Free Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Eagles of Europe by Ian Castle

that Kutuzov had been ‘dismissed at his own request’. Now, virtually in exile, Kutuzov retired to his estate in Goroshki to concentrate on farming. His health began to suffer and increasing rheumatism contributed to his aged appearance, then his battered right eye finally failed and he lost his sight. He grew portly but retained his fondness for alcohol and kept his one roving eye for the women. He remained cunning, shrewd, diplomatic and dogged and was still the best commander the army had. When the call came from Alexander to serve his country, Kutuzov responded once more with alacrity. He disapproved of the Allied plans, but as the campaign was already underway, headed off to lead the army into Bavaria to confront the French.
    Kutuzov’s greatest fear was that Austria would send her army into Bavaria too early. A marathon 650-mile march from Russia to Braunau lay before the army and uncertainty over Prussia’s stance, combined with delays in preparation meant his army started five days later than planned. 2
    On 7 August, Alexander wrote to Frederick William, the Prussian king, seeking permission for Russian troops to march through Prussia. While he awaited the king’s response, Buxhöwden’s army marched towards the border at Brest-Litovsk, in readiness to continue across Prussian territory towards Warsaw. Similarly, Bennigsen’s men advanced through Lithuania, awaiting confirming orders to enter Prussia. Russia and Austria agreed (with British consent) that if Prussia refused the request then Russian troops would enter Prussia aggressively. Communications dragged on, and Alexander ordered his two armies to halt at the border, allowing time for Kutuzov to advance far enough to add a further threat from the south to that now presented from the east.
    On 4 September, Alexander warned Frederick William that his troops would cross the border into Prussia on 16 September. Then, against the wishes of Czartoryski and the Austrian minister, Cobenzl, Alexander decided he should personally join his armies at the front and share their fortune. Prussiacontinued to express her neutrality, leading to an extension of the deadline, while Alexander travelled to Brest-Litovsk, where he arrived on 27 September after a seven-day journey. Here he found a letter waiting from Frederick William and in response sent his aide, Prince Peter Dolgorukov to Berlin, in a final attempt at reasoning with the Prussian king. On 3 October, while awaiting the result of this embassy, Alexander retired to the Czartoryski family estate at Pulawy. Meanwhile, Bennigsen, Buxhöwden and their armies remained on the border, already way behind schedule.
    With everything static on the Prussian border, Kutuzov pushed his army on as best he could. There were 46,405 men under his command, but only a few days into Galicia, Kutuzov received an order to detach one of his six columns for service on the Turkish frontier. When the kaiser heard of this weakening of the Russian force he immediately appealed to the tsar. In response, General Leitenant Rosen’s men were recalled, but because of the inherent delays in communication between Vienna, St Petersburg and the army, he trailed far behind Kutuzov’s advance and never reached the Inn, reducing the effective command to around 38,000 men. The leading column reached Teschen, on the border between the Austrian provinces of Galicia and Moravia – the halfway point to Braunau – on 22 September, covering the 320 miles in twenty-nine days. Here Kutuzov received dramatic news: the French had already abandoned their camps on the Channel coast and were heading for the Rhine.
    Kutusov’s men had suffered badly on the march – poor roads and bad weather taking their toll – but at Teschen the Austrian authorities urged him to push on with greater speed. For this purpose they provided over 2,000 horse drawn carts to hasten the Russians on their way. Exhausted though his men were, Kutuzov ordered them to abandon all excess