the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Hanover, and another 20,000 men under General Alexander Tormasov was deployed on
the Danube River to watch the Turks. 12 In total, by 1805, Russia had approximately
250,000 men strong field army, over 100,000 Cossacks and up to 100,000 men stationed
in garrisons on its western frontiers. 13 Finally, it should be noted that, besides the
Austrian plan of the campaign, there was also a Russian draft plan by Mikhail Kutuzov.
This plan urged the Austrians to refrain from any military operations until the Russian
troops reached Prague. Once united, the Allied armies were to launch a coordinated
offensive against the French. Kutuzov cautioned Alexander to remain at Brest-Litovsk
with the cabinet members. 14 Alexander declined this strategy and ordered the Russian
commanders to follow the Austrian strategy.
The Army of Podolsk was the first Russian army to march to support the
Austrians. Kutuzov was to move his troops along the Teschen-Brünn-Kreims-Braunau
route and join Archduke Ferdinand’s army. During the summer, the troops were gathered
around Radziwill and Gusiatin and arranged in three corps, totaling 56,713 men. 15 By
12 Correspondence of Kutuzov, II, vi
13 Alexander Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Opisanie pervoi voini Imperatora Aleksandra s
Napoleonom v 1805 godu [History of the First Campaign of Emperor Alexander against
Napoleon in 1805, hereafter cited as Campaign of 1805], in Polnoe Sobranie Sochinenii
[Complete Collection of Works], (St. Petersburg, 1849), 54-55; L.N. Punin, Feldmarshal Kutuzov
[Field Marshal Kutuzov] (Moscow, 1957), 47; Pavel Zhilin, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov:
Zhizn i polkovodcheskaya deyatelnost [Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov: Life and Military Career],
(Moscow, 1978), 86; Alexander Shishov, Neizvestnii Kutuzov: novoe prochtenie biographii
[Unknown Kutuzov: New Interpretation of Biography], (Moscow, 2001), 154; Beskrovny
estimated Russian troops committed against France at 181,000 men. Military Art of Russia, 24.
Official ‘Rosters of Armies’ acknowledged 463,687 men in all Russian armies and reserves.
RGVIA, f. 846, op. 16, d. 3158.
14 G. Oksman, Marsh-manevr M.I. Kutuzova v kampanii 1805 g. [March-maneuver of M.I.
Kutuzov During the 1805 Campaign, hereafter cited as Campaign of 1805], in Polkovodets
Kutuzov: sbornik statei [Commander Kutuzov: Collection of Articles], 54-57. The original is
preserved at State Public Library of Saltikov-Shedrin in St. Petersburg (Manuscript Section, file
Olenin, d. 672)
15 The vanguard was 12,879-men strong, the 1 st Corps included 24,852 men., the 2 nd - 18,982.
This numbers are based on Kutuzov’s Plan of Deployment of the Troops of the Army of Podolsk
in the region of Radziwill-Gusiatin, August 1805, RGVIA f. VUA. Fond 846, op. 16 d. 3118, ll.1-
2. The 6 th Column (Rosen) was detached from the army soon after the campaign began and
reinforcement were late to joined the army. As a result, the numbers for the Russian army at the
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