People today often second guess Kutúzov’s decision to allow the French into Moscow. But, at the time, it was probably his best practical option.
People today often second guess Kutúzov’s decision to allow the French into Moscow. But, at the time, it was probably his best practical option.
Book 11, Chapter 2
People today often second guess Kutúzov’s decision to allow the French into Moscow. But, at the time, it was probably his best practical option.
Summary:
Kutúzov allowing Napoleon to enter Moscow was more or less inevitable after the battle of Borodinó. Despite early claims of a Russian victory, the immense losses suffered by the Russians at Borodinó made renewed fighting impossible. Their momentum alone was enough to carry the French army into Moscow. For five weeks after the French took the city, there were no battles. The French did not move, and then suddenly, with no fresh reason, fled back. In hindsight, a lot of “experts” like to question Kutúzov’s decision to yield Moscow to the French. It’s easy to theorize about alternative strategies Kutúzov could have tried. But those who do are forgetting the actual conditions Kutúzov was facing at the time. He was in the midst of a most complex interplay of conflicting intrigues, worries, contingencies, threats, deceptions and so on, and he needed to act quickly. Events and time will not wait on the Commander. Realistically then, allowing the French into Moscow after the battle of Borodinó was probably the best Kutúzov could have done under the circumstances.
quote from the chapter:
On the evening of the twenty-sixth of August, Kutúzov and the whole Russian army were convinced that the battle of Borodinó was a victory. Kutúzov reported so to the Emperor. He gave orders to prepare for a fresh conflict to finish the enemy and did this not to deceive anyone, but because he knew that the enemy was beaten, as everyone who had taken part in the battle knew it.
But all that evening and next day reports came in one after another of unheard-of losses, of the loss of half the army, and a fresh battle proved physically impossible.
It was impossible to give battle before information had been collected, the wounded gathered in, the supplies of ammunition replenished, the slain reckoned up, new officers appointed to replace those who had been killed, and before the men had had food and sleep. And meanwhile, the very next morning after the battle, the French army advanced of itself upon the Russians, carried forward by the force of its own momentum
Click here to read full text of this chapter.
Please help improve this shared document by posting your suggested corrections, clarifications, and changes below. Thank you!