Battles & Campaigns · 1813
Siege of Danzig (1813)
Danzig (Gdańsk), Poland
What happened
Russian and Prussian forces under the Duke of Württemberg and Matvei Platov besieged Danzig, held by a French garrison under Jean Rapp. After Napoleon's retreat from Russia, worn-out soldiers joined Rapp's garrison in Danzig. Cossacks began the siege, and Russian and Prussian infantry and militia carried it on for nearly a year. In the end the French surrendered.
Why it matters
Danzig was a major supply depot for Napoleon and helped guard the Vistula line. Holding it had helped keep Prussia neutral.
What came next
Rapp and thousands of soldiers, including 14 generals, were taken prisoner.
Did you know?
Napoleon had made Danzig a 'Free City' after the 1807 siege.
Timeline
- 24 May 1807Danzig falls to the French.
- 1807Treaty of Tilsit makes Danzig a Free City.
- 16 Jan 1813Siege begins.
- 2 Jan 1814French garrison surrenders.