First Battle of Polotsk

First Battle of Polotsk
Part of the French invasion of Russia

Belarusian Polatsak (Połacak)
Date17–18 August 1812
Location55°29′N 28°48′E / 55.483°N 28.800°E / 55.483; 28.800
Result Inconclusive[1]
Belligerents
First French Empire French Empire
Kingdom of Bavaria Kingdom of Bavaria
Russian Empire Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr
First French Empire Nicolas Oudinot (WIA)
Russian Empire Peter Wittgenstein
Strength
18,000–44,000 men[1][2][3]
150 guns[4][1]
17,000–20,000 men[1][2][3]
98 guns[4][1]
Casualties and losses
2,500–6,000[4][1][3] 1,800–5,500 killed and wounded[1][4][3]
1,200–1,500 captured[4][3]
14 guns[4][3]
Map
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500km
300miles
Polotsk
Pultusk
15
Gorodeczno
14
Battle of Gorodechno 12 August 1812: Schwarzenberg's Austrians
Drohiczyn
13
Tauroggen
12
Tauroggen 30 December 1812: Ludwig Yorck's Prussians signed the Convention of Tauroggen
Riga
11
Siege of Riga 24 July – 18 December 1812: Macdonald's Prussians
Tilsit
10
Warsaw
9
Berezina
8
Battle of Berezina 26–29 November 1812: Napoleon, Chichagov, Wittgenstein, Kutuzov only pursuit
Maloyaro-
slavets
7
Battle of Maloyaroslavets 24 October 1812: Kutuzov, Napoleon
Moscow
6
Moscow 14 September to 19 October 1812: Napoleon
Borodino
5
Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812: Kutuzov, Napoleon October 1812: Napoleon's Retreat
Smolensk
4
Battle of Smolensk 16 August 1812: Napoleon November 1812: : Napoleon's retreat
Vitebsk
3
Battle of Vitebsk 26 July 1812: Napoleon
Vilna
2
Kowno
1
  current battle
  Prussian corps
  Napoleon
  Austrian corps
19th century Russian lithograph depicting Wittgenstein's Chevalier-Guardsmen fighting the first battle of Polotsk.

In the First Battle of Polotsk, which took place on 17–18 August 1812, Russian troops under the command of Peter Wittgenstein fought French and Bavarian troops led by Nicolas Oudinot near the city of Polotsk, halting Oudinot's advance toward Saint Petersburg.[5] The First Battle of Polotsk should be distinguished from the Second Battle of Polotsk which took place during the same campaign two months later.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Bodart 1908, p. 435.
  2. ^ a b Nafziger 1988, p. 146.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Clodfelter 2008, p. 162.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Nafziger 1988, p. 157.
  5. ^ napoleon.org 2021.
  6. ^ Seton-Watson 1967.