Kutuzov's genius of repeatedly pulling back until the Grande Armee was standing at the doorstep of their ancient capital, fighting one of the most stubborn battles in the Napoleonic era, yet loosing significantly more men than their attackers, and finally backing off, to behind their capital, allowing it to be plundered and burnt down during the occupation? (The city didn't burn down in a day, but a series of fires occurred almost every day until the Grande Armee left). Even when the attackers were retreating, he was still indecisive.

> standing at the doorstep of their ancient capital

Moscow was neither "ancient capital" nor current capital of Russia in 1812.

My apologies, I think I was misremembering a quote from War and Peace.

I actually went and found the passage that confused me: https://literaturepage.com/read/warandpeace-1228.html

Thank you for correcting me! Tolstoy meant it philosophically/culturally, not literally.