n placed by the Russians, and
the keener grew the passions of the Russian commanders, who blamed one
another and Kutuzov most of all. Anticipation that the failure of
the Petersburg Berezina plan would be attributed to Kutuzov led
to dissatisfaction, contempt, and ridicule, more and more strongly
expressed. The ridicule and contempt were of course expressed in a
respectful form, making it impossible for him to ask wherein he was
to blame. They did not talk seriously to him; when reporting to him or
asking for his sanction they appeared to be fulfilling a regrettable
formality, but they winked behind his back and tried to mislead him at
every turn.

Because they could not understand him all these people assumed that
it was useless to talk to the old man; that he would never grasp the
profundity of their plans, that he would answer with his phrases (which
they thought were mere phrases) about a "golden bridge," about the
impossibility of crossing the frontier with a crowd of tatterdemalions,
and so forth. They had heard all that before. And all he said--that it
was necessary to await provisions, or that the men had no boots--was so
simple, while what they proposed was so complicated and clever, that
it was evident that he was old and stupid and that they, though not in
power, were commanders of genius.

After the junction with the army of the brilliant admiral and Petersburg
hero Wittgenstein, this mood and the gossip of the staff reached their
maximum. Kutuzov saw this and merely sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
Only once, after the affair of the Berezina, did he get angry and write
to Bennigsen (who reported separately to the Emperor) the following
letter:

"On account of your spells of ill health, will your excellency please
be so good as to set off for Kaluga on receipt of this, and there await
further commands and appointments from His Imperial Majesty."

But after Bennigsen's departure, the Grand Duke Tsarevich Constantine
Pavlovich joined the army. He had taken part in the beginning of the
campaign but had subsequently been removed from the army by Kutuzov.
Now having come to the army, he informed Kutuzov of the Emperor's
displeasure at the poor success of our forces and the slowness of their
advance. The Emperor intended to join the army personally in a few days'
time.

The old man, experienced in court as well as in military affairs--this
same Kutuzov who in August had been chosen commander in chief
agai