with a depth of about 5-7 km. The German defensive line consisted of strong points connected to each other by a network of trenches and communication trenches. In front of the front edge, wire barriers were placed in 1-2 rows of wooden posts, reinforced in important directions with wire fences with metal posts and spirals. The defense was strengthened by anti-personnel and anti-tank minefields. In the main directions, German fortifiers installed a significant number of armored caps with machine guns, which made it possible to create strong crossfire. All settlements were adapted for all-round defense, for battle under encirclement. Anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers were installed along the river banks. However, the process of creating a dense defense was not completed. Great hopes were associated with Operation Citadel. The defense on the Oryol ledge was held by the German 2nd Tank Army, 55th, 53rd and 35th Army Corps. Units of the 9th Army operated against the Central Front. German troops in this direction numbered about 600 thousand people, 7 thousand guns and mortars, 1.2 thousand tanks and assault guns, and more than 1 thousand aircraft.

Soviet command plans

The Soviet command, despite the decision made in the spring of 1943 to temporarily give the enemy the strategic initiative and switch to deliberate defense, did not intend to abandon offensive operations. The concentration of large German forces near the Kursk salient, including selected tank formations, meant a significant weakening of German defenses on other sectors of the front. The German defenses in these directions could be broken through and great success achieved before the arrival of enemy reserves. In addition, the German tank divisions, which suffered heavy losses during Operation Citadel, were to lose the ability to effectively resist the advancing Soviet troops.

Planning for the offensive of the troops of the Western and Bryansk fronts began in the spring of 1943. By the end of the winter campaign of 1942-1943. In the Orel region, a protrusion was formed with the front to the east; it was formed by the troops of the Western, Bryansk and Central Fronts. Such a protrusion suggested the formation of a “boiler”. Powerful blows to the base of the Oryol ledge could lead to the encirclement of significant forces of the German Army Group Center. However, when information was received about the preparation of Operation Citadel by the German command, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command decided to postpone the start of the offensive operation in the Oryol direction. The central front received orders to prepare for defense. A counter strike against a powerful German strike force did not promise much success. But the plan for the offensive operation was not forgotten, it was only changed. After the defensive operation, three Soviet fronts were supposed to deliver strong blows to the German group in the Orel area, cut it apart and destroy it. The operation received the code name “Kutuzov”, in honor of the winner of Napoleon’s “Great Army” in the Patriotic War of 1812.

Due to the fact that the Central Front had to withstand the attack of the advancing German group, it dropped out of the number of active participants in the offensive operation. The Bryansk Front was supposed to strike at the “top” of the Oryol bulge, cutting it in two. Front troops launched two enveloping attacks: the first - from the Novosil area, covering Oryol from the south; the second - from the area northeast of Bolkhov, in the general direction of Bolkhov, in order, together with the troops of the Western Front, to eliminate the Bolkhov enemy group, and then attack Orel from the north.

The troops of the left wing of the Western Front received the task of breaking through the German defenses on the northern front of the Oryol ledge, southwest of Kozelsk. After breaking through the enemy's defenses, the strike group of the Western Front was divided for an offensive in two diverging directions. The first group was supposed to take part in the defeat of the Bolkhov enemy group, the second was to advance in the general direction of Khotynets, where there was a highway junction and a station on the Orel-Bryansk railway. As a result, Soviet troops had to intercept the main supply line of the Wehrmacht in the Orel area. Bolkhov was considered the “key to the Eagle”. As a result, the forces of the Western Front had to defeat the German troops covering Oryol from the north and northwest, deeply envelop the enemy group from the west, together with the troops of the Bryansk Front, and eliminate it. Considering the variety of tasks assigned to the Western Front, its strike group was the most powerful. The central front, after repelling the attack of the 9th German Army, was supposed to go on the offensive in the general direction of Kromy. Without the participation of the Central Front in the operation, cutting off the Oryol ledge was impossible.

To implement the assigned tasks, four strike groups were created:

At the northwestern tip of the Oryol ledge, at the confluence of the Zhizdra and Resseta rivers, it included the 50th Army and the 11th Guards Army (the left flank of the Western Front;

In the northern part of the ledge, in the area of ​​​​the city of Bolkhov - the 61st Army and the 4th Tank Army (formed on July 15, 1943 on the basis of the 19th Cavalry Corps) of the Bryansk Front;

In the eastern part of the ledge, in the Novosil area - the 3rd Army, the 63rd Army, the 1st Guards Tank Corps and the 3rd Guards Tank Army (was in the reserve of Headquarters).

In the southern part of the Oryol bulge, in the area of ​​Ponyri station - the 13th, 48th, 70th armies and the 2nd tank army of the Central Front.

From the air, the offensive of the troops was supported by three air armies - the 1st, 15th and 16th, as well as long-range aviation. In the reserve of Headquarters in the western direction, to develop success or parry German counterattacks, are the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps of Vladimir Kryukov and the 11th Army of Ivan Fedyuninsky, consisting of 8 rifle divisions and 3 tank regiments. The 3rd Guards Tank Army was also initially in reserve, but after the start of the operation it was transferred to the Bryansk Front.

According to the original plan, the operation was supposed to last a very short time - 4-5 days. This period made it possible to achieve a decisive result before the command of Army Group Center withdrew the shock formations of the 9th Army from the battle and sent them to liquidate the Soviet breakthrough. The delay meant strengthening the defensive formations of the Oryol salient at the expense of the mobile formations of the German 9th Army, which participated in Operation Citadel. However, Operation Kutuzov dragged on until mid-August, and the battle broke up into several separate operations.

Before the start of the operation, the Soviet command still had doubts about the correctness of the decisions made. In particular, the question was raised about the direction in which the 3rd Guards Tank Army under the command of Pavel Semenovich Rybalko would be used. There were doubts about the need to use it in the Novosil - Oryol direction. Here the enemy had a strong defense that had to be broken through, suffering heavy losses. It seemed more expedient to use the Guards Tank Army in the northern direction in the offensive zone of the 11th Guards Army of Ivan Bagramyan and the 61st Army of Pavel Belov. However, the head of the Automotive and Tank Directorate of the Red Army, Yakov Fedorenko, failed to convince the command of the Bryansk Front to give Rybalko’s promised army to the Western Front. As a result, Soviet troops began not to cut off the Oryol ledge with converging blows to the base, but to dismember it into pieces.

Advance of the Bryansk Front in the Oryol direction

In the easternmost part of the Oryol salient, in the Novosil area, the front remained stable for several months, which allowed the opponents to thoroughly study the terrain and build a dense defense. In addition, the Zusha River flowed along the front. It was quite shallow in places, but the steep banks and muddy bottom made it difficult for armored vehicles and other heavy weapons to reach. Therefore, initially the Soviet command wanted to launch an attack from small bridgeheads that were occupied on Zoucha back in 1942. It was possible to build crossings on them in advance and transfer tanks along them. It is clear that the Germans built the most dense defense opposite the bridgeheads. An alternative solution was proposed by the commander of the 3rd Army, Alexander Gorbatov. He proposed that the 3rd Army be given an independent sector for a breakthrough with crossing the river in the Izmailovo and Vyazhi area. This diverted the enemy's attention from the 63rd Army. If the 3rd Army was successful, it was proposed to introduce the 3rd Guards Tank Army into the offensive zone of Gorbatov’s army. The idea was supported, and Army Commander Gorbatov’s plan was approved.

As a result, the 63rd and 3rd armies attacked from the east in the Oryol direction. The shock group of Gorbatov's army included 3 rifle divisions and 2 tank regiments. One division was supposed to cross the Zusha River, the second was to advance from a bridgehead near the village of Vyazha, the third was in the second echelon. In total, the 3rd Army consisted of 6 rifle divisions, its total strength reached 85.5 thousand people. The pace of the offensive was set to be very high - breaking through the enemy’s defenses on the first day, in three days - they planned to advance 34-36 km.

The strike group of the 63rd Army under the command of Vladimir Kolpakchi included 6 rifle divisions. They were supported by 6 separate tank regiments (162 tanks, most KV and T-34), 5 self-propelled artillery regiments (60 self-propelled guns). The strike force was supposed to advance from the bridgehead on Zoucha. In total, the Kolpakchi army had 7 rifle divisions; the army numbered more than 67 thousand people. In addition, they planned to introduce the 1st Guards Tank Corps under the command of Mikhail Panov into the breakthrough in the offensive zone of the 63rd Army. The army had to cover 42-44 km in three days.

Such a high rate of advance by the 3rd and 63rd armies was planned in connection with the weakening of the German defenses on the Oryol salient due to Operation Citadel. The defense in this direction was held by the 35th Army Corps under the command of Lothar Rendulic. Its 4 infantry divisions occupied a front of 140 kilometers. From north to south the front was held by the 34th, 56th, 262nd and 299th infantry divisions.

The armies of the Bryansk Front delivered the main blow to the junction of the 56th and 262nd German infantry divisions. From the air, the armies of the Bryansk Front were supported by the 15th Air Army, which consisted of about 1 thousand combat aircraft. On July 11, the troops of the Bryansk Front conducted a strong reconnaissance in force. This battle made it possible to reveal the fire system of the German defense and the location of the front line of defense. The German command was under the impression that the Soviet troops were going on a decisive offensive, which forced them to withdraw infantry and firepower from shelters to repel the attack. The 380th Infantry Division captured a German stronghold on the outskirts of Vyazhay, which facilitated the army’s offensive the next day.

At 2 am on July 12, the artillery of the Bryansk Front - about 4 thousand barrels - began a strong artillery barrage. Soon, Soviet aircraft also attacked German positions. At 5.30, under the cover of artillery fire, Soviet infantry crossed Zusha. The strike force of Gorbatov’s army advanced successfully and advanced 5-7 kilometers in a day. The offensive of the 63rd Army from the bridgehead went worse. The Germans created a dense defense system on the heights opposite the bridgehead and, despite the support of a significant amount of artillery and armored vehicles, the Kolpakchi army stalled. Therefore, on the evening of July 12, Popov gave the order to bring Panov’s 1st Guards Tank Corps into the breakthrough in the 3rd Army’s offensive zone.

On the same day, the commander of Army Group Center, Hans von Kluge, gave the order to transfer the 12th 18th, 20th tank and 36th infantry divisions, as well as heavy artillery and assault guns, to the 2nd Panzer Army. He planned to quickly introduce reserves into the battle to stabilize the situation. Rendulic's 35th Corps was sent to assist the 36th Infantry Division. Aircraft of the 6th Air Fleet were also deployed in the eastern part of the Oryol salient.

The Luftwaffe played a vital role in the events of the next day. The 1st Guards Tank Corps crossed Zusha early in the morning of July 13 and concentrated behind the rifle units. The introduction of this mobile formation into battle could lead to the collapse of the German defense in this direction. But in the concentration area, Soviet tank units came under heavy attack from German aircraft. The corps suffered greatly from airstrikes, especially its automotive equipment. Only in the middle of the day was the 1st Guards Tank Corps brought into relative order and brought into battle. The Germans were able to prevent the collapse of their defense in this direction; the tank brigades of the corps, instead of breaking through into depth, slowly moved under air attacks. Soviet aviation tried to cover the hull from the air, but was unsuccessful. The Germans were winning in the area of ​​tactics. The German 6th Air Fleet used large groups of several dozen aircraft. German fighters engaged Soviet patrols of 8-16 vehicles in battle, and the Junkers attacked the ground forces. Soviet reinforcements usually did not make it to the site of the air battle. Due to the actions of German fighters, Soviet bombers also suffered heavy losses. On July 13, 1943, the 15th Air Force lost 94 vehicles.

It is clear that the Luftwaffe was not asked to completely stop the Soviet offensive, but the German pilots slowed down the pace of the Red Army's movement, gaining time to bring up reserves. So the 35th Army Corps was reinforced with two brigades of assault guns (30 vehicles) and a Ferdinand company (8 vehicles). Its anti-tank capabilities were seriously strengthened. During the fierce battle, Rendulic's corps was able to hold the line of defense. The shock group of Gorbatov's army suffered heavy losses. They tried to bring the 1st Guards Tank Corps into battle in the 63rd Army zone, but this did not bring success.

In order to restore the strike potential of the 3rd Army, it was given the 25th Rifle Corps, consisting of two rifle divisions. The 1st Guards Tank Corps was regrouped again. The introduction of fresh forces into the battle allowed the Bryansk Front to advance a few more kilometers. But on July 16, the 35th Army Corps received the 2nd and 8th tank divisions transferred from the 9th Army. Therefore, the Soviet troops were unable to achieve decisive success.

Under these conditions, it was decided to bring into battle the most powerful reserve of the Headquarters - the 3rd Guards Tank Army of Rybalko. On July 14, the High Command transferred the army to the Bryansk Front. Rybalko's army was supposed to crush the German defenses on the approaches to Orel. The tank army was brought into battle in the offensive zone of the 3rd Army. The 3rd Guards Tank Army was a fresh, well-equipped formation. It consisted of the 12th, 15th tank corps, and the 91st separate tank brigade. By June 10, 1943, the army was fully equipped with tanks according to the state - 228 T-34 tanks and 147 T-70 tanks. On July 16 - 17, 1943, the 2nd Mechanized Corps was added to the army, which further increased the striking power of the army. The number of tanks in the army by July 18 increased to 681 (461 - T-34, 220 - T-70), self-propelled guns - 32 vehicles (SU-122). The army's potential was enhanced by a significant number of guns, including 85-mm anti-aircraft guns. However, there was a serious shortage of road transport - on July 15, the road transport battalions of the Guards Tank Army had only 46% of the required transport. Motorized riflemen were forced to move on foot. Rybalko’s armies were given an ambitious task - to advance in the direction of Bortnoye, Stanovaya, Stanovoy Kolodez, Kromy, and, in cooperation with the troops of the Central Front, destroy enemy forces.

On the morning of July 19, 1943, the offensive of the 3rd and 63rd armies, after artillery preparation, resumed. The 25th Rifle Corps advanced 3-4 km, expanding the breakthrough towards the flanks. German troops were pushed back from the line of the Oleshnya River, which made it possible to bring tank units into battle. Having gone deeper into the enemy’s defenses, the 12th and 15th tank corps turned to the southeast, they were supposed to break through south of Orel, to the rear of the 9th German Army. However, there was no quick breakthrough to the rear of the Germans. The Germans were only pushed back from the river; their defensive formations did not collapse. Tank units began to break into German defenses, suffering heavy losses. However, the offensive of the 3rd Guards Tank Army was an unpleasant surprise for the German command. The left wing of the 35th Army Corps near Mtsensk was under threat of encirclement. Therefore, the German command decided to withdraw troops to the Oka line, to the near approaches to Orel.

This situation forced the Soviet command to take immediate retaliatory measures to seize the crossings across the Oka River. The consolidation of German troops at this line seriously complicated the further offensive. The decision was made at the level of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, Rybalko’s army was deployed and thrown towards the Oka. The task of the 3rd Guards Tank Army was made easier by the fact that the 3rd Mechanized Corps had not yet been brought into battle and was easily deployed to the river. The 15th Tank Corps also moved in the same direction. Along the way, the tankers defeated several retreating German columns and captured a bridgehead on the western bank of the Oka. Soon the rifle units of Alexander Gorbatov’s army reached the river.

On the evening of July 20, Rybalko’s army received an order from the Bryansk Front headquarters to transfer its actions to the south, into the offensive zone of the 63rd Army. The 3rd Guards Tank Army was again supposed to attack Stanovoy Kolodez. At this time, the German command concentrated large forces in order to reset Soviet troops from the bridgeheads in the Oka. The first German attacks repulsed more parts of Rybalko’s army. After her departure, the position of the 3rd Army became seriously complicated. Constant shelling, airstrikes and constant attacks by infantry and tanks resulted in heavy losses. Soviet troops fought to the death, but in the end, by order of the command, they were forced to retreat to the eastern bank of the Oka.

At this time, the German command transferred new reinforcements to the Oryol area - the 12th Panzer Division and the 78th Assault Division. German troops suffered heavy losses, but held back the attacks of Soviet tank units. After several unsuccessful attempts to break through the German defenses, the 3rd Guards Tank Army and the 1st Guards Tank Corps were withdrawn to the rear.

The battle for Orel was continued by the forces of the 3rd and 63rd armies. On the morning of July 25, under the cover of artillery fire and air strikes, units of the right flank of the 3rd Army crossed the Oka River; after some time, sappers established crossings along which they began to transfer tanks and self-propelled guns. The offensive of Soviet troops on Oryol and the crisis situation in other directions forced the German command on July 26 to order the withdrawal of troops from the Oryol ledge. On August 1, 1943, the advanced units of the 3rd Army discovered the retreat of enemy troops to the west. The army of General Gorbaty began pursuing the enemy.

It cannot be said that the advance of the Soviet troops from that moment was easy. German troops put up stubborn resistance at intermediate lines to make it possible to evacuate hospitals and warehouses from Orel and destroy the city's infrastructure. In addition, the 3rd Army was drained of blood, the number of divisions advancing in the first echelon fell to 3.3-3.6 thousand people. However, the loss of the strong Oka defense line did not allow the Germans to create a stable defense system, and they continued to retreat. On August 3, units of the 35th Army Corps in the Orel area were surrounded by a semicircle. In order to save the city from complete destruction, a special group was formed from the tank units of the 3rd Army to liberate the city. By 16.00 on August 4, Soviet troops liberated the eastern part of the city. By the morning of August 5, Orel was completely liberated from the Nazis. The liberation of Orel and Belgorod was marked by 12 salvoes from 120 guns.

From July 10 to August 12, 1943, the Bryansk Front lost more than 81 thousand people (over 22 thousand people were irretrievable losses). The front lost up to 40% of its members. The 3rd Army of General Gorbaty suffered the highest losses - over 38 thousand people. Such high losses were caused by the powerful German defense system in the Oryol salient area, created during a long pause in hostilities. The German defense system in the Orel area was one of the most advanced in the entire Great Patriotic War. It is also necessary to note the quick reaction of the German command, which dismantled the strike group advancing in the defense zone of the Central Front and transferred reserve divisions to the Orel area.

To be continued…

Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was born on September 5 (16), 1747 in St. Petersburg in the family of Senator Illarion Golenishchev-Kutuzov. The future commander received his primary education at home. In 1759, Kutuzov entered the Artillery and Engineering Noble School. In 1761 he completed his studies and, on the recommendation of Count Shuvalov, remained at school to teach mathematics to children. Soon Mikhail Illarionovich received the rank of aide-de-camp, and later - captain, company commander of an infantry regiment, commanded by A.V. Suvorov.

Participation in the Russian-Turkish wars

In 1770, Mikhail Illarionovich was transferred to the army of P. A. Rumyantsev, in which he took part in the war with Turkey. In 1771, for his successes in the battle of Popeshty, Kutuzov received the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1772, Mikhail Illarionovich was transferred to the 2nd Army of Prince Dolgoruky in Crimea. During one of the battles, Kutuzov was wounded and was sent to Austria for treatment. Returning to Russia in 1776, he again entered military service. Soon he received the rank of colonel and the rank of major general. A brief biography of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov would be incomplete without mentioning that in 1788 - 1790 he took part in the siege of Ochakov, the battles near Kaushany, the assault on Bendery and Izmail, for which he received the rank of lieutenant general.

The mature years of a commander

In 1792, Mikhail Illarionovich took part in the Russian-Polish war. In 1795, he was appointed military governor, as well as director of the Imperial Land Noble Cadet Corps, where he taught military disciplines.

After the death of Catherine II, Kutuzov remained under the new Emperor Paul I. From 1798 to 1802, Mikhail Illarionovich served as an infantry general, Lithuanian Governor-General, military governor in St. Petersburg and Vyborg, and inspector of the Finnish Inspectorate.

The beginning of the war with Napoleon. Turkish War

In 1805, the war with Napoleon began. The Russian government appointed Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the army, whose biography testified to his high military skill. The march-maneuver to Olmets, carried out by Mikhail Illarionovich in October 1805, went down in the history of military art as exemplary. In November 1805, Kutuzov's army was defeated during the Battle of Austerlitz.

In 1806, Mikhail Illarionovich was appointed military governor of Kyiv, and in 1809 - Lithuanian governor-general. Having distinguished himself during the Turkish War of 1811, Kutuzov was elevated to the rank of count.

Patriotic War. Death of a Commander

During the Patriotic War of 1812, Alexander I appointed Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of all Russian armies, and also awarded him the title of His Serene Highness. During the most important battles of Borodino and Tarutino in his life, the commander showed an excellent strategy. Napoleon's army was destroyed.

In 1813, while traveling with an army through Prussia, Mikhail Illarionovich caught a cold and fell ill in the town of Bunzlau. He was getting worse and on April 16 (28), 1813, commander Kutuzov died. The great military leader was buried in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Other biography options

• In 1774, during the battle in Alushta, Kutuzov was wounded by a bullet that damaged the commander’s right eye, but contrary to popular belief, his vision was preserved.
• Mikhail Illarionovich was awarded sixteen honorary awards and became the first Knight of St. George in the entire history of the order.
• Kutuzov was a restrained, prudent commander, who gained the reputation of a cunning man. Napoleon himself called him “the old fox of the North.”
• Mikhail Kutuzov is one of the main characters in L. N. Tolstoy’s work “War and Peace,” which is studied in the 10th grade.

Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (Golenishchev-Kutuzov), famous Russian commander, field marshal general (August 31, 1812). (His Serene Highness Prince Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky from 1812), Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, the first full holder of the Order of St. George.

Always cheerful, sociable, he was distinguished by amazing composure in the most difficult situations. Strict calculation and restraint were his hallmarks. He knew how to talk to a soldier and, like Suvorov, knowing that ceremonial tinsel and external splendor were not to the heart of the Russian commoner, he, being already the commander-in-chief, appeared before the troops on a small Cossack horse, in an old frock coat without epaulettes, in a cap and with a whip across shoulder.

Origin of Kutuzov: from Boots and Kutuz

The noble family of Golenishchev-Kutuzov traces its origins to a certain Gabriel, who settled in the Novgorod lands during the time of Alexander Nevsky (mid-13th century). Among his descendants in the 15th century was Fyodor, nicknamed Kutuz, whose nephew was called Vasily, nicknamed Boots. The sons of the latter began to be called Golenishchev-Kutuzov and were in the royal service. Grandfather M.I. Kutuzov only rose to the rank of captain, his father was already promoted to lieutenant general, and Mikhail Illarionovich earned hereditary princely dignity.

Childhood and youth of Mikhail Kutuzov

Mikhail Kutuzov is the only son of Lieutenant General and Senator Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1717-1784) and his wife, née Beklemisheva. Mikhail Kutuzov's father, Illarion Golenishchev-Kutuzov, rose to the rank of lieutenant general and the rank of senator.
Having received an excellent home education from the age of 7, Mikhail completed a course in the artillery and engineering corps (his father taught artillery art there). At the age of 14 he entered the service as a corporal of artillery, then he was a conductor in the engineering corps and at the age of 16 he was promoted to officer.

Fate threw him from headquarters to the line and back; He served both in the army of Rumyantsev and under the command of Potemkin, and in 1762, with the rank of captain, he was appointed commander of a company of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, headed by Colonel A.V. Suvorov. The rapid career of the young Kutuzov can be explained both by receiving a good education and by the efforts of his father. In 1764-1765, he volunteered to take part in military skirmishes of Russian troops in Poland, and in 1767 he was seconded to the commission for drawing up a new Code created by Catherine II.

Kutuzov's dizzying military career

The school of military excellence was his participation in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, where he initially served as a divisional quartermaster in the army of General P. A. Rumyantsev and was in the battles of Ryabaya Mogila, r. Largi, Kagul and during the assault on Bendery. From 1772 he fought in the Crimean Army. On July 24, 1774, during the liquidation of the Turkish landing near Alushta, Kutuzov, commanding a grenadier battalion, was seriously wounded - a bullet exited through his left temple near his right eye. Kutuzov used the vacation he received to complete his treatment to travel abroad; in 1776 he visited Berlin and Vienna, and visited England, Holland, and Italy. Upon returning to duty, he commanded various regiments, and in 1785 he became commander of the Bug Jaeger Corps. From 1777 he was a colonel, from 1784 he was a major general.

Kutuzov family

Kutuzov got married in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Golenishchevo, Samoluksky volost, Loknyansky district, Pskov region. Nowadays, only ruins remain of this church.
Mikhail Illarionovich's wife, Ekaterina Ilyinichna (1754-1824), was the daughter of Lieutenant General Ilya Aleksandrovich Bibikov, the son of Catherine's nobleman Bibikov. She married thirty-year-old Colonel Kutuzov in 1778 and gave birth to five daughters in a happy marriage (the only son, Nikolai, died of smallpox in infancy).

Daughters: Praskovya, Anna, Elizaveta, Ekaterina, Daria. Two of them (Liza and Katya) had their first husbands die fighting under the command of Kutuzov. Since the field marshal did not leave any descendants in the male line, the surname Golenishchev-Kutuzov was transferred to his grandson, Major General P.M., in 1859. Tolstoy, son of Praskovya.

On the brink of death

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791, during the siege of Ochakov (1788), Kutuzov was again dangerously wounded - the bullet went right through “from temple to temple behind both eyes.” The surgeon who treated him, Massot, commented on his wound: “We must believe that fate appoints Kutuzov to something great, for he survived after two wounds, fatal according to all the rules of medical science.”

At the beginning of 1789, he took part in the battle of Kaushany and in the capture of the fortresses of Akkerman and Bender. During the storming of Izmail in 1790, Suvorov assigned him to command one of the columns and, without waiting for the capture of the fortress, appointed him first commandant. For this assault, Kutuzov received the rank of lieutenant general.

"I serve Russia!"

At the conclusion of the Peace of Yassy, ​​Kutuzov was unexpectedly appointed envoy to Turkey. When choosing him, the Empress took into account his broad outlook, subtle mind, rare tact, ability to find a common language with different people and innate cunning. In Istanbul, Kutuzov managed to gain the trust of the Sultan and successfully led the activities of a huge embassy of 650 people.

Upon returning to Russia in 1794, he was appointed director of the Land Noble Cadet Corps. Under Emperor Paul I, he was appointed to the most important posts (inspector of troops in Finland, commander of an expeditionary force sent to Holland, Lithuanian military governor, commander of the army in Volyn), and was entrusted with important diplomatic missions.

Hot spots: Austerlitz and Ruschuk

At the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, Kutuzov took the post of St. Petersburg military governor, but was soon sent on leave. In 1805 he was appointed commander of the troops operating in Austria against Napoleon. He managed to save the army from the threat of encirclement, but the arriving Alexander I, under the influence of young advisers, insisted on holding a general battle. Kutuzov objected, but was unable to defend his opinion, and at Austerlitz the Russian-Austrian troops suffered a crushing defeat.

Having become the commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army operating against the Turks in 1811, Kutuzov was able to rehabilitate himself - not only inflicted defeat on them near Rushchuk (now Ruse, Bulgaria), but also, showing extraordinary diplomatic abilities, signed the Bucharest Peace Treaty in 1812, which was beneficial for Russia. The emperor, who did not like the commander, awarded him the title of count (1811), and then elevated him to the dignity of His Serene Highness (1812).

French invasion

At the beginning of the 1812 campaign against the French, Kutuzov was in St. Petersburg in the secondary post of commander of the Narva Corps, and then the St. Petersburg militia. Only when disagreements among the generals reached a critical point was he appointed commander-in-chief of all armies operating against Napoleon (August 8). Kutuzov was forced to continue his retreat strategy. But, yielding to the demands of the army and society, he fought the Battle of Borodino (promoted to field marshal general) and at the military council in Fili made the difficult decision to leave Moscow. Russian troops, having completed a flank march to the south, stopped at the village of Tarutino. Kutuzov himself was sharply criticized by a number of senior military leaders.

“The entry of the enemy into Moscow does not yet mean the conquest of Russia,” wrote Mikhail Illarionovich to the emperor, who did not expect that Moscow would be abandoned. “Now, not far from Moscow, having gathered my troops, I can wait with a firm foot for the enemy, and while the army of Your Imperial Majesty is intact and driven by a certain courage and our zeal, until then the loss of Moscow is not the loss of the Fatherland.” In the village of Panki near Moscow, the field marshal celebrated his last birthday. He was sixty-seven years old. His days were already numbered.

Kutuzov’s Tarutino maneuver became one of the hitherto unseen masterpieces of world military art. While Napoleon, sitting in Moscow, was waiting for surrender from the Russian Tsar, our army rested, perked up and was significantly replenished. When Moscow went up in flames, the debate over whether the commander-in-chief had acted correctly ceased; now everyone saw the genius of his plan and the benefit of the position he had chosen.

Finally, Napoleonic ambassador Lauriston arrived to Kutuzov. Seeing the Russian field marshal in front of him, whose only eye shone with confidence in the impending victory, Lauriston plaintively exclaimed: “Is this unprecedented, this unheard-of war really supposed to continue forever? The Emperor sincerely wants to put an end to this feud between two great and generous peoples and stop it forever.” .
It’s as if it wasn’t the French who came to us as uninvited guests, it wasn’t the French who robbed everything in their path, it wasn’t the French who behaved barbarously towards the Russian people, it wasn’t Napoleon who ordered even all the crosses to be removed from Moscow churches and bell towers, but we invaded France, took and They burned Paris, raked out the treasures of Versailles! And Lauriston still dared to call his European robbers “generous people”!

Kutuzov’s answer was full of dignity: “When I was appointed to the army, the word “peace” was never mentioned. I would have brought upon myself the curse of posterity if I had been considered the culprit of the agreement with you. This is the current way of thinking of my people!”

Having waited for the French troops to leave Moscow, Kutuzov accurately determined the direction of their movement and blocked their path at Maloyaroslavets. The then organized parallel pursuit of the retreating enemy led to the virtual death of the French army, although army critics reproached the commander-in-chief for passivity and the desire to build Napoleon a “golden bridge” to exit Russia.

On October 6, Murat's corps attacked the Russian army near Tarutino and was defeated. From this day began the triumphant expulsion of Napoleon from the borders of the Fatherland. Emperor Alexander, who had hitherto still not recognized the correctness of the surrender of Moscow, sent Kutuzov congratulations on his victory. But at the same time, he demanded to give another general battle, and Kutuzov only tiredly repeated: “No need. All this will now fall apart on its own.” A wise diplomat and politician, he understood perfectly well that the complete defeat of Napoleon within Russia could lead to England taking possession of France. He said: “Napoleon’s inheritance will go not to Russia, but to that power that already dominates the seas, and then its dominance will be unbearable.”

Kutuzov's further victory over Bonaparte did not consist of a general battle, but in the fact that he did not allow the enemy to leave Russia through the rich lands of the Oryol region and Little Russia, forcing the uninvited guests to retreat along the war-ravaged old Smolensk road. At the same time, Mikhail Illarionovich was forced to defend his plan for the slow extermination of the “great army”, to argue with those who demanded that he encircle the remnants of the French troops and take them prisoner.

It is also surprising that Napoleon, without actually losing a single battle to Kutuzov, completely lost his powerful army and crawled away from Russia, content only with the looted goods. It's funny, but thanks to this, the French still consider the War of 1812 a success! They claim that they won the Battle of Borodino, took Moscow, made a great profit - why not a victorious campaign! But be that as it may, in reality it was not Napoleon who won a complete victory, but a wiser commander, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov.

A magnificent swan song!

In December 1812, 18 thousand pitiful, ragged and frostbitten people, who could no longer be called soldiers, returned from Russia to Europe through the Neman. 130 thousand ended up in Russian captivity, and 350 thousand Europeans from twelve countries remained forever in the vast and beautiful Russian expanses.

At the beginning of 1813, Kutuzov led military operations in Poland and Prussia with the goal of completing the defeat of the remnants of Napoleonic army and liberating the peoples of Europe from Napoleon's yoke, but death interrupted his implementation of his planned plan. His body was embalmed and transported to St. Petersburg, where he was buried in the Kazan Cathedral.
Kutuzov's military leadership was distinguished by the breadth and variety of all types of maneuver in offensive and defensive, and the timely transition from one type of maneuver to another. All contemporaries, while differing in their assessment of Kutuzov’s secondary qualities, unanimously noted his exceptional intelligence, brilliant military and diplomatic talents and selfless service to the Motherland. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, the Order of Kutuzov of the 1st, 2nd (July 29, 1942) and 3rd degree (February 8, 1943) was established in the USSR.

The adoration and unconditional trust of the soldiers, a very special gift for commanding, doing it so that the command sounded like a gentle request, the charm of the mind and the alluring nobility of character - in a word, everything that in Kutuzov captivated people from the very first years of his life is, of course, very , helped Kutuzov, with all his fatigue, with all the attacks of malaise that he skillfully hid from those around him, to bear the incredibly heavy load of work and responsibility.

The old man, who, counting, for example, from the day of the Borodino battle to the day of death, had exactly seven months and three weeks to live, bore the burden of gigantic labor...

He, a great patriot, a victorious commander, would rightfully have the honor of leading the Russian army into Paris in March 1814; him, and not Barclay or anyone else. But death overtook him at the very beginning of new bloodshed, which led to the final triumph he had foreseen...

During the four months of his foreign campaign, Kutuzov, old and sick, clearly felt more independent of the court than during the entire campaign of 1812. The conqueror of Napoleon, the savior of Russia, the idol of the people, he could feel for minutes much more like a king than Alexander. Kutuzov's orders were carried out throughout Russia in the most zealous manner...

At the end of March it became difficult for the old field marshal to move; in April he fell ill and never had to get up. On April 28, Kutuzov died.

It must be said that during his illness at the end of March and throughout April, Alexander, who completely took over the reins of command of the army, managed, contrary to the wishes of the field marshal, to implement some measures and give some orders that subsequently had a harmful effect...

“Will you forgive me, Mikhail Illarionovich?” - “I forgive you, sir, but Russia will not forgive you” - such a conversation took place between them at the deathbed of the great field marshal.