Siege of Danzig (1734)

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Siege of Danzig

Part of the War of the Polish Succession

Date	February 22 - June 30, 1734
Location	Danzig, Poland
Result	Russian-Saxon victory

Belligerents

Russia

Saxony

Poland,

France

Commanders

Peter Lacy,
Burkhard Christoph von Munnich,
Thomas Gordon

Stanislas Leszczynski

Strength

20,000

2,400 French,
Unknown Poles

Casualties and losses

8,000

Unknown
Fall of the city

v • d • e War of the Polish Succession

Danzig – Bitonto – San Pietro – Gaeta – Guastalla

This article is about the Siege of 1734. For other uses, see Siege of Danzig.

The Siege of Danzig was the Russian encirclement (February 22 - June 30, 1734) and capture of the Polish city of Danzig (Gdańsk) during the War of Polish Succession. This was the first time that France and Russia had met as foes in the field.^[1]

The Polish king Stanislas Leszczynski had fled after the Russian capture of Warsaw, and after failing to find support in Poland. Stanisław entrenched with his partisans (including the Primate and the French and Swedish ministers) to await the relief that had been promised by France. On February 22, 1734, a Russian army of 20,000 under Peter Lacy, after proclaiming August III the Saxon at Warsaw, proceeded to besiege Danzig.

On March 17, 1734, Marshal Münnich superseded Peter Lacy, and on May 20 the long-expected French fleet appeared, consisting of three ships of the line and two frigates, including the 60-gun Fleuron and the 46-gun Gloire. The fleet went on to disembark 2,400 men on Westerplatte.^[2] A week later, this force attempted to storm the Russian entrenchments, but failing to do so, and following the arrival of a Russian fleet under admiral Thomas Gordon on June 1, was finally compelled to surrender. The Russian fleet, consisting of the 100-gun ship Peter I and II and the 32-gun frigates Russia and Mitau had had a previous encounter with the French ships, in which the Mitau was captured. Danzig capitulated unconditionally on June 30, after sustaining a siege of 135 days, which cost the Russians 8,000 men.^[3] Danzig had suffered considerable damage and had to pay reperations.

Disguised as a peasant, Stanisław had contrived to escape two days before. He reappeared at Königsberg, whence he issued a manifesto to his partisans which resulted in the formation of a confederation on his behalf, and the dispatch of a Polish envoy to Paris to urge France to invade Saxony with at least 40,000 men. In the Ukraine, Count Nicholas Potocki hoped to support Stanisław by joining up with a force of some 50,000 guerillas operating in the countryside around Danzig. However they were ultimately scattered by the Russians.