Siege of Pernau
Siege of Pernau
| date | July 22 - August 15, 1710 |
|---|---|
| place | Pernau , today's Estonia |
| output | Swedish surrender |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
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| Troop strength | |
| 1000 men | 6 regiments of dragoons |
| losses | |
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880 men (due to the plague or desertion) |
no losses |
1st phase: Swedish dominance (1700–1709)
Riga I • Jungfernhof • Varja • Pühhajoggi • Narva • Pechora • Düna • Rauge • Erastfer • Hummelshof • Embach • Tartu • Narva II • Wesenberg I • Wesenberg II
Arkhangelsk • Lake Ladoga • Nöteborg • Nyenschanz • Neva • Systerbäck • Petersburg • Vyborg I • Porvoo • Neva II • Koporje II • Kolkanpää
Vilnius • Salads • Jacobstadt • Walled Courtyard • Mitau • Grodno I • Olkieniki • Nyaswisch • Klezk • Ljachavichy
Klissow • Pułtusk • Thorn • Lemberg • Warsaw • Posen • Punitz • Tillendorf • Rakowitz • Praga • Fraustadt • Kalisch
Grodno II • Golovchin • Moljatitschi • Rajowka • Lesnaja • Desna • Baturyn • Koniecpol • Weprik • Opischnja • Krasnokutsk • Sokolki • Poltava I • Poltava II
2nd phase: Sweden on the defensive (1710–1721)
Riga II • Vyborg II • Pernau • Kexholm • Reval • Hogland • Pälkäne • Storkyro • Nyslott • Hanko
Helsingborg • Køge Bay • Gulf of Bothnia • Frederikshald I • Dynekilen Fjord • Gothenburg I • Strömstad • Trondheim • Frederikshald II • Marstrand • Ösel • Gothenburg II • Södra Stäket • Grönham • Sundsvall
Elbing • Wismar I • Lübow • Stralsund I • Greifswalder Bodden I • Stade • Rügen • Gadebusch • Altona • Tönning II • Stettin • Fehmarn • Wismar II • Stralsund II • Jasmund • Peenemünde • Greifswalder Bodden II • Stresow
The siege of Pernau was a military intervention in the Great Northern War . It began on July 22nd and ended on August 15th, 1710 with the capitulation of the Swedish garrison . As a result of the plague, this had shrunk from 1,000 to 120 men. Furthermore, there was no prospect of relief or relief attacks by the Swedish army , so the garrison surrendered.
In advance
After the victory of the Russian army in the Battle of Poltava, Tsar Peter I moved into the Baltic countries in August 1709. These were hardly protected and the Swedish troops had almost completely withdrawn into the remaining fortresses (Riga, Pernau and Reval).
The Russians began the siege of Riga in November 1709 . During this siege, Lieutenant General Bauer was ordered to conquer the city of Pernau. He handed over command of the Division of Field Marshal Sheremetev at the General Ronne and moved on June 27 with six regiments of dragoons direction from Pärnu.
The siege
The blockade of the city began on July 22nd. Shortly after the start, first the Rittmeister von Schwanenfeld and then Colonel Frejderfeld went out of the fortress on watchwords and requested the free retreat of the Livonian knighthood. This request was refused because the lieutenant general was aware of the poor supply situation and the hardship caused by the outbreak of the plague inside the fortress, and because it was likely that the fortress could be handed over to his troops quickly.
The Swedish garrison had indeed been severely weakened by the plague. Of the 1000 strong permanent garrison of the fortress, only about 200 remained in service.
On August 8th, the colonel appeared again in the Russian camp. He repeated his request. One should show consideration for the nobility and give them permission to leave the fortress. This request was also refused. On this occasion the colonel was informed that the siege troops would be supported by infantry and artillery in a few days . A storming of the fortress was imminent. Frejderfeld asked for the time being not to attack by the Russian troops, as the situation in the city was very difficult.
The surrender
In view of the situation, the commandant sent two officers to see the lieutenant general on August 14 to negotiate the terms of surrender. After these had been negotiated, Bauer in turn sent two Russian officers to the fortress to accept the surrender.
On the same day the first regiments of infantry reached the siege army. One of these regiments was immediately sent to the fortress gate to occupy it.
On August 15, the Swedish troops withdrew from the city and handed them over to the Russians. The Swedish garrison, which had further shrunk to 120 men, was allowed free withdrawal. Colonel Frejderfeld and a few gunners of Swedish origin withdrew towards Reval. The Livonian soldiers transferred to Russian services.
The Russians did not fire an artillery shell at the city of Pernau during the siege.
The spoils of war of the Russians
183 iron cannons , 14 iron mortars , four iron howitzers , 881 bombs and 1,505 quintals of powder were captured in the fortress . In addition, a large supply of bullets, grapeshot , fuses, lead , saltpeter , sulfur , grenades and other war necessities fell into Russian hands. There was no longer any food in the city.
The consequences
After taking the city and leaving a small garrison behind, Lieutenant General Bauer was commissioned by the Tsar to take Reval.
The campaign of 1709 and 1710 brought the tsar control of the entire Baltic region. After the fall of Pernau, Reval and Kexholm were also taken. The Swedish supremacy in the Baltic States ended forever.
Individual evidence
literature
- Hartwich-Ludwig-Christian Bacmeister: Contributions to the history of Peter the Great Volume 1, Riga 1774
- Friedrich Georg von Bunge: Historical overview of the fundamentals and the development of provincial law in the Baltic Sea Governments , St. Petersburg (1846)
- Carl Julius Albert Paucker: The Civil and Military Commander-in-Chief in Ehstland at the time of the Imperial Russian Government , Dorpat (1855)