Siege of Riga (1812)

The Siege of Riga was a five month long siege of the Russian port city of Riga, the capital of the Governorate of Livonia.

Siege of Riga
Part of the French invasion of Russia

Siege of Riga depicted in a postcard
Date24 July – 18 December 1812[1]
Location
Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
56°57′N 24°6′E
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
French Empire
 Prussia		 Russian Empire
(naval support)
Commanders and leaders
Jacques MacDonald
Julius von Grawert
Ludwig Yorck		 Magnus G. von Essen
Filippo Paulucci
Ivan F. Emme
Thomas Byam Martin
Units involved
X Corps Garrison of Riga
Army of Finland
Strength
31,000 men and 130 x siege guns 27,000[1][2]
French invasion of Russia
🌍
  current battle
  Prussian corps
  Napoleon
  Austrian corps

Background

During Emperor Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, two corps were sent to towards the Baltic Sea via Courland and Lithuania in-order to secure his northern flank. One of the corps, Marshal Étienne MacDonald's X Corps was sent towards the Courland and subsequently began moving towards Riga.[3]

By mid July 1812, the Riga garrison had grown to around 14,000 troops. Soon after the Russian Army of Finland arrived with a further 10,000 troops shortly after the beginning of the siege.[3]

After the beginning of the siege, the French situation was precarious as Marshal MacDonald's 25,000 troops had to not only continue the siege, but control some 80 miles of the Dvina down to Dünaburg. This was further undermined as the 'allied' Prussian forces' loyalty was in increasingly dubious situation.[3][4]

Order of Battle

The order of battle of the forces involved was as follows (note: the nation of origin is listed behind units which came from said areas (other than French/Prussian/Russian)):

French X Corps

Riga Garrison

British Baltic Fleet

Notes
  1. Clodfelter 1980, p. 175.
  2. Bodart 1908, p. 446.
  3. Chandler, pp. 1240–1241
  4. Chandler, p. 1192
  5. Smith, p. 408
  6. Smith, p. 408
  7. "Русская армия в июне 1812 года". www.museum.ru. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  8. "Историческая справка по 1-й Артиллерийской бригаде". antologifo.narod.ru. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  9. "Историческая справка по Артиллерийским ротам при Морских полках". antologifo.narod.ru. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  10. Smith, p. 408
  11. "Русская армия в июне 1812 года". www.museum.ru. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  12. "Русская армия в июне 1812 года". www.museum.ru. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  13. "Sir Thomas Byam Martin". more than Nelson. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  14. Winfield, pp. 327–328
  15. Winfield, pp. 440–441
  16. Winfield, pp. 672–673
  17. Winfield, p. 713
  18. Winfield, p. 647
  19. Winfield, p. 718
  20. Winfield, pp. 748–750
  21. Winfield, pp. 817–818
  22. Winfield, pp. 873–874
  23. Winfield, pp. 953–954
  24. Winfield, p. 1182
  25. Winfield, p. 1199
  26. Winfield, pp. 1027–1028
  27. Winfield, pp. 1157–1158

References
  • Chandler, David G. (2009). The Campaigns of Napoleon: The Mind and Method of History's Greatest Soldier. New York City, New York, United States of America: Sribner. ISBN 978-1439131039. OCLC 1085168952.
  • Winfield, Rif (2005). British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1793 – 1817: Design, Construction, Careers, and Fates. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1844157174. OCLC 421815211.
  • Smith, Digby (1998). The Greenhill Napoleonic wars data book. London Mechanicsburg, PA: Greenhill Books Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-276-7. OCLC 37616149.
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