▁successful ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Rus ci uc ▁operation ; ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁October ▁ 1 8 1 1 ▁he ▁was ▁granted ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Count ▁for ▁" success es ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁Tur ks ", ▁and ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁July ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁he ▁received ▁honor ary ▁title ▁of ▁kn ia z ▁( pr ince ) ▁for ▁" cont ribution ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁war ▁and ▁Peace ▁Tre aty ▁with ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ." ▁ ▁The ▁Patri otic ▁War ▁( 1 8 1 2 ) ▁▁ ▁When ▁Napoleon ▁inv aded ▁Russia ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁Michael ▁Andreas ▁Bar cl ay ▁de ▁Tol ly ▁( then ▁Minister ▁of ▁War ) ▁chose ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁sc orch ed ▁earth ▁principle ▁and ▁retre at ▁rather ▁than ▁to ▁risk ▁a ▁major ▁battle . ▁His ▁strategy ▁ar oused ▁grud ges ▁among ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁gener als ▁and ▁soldiers , ▁not ably ▁Prince ▁Py otr ▁B agr ation . ▁ ▁As ▁Alexander ▁had ▁to ▁choose ▁a ▁new ▁general , ▁there ▁was ▁only ▁one ▁choice : ▁K ut uz ov . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁popular ▁among ▁the ▁troops ▁mainly ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁Russian ▁( most ▁of ▁the ▁gener als ▁command ing ▁Russian ▁troops ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁were ▁foreign ), ▁he ▁was ▁brave , ▁had ▁proven ▁himself ▁in ▁battle , ▁strongly ▁believed ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church , ▁and ▁he ▁looked ▁out ▁for ▁the ▁troops ’ ▁well - be ing . ▁The ▁nobles ▁and ▁cler gy ▁also ▁regarded ▁K