Battle of Golymin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Golymin
Part of the War of the Fourth Coalition
Date 26 December 1806 Location Gołymin, Poland 52°49′N 20°52′E / 52.817°N 20.867°E / 52.817; 20.867 Result French victory
Belligerents
First French Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Joachim Murat Pierre Augereau Louis-Nicolas Davout	Dmitriy Golitsyn
Strength
27,000–38,000 soldiers	16,000–22,000 soldiers, 28 guns
Casualties and losses
500–1,000	780–800

The Battle of Golymin was a fight during the Napoleonic Wars on December 26, 1806. It happened in Gołymin, Poland. About 17,000 Russian soldiers, led by Prince Golitsyn, faced off against 38,000 French soldiers. The French were under the command of Marshal Murat. Even though the French had more soldiers, the Russian forces managed to escape safely. This battle happened on the same day as another important fight, the Battle of Pułtusk.

Why Did the Battle of Golymin Happen?

The Big Picture: Napoleon's Advance

After taking over Prussia in late 1806, Napoleon moved his army into Poland. His goal was to fight the Russian army. The Russians had been planning to help Prussia, but Prussia was defeated too quickly. French soldiers crossed the Vistula river and captured Warsaw on November 28, 1806.

Russian Army's Plan

The main Russian army was led by Field Marshal Mikhail Kamensky. However, he was old and not well. The Russian First Army, with about 55,000 to 68,000 soldiers, was led by Count Bennigsen. They had moved back from the Vistula river to the Wkra river. They wanted to meet up with the Second Army, which had about 37,000 soldiers. This second army was still far away.

Kamensky soon realized he made a mistake by letting the French cross the Vistula. So, in early December, he ordered his troops to move forward again. French forces crossed the Narew River on December 10. This made Bennigsen decide to pull back to the Wkra River line on December 11.

Napoleon's Orders

When Napoleon heard the Russians were retreating, he thought they were running away completely. He ordered his generals to chase them. Marshal Murat was to go towards Pułtusk. Other French generals like Ney and Bernadotte were to try and get around the Russian army's right side.

Kamensky then changed his mind again and ordered the Russians to advance. This made it hard for the French to cross the Wkra river. Finally, on December 22, French General Davout forced his way across the river.

Russian Retreat and Golitsyn's Stand

On December 23, the Prussian army, which was helping the Russians, was pushed north. Seeing the danger, Kamensky ordered a full retreat. But General Bennigsen chose to disobey and decided to fight at Pułtusk on December 26.

Meanwhile, most of General Golitsyn's 4th Division and General Dokhturov's 5th Division were falling back. They were heading towards Ostrolenka through the town of Golymin. Some other Russian units were also trying to retreat through Golymin.

Tough Weather Conditions

The weather made things very difficult for both armies. It had been mild, but then it rained and snowed a lot. The roads turned into deep mud. This meant that the French army had a very hard time moving their heavy cannons. Because of this, they had no artillery (big guns) available at Golymin.

Getting food and supplies was also a big problem. Soldiers had little to eat and drink. One French officer wrote that they had to fight pigs and cows for shelter!

The Battleground

The village of Golymin was in a mostly flat area. There were small hills to the north and northeast. Woods and muddy areas surrounded the village. Roads led from Golymin to Pułtusk, Ciechanów, and Makow. There were also smaller paths connecting to nearby villages.

What Happened During the Battle?

On the morning of December 26, parts of Golitsyn's Russian 4th Division reached Golymin. They were too tired to keep going. Golitsyn also needed to wait for other Russian units to arrive. In the village, he found General Dokhturov, who had stayed with some soldiers. Golitsyn hoped his men could rest before retreating further.

French Attack Begins

French cavalry and soldiers started moving towards Golymin around 7 AM. The first French cavalry arrived around 10 AM. Golitsyn sent more of his cavalry to push them back into the woods.

Around 2 PM, more French soldiers arrived from the east. Golitsyn realized his men were too tired to retreat without a fight. He decided to make a stand. He placed his soldiers in front of Golymin and kept his cavalry and Dokhturov's troops ready as backup.

Battle of Golymin about 2pm

Two French divisions attacked. One division pushed back some Russian soldiers but was then forced back. The other French division made very slow progress. For the rest of the day, the two sides fought small skirmishes.

Cavalry and Infantry Clashes

At the same time, Marshal Murat arrived with more French cavalry. They pushed Russian cavalry into the woods south of Golymin. But the muddy ground made it impossible for the French cavalry to chase them further.

More Russian cavalry arrived to help Golitsyn's forces. However, French General Davout's soldiers also began to arrive from the southeast. Golitsyn sent more of his infantry into the woods and muddy areas. He also sent cavalry to guard the road to Pułtusk.

Around 3:30 PM, a French brigade attacked. After a tough fight, they pushed the Russians out of the woods. Davout saw that the Russians were trying to retreat towards Makow. He sent another French brigade to advance along the Pułtusk road.

A group of French dragoons (cavalry) charged the Russian cavalry on the road. But they found Russian infantry hiding in the marshes, sometimes up to their waists in water. The French cavalry could not reach them and were forced back. One French general was even wounded. After taking the woods, the French did not push further.

Battle of Golymin about 5pm

Russian Retreat in the Dark

Night fell, and the Russians began to pull back. Dokhturov's men led the way towards Makow. Around 9 PM, Golitsyn sent his cannons, then his cavalry, and finally his infantry to follow.

The French occupied Golymin early on December 27. Both sides lost about 800 soldiers in the battle.

What Happened After the Battle?

General Golitsyn's successful action in holding back the French was very important. It stopped Napoleon from getting behind the Russian army and trapping them against the Narew River.

The French were very impressed by how bravely and orderly the Russian soldiers fought. One French officer noted that Russian soldiers would march past, even under fire, without stopping or making a sound. They knew every moment was important for their retreat.

The Russian forces moved back and joined up with other parts of their army on January 1, 1807.

On December 28, Napoleon decided to stop his advance. His troops were tired and unhappy, and it was hard to get them supplies. He decided to have his army rest for the winter.

However, the break in fighting did not last long. On February 8, 1807, the two armies met again in the terrible Battle of Eylau.

Who Fought in the Battle of Golymin?

Here are some of the main forces involved in the battle:

French Army

• Reserve Cavalry Corps – Led by Marshal Murat. This included light cavalry (like Hussars and Chasseurs) and heavier cavalry (like Dragoons).
• 3rd Corps – Led by Marshal Davout. This corps had infantry divisions and light cavalry.
• 7th Corps – Led by Marshal Augereau. This corps also had infantry divisions and light cavalry.
• Note: The French did not have any cannons in this battle because the muddy roads made it impossible to bring them forward.

Russian Army

• 4th Division – Led by Prince Golitsyn. This division had infantry battalions, cavalry squadrons (Cuirassiers and Hussars), and 28 cannons.
• 7th Division – Part of this division, led by General Dokhturov, was present. It included infantry and cavalry.
• 3rd Division – Some parts of this division, led by General Sacken, also joined the fight. It included infantry and cavalry.