ORDER OF BATTLE // November 15, 1812
Battle of Kaidanowo
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 5,100–6,000 estimated
Russian Empire
3,800–4,000
Medium-confidence figure
French Empire
1,300–2,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Kaidanowo on 15 November 1812 was fought near the village of Kaidanowo, in what is now Dzyarzhynsk, Belarus. A combined Polish-Lithuanian, Württembergian, and French force under Polish General Franciszek Ksawery Kossecki, numbering between 1,300 and 2,000 troops, was defeated by Russian forces under General Charles de Lambert, who commanded roughly 3,800 to 4,000 seasoned soldiers. French Empire casualties ranged from 1,000 to 2,000, representing a substantial portion — potentially the entirety — of Kossecki's engaged strength. The engagement occurred during the broader French withdrawal from Moscow, a phase of the 1812 campaign in which Napoleon's forces were under sustained pressure across multiple axes. The defeat at Kaidanowo removed or severely degraded a combined allied contingent that could not readily be replaced, adding further attrition to a Grande Armée already in retreat.
‹ Full battle dossier