Kutuzov had been governor of Vilna. In that wealthy town,
which had not been injured, he found old friends and associations, besides the comforts of life of which he had so
long been deprived. And he suddenly turned from the cares
of army and state and, as far as the passions that seethed
around him allowed, immersed himself in the quiet life to
which he had formerly been accustomed, as if all that was
taking place and all that had still to be done in the realm of
history did not concern him at all.
Chichagov, one of the most zealous ‘cutters-off’ and
‘breakers-up,’ who had first wanted to effect a diversion in
Greece and then in Warsaw but never wished to go where
he was sent: Chichagov, noted for the boldness with which
he spoke to the Emperor, and who considered Kutuzov to
be under an obligation to him because when he was sent to
make peace with Turkey in 1811 independently of Kutuzov,
and found that peace had already been concluded, he admitted to the Emperor that the merit of securing that peace
was really Kutuzov’s; this Chichagov was the first to meet
Kutuzov at the castle where the latter was to stay. In undress naval uniform, with a dirk, and holding his cap under
his arm, he handed Kutuzov a garrison report and the keys
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of the town. The contemptuously respectful attitude of the
younger men to the old man in his dotage was expressed in
the highest degree by the behavior of Chichagov, who knew
of the accusations that were being directed against Kutuzov.
When speaking to Chichagov, Kutuzov incidentally
mentioned that the vehicles packed with china that had
been captured from him at Borisov had been recovered and
would be restored to him.
‘You mean to imply that I have nothing to eat out of….
On the contrary, I can supply you with everything even if
you want to give dinner parties,’ warmly replied Chichagov,
who tried by every word he spoke to prove his own rectitude and therefore imagined Kutuzov to be animated by the
same desire.
Kutuzov, shrugging his shoulders, replied with his subtle
penetrating smile: ‘I meant merely to say what I said.’
Contrary to the Emperor’s wish Kutuzov detained the
greater part of the army at Vilna. Those about him said
that he became extraordinarily slack and physically feeble
during his stay in that town. He attended to army affairs reluctantly, left everything to his generals, and while awaiting
the Emperor’s arrival led a dissipated life.
Having left Petersburg on the seventh of December with
his suiteCount Tolstoy, Prince Volkonski, Arakcheev, and
othersthe Emperor reached Vilna on the eleventh, and in
his traveling sleigh drove straight to the castle. In spite of
the severe frost some hundred generals and staff officers in
full parade uniform stood in front of the castle, as well as a
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guard of honor of the Semenov regiment.
A courier who galloped to the castle in advance, in a
troyka with three foam-flecked horses, shouted ‘Coming!’
and Konovnitsyn rushed into the vestibule to inform Kutuzov, who was waiting in the hall porter’s little lodge.
A minute later the old man’s large stout figure in fulldress uniform, his chest covered with orders and a scarf
drawn round his stomach, waddled out into the porch.
He put on his hat with its peaks to the sides and, holding
his gloves in his hand and walking with an effort sideways
down the steps to the level of the street, took in his hand the
report he had prepared for the Emperor.
There was running to and fro and whispering; another
troyka furiously up, and then all eyes were turned on an approaching sleigh in which the figures of the Emperor and
Volkonski could already be descried.
From the habit of fifty years all this had a physically agitating effect on the old general. He carefully and hastily felt
himself all over, readjusted his hat, and pulling himself together drew himself up and, at the very moment when the
Emperor, having alighted from the sleigh, lifted his eyes
to him, handed him the report and began speaking in his
smooth, ingratiating voice.
The Emperor with a rapid glance scanned Kutuzov from
head to foot, frowned for an instant, but immediately mastering himself went up to the old man, extended his arms
and embraced him. And this embrace too, owing to a longstanding impression related to his innermost feelings, had
its usual effect on Kutuzov and he gave a sob.
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The Emperor greeted the officers and the Semenov guard,
and again pressing the old man’s hand went with him into
the castle.
When alone with the field marshal the Emperor expressed his dissatisfaction at the slowness of the pursuit and
at the mistakes made at Krasnoe and the Berezina, and informed him of his intentions for a future campaign abroad.
Kutuzov made no rejoinder or remark. The same submissive, expressionless look with which he had listened to the
Emperor’s commands on the field of Austerlitz seven years
before settled on his face now.
When Kutuzov came out of the study and with lowered
head was crossing the ballroom with his heavy waddling
gait, he was arrested by someone’s voice saying:
‘Your Serene Highness!’
Kutuzov raised his head and looked for a long while into
the eyes of Count Tolstoy, who stood before him holding a
silver salver on which lay a small object. Kutuzov seemed
not to understand what was expected of him.
Suddenly he seemed to remember; a scarcely perceptible
smile flashed across his puffy face, and bowing low and respectfully he took the object that lay on the salver. It was the
Order of St. George of the First Class.
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Chapter XI
Next day the field marshal gave a dinner and ball which
the Emperor honored by his presence. Kutuzov had received
the Order of St. George of the First Class and the Emperor
showed him the highest honors, but everyone knew of the
imperial dissatisfaction with him. The proprieties were observed and the Emperor was the first to set that example,
but everybody understood that the old man was blameworthy and good-for-nothing. When Kutuzov, conforming
to a custom of Catherine’s day, ordered the standards that
had been captured to be lowered at the Emperor’s feet on
his entering the ballroom, the Emperor made a wry face
and muttered something in which some people caught the
words, ‘the old comedian.’
The Emperor’s displeasure with Kutuzov was specially
increased at Vilna by the fact that Kutuzov evidently could
not or would not understand the importance of the coming
campaign.
When on the following morning the Emperor said to the
officers assembled about him: ‘You have not only saved Russia, you have saved Europe!’ they all understood that the
war was not ended.
Kutuzov alone would not see this and openly expressed
his opinion that no fresh war could improve the position or
add to the glory of Russia, but could only spoil and lower the
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glorious position that Russia had gained. He tried to prove
to the Emperor the impossibility of levying fresh troops,
spoke of the hardships already endured by the people, of the
possibility of failure and so forth.
This being the field marshal’s frame of mind he was naturally regarded as merely a hindrance and obstacle to the
impending war.
To avoid unpleasant encounters with the old man, the
natural method was to do what had been done with him at
Austerlitz and with Barclay at the beginning of the Russian
campaignto transfer the authority to the Emperor himself, thus cutting the ground from under the commander
in chief’s feet without upsetting the old man by informing
him of the change.
With this object his staff was gradually reconstructed and its real strength removed and transferred to the
Emperor. Toll, Konovnitsyn, and Ermolov received fresh
appointments. Everyone spoke loudly of the field marshal’s
great weakness and failing health.
His health had to be bad for his place to be taken away
and given to another. And in fact his health was poor.
So naturally, simply, and graduallyjust as he had come
from Turkey to the Treasury in Petersburg to recruit the
militia, and then to the army when he was needed therenow
when his part was played out, Kutuzov’s place was taken by
a new and necessary performer.
The war 1812, besides its national significance dear to every Russian heart, was now to assume another, a European,
significance.
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The movement of peoples from west to east was to be succeeded by a movement of peoples from east to west, and for
this fresh war another leader was necessary, having qualities and views differing from Kutuzov’s and animated by
different motives.
Alexander I was as necessary for the movement of the
peoples from east to west and for the refixing of national
frontiers as Kutuzov had been for the salvation and glory
of Russia.
Kutuzov did not understand what Europe, the balance
of power, or Napoleon meant. He could not understand it.
For the representative of the Russian people, after the enemy had been destroyed and Russia had been liberated and
raised to the summit of her glory, there was nothing left to
do as a Russian. Nothing remained for the representative of
the national war but to die, and Kutuzov died.
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Chapter XII
As generally happens, Pierre did not feel the full effects
of the physical privation and strain he had suffered as prisoner until after they were over. After his liberation he reached
Orel, and on the third day there, when preparing to go to
Kiev, he fell ill and was laid up for three months. He had what
the doctors termed ‘bilious fever.’ But despite the fact that the
doctors treated him, bled him, and gave him medicines to
drink, he recovered.
Scarcely any impression was left on Pierre’s mind by all
that happened to him from the time of his rescue till his illness. He remembered only the dull gray weather now rainy
and now snowy, internal physical distress, and pains in his
feet and side. He remembered a general impression of the
misfortunes and sufferings of people and of being worried
by the curiosity of officers and generals who questioned him,
he also remembered his difficulty in procuring a conveyance
and horses, and above all he remembered his incapacity to
think and feel all that time. On
