Campaign Move 2

Campaign Diary
1200 to 1600 1 June 1813

Kutuzov reviews the Russian army at Dresden

For two months Kutuzov had rested his weary army which had driven Napoleon back from Moscow the previous year. Most were ill and had to be replaced by reinforcements from Russia.

Each of the four corps contained an elite grenadier brigade, and most were well trained. But few had any experience of war.

The recent defeat of Blucher at Magdeburg had forced Kutuzov to move west to the river Saale in order to protect the strategic left flank of the broken Prussians. His men were anxious for an opportunity to finish what their comrades had begun the previous year.