What they said in society about Kutuzov.
Tolstoy's novel “War and Peace” is the deepest comprehension of social social development, philosophy, history. Subject artistic research is the role of an outstanding personality in it. It is natural that on the pages of the book we see many real historical figures: Napoleon, Alexander I, Bagration, Speransky, Kutuzov...
In numerous philosophical digressions, Tolstoy resolutely defends providentialism - a doctrine that explains the course of historical events by the will of providence, God. Still, one cannot ignore the religious aspect of the views of the great thinker. Otherwise, one cannot understand the role played in the history of mankind by two antipodes - Napoleon and Kutuzov.
The promotion of one or another figure to the political arena is, according to Tolstoy, a historical necessity. The important thing is to what extent a person remains true to his destiny, to the highest spiritual principle within himself. It is useless to resist the natural course of events, it is useless to try to play the role of a genius, the arbiter of the destinies of mankind. Thus, Napoleon is prone to theatrical effects and narcissism. He loses the spirit of truth, simplicity and goodness. For him, people on the battlefield are just chess pieces. However real story turns out to be more complicated than a chess game. The shameful flight of the French emperor from Russia is a clear confirmation of this. . .
A prominent place in the novel “War and Peace” is occupied by the image of the people’s commander Kutuzov. Appearance it is somewhat reminiscent of portraits of ordinary Russian soldiers. Kutuzov remains himself both at the military council and on the battlefield. There is no theatricality or false solemnity in it. He knows and understands the mood of the army very well. The review of the regiment in Braunau is carried out with only one purpose - to show the allies that the Russian troops are tired. In turn, the order to Bagration to start the Battle of Shengraben bears little resemblance to the language of subordination and regulations. Kutuzov escorts a four-thousand-strong Russian detachment “to a great feat.” And he pities those who will inevitably die in an unequal battle with the French. He will die to save the army. Let us remember another episode - the Battle of Austerlitz. Kutuzov is in no hurry to carry out the emperor’s order to send troops into battle. The commander understands very well that the morale of the soldiers is low and there is no hope for victory. And this visionary feeling does not deceive him.
The War of 1812 puts the figure of Kutuzov in the forefront of the largest military figures of the era. His election as commander-in-chief is natural. It is on the feeling of patriotism, “which everyone more or less vaguely experienced, that the unanimity and general approval that accompanied the popular election of Kutuzov as commander-in-chief, contrary to court considerations, is based.”
The Battle of Borodino is one of the culminating moments of the war with the French. A lot depends on its outcome. How does Kutuzov behave? “He did not make any orders, but only agreed or did not agree to what was offered to him.” Strange behavior for a commander, but this apparent passivity reveals deep intelligence and knowledge of the situation. Kutuzov is confident that “the fate of the battle is decided not by the orders of the commander-in-chief, not by the place where the troops stand, not by the number of guns and killed people, but by that elusive force called the spirit of the army, and he followed this force and led it, as far as it was in his power." Consequently, Kutuzov cannot be considered a passive contemplator. This is also evidenced by the insightful thoughts of Andrei Bolkonsky about the Russian commander-in-chief: “He will listen to everything, remember everything, put everything in its place, will not interfere with anything useful and will not allow anything harmful. He understands that there is something stronger and more significant than his will - this is the inevitable course of events, and he knows how to foresee them, comprehend their meaning, and because of this, renounce participation in them, his personal will aimed at what is situationally correct.”
All of Kutuzov’s behavior during the war with the French was the subordination of himself and the Russian army to the “inevitable course of events.” The council in Fili, the decision to leave Moscow (against the will of the emperor) are the most important milestones in the hero’s biography. In the episodes, the commander is shown as an old, frail man. It may seem that the decision to leave the historical capital of the state is the fruit of cowardice, the result of a fatal mistake. Some of the Russian generals think so too. But they are wrong. Kutuzov is truly wise. The capture of Moscow by the enemy becomes not a triumph, but a grave defeat for the demoralized French army.
Speaking about Kutuzov, two more significant features of him should be mentioned - religiosity and the ability to compassion. These qualities bring the commander-in-chief closer to other heroes of the War of 1812. Let us remember the scene of the prayer service before the Battle of Borodino. Tolstoy shows the religious unity of Russian people. Kutuzov “with a childishly naive stretch of his lips kissed the icon... bowed, touching the ground with his hand. The generals followed his example; then the officers, and behind them, crushing each other, trampling, puffing and pushing, with excited faces, the soldiers and militia climbed.” The connection between this scene and the victory on the Borodino field is undeniable...
During the panicked flight of the French from Russia, Kutuzov did his best to keep the Russian troops from useless attacks.. Vengeance is alien to both the ordinary Russian soldier and the commander-in-chief. After the Battle of Krasnensky, Kutuzov takes pity on the captured French:
“While they were strong, we did not feel sorry for them, but now we can feel sorry for them. They are people too.” And these words of the old commander resonate in the hearts of the Russians...
At the end of the novel “War and Peace,” Tolstoy speaks about the death of Kutuzov: “To the representative of the Russian people, after the enemy was destroyed, Russia was liberated and put on highest degree his glory, a Russian person, as a Russian, has nothing more to do. The representative of the people's war had no choice but death. And he died."
In the novel “War and Peace,” the image of Kutuzov is not reduced only to some “commander’s virtues”: courage, the ability to lead troops on the battlefield, etc. No! In Tolstoy everything is deeper and more subtle. The greatness of Kutuzov lies in the fact that he does not try to resist the natural course of events, “he understands that there is something stronger and more significant than his will...”
Among the real historical characters depicted in the epic novel by L.N. Tolstoy, Kutuzov, a commander who embodied the spirit of the people, occupies an important place. However, Kutuzov depicted in Tolstoy’s novel is not at all the figure he knows National history. For the author, the commander is an even more significant, special figure, endowed with the instinct of universal folk wisdom.
Kutuzov - “ an old man”, having a loose body and a disfigured face, he gets tired quickly and is a great lover of sleep, he is not devoid of human passions and weaknesses, like any living person. However, fulfilling the role of commander-in-chief of the Russian army, he appears as a subtle and intelligent diplomat with a sharp mind and military leadership talent.
Kutuzov possessed “an extraordinary power of insight in the sense of occurring phenomena.” For Tolstoy, this phenomenon is so important that in his philosophical digressions he states that it is not the individual who plays in history main role, and all the people. The commander-in-chief directed all his forces “not to avoid exterminating and killing people, but to saving and taking pity on them.” Kutuzov is modest, simple and unassuming, which is why he is great, because, according to Tolstoy, “there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” During the Battle of Borodino, Kutuzov feels what every soldier experiences and inspires confidence in victory: “The meaning of his words was communicated everywhere, because what Kutuzov said did not stem from cunning considerations, but from the feeling that lay in the soul of the commander-in-chief, just like in the soul of every Russian person.”
The psychological image of Kutuzov, his relationships with soldiers, and his very life are imbued with a deep folk spirit. The commander with all his being understood and felt everything that every soldier experienced. On behalf of the people, the commander-in-chief refuses Lauriston a truce. He understands perfectly well that victory in the Battle of Borodino is a victory in the war. Kutuzov supports Denisov’s plan for the deployment of partisan actions, understanding folk character war and knowing that history is made by the people and only they can lead to victory. He “knew that the fate of the battle was being decided by that elusive force called the spirit of the army, and he monitored this force and led it as far as it was in his power.” The merging of Kutuzov with the “spirit of the army” leads to victory: “Russia has been liberated and placed on the highest level of glory.” Having learned about the flight of the French from Moscow, the commander says in a trembling voice: “Russia has been saved. Thank you Lord,” and tears flow from his eyes.
The image of Kutuzov is depicted by Tolstoy statically. This is a hero whose character does not develop. But this cannot be, because it is historical figure, integral from the very beginning, whose authority for Tolstoy is indisputable. Only the age of the hero changes. If at first he is depicted as a gallant general, then in the War of 1812 he appears as a white-headed old man who evokes irony from his enemies and deep respect from Russian soldiers. Sometimes the commander’s behavior causes bewilderment, but he is absolutely confident in what he is doing, as if his actions were dictated to him from above. So, in Austerlitz, with a large number of soldiers, an excellent disposition, and generals, Kutuzov says: “I think that the battle will be lost, and I told Count Tolstoy so and asked him to convey this to the sovereign.” It seems strange that at the meeting of the military council, which took place before the battle, the commander fell asleep like an old man. But this is not strange, he simply foresaw the outcome of the battle in advance. On the Borodino field, the commander does not give orders, he only expresses his agreement or disagreement with what his subordinates propose. The only decision that Kutuzov makes himself, alone against everyone, becomes historical - this is the decision made at the council in Fili. Here the author demonstrates how popular reason diverges from military strategy and defeats it.
In the novel, Kutuzov becomes an exponent of Tolstoy’s views, which are based on the understanding that the creator of history and historical events is the whole people, and not individual people, and that spirit and mood are most powerful the masses. Tolstoy portrays Kutuzov as a fatalist who passively watches the events taking place. The author does not talk about how the commander-in-chief prepared the army for battle after the surrender of Moscow, how he carried out his action plan for the defeat French army. However, in some episodes Tolstoy shows Kutuzov historically correctly: when the commander spends long nights thinking about the strategy of the upcoming campaign.
Effective preparation for the Unified State Exam (all subjects) -
Introduction
Russian commanders received great attention from sovereigns, politicians and writers. L.N. Tolstoy wrote the image of Kutuzov in the novel “War and Peace”. He turned out to be self-possessed, modest, but strong and great.
Kutuzov Mikhail Ilarionovich (Tolstoy indicates Kutuzov’s patronymic with one “l”). On the pages of the novel we do not meet him as often as, for example, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. But we feel his presence: they talk about him in the world, soldiers think about him, Russian generals hope for him, Emperor Alexander is angry with him. Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov in Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” runs like a red thread through the plot of the entire novel - he is hope, he is faith, he is strength, he is the “father” of the Russian army.
The attitude of the novel's heroes towards Kutuzov
Princess Drubetskaya tearfully asks Prince Vasily Kuragin for her son Boris, so that he can be placed in the Semenovsky regiment and certainly closer to Kutuzov himself. The old Prince Bolkonsky writes a letter to his friend Kutuzov, where he expresses a request to appoint his son Andrei as his adjutant. The soldiers called Kutuzov “Sam” behind his back and sang a drawn-out soldier’s song, which included the lines: “Kutuzov the father.” Before the Battle of Shengraben, Andrei Bolkonsky was at a loss as to how innocent people could be sent to certain death. But, looking into Kutuzov’s eyes, I realized: “Yes, he has the right to talk so calmly about the death of these people!”
Portrait of Kutuzov
L.N. Tolstoy gives incomplete description Kutuzov, there is only a small description of the appearance; the author shows us everything else through the hero’s speech. But it is precisely this characteristic of Kutuzov in the novel “War and Peace” that is basic and understandable. We see that he is kind, smiling, affectionate, and not indifferent to others. His speech is filled with the words “darling”, “buddy”, “darling”, “beauty”, this confirms his sensitive attitude towards people. Kutuzov showed a special attitude towards Andrei Bolkonsky. He sincerely regretted the death of the old prince and cried about the loss of his friend, and said to Bolkonsky: “... remember, my friend, that I am your father, another father...”
Kutuzov's attitude towards his soldiers makes us understand that for him there was no glory for himself. While inspecting the troops at Braunau, Kutuzov “walked through the ranks, occasionally stopping and speaking a few kind words to the officers... and sometimes to the soldiers.” He also remembered Timokhin, telling him: “Brave officer!” The image of Kutuzov in “War and Peace” was woven by Tolstoy from his human qualities and the character of the commander, the true Russian commander-in-chief. He often writes about his state of mind: “A barely noticeable smile ran across Kutuzov’s plump, wound-disfigured face,” “Christ is with you. “I bless you for this great feat,” said Kutuzov, saying goodbye to Bagration. Tears rolled from his eyes."
Kutuzov and the Battle of Austerlitz
In the novel “War and Peace,” the image of Kutuzov is presented to us not only in his positive assessment. We also see a negative attitude towards the commander-in-chief when they speak about him in a mocking tone: Prince Vasily, secular society, the military council. And Emperor Alexander himself was angry with Kutuzov for Austerlitz. Kutuzov spoke about the Battle of Austerlitz: “I think that the battle will be lost...” But no one understood the meaning of his words, and he felt with his whole existence that it would be a collapse. Tolstoy gives us at this moment another portrait of Kutuzov: “... seemed exhausted and irritable,” “said angrily,” “screamed biliously,” “angry and caustic expression of his gaze.”
He was worried about people, about their lives, he didn’t want to take risks, because there were people behind him, living people. When the sovereign arrived, “he took on the appearance of a commanding, unreasoning person,” because he knew how Alexander treated him. To the sovereign’s question why we weren’t starting, Kutuzov answered: “...we are waiting...” But the sovereign’s grin gave him a sign to go forward. The decision was made by force. And could he argue? When Kutuzov saw what was really happening, that the French were under their very noses, and there was nowhere to retreat, he was already wounded in the cheek, but only said: “The wound is not here, but here!” and pointed to the running soldiers. He was pained by the fact that all his expectations and thoughts were justified, but he could not change anything.
At the military council before the Battle of Austerlitz, Tolstoy shows Kutuzov “in an unbuttoned uniform, from which, as if freed, his fat neck floated out onto the collar, sat in a Voltaire chair, placing his plump old hands symmetrically on the armrests, and was almost asleep...” Kutuzov’s condition can be explained - he understood the entire course of this battle, but no one listened to him, the conversation of the generals was uninteresting to him.
After the flight of the Russians at Austerlitz, no one spoke about Kutuzov, “some scolded him in a whisper, calling him a court turntable and an old satyr.”
Kutuzov - commander
The transition from Kreis to Znaim was Kutuzov’s decision, which led the Russians to their goal. An unexpected opportunity to save the Russian army, Murat's mistake gave Kutuzov a chance to withdraw his troops. Having sent Bagration’s detachment to detain the enemy, Kutuzov managed to save the rest. Calculation or chance helped Kutuzov win the Battle of Shengraben, be that as it may - he great commander, deserved true recognition.
The Battle of Borodino was just around the corner, but no one remembered Kutuzov. But nevertheless, the committee appointed him commander-in-chief of the army, although it knew about the sovereign’s dislike for Kutuzov. This is proof that they believed in Kutuzov, they waited for him, they respected him, they loved him. He held the Russian spirit, the Russian faith, and he turned out to be taller and stronger than Napoleon. Inconspicuous, not claiming anything, he appeared in the novel as a real Russian patriot who fought not for himself, not for glory, but for the sovereign and the people.
This essay can be ended with the words of Mikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzov, which he said to Andrei Bolkonsky before the Battle of Borodino: “Yes, they reproached me a lot for both the war and the peace... but everything came on time. Everything comes on time for those who know how to wait.”
Work test
The epic “War and Peace” is the greatest work of Russian and world literature. L.N. Tolstoy painted a broad picture of the life of Russian society in the period from 1805 to 1820. The novel centers on the defeat of Napoleon's hitherto invincible army by the Russian people in 1812. Against the background of historical events, a chronicle of the life of three noble families is given - the Rostovs, the Bolkonskys and the Bezukhovs. But along with fictional characters, real ones are depicted historical figures- Kutuzov, Napoleon, Alexander I, Speransky and others. By recreating historical events, the author shows the truly national character Patriotic War.
Unlike historical figures like Alexander I, Napoleon, who think only about glory, about power, Kutuzov is able to understand a simple person, and he himself is a simple person by nature. Tolstoy perfectly captured some of the character traits of the great Russian commander: his deep patriotic feelings, his love for the Russian people and hatred of the enemy, closeness to the soldier. Kutuzov was connected with the people by close spiritual ties, and this was his strength as a commander. At the decisive moments of the entire military campaign of 1812, Kutuzov behaves like a commander, close and understandable to the broad masses of soldiers; he acts like a true Russian patriot. In the novel, Kutuzov is opposed to the German generals, to all these Pfuels, Wolzogens pursuing selfish goals, he opposes Napoleon in everything. The whole appearance of Napoleon, the leader of an aggressive, unjust war, was unnatural and deceitful. And the image of Kutuzov is the embodiment of simplicity, goodness and truth. However, the theory of fatalism also affected the interpretation of the image of Kutuzov in the novel. Along with historically and psychologically correct traits of his character, there are also false traits. Kutuzov was a brilliant commander, he went through an excellent military school under the leadership of Suvorov, all his operations were distinguished by the depth of their strategic plan. The Patriotic War of 1812 was a triumph of his military leadership, which turned out to be higher than the general art of Napoleon. In his multifaceted military and diplomatic activities, Kutuzov showed a deep and insightful mind, enormous experience, and extraordinary organizational skills. Meanwhile, L.N. Tolstoy everywhere strives to note that Kutuzov was only a wise observer of events, that he did not interfere with anything, but at the same time did not organize anything. In accordance with his historical views, which were based on the denial of the role of the individual in history and the recognition of the eternal predetermination of historical events, the author portrays Kutuzov as a passive contemplator, who was supposedly only an obedient instrument in the hands of providence. Therefore, in Tolstoy, Kutuzov “despised intelligence and knowledge and knew something else that should have solved the matter.” This is another “old age” and “experience of life”. Prince Andrei, when meeting him, noted that Kutuzov had only “one ability to calmly contemplate events.” He “will not interfere with anything useful and will not allow anything harmful.” According to Tolstoy, Kutuzov only led the morale of the army. “With many years of military experience, he knew and with his senile mind understood that it is impossible for one person to lead hundreds of thousands of people fighting death, and he knew that the fate of the battle is not decided by the orders of the commander-in-chief, not by the place where the troops stand, not by the number of guns and killed people , and that elusive force called the spirit of the army, and he watched over this force and led it, as far as it was in his power.” All this was expressed with the intention of belittling Kutuzov’s organizational role in the Patriotic War. Kutuzov, of course, understood perfectly well that all of the listed elements play their own, depending on the circumstances, greater or lesser role in the war. Sometimes this is a “place”, sometimes a timely “order from the commander-in-chief”, sometimes superiority in weapons. However, Tolstoy’s powerful realism often overcomes the shackles of fatalistic philosophy, and Kutuzov appeared on the pages of the novel, full of ebullient energy, determination, and active intervention in the course of military operations. This is how we see Kutuzov when, shocked by Prince Andrei’s story about the disasters of Russia, “with an angry expression on his face,” he says to the French: “Give time, give time.” Such is Kutuzov at the Battle of Borodino, when the German Wolzogen, with his cold mind and heart, indifferent to the fate of Russia, reports to him on behalf of Barclay de Tolly that all Russian positions are in the hands of the enemy and that the troops are fleeing. And what energy of determination we see, the power of Kutuzov’s brilliant insight at the military council in Fili, when he gives the order to abandon Moscow in the name of saving Russia and the Russian army! In these and some other episodes of the novel we have before us the real commander Kutuzov.
It seems to me that the image of Kutuzov is the most contradictory, because in his artistic chapters Tolstoy contradicts his philosophical chapters. In some we see Kutuzov as a passive contemplator, in others - a true patriot, a true commander. But despite everything, “War and Peace” is a wonderful work. Tolstoy talks a lot about man in general, as a kind of abstraction, devoid of any class, class, national and temporal characteristics. And no matter how Tolstoy proves that everything happened by the will of Providence, and that personality does not play any role in history, I believe that Kutuzov is truly a brilliant commander, and his role in the outcome of the Patriotic War is great.