Raid on Berlin

Raid on Berlin
Part of the Seven Years' War
Russians and Austrians devastate the Arsenal in Berlin, October 1760
Date October 1760 Location Berlin, Prussia Result Berlin occupied for four days
Belligerents
Prussia	Austria Russia
Commanders and leaders
Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg Johann Dietrich von Hülsen	Count von Lacy Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben
Strength
18,000	35,000 in Total 15,000 Austrians 20,000 Russians

The Raid on Berlin took place in October 1760 during the Seven Years' War when Austrian and Russian forces occupied the Prussian capital of Berlin for several days. After raising money from the city, and with the approach of further Prussian reinforcements, the occupiers withdrew. There were later allegations that the Russian commander Count Tottleben had received a personal bribe from the Prussians to spare the city, and he was subsequently tried and found guilty of being a spy.

After a series of successes over Prussian forces in 1759, the following year proved to be a disappointment for the Allies as their invasion of Silesia had stalled, in spite of their overwhelming manpower, and they had been defeated at the Battle of Liegnitz in August 1760. However, the Prussian capital, Berlin had been left vulnerable by Frederick the Great's decision to concentrate his forces in Silesia. This led to France suggest that Russia could make a lightning raid on Berlin, the Prussian capital.

A smaller Austrian raid had briefly occupied the city in October 1757. The plan drawn up by the allies envisaged a feint towards Guben by the main army, which would allow a force under Heinrich Tottleben to detach itself and hurry northwards to strike at Berlin. This would be followed a separate Austrian force under Count von Lacy. Large numbers of cossacks and light cavalry were to take part in the raid to give it added speed.

Tottleben led a vanguard of 5,600 Russians which crossed the River Oder and attempted to take the city by a coup de main on 5 October. This attempt to surprise the city failed in the face of unexpected opposition. The Governor of the city, General Hans Friedrich von Rochow wanted to withdraw in the face of the Russian threat, but the Prussian cavalry commander Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz recovering from his wounds in the city, rallied the 2,000 defenders and managed to drive them back from the city gates.

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