Raid on Berlin
Encyclopedia
The Raid on Berlin took place in October 1760 during the Seven Years' War
when Austrian
and Russian
forces occupied the Prussian capital of Berlin
for several days. After raising money from the city, and with the approach of further Prussian reinforcements, the occupiers withdrew. There were later allegations that the Russian commander Count Tottleben had received a personal bribe from the Prussians to spare the city, and he was subsequently tried and found guilty of being a spy
.
had stalled, in spite of their overwhelming manpower, and they had been defeated at the Battle of Liegnitz
in August 1760. However, the Prussian capital, Berlin had been left vulnerable by Frederick the Great's decision to concentrate his forces in Silesia. This led to France suggest that Russia could make a lightning raid on Berlin, the Prussian capital.
A smaller Austrian raid had briefly occupied the city in October 1757. The plan drawn up by the allies envisaged a feint
towards Guben
by the main army, which would allow a force under Heinrich Tottleben
to detach itself and hurry northwards to strike at Berlin. This would be followed a separate Austrian force under Count von Lacy. Large numbers of cossacks and light cavalry
were to take part in the raid to give it added speed.
on 5 October. This attempt to surprise the city failed in the face of unexpected opposition. The Governor of the city, General von Rochow wanted to withdraw in the face of the Russian threat, but the Prussian cavalry commander Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
recovering from his wounds in the city, rallied the 2,000 defenders and managed to drive them back from the city gates.
Having received word of the danger to Berlin, Prince Eugen of Wutternburg led his troops back from fighting the Swedes
in Pomerania
while a contingent from Saxony
also arrived, boosting the defenders to around 18,000. The arrival of Lacy's Austrians, however, swung the balance in favour of the Allies. The Austrians occupied Potsdam
and Charlottenburg
and in the face of these superior forces the Prussian defenders were forced to abandon the city and retreat to nearby Spandau
.
On 9 October the City Council decided to surrender the city formally to the Russians rather than the Austrians, as Austria was Prussia's bitterest enemy. The Russians immediately made a demand for 4 million Thalers in exchange for the protection of private property
. A prominent merchant
Johann Ernst Gotzowsky took over the negotiations on behalf of Berlin, and was able to persuade Tottleben to reduce the levy to 1.5 million Thalers. Meanwhile the Austrians had forced their way into the city and occupied large parts of it.
The Austrians were more keen to extract revenge on the city because of Prussian behaviour in occupied Saxony and on Austrian territory. The Russians, concerned about improving their international reputation, generally acted with greater restraint and emphasised respect towards the inhabitants.
Several areas of the city were ransacked by the occupiers, and several royal palaces were burnt. Around 18,000 muskets and 143 cannons were seized. Austrian and Russian Battle flags, captured during fighting, were retaken and around 1,200 prisoners of war were released.
.
Once he had realised that Berlin had now been abandoned by the enemy, Frederick halted his rescue attempt and turned back to concentrate on Silesia and Saxony.
. Tottleben was later accused of being a Prussian spy, and was sentenced to death - only to receive a pardon from Catherine the Great.
In early 1762 Berlin came under the threat of more permanent and decisive occupation, but Frederick was spared by the Miracle of the House of Brandenburg.
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
when Austrian
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Russian
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
forces occupied the Prussian capital of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
for several days. After raising money from the city, and with the approach of further Prussian reinforcements, the occupiers withdrew. There were later allegations that the Russian commander Count Tottleben had received a personal bribe from the Prussians to spare the city, and he was subsequently tried and found guilty of being a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
.
Background
After a series of successes over Prussian forces in 1759, the following year proved to be a disappointment for the Allies as their invasion of SilesiaSilesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
had stalled, in spite of their overwhelming manpower, and they had been defeated at the Battle of Liegnitz
Battle of Liegnitz (1760)
The Battle of Liegnitz on August 15, 1760 saw Frederick the Great's Prussian Army defeat the Austrian army under Ernst von Laudon.The armies collided around the Prussian Silesian city of Liegnitz . Frederick split his army in 2, one part commanded by Field Marshal Zieten. Frederick heard the sound...
in August 1760. However, the Prussian capital, Berlin had been left vulnerable by Frederick the Great's decision to concentrate his forces in Silesia. This led to France suggest that Russia could make a lightning raid on Berlin, the Prussian capital.
A smaller Austrian raid had briefly occupied the city in October 1757. The plan drawn up by the allies envisaged a feint
Feint
Feint is a French term that entered English from the discipline of fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will...
towards Guben
Guben
Guben is a town on the Lusatian Neisse river in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. Located in the Spree-Neiße district, Guben has a population of 20,049...
by the main army, which would allow a force under Heinrich Tottleben
Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben
Gottlob Curt Heinrich Graf von Tottleben, Herr auf Tottleben, Zeippau und Hausdorf im Saganschen was a Saxon-born Russian Empire general known for his adventurism and contradictory military career.- Early career :Totleben was born in Tottleben, Thuringia, and served at the court of Augustus III,...
to detach itself and hurry northwards to strike at Berlin. This would be followed a separate Austrian force under Count von Lacy. Large numbers of cossacks and light cavalry
Light cavalry
Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and lightly armored troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the riders are heavily armored...
were to take part in the raid to give it added speed.
Approach
Tottleben led a vanguard of 5,600 Russians which crossed the River Oder and attempted to take the city by a coup de mainCoup de main
A coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. The United States Department of Defense defines it as:The literal translation from French means a stroke or blow of the hand...
on 5 October. This attempt to surprise the city failed in the face of unexpected opposition. The Governor of the city, General von Rochow wanted to withdraw in the face of the Russian threat, but the Prussian cavalry commander Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz was a Prussian soldier and one of the greatest German cavalry generals.-Early life:...
recovering from his wounds in the city, rallied the 2,000 defenders and managed to drive them back from the city gates.
Having received word of the danger to Berlin, Prince Eugen of Wutternburg led his troops back from fighting the Swedes
Swedes
Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...
in Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...
while a contingent from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
also arrived, boosting the defenders to around 18,000. The arrival of Lacy's Austrians, however, swung the balance in favour of the Allies. The Austrians occupied Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
and Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
and in the face of these superior forces the Prussian defenders were forced to abandon the city and retreat to nearby Spandau
Spandau
Spandau is the fifth of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is the fourth largest and westernmost borough, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and along the western bank of the Havel, but the least populated.-Overview:...
.
Occupation
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
. A prominent merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
Johann Ernst Gotzowsky took over the negotiations on behalf of Berlin, and was able to persuade Tottleben to reduce the levy to 1.5 million Thalers. Meanwhile the Austrians had forced their way into the city and occupied large parts of it.
The Austrians were more keen to extract revenge on the city because of Prussian behaviour in occupied Saxony and on Austrian territory. The Russians, concerned about improving their international reputation, generally acted with greater restraint and emphasised respect towards the inhabitants.
Several areas of the city were ransacked by the occupiers, and several royal palaces were burnt. Around 18,000 muskets and 143 cannons were seized. Austrian and Russian Battle flags, captured during fighting, were retaken and around 1,200 prisoners of war were released.
Withdrawal
A rumour that Frederick the Great was marching to the rescue of Berlin with his superior forces prompted the commanders to withdraw from the city as they had completed their major objectives. The occupiers withdrew from the city on 12 October, with the national contingents heading in separate directions. The Austrians under Lacy headed towards Saxony while the Russians rejoined their main army in the vicinity of FrankfurtFrankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
.
Once he had realised that Berlin had now been abandoned by the enemy, Frederick halted his rescue attempt and turned back to concentrate on Silesia and Saxony.
Aftermath
Frederick was furious at the failure of his local forces and the inhabitants to actively resist the invaders. However, despite the loss of prestige, the raid was not especially significant for the military. In the wake of the occupation, the Prussians under Frederick fought, and narrowly won, the Battle of TorgauBattle of Torgau
In the Battle of Torgau on 3 November 1760, King Frederick the Great's Prussian army fought a larger Austrian army under the command of Field Marshal Leopold Josef Graf Daun. The Prussians won a costly victory in one of the bloodiest battles of the Seven Years' War.-Background:In August, Daun...
. Tottleben was later accused of being a Prussian spy, and was sentenced to death - only to receive a pardon from Catherine the Great.
In early 1762 Berlin came under the threat of more permanent and decisive occupation, but Frederick was spared by the Miracle of the House of Brandenburg.