| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Kutuzov, born at Saint Petersburg, entered the Russian army in 1759 or 1760. He saw active service in Poland ( 1764 – 1769), and against the TurksOsmanlı İmparatorluğu Devlet-i Aliye-i Osmaniye The Ottoman Coat of Arms Imperial motto: unknown The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople) Sovereigns Sultans ( 1770Events March 5 Boston Massacre: 5 Americans killed by British troops in an event that would help start the American Revolutionary War 5 years later. May 14 Marie Antoinette arrives to French Court. May 16 14-year old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year old L – 1774Events January 21 Mustafa III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire dies and is succeeded by his brother Abd-ul-Hamid I. May 10 Louis XVI becomes King of France. June 2 Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to let British soldiers int); lost an eye in action in the latter year; and after that travelled for some years in central and western EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se. In 1784Events January 6 the Turks agree to Russia's annexation of the Crimea in the Treaty of Constantinople January 14 The U. Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with England to end the American Revolutionary War February 27 Count of St Germain dies of pneumo he became a major-general, in 1787Events In Britain, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp formed the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade with support from John Wesley, Josiah Wedgwood and others. January 11 William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus. Februa governor-general of the CrimeaThe Crimea (officially Autonomous Republic of Crimea Ukrainian transliteration: Avtonomna Respublika Krym Ukrainian: Russian: is a peninsula and an autonomous republic of Ukraine on the northern coast of the Black Sea. It was called Tauric or Scythian Che; and under Suvorov, whose constant companion he became, he won considerable distinction in the Russo-Turkish War of 1787 - 1792 , at the taking of Ochakov , Odessa, Benda and Ismail, and the battles of Rimnik and Mashin. He was now ( 1791) a lieutenant-general, and successively occupied the positions of ambassador at Constantinople, governor-general of Finland, commandant of the corps of cadets at Saint Petersburg, ambassador at Berlin, and governor-general of Saint Petersburg. In 1805 he commanded the Russian corps which opposed Napoleon's advance on Vienna, and won the hard-fought action of Dürrenstein on 11 November 1805.
On the eve of Austerlitz Kutuzov tried to prevent the Allied generals from fighting a battle, and when he was overruled took so little interest in the event that he fell asleep during the reading of the orders. He was, however, present at the battle itself ( 2 December 1805), and was wounded.
From 1806 to 1811 Kutuzov served as governor-general of Lithuania and Kiev, and in 1811, being then commander-in-chief in the war against the Turks (see Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812), he became a prince. After the controversy between him and Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly about strategy was decided in his favor, Kutuzov was given command of the army that was retreating before Napoleon's advance (following the scorched earth principle).
Kutuzov gave battle at Borodino ( 7 September 1812) in the Patriotic War against Napoleon, and after its undecisive results he fell back on the strategy of his predecessor: withdraw in order to save the Russian army from possible defeat. This came at the price of losing Moscow, its population evacuated. After retreating to the south-west of Moscow and reorganization of the Russian army, he forced Napoleon into retreat following the battle at Maloyaroslavets. The old general's cautious pursuit evoked much criticism, but at any rate he allowed only a remnant of the Grand Army to regain Prussian soil.
Kutuzov now held the rank of Field Marshal and had become Prince of Smolensk - having achieved this title for a victory over part of the French army at that place in November 1812.
Early in 1813 Kutuzov fell ill and died on 28 April 1813 at Bunzlau/Boleslawiec. Memorials have been erected to him at that place and at Saint Petersburg.
Mikhailovsky-Danilevski's life of Kutuzov (St Petersburg, 1850) has a French translation by A. Fizelier (Paris, 1850).