Battle of Wolkowisk
Part of theFrench invasion of Russia
Napoleon's retreat byVasily Vereshchagin
Date 14–16 November 1812 Location Wolkowisk (Volkovysk),Grodno Governorate,Russian Empire 53°10′N24°28′E / 53.167°N 24.467°E /53.167; 24.467 Result Austrian victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire	Austrian Empire Kingdom of Saxony French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Osten-Sacken	Schwarzenberg Reynier
Strength
32,000: 27,000[1][2] plus 5,000 Cossacks[2] 152 cannon[2]	35,000–40,500[1][a]
Casualties and losses
4,000[1] 10,000 with retreat all the way toBrest[2]	1,800[1]

French invasion of Russia

330km
205miles

Wolkowisk

15

Pultusk

14

Gorodeczno

13

Drohiczyn

12

Tauroggen

11

Riga

10

Tilsit

9

Warsaw

8

Berezina

7

Maloyaro-
slavets

6

Moscow

5

Borodino

4

Smolensk

3

Vitebsk

2

Vilna

1

Kowno

   

  current battle

  Prussian corps

  Napoleon

  Austrian corps

TheBattle of Wolkowisk (Volkovysk) took place 14–16 November 1812 in the course of theFrench invasion of Russia near the village ofWolkowisk, where 35,000–40,500 Austrian, Saxon and French soldiers underKarl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg defeated 27,000–32,000 Russian soldiers underFabian Gottlieb von der Osten-Sacken.^[1][2] Osten-Sacken managed to push backJean Reynier's corps, but failed to dislodge it from the heights. The decisive offensive was carried out by the Austrians, who arrived later.^[2]

Prince Schwarzenberg was under the constraints of secret agreements between Vienna and St. Petersburg to give as little help as possible to Napoleon.^[3]

Sacken had taken Wolkowisk on 14 November and driven offJean Reynier's troops in a night attack but could not destroy this part of the French army, which took up positions on the heights north of Wolkowisk. Schwarzenberg on the 15 November marched to Wolkowisk and left 6,500 men to protectSlonim. The Austrians attacked Sacken's troops on the 16 November. Now the Russians were attacked on three sides but they were able to extricate themselves and Sacken finally withdrew towardBrest.^[4]

Schwarzenberg followed Sacken butMaret ordered him to go to Minsk at once. Schwarzenberg obeyed reluctantly but later on he even did not continue his march to Minsk as the more than 300 km from Wolkowisk toBorisov and the Berezina led through poor country and increasingly deteriorating weather. He might have been able to blockChichagov but instead Schwarzenberg's 40,000 men did not support Napoleon at the Berezina.^[4]

• List of battles of the French invasion of Russia

• Bodart, Gaston (1908).Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved10 April 2021.
• Riehn, Richard K. (1990).1812 : Napoleon's Russian campaign. McGraw-Hill.ISBN 9780070527317. Retrieved10 April 2021.

• Media related toBattle of Wolkowisk at Wikimedia Commons

• Battles of the French invasion of Russia
• Battles involving the Russian Empire
• Battles involving France
• Conflicts in 1812
• November 1812
• 19th century in the Russian Empire
• 1812 in the Russian Empire

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