Battles & Campaigns · 1806
Battle of Pułtusk
Pułtusk, Masovia, Poland
What happened
Bennigsen's Russians were meant to be retreating, but he chose to stand and fight at Pułtusk. Lannes attacked, and fighting went on all day in woods and mud, with the French pushed back at several points. A French division arrived unexpectedly in the afternoon, and the Russians withdrew that night.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The page lists it as a French victory, though Bennigsen also claimed to have won. It left the Russian army disorganised for the rest of the year.
What came next
Napoleon went into winter quarters. Bennigsen launched a winter offensive that led to Mohrungen and then the Battle of Eylau in February 1807.
Did you know?
Bennigsen believed he faced 60,000 French under Napoleon himself, but Napoleon was not there.
Timeline
- 26 December 1806Battles of Pułtusk and Golymin.
- 28 December 1806Napoleon halts and goes into winter quarters.
- 25 January 1807Battle of Mohrungen.
- 7–8 February 1807Battle of Eylau.