Multiple factors were making a Russian advance on the French inevitable, even though Kutúzov would have preferred to delay the attack.
Multiple factors were making a Russian advance on the French inevitable, even though Kutúzov would have preferred to delay the attack.
Book 13, Chapter 2
Multiple factors were making a Russian advance on the French inevitable, even though Kutúzov would have preferred to delay the attack.
Summary:
During the month that the French troops were pillaging in Moscow and the Russian troops were quietly encamped at Tarútino, a change had taken place in the relative strength of the two armies-both in spirit and in number-as a result of which the superiority had passed to the Russian side. As soon as that change occurred the need of attacking at once showed itself by countless signs. These signs were: Lauriston’s mission; the abundance of provisions at Tarútino; the reports coming in from all sides of the inactivity and disorder of the French; the flow of recruits to our regiments; the fine weather; the long rest the Russian soldiers had enjoyed, and the impatience to do what they had been assembled for, the easy successes gained by guerrilla troops over the French, the envy aroused by this; the desire for revenge that lay in the heart of every Russian as long as the French were in Moscow, and other signs. There was a substantial change in the relative strength, and an advance had become inevitable. Kutúzov’s merit now lay, not in any strategic maneuver of genius, but that he – who as commander in chief might have been expected to be eager to attack-employed his whole strength to restrain the Russian army from useless engagements.
quote from the chapter:
The famous flank movement merely consisted in this: after the advance of the French had ceased, the Russian army, which had been continually retreating straight back from the invaders, deviated from that direct course and, not finding itself pursued, was naturally drawn toward the district where supplies were abundant.
If instead of imagining to ourselves commanders of genius leading the Russian army, we picture that army without any leaders, it could not have done anything but make a return movement toward Moscow, describing an arc in the direction where most provisions were to be found and where the country was richest.
That movement from the Nízhni to the Ryazán, Túla, and Kalúga roads was so natural that even the Russian marauders moved in that direction, and demands were sent from Petersburg for Kutúzov to take his army that way. At Tarútino Kutúzov received what was almost a reprimand from the Emperor for having moved his army along the Ryazán road, and the Emperor’s letter indicated to him the very position he had already occupied near Kalúga.
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