The battles of Czaśniki (Belorusse: БойпадЧа́шнікамі) took place the October 31st 1812, between the Russian army of the general Pierre Wittgenstein, and the Large army of Napoleon, ordered by the marshal Claude-Victor Perrin, during the countryside of Russia.

This battle was an attempt of the French to restore the line of Dwina , their line of defense, which had been émiettée two weeks earlier, with the victory of Wittgenstein to the Second battle of Polotsk.

Context

Having learned the defeat, Victor, ordering the 9th body, that Napoleon had maintained in reserve with Smolensk, walk in the North-East with 22.000 soldiers to reconstitute the line of Dwina . In Czaśniki it is linked with the elements of the 2nd body, which reprocessed. It thus has 36.000 men at his disposal.

Wittgenstein, after having entrusted its 9.000 prisoners to the garrison, goes towards the south on Czaśniki with 30.000 men.

The battle

The confrontation of Czaśniki proceeds mainly between the avant-garde of Wittgenstein, carried out by the general Jaschwill, and the 2nd body which occupies a position, in front of the troops of Victor.

The Russians attack the 2nd body which moves back, until meeting the principal position of Victor. Jaschwill receives the order then to stop, while a bombardment begins from artillery against the French.

Victor, apparently weakened by the advance of Jaschwill, decides not to continue the battle, and orders the retirement on Senno, located at 40 kilometers towards the east. The Russians do not continue them.

Consequences

Although the defeat of Czaśniki does not seem obvious, it is not without consequences for Napoleon. Victor failed in his attempt to restore the line of Dwina . Its new position with Senno is with only 50 kilometers of the road of retirement envisaged by Napoleon in the event of failure of the catch of Moscow. Moreover, the success of Wittgenstein brings it closer to the armies of Pavel Chichagov and Koutousov. The Large army risk to find itself encircled between the three Russian armies.

Moreover, after its victories with Polotsk and Czaśniki, Wittgenstein sends the Harpe general to Vitebsk to take the deposit of provisioning of the French. The November 7th, after a short combat, the garrison of Vitebsk goes to Harpe. Enormous reserves of weapons and food, fall into the hands from the Russians.

The fall of Vitebsk is an hard blow for Napoleon because it had projected to spend the winter there, with the case or the Large army would fail in front of Moscow. The plan of Napoleon who envisaged to combine his army with that of Victor with Vitebsk, where they could be re-equipped before taking again the countryside next spring, is now null and void.

By learning the victory from the Russians with Czaśniki, Napoleon immediately orders with Victor to attack Wittgenstein to take again Polotsk. What leads to the Bataille of Smoliani, the November 14th, and with a new French defeat.

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