Throwing the Iron Dice: The Convention of Tauroggen and Prussian Entry to the Wars of Liberation

Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia radically altered the course of the Napoleonic Wars and changed the political landscape of Europe. Napoleon forced both the Prussians and Austrians to support his invasion of Russia and few in Europe believed he would be defeated. The French disaster in Russia convinced many that the time had come to overthrow the French domination of the continent. However, others doubted the ability of the Russians to overturn Napoleon’s empire or that the Russians would not simply replace France as an imperial power. Still, the failure of Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia created an unexpected opportunity for the nations of Europe to break his hold over the continent and sparked the War of the Sixth Coalition.

The Prussian King, Fredrick William III, hesitated to join the Russian war against the French. However, Yorck, commander of most of the Prussian field army, joined the Russians without royal approval and brought the province of East Prussia with him, resulting in Prussia’s entry into the war. Napoleon’s defeat in Russia placed Fredrick William once again between the two flank powers of Europe. Yorck’s actions in someways placed even more pressure on the king to commit himself to war against France. It is impossible to know what might have happened if Fredrick William had attempted to side with the French once more, but he and many with in his government feared that he would lose control of Prussia if he did so. However, it is unlikely that Fredrick William ever truly wished to fight as the ally of France in 1813. Given this history and the gains Prussians might expect from siding with either the French or the Russians if forced to choose a side, Fredrick William would all have chosen to side with the Russians.