Alexander Mikaberidze joins me to talk about the man behind the myth, who forms the focus of his new book Kutuzov: A Life in War and Peace.
Buy the book: Kutuzov - Alexander Mikaberidze - Oxford University Press (oup.com)
Twitter: @zwhitehistory | @AMikaberidze
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Zack is interviewing one of the foremost experts about the Napoleonic time Alexander Mikaberidze who talks about his recent book, a biography about Kutuzow and apart of that shows his deep knowledge of the Napoleonic period.
Some very interesting points were raised, as that only Kutuzov could survive giving up Moscow and handing it more or less over to Napoléon. I wonder what Barclay de Tolly would have done, I am quite positive that he also would have waged a battle in front of Moscow but would have chosen better ground and better battle order. Though Kutuzow was still a sly person, he was ill and the days of his prime certainly gone. Despite all this he masterly decoyed Boney to stay as long as possible in Moscow, while he was rebuilding his army at the same time. And yes, Zack, despite the Russian Army paid a heavy toll the Russian strategy was the only way to destroy the multinational Grande Armée.