The great commander Mikhail Kutuzov made an enormous contribution to the victory of Russia in the war of 1812, when the troops of Emperor Napoleon invaded Russian territory. The owner of a lively and sharp mind, Mikhail Illarionovich was a real genius of strategy and tactics, and even officers and generals of the enemy army were respectful to him.
It is widely believed that Mikhail Kutuzov was blind in one eye, or deprived of this eye. In fact, there is no evidence of this, as in all the portraits made during his lifetime, he is depicted without any injuries. Being a native of a very noble and rich family, the young Mikhail received an excellent primary education at home. In his youth, the future commander studied at the artillery and engineering school for the nobility, which he successfully completed. Kutuzov was fluent in five foreign languages - English, French, German, Turkish and Swedish.
French writer Madame de Stael, after a personal acquaintance with Kutuzov, noticed that he spoke French better than the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who himself came from Corsica, and whose native language was Italian. By a strange coincidence, Kutuzov was the last person with whom Catherine II, and Paul I, spent their last evening, ascended the throne after her. For a long time, Mikhail Kutuzov served as ambassador to Turkey, where he achieved excellent results, and in 1811 he made a very favorable peace agreement with the Turks. Turkish courtiers noted his skill in negotiating and small talk. Napoleon called Kutuzov an “old northern fox”, hinting at his cunning.
The main defeat in his military career, Mikhail Illarionovich suffered in 1805 near Austerlitz, during the war with France. Then he offered to stumble and wait, waiting for reinforcements, but the emperor ordered to attack the enemy. Later, Emperor Alexander the First himself admitted his mistake. When, after the defeat of the French in the Battle of Borodino, Russian troops moved to France, Kutuzov demanded that the soldiers not to commit riots in enemy territory, and make a distinction between the soldiers of the enemy army and civilians. Kutuzov never saw Paris during the war – he fell seriously ill, died, without completing the persecution of the emperor Napoleon. His embalmed body was sent to St. Petersburg.
