Battles & Campaigns · 1757
Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf
Gross Jägersdorf (now Motornoye), Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia
What happened
The Russian army was crossing the Pregel River and was spread out and disorganised. Lehwaldt's Prussians attacked and caused confusion, but Pyotr Rumyantsev rallied the Russian centre, and in the end the Prussian line broke.
Why it matters
It was Russia's first battle of the Seven Years' War. The Russian success also encouraged Sweden to join the war against Prussia.
What came next
Apraksin did not march on Königsberg and took his army back to Russia. Empress Elizabeth removed him from command and gave the army to William Fermor.
Did you know?
An outbreak of smallpox in the Russian army caused far more deaths in 1757 than all its battles that year.
Timeline
- 30 Aug 1757Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf (19 August in the old Julian calendar).
- Autumn 1757Apraksin withdraws across the Neman River to Russia.
- 1758William Fermor leads the Russian army back into East Prussia.