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'{{Infobox military conflict |conflict=Battle of Lesnaya |partof=the [[Great Northern War]] |image=[[image:Battle of Lesnaya 1708 by Larmessin.jpg|300px|Battle of Lesnaya by Nicolas Larmessin]] |caption=''Battle of Lesnaya'' by Nicolas Larmessin, painted 1722–1724 |date=September 28, 1708 ([[Julian calendar|O.S.]])<br>September 29, 1708 ([[Swedish calendar]])<br>October 9, 1708 ([[Gregorian calendar|N.S.]]) |place=Lesna, [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]<BR>(present-day Lyasnaya in [[Belarus]]) |result=Russian [[Strategic victory]]<ref name="svenska slagfält">Svenska slagfält p.290</ref> |combatant1=[[Image:Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg|25px]] [[Swedish Empire]] |combatant2=[[Image:Flag of Russia.svg|25px]] [[Tsardom of Russia]]<br> * [[Image:Flag of the Cossack Hetmanat.svg|18px]] [[Cossack Hetmanate|Cossacks]]<ref name=konovaltjuk/> * [[Image:Flag of Kalmykia.svg|18px]] [[Kalmyk Khanate|Kalmyks]]<ref name=konovaltjuk/> |commander1=[[Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Berndt Otto Stackelberg]] |commander2=[[Peter I of Russia]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov|Aleksandr Menshikov]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Christian Felix Bauer]] |strength1=8,300 men,<br>16 cannon<ref name="liljegren">Liljegren, B., 2000. Karl XII: En Biografi. p 162.</ref><ref>[http://books.google.se/books?id=mzYFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA169&lpg=PA169&dq=Jungfernhof+1700&source=bl&ots=cRRYEa1IiS&sig=AgIIbil1oVM0p9sZipKWrYbxlVA&hl=sv&sa=X&ei=G-c4UP2hKaSO4gSowIGoBw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Jungfernhof%201700&f=false Finlands krigshistoria, Julius Mankell. pp. 211]</ref> |strength2=more than 20,000 men,<br>30 cannon<ref name=konovaltjuk/> |casualties1=6,000 - 20,000 killed, wounded and captured <br>[[Battle of Lesnaya#Casualties|[See casualties]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> |casualties2=4,000 - 9,000 killed, wounded and captured <br>[[Battle of Lesnaya#Casualties|[See casualties]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> |campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Great Northern War}} {{Campaignbox Charles XII invasion of Russia}} }} The '''Battle of Lesnaya''' ({{lang-ru|Битва при Лесной}}, {{lang-sv|Slaget vid Lesna}}), was one of the major battles of the [[Great Northern War]]. It took place on September 28, 1708 ([[Julian calendar|O.S.]]) / September 29, 1708 ([[Swedish calendar]]) / October 9, 1708 ([[Gregorian calendar|N.S.]]) between a [[Russian Empire|Russian]] army of 18,000 regulars and an unknown number of irregulars commanded by the Princes [[Anikita Repnin|Repnin]] and [[Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov|Menshikov]], and a [[Sweden|Swedish]] force of around 12,000 men,<ref name="svenska slagfält"/><ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|54}} under the command of General [[Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt]], at the village of Lesnaya, located close to the border between the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] and Russia (now the village of Lyasnaya, south-east of [[Mogilev]] in [[Belarus]]). The Swedes were escorting a supply column of 4,500 wagons, needed by their army at [[Riga]]. ==Background== Early Swedish victories at [[Landing on Humlebæk|Humlebaek]] and at the [[Battle of Narva (1700)|Battle of Narva]] in 1700 temporarily took both [[Denmark]] and [[Russia]] out of the war. However, King [[Charles XII of Sweden]] proved unable to speedily end the war as it took eight years to deal with the remaining combatant Charles Augustus of [[Saxony]]-[[Poland]]. Meanwhile, [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] rebuilt his army into modern form, concentrating on infantry trained to use linear tactics and modern firearms properly. He then achieved a stunning victory in [[Livonia]], where he established the city of [[Saint Petersburg]]. In retaliation, Charles ordered an attack on the Russian heartland, launching an assault on [[Moscow]] from his campaign base in Poland. Lewenhaupt, one of Sweden's foremost generals, was the commander of one of Sweden's best armies, based at the [[Baltic Sea]] port of Riga. In the summer of 1708, King Charles ordered him to march southward with most of his force and link up with the main army of 25,000 men, based in Poland. Lewenhaupt was to bring a fresh supply of ammunition and food to support the Swedish army in a proposed march on the Russian capital of [[Moscow]]. However, Lewenhaupt found that gathering the needed supplies and preparing the army for an overland march took longer than expected and, on September 26, after waiting for Lewenhaupt for weeks, Charles XII abandoned his camps and decided to invade [[Ukraine]], hoping to reach that rich granary before winter. At the time, Lewenhaupt was only about 80 miles from Charles's position. Having observed these movements, Peter decided to attack Lewenhaupt's smaller force before Charles could support it. Menshikov moved quickly to intercept Lewenhaupt's force and prevented it from crossing the [[Sozh River]] to safety. ==Battle== Tsar Peter I gathered his forces to attack the Swedes in the rear as they were crossing the stream of Lesnjanka at the village of [[Lesnaya]], to march south against Propoisk, which was held by a 1000-strong Russian company under Ferdinand Fastman.<ref name="From p 103">Peter From, Katastrofen vid Poltava (2007), Lund, Historiska media. pp. 103.</ref> Thousands of wagons made for slow progress and [[bottleneck]]s. Since the Swedish army was by then very vulnerable to Russian attacks,<ref name=konovaltjuk>Konovaltjuk & Lyth (2009)</ref>{{rp|137}} Peter I took the advantage and pressed home the assault. His forces included 26,000 Russian [[Regular army|regulars]] (13,000 under his direct command), 5,000 dragoons under [[Christian Felix Bauer]] at Berezovka, 8,000 infantry under [[Werden]] at Patskovo (infantry which could not participate in the battle)<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|164}} and an [[Irregular military|irregular]] force of thousands of [[Cossack Hetmanate|Cossacks]] and [[Kalmyk Khanate|Kalmyks]]<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|206}} who were all after [[Lewenhaupt]]. When the attack began, only about half of the Swedish army had crossed the Lesnjanka stream. They numbered about 12,000 in seventeen [[battalion]]s, with more than 4,500 wagons in their train.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|142-144}} ===Order of battle=== Peter I split his force of 13,000 regulars into two [[Column (formation)|column]]s, the right (Western, 6,045 men) under himself and the left (Eastern, 6,896 men) under General [[Aleksandr Menshikov]]. The two columns marched toward the ''Middlefield'' between the northern and southern forest fringes. Lewenhaupt's army was behind the southern fringe and Peter I attacked from the north. Menshikov's force traversed two kilometers of road while Peter I struggled to penetrate three kilometers of dense forest.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|142-144}} Excluding officers, about 18,000 Russian regulars would engage during the battle, along with thousands of irregulars.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|229–235}} Lewenhaupt initially had around 4,500 men (excluding officers) on the northern side of the Lesnjanka stream to receive the initial attack, his other forces having crossed the stream and marching towards Propoisk.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|216}} However, as the battle raged, he was able to obtain reinforcements in the order of 8,300 plus their officers.<ref name="liljegren"/> At least 2,900 men were ordered to protect and maintain the baggage convoy.<ref name="svenska slagfält"/> A Swedish [[Outpost (military)|outpost]] had also been placed on the ''Middlefield'', consisting of no more than three battalions (900 men), to warn of and stall a possible Russian attack. This is where the two columns of Peter I marched.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|142-144}} ===Engagement=== Around 10 o'clock in the morning of October 9, 1708 ([[Gregorian calendar|N.S.]]), the battle began. Peter I's column under Menshikov had reached the ''Middlefield'' from the north-west, finding the 900 Swedes deployed there. Unfortunately for Menshikov, the commander of the heavily outnumbered Swedish outpost, [[Lieutenant Colonel]] Freijbourg, seized the initiative and launched a ''[[Caroleans#Tactics|Carolean-style]]'' surprise attack which threw the Russian column into confusion, while the sudden musket and cannon fire alerted the nearby main Swedish force.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|142-144}} After this initial success, the Swedes were forced to retreat with many wounded through the southern fringe of the forest, where they were relieved by five fresh battalions under the command of [[Berndt Otto Stackelberg]] which had marched from Lesnaya.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|147-155}} Meanwhile, Tsar Peter's right column had reached the Crossroads and traversed the marshes of Krivl, just south of the ''Middlefield'', close to where Menshikov's column had been in action. Having Peter to their left flank and Menshikov to the front, Stackelberg's five Swedish battalions were now fighting two Russian columns numbering 13,000 in all. Six other Swedish battalions were on their way to the battle zone. The Russians at the Crossroads under Peter were almost routed by the Swedes and could have faced a [[Defeat|crushing defeat]], had not the [[Russian Guards|Russian Guard]]s halted their [[advance]]. The fighting at the Crossroads surged back and forth. The Russian line was strengthened by six [[Artillery|artillery pieces]]. However, the Swedes who themselves had no artillery, were able to capture four of them and block Peter's progress at the Krivl bridge.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|147-155}} ===Surrender of the southern forest edge=== [[image:Battle of Lesnaya.jpg|300px|thumb|Battle of Lesnaya by ''Jean-Marc Nattier'', 1717]] Facing the Swedish right flank at the ''Middlefield'', Menshikov's guardsmen executed a successful [[flanking maneuver]], forcing the five Swedish battalions to retreat into the southern fringe of the forest and prepare to receive the expected Russian onslaught. Their departure left unguarded a bridge near the ''Crossroads'', leaving it clear for Russian troops to march out and form up ''en masse''. Thus trapped in a "[[pincer movement]]", hemmed in and outnumbered, Stackelberg—against the wishes of Lewenhaupt—ordered an orderly withdrawal. The six Swedish battalions which were yet to arrive on their march through the forest, were also ordered to retreat, an action which isolated and exposed [[Hälsinge regemente|Hälsinge's second battalion]] which had previously routed the Russians and now came close to being [[Annihilation|annihilated]] by them.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|147-155}} Lewenhaupt (who sought to gather his [[cavalry]] to support the Swedish [[infantry]] during the fighting at the ''Middlefield'' and ''Crossroads'') came under attack by Russian [[dragoon]]s who swept eastward through the southern fringe of the forest and headed for the Swedish dragoons deployed east of Lesnaya, on the open field. The tactic had some effect at first, but as soon as the main bulk of the cavalry arrived they formed up and charged in typical [[Flying wedge|wedge formation]] which quickly broke up and repulsed the Russian attack.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|156-166}} Tsar Peter with his Russian infantry and dragoons had now pushed away the last retreating Swedes and had full control over the ''southern forest edge''. The Russians now strove to reach the ''Lesnaya field'' between the forest and the village of Lesnaya, to block the bridge over which the Swedes might obtain further reinforcements. (A company of 1,000 cavalry had already managed to get back to assist in the fight at Lesnaya.) A Swedish counter-offensive to push the Russians out of the forest was now ordered by Lewenhaupt, who had been very disappointed by Stackelberg's decision to retreat. The Swedes counter-attacked with the support of 16 artillery pieces from Lesnaya. However the Russian troops, backed by their own 30 cannons, were too strong and the Swedes had to fall back.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|156-166}} ====Pause in hostilities==== {{multiple image|align=right|direction=vertical|image1=Peter der-Grosse 1838 PR.jpg|image2=Adam Ludvig Lewenhaupt 2.jpg|width1=145|width2=145|footer=[[Tsar Peter I]] (top)<br />[[Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt|Adam Lewenhaupt]] (bottom)}} The Swedes retreated almost to the village of Lesnaya and the Russians followed them to the adjacent open terrain, intending to launch a decisive attack from there. However, both sides being exhausted by the day's intense combat, hostilities were ceased at about 3 p.m. when, separated by only 150–200 meters, the two sides sank down on the field, facing each other, and rested. During this extraordinary interlude, in which only three Russian cannons sounded off, the two armies distributed food, water and ammunition to their ranks, issued orders and deployed reinforcements in preparation for the final conflict. Somehow during this remarkable phase, the Russian General [[Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt (1677–1708)|Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt]] was shot and mortally wounded as he rode back and forth in a provocative manner between the two armies. He died of his wounds four days later. The hour-long pause concluded at about 4 o'clock, with the arrival, after a long march, of Bauer's company of 5000 Russian dragoons.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|167-170}} ====Concluding phase==== At a little past 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the Swedes opened fire, with cannons positioned 600 meters from the southern forest edge, on the newly arrived dragoons, who were then attaching themselves to the Russians' left flank. The Russian dragoons under Bauer then—without awaiting orders from Peter I—charged against the Swedes, supported by most of the other Russian troops. The open terrain gave the Swedish army opportunity to closely coordinate its infantry and cavalry, an advantage which they gratefully seized. Repeatedly, Russian [[front line]] troops retreated from infantry [[Caroleans#Tactics|''Gå-på'' shock attacks]] only to find themselves under immediate attack from the rear by Swedish cavalry.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|170-180}} However, this could only be a temporary advantage in view of the Russian reserve strength, reportedly three battalions deep by this time, enabling an irresistible grinding advance. The Russian right flank under [[Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn]] moved to secure the sole bridge across the Lesnjanka in order to prevent the flow of Swedish reinforcements across it, while seeking to trap them with their backs to the river. However, the bridge was ferociously defended and the Russians were beaten off, suffering heavy losses. At this time, both sides were inconvenienced by a snowstorm, a rare event for September, even in Russia. At 5 o'clock, Lewenhaupt ordered a concerted attack which, however, was blunted by a tactic of continuous fire which the Russians had devised to counter the Swedish ''Gå-på'' onslaught. The Swedes took heavy casualties and were driven further back towards the village. Their line was also split in two, one side against the Lesnaya (east of the bridge) and the other against the forest to the west. The all-important bridge was on the brink of being taken when it was saved by the arrival of 900 Swedish dragoons from across the river, whose fierce onslaught drove the Russians back.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|170-180}} As night fell, the Russians left the field and drew back to the forest fringe. The Swedes stood in their battle formations for several hours, expecting a night attack which did not come.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|181-182}} However, sufficient damage had been inflicted to ensure that Lewenhaupt's supply wagons would never reach the main army, and nor would a majority of his fighting men. ===Aftermath=== On the following day, surviving Swedish supply wagons were moved across the bridge. By evening, most of them were on the other side, together with most of the army.<ref name="svenska slagfält"/> Lewenhaupt ordered a tactical retreat to safeguard the supplies. Several thousand of his soldiers had been scattered during the battle and the retreat, and many of them were killed or captured by Russian Cossack cavalry.<ref name="svenska slagfält"/> Reeling from these losses, faced with difficult muddy terrain, and harried by the Cossacks, he was forced to abandon the cannon, the cattle and most of the provisions, causing some of his soldiers to [[mutiny]] and steal alcohol. Lewenhaupt was forced to leave about 1,000 of them in the woods. By the time they finally reached Charles and the main force on October 19 (October 8 [[Julian Calendar|OS]]), virtually no supplies and only 6,000 men remained. From this battle, the Russians learned tactics that made them a match for Sweden's soldiers. This gave them enduring confidence for the 1709 campaign in which they destroyed Charles's main Swedish army. Peter the Great henceforth referred to Lesnaya as "the mother of the [[Battle of Poltava]]." ===Casualties=== '''Swedish casualties''' numbered not much more than 1,000 dead and captured during the battle itself, along with some thousands of wounded, totalling fewer than 3,000, according to Lewenhaupt. 1,000 Swedes were later killed or captured while making their way to the main army; 3,000 went missing (about 1,500 of whom found their way back to [[Courland]]). All of the supply wagons were abandoned and destroyed. According to official Russian estimates, the Swedes lost 8,000 killed in the battle and another 1,000 on the march, along with 876 captured, numbers which are questionable.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|229–235}} '''Russian casualties''' amounted to about 1,111 dead and another 2,856 wounded in the battle, according to Russian official claims, figures which are disputed as "incomplete and contradictory", according to Russian historian [[Pavel Konovaltjuk]]. The Swedish official reports claimed more than 20,000 Russians died in the battle, again a questionable number. Lewenhaupt initially estimated more than 6,000 dead and wounded Russians during the battle, but later—during captivity in [[Moscow]]—discovered that numbers of 9,000 dead and wounded Russians were reported by officers who took part in the battle.<ref name=konovaltjuk/>{{rp|229–235}} == References == {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==Literature== * {{cite book |title=Vägen till Poltava. Slaget vid Lesnaja 1708 |last=Konovaltjuk & Lyth |first=Pavel & Einar |year=2009 |publisher=Svenskt Militärhistorisk Biblioteks Förlag|location= |language=Swedish |isbn=978-91-85789-14-6 |oclc=}} * History of the Art of War - История военного искусства / Под общ. ред П.Д. Ротмистрова. — М., 1963. - T.I. - С. 132-135. * History of the Northern War - История Северной войны. 1700—1721. / Отв. ред. И.И. Ростунов. — М., 1987. С. 73-76. * The Book of Marsov or of Affairs of War - Книга Марсова или воинских дел. — Изд.2. — СПб., 1766. * Kresnovsky's History of the Russian Army, from Narva to Paris: 1700-1814 - Кресновский А.А. История русской армии: В 4-х т. — М., 1992. — T.I. От Нарвы до Парижа 1700—1814. — С. 35—36. * Letters and papers by Emperor Peter the Great - Письма и бумаги императора Петра Великого. — Т.5. — СПб., 1907. * Soviet War Encyclopaedia - Советская военная энциклопедия: В 8-й т. / Гл. ред. комис. Н.В. Огарков (пред.) и др. — М., 1977. — Т.4. — С. 624. * Strokov's History of the Art of War - Строков А.А. История военного искусства. —М., 1955. —T.I. — С. 496. ==External links== * [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lesnaja.html Description of the battle at www.historyofwar.org (English)] * [http://www.hronos.km.ru/sobyt/lesnaya1708.html Battle of Lesnaya at Hronos.km.ru (Russian)] {{coord missing|Belarus}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Lesnaya}} [[Category:Battles of the Great Northern War|Lesnaya]] [[Category:Conflicts in 1708]] [[Category:1708 in Europe]] [[Category:Battles involving Russia|Lesnaya]] [[Category:Battles involving Sweden|Lesnaya]] [[Category:Battles involving Ukraine|Lesnaya]] [[Category:18th century in Belarus]]'