Russian Occupation of Berlin
In early October 1760, while Frederick was occupied fighting the Austrians in Saxony, a combined Russian-Austrian raiding force of some 20,000 men under General Totleben and Count Lacy descended on Berlin, the Prussian capital. The city's garrison, vastly outnumbered, surrendered on 9 October. The Russians exacted a large financial contribution from the city's merchants, destroyed cannon foundries and arsenals, and held the capital for three days before withdrawing on news of Frederick's approach. The occupation of Berlin was the most dramatic demonstration of Prussia's fundamental vulnerability during the war: Frederick's army was a magnificent instrument that he wielded brilliantly, but it could not be everywhere at once, and the coalition's numerical advantage meant that whenever Frederick focused elsewhere, his enemies could ravage Prussian territory with near impunity. The psychological impact on Prussian morale and on Frederick personally was severe. For Empress Elizabeth of Russia and Maria Theresa of Austria, the occupation was a powerful signal that Frederick's kingdom was not invulnerable. Yet the withdrawal before Frederick's return also demonstrated the coalition's inability to coordinate an occupation even when they had the chance — a failure of strategic nerve that Frederick's enemies would repeat until the war's end. The event is a vivid illustration of why Frederick described the Seven Years' War as a struggle for his kingdom's survival.
- Year: 1760 CE
- Category: Military
