Second Battle of Polotsk | |||||||
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Part of the French invasion of Russia | |||||||
![]() Battle of Polotsk, by Peter von Hess | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
40,000 regular troops; 9,000 militia | 23,000 to 27,000 troops | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
8,000[1][2]–12,000[2] | 6,000[1]–8,000[2] |
The Second Battle of Polotsk (18–20 October 1812) took place during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. In this encounter the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein attacked and defeated a Franco-Bavarian force under Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr. In the aftermath of this success, the Russians took Polotsk and dismantled Napoleon's operations in Belarus. Wittgenstein's victory set the stage for the Battle of Berezina in November, in which three Russian armies converged on Napoleon from separate directions.[2]