Battle of Pultusk

Arc de Triomphe: PULTUSK

December 26, 1806

As the French tried to pursue the Russians across Poland, Marshal Lannes was ordered to take his V Corps to Pultusk. Arriving there in a snowstorm, they encountered a Russian force under General Benningsen that was much larger than expected. Nevertheless, Lannes launched an attack that initially made progress. As night arrived, the French fell back to their original positions while the Russians withdrew under the cover of darkness.

Bibliography

Chandler, David G. Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1979.
Smith, Digby. The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill Books: 1998.

Updated March 2017