Bible Encyclopedias
Mikhail Larion Kutusov, Prince of Smolensk

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

Search for…

Enter query below:

or

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Prev Entry
Mikhail Gregorjovich Tchernaiev

Next Entry
Mikhail Petrovich Artsibashev

Resource Toolbox

Print Article

Prince Of Smolensk]] (1745-1813), Russian field marshal, was born on the 16th of September 1745 at St Petersburg, and entered the Russian army in 1759 or 1760. He saw active service in Poland, 1764-69, and against the Turks, 1770-74; lost an eye in action in the latter year; and after that travelled for some years in central and western Europe. In 1784 he became majorgeneral, in 1787 governor-general of the Crimea; and under Suvorov, whose constant companion he became, he won considerable distinction in the Turkish War of 1788-91, at the taking of Ochakov, Odessa, Benda and Ismail, and the battles of Rimnik and Mashin. He was now (1791) a lieutenant-general, and successively occupied the positions of ambassador at Constantinople, governor-general of Finland, commandant of the corps of cadets at St Petersburg, ambassador at Berlin, and governorgeneral of St Petersburg. In 1805 he commanded the Russian corps which opposed Napoleon's advance on Vienna (see Napoleonic Campaigns), and Won the hard-fought action of Diirrenstein on the 18th-19th of November.

On the eve of Austerlitz he tried to prevent the Allied generals from fighting a battle, and when he was overruled took so little interest in the event that he fell asleep during the reading of the orders. He was, however, present at the battle itself, and was wounded. From 1806 to 1811 Kutusov was governor-general of Lithuania and Kiev, and in 1811, being then commanderin-chief in the war against the Turks, he was made a prince. Shortly after this he was called by the unanimous voice of the army and the people to command the army that was fetreating before Napoleon's advance. He gave battle at Borodino, and was defeated, but not decisively, and after retreating to the south-west of Moscow, he forced Napoleon to begin the celebrated retreat. The old general's cautious pursuit evoked much criticism, but at any rate he allowed only a remnant of the Grand Army to regain Prussian soil. He was now field marshal and prince of Smolensk - this title having been given him for a victory over part of the French army at that place in November 1812. Early in the following year he carried the war into Germany, took command of the allied Russians and Prussians, and prepared to raise all central Europe in arms against Napoleon's domination, but before the opening of the campaign he fell ill and died on the 25th of March 1813 at Bunzlau. Memorials have been erected to him at that place and at St Petersburg.

Mikhailovsky-Danilevski's life of Kutusov (St Petersburg, 1850) was translated into French by A. Fizelier (Paris, 1850).

Kuwet (KUwEIT, Koweit), a port in Arabia at the northwestern angle of the Persian Gulf in 2 9 ° 20' N. and 48" E., about 80 m. due S. of Basra and 60 m. S.W. of the mouth of the Shat el Arab. The name Kuwet is the diminutive form of Kut, a common term in Irak for a walled village; it is also shown in some maps as Grane or Grain, a corruption of Kuren, the diminutive of Karn, a horn. It lies on the south side of a bay 20 m. long and 5 m. wide, the mouth of which is protected by two islands, forming a fine natural harbour, with good anchorage in from 4 to 9 fathoms of water. The town has 15,000 inhabitants and is clean and well built; the country around being practically desert, it depends entirely on the sea and its trade, and its sailors have a high reputation as the most skilful and trustworthy on the Persian Gulf; while its position as the nearest port to Upper Nejd gives it great importance as the port of entry for rice, piece goods, &c., and of export for horses, sheep, wool and other products of the interior. Kuwet was recommended in 1850 by General F. R. Chesney as the terminus of, his proposed Euphrates Valley railway, and since 1898, when the extension of the Anatolian railway to Bagdad and the Gulf has been under discussion, attention has again been directed to it. An alternative site for the terminus has been suggested in Urn Khasa, at the head of the Khor `Abdallah, where a branch of the Shat el Arab formerly entered the sea; it lies some 20 m. N.E. of Kuwet and separated from it by the island of B ubian, which has for some time been in Turkish occupation. An attempt by Turkey to occupy Kuwet in 1898 was met by a formal protest from Great Britain against any infringement of the status quo, and in 18 9 9 Sheikh Mubarak of Kuwet placed his interests under British protection.

The total trade passing through Kuwet in1904-1905was valued at 160,000. The imports include arms and ammunition, piece goods, rice, coffee, sugar, &c.; and the exports, horses, pearls, dates, wool, &c. The steamers of the British India Steamship Company call fortnightly. (R. A. W.)