The battle at the village of Lesnoy is one of the most important stages of the Northern War. In this battle, the small army of Peter I defeated the Swedish corps under the command of L. Lavengaupt.
Background
The hostilities between Sweden and Russia took place not only on the northern fronts. One of the largest battles took place on the territory of modern Ukraine, and ended with the confident victory of the Russian troops. This battle was included in all school textbooks under the name of the Battle of Poltava. The battle at the village of Lesnoy happened the day before. The convincing triumph of the Petrine army in this conflict brought closer the victory of Russia near Poltava.
According to the order of Charles XII, the Swedish garrisons of Courland and Livonia received orders to join the king’s army to organize military operations in Russia. In the fall of 1708, a detachment of the Swedish general Adam Ludwig Levengaupt crossed the Dnieper and headed towards the city of Propoisk for rapprochement with the royal troops.
There were several reasons for this decision:
- The defeat received by Charles XII in the cavalry battle near Raevka, forcing the Swedes to abandon the conquest of Smolensk.
- The absence in Ukraine of strong military garrisons that could provide serious resistance.
- Lack of fodder and food, which Charles XII hoped to replenish in Ukraine.
- An agreement with the hetman Mazepa on providing the Swedish army with an additional Cossack corps of support, numbering about 20 thousand people.
- Possible support for the Crimean Khan and the Polish nobility.
Maneuvers
The turn of Charles XII to the south increased the already considerable distance between the main Swedish troops and the Levengaupt garrison. Peter I decided to take advantage of this circumstance and sent a light corps (corollant) of Menshikov against Levengaupt, personally leading it.
The conductor’s false information about the direction of the Swedes confused the plans of the Russian detachment a little. But soon the Russian intelligence reported on the place of crossing the Swedes, and the Russian cavalry rushed in pursuit. So the battle at the village of Lesnoy began. The date of this event is September 28, 1708 according to the old style.
Skirmish at the river. Resta
The Menshikov cavalry overtook the rearguard of the Swedes at the Resta River. After a short battle, Levengaupt successfully repulsed the Russian attacks and crossed to the other side, where he consolidated his position near the village of Lesnoy.
Such reconnaissance in battle was necessary in order to find out the combat effectiveness and strength of the Swedish corps. According to preliminary data, the detachment of Peter I consisted of about 8 thousand soldiers and officers, but in reality there were almost twice as many.
On September 26, a military council was convened over the situation. It was decided to send for help to the city of Krichev, where at that time the four-thousandth corps of Lieutenant General Bauer was located. It was supposed to wait for help for two days. Regardless of whether the corps arrives in time or not, after this period it was necessary to attack the Swedes. For this, Menshikov mobilized personnel. And to destroy the crossings over the Sog River, dragoons of Brigadier Freeman were sent. Major General Verdun, who was stationed with his battalions south of Smolensk, received an order to join the Russian strike force. But he did not have time, and the battle at the village of Lesnoy took place without his participation.
The Swedes, learning about the nearby Russian corps, strengthened their positions at the heights - the battle near the village of Lesnoy took place according to the classical tactics of conducting European wars. Several Swedish battalions took up a position on the front front, while the rest stood in front of the village of Lesnoy, the rear of the rivulet Lesnyanka, flowing near the village. Lowenhaupt planned to hold the defense until the convoy with equipment crossed the Sog.
At this time, the Russians moved along forest paths in order to discover their presence as late as possible. The columns were headed by Menshikov himself and Peter I. To give the Russian troops the opportunity to switch to battle formation, the Neva Dragoons regiment took the first line of the enemy’s attack on themselves, losing about 300 people killed and wounded. During the skirmish, the corollant managed to enter the field and build at a distance of 1 kilometer from the front flank of the enemy.
Battle of the Forest
The battle began at the height of the day. The number of Russians was about 10 thousand people. They were opposed by a well-trained Swedish corps in the amount of 9 thousand soldiers and officers. Golitsyn’s guards brigade fought in the center; cavalry covered the flanks. The Russians attacked several times, moving from gunshots to bayonet attacks and hand-to-hand combat. In the middle of the battle, the opponents were so tired that they fell to the ground 200 steps from each other. Expected reinforcements by both sides
Dragoons of General Bauer
In the evening, reinforcements came to the Russians. Together with the help of Peter's troops again went on the offensive and drove the Swedes into the village. Levengaupt was able to clear his way across the river, but he was no longer able to transport the convoy and the seriously wounded. The Swedes had to drop part of the convoys, their seriously wounded, guns and equipment. At night, the Swedes crossed the river. Some of them deserted.
The rest of the Swedes were disorganized. The cavalry of Lieutenant General Flug caught up with the retreating and managed to repulse the rest of the equipment. The Swedish squad reached the main part of the royal army in the amount of 6 thousand people. Cannons, a convoy with food, and most of the personnel were lost.
Summary
A small village, lost in the Belarusian steppes, has become widely known far beyond the borders of Russia.
The battle of it became an impetus, after which the Great
Northern War turned its course
. The battle of Lesnoy showed the tactical talent of the Russian army and seriously undermined the enemy’s forces before the start of
the Battle of Poltava. Now a monument is erected at the scene of the battle.