Siege of Riga (1812)

Siege of Riga
Part of the French invasion of Russia
Siege of Riga depicted in a postcard.
Date 24 July – 18 December 1812[1] Location Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire 56°57′N 24°6′E / 56.950°N 24.100°E / 56.950; 24.100 Result Russian victory
Belligerents
French Empire  Prussia	Russian Empire  United Kingdom (naval support)
Commanders and leaders
Jacques MacDonald Julius von Grawert Ludwig von 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 siege guns	27,000[1][2]

French invasion of Russia

500km
300miles

Pultusk

15

Gorodeczno

14

Drohiczyn

13

Tauroggen

12

Riga

11

Tilsit

10

Warsaw

9

Berezina

8

Maloyaroslavets

7

Moscow

6

Borodino

5

Smolensk

4

Vitebsk

3

Vilna

2

Kowno

1

  

  current battle

  Prussian corps

  Napoleon

  Austrian corps

The siege of Riga was a military operation during the Napoleonic Wars. The siege lasted five months from July – December 1812, during which the left flank of Napoleon's "Great Army" (La Grande Armée) tried to gain a favorable position for an attack on Russian-controlled port city Riga, the capital of the Governorate of Livonia. They failed to cross the Daugava River, and accordingly the siege was not carried out completely.