Battle of Mohrungen

Battle of Mohrungen
Part of the War of the Fourth Coalition
Battle of Mohrungen by Benjamin Zix, 1807-1810
Date 25 January 1807[1] Location Mohrungen, East Prussia (modern Morąg, Poland) 53°55′00″N 19°56′00″E / 53.916667°N 19.933333°E / 53.916667; 19.933333 Result French Victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Russian Empire Kingdom of Prussia
Commanders and leaders
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte Pierre Dupont de l'Étang	Yevgeni Markov Levin August von Bennigsen Anton von L'Estocq
Strength
12,000[1] 36 guns	9,000[1] to 16,000
Casualties and losses
1,096[1] to 2,000	1,400[1] to 2,000

War of the Fourth Coalition

200km
125miles

Friedland

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Eylau

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Berlin

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Jena–Auerstedt

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⬤ current battle

⬤ Napoleon not in command

⬤ Napoleon in command

In the Battle of Mohrungen on 25 January 1807, most of a First French Empire corps under the leadership of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte fought a strong Russian Empire advance guard led by Major General Yevgeni Ivanovich Markov. The French pushed back the main Russian force, but a cavalry raid on the French supply train caused Bernadotte to call off his attacks. After driving off the cavalry, Bernadotte withdrew and the town was occupied by the army of General Levin August, Count von Bennigsen. The fighting took place in and around Morąg in northern Poland, which in 1807 was the East Prussian town of Mohrungen. The action was part of the War of the Fourth Coalition in the Napoleonic Wars.

After demolishing the army of the Kingdom of Prussia in a whirlwind campaign in October and November 1806, Napoleon's Grande Armée seized Warsaw. After two bitterly fought actions against the Russian army, the French emperor decided to place his troops into winter quarters. However, in wintry weather, the Russian commander moved north into East Prussia and then struck west at Napoleon's left flank. As one of Bennigsen's columns advanced west it encountered forces under Bernadotte. The Russian advance was nearly at an end as Napoleon gathered strength for a powerful counterstroke.