Napoleon pursuing the Russian forces under Bennigsen caught up with them at Eylau in Prussia where the Russians had decided to make a stand. The French were initially greatly outnumbered, expecting reinforcements under Ney and Davout the following day, they held ground and both sides spent a cold night in blizzard conditions. On the 8th, fortunes fluctuated in the terrible winter conditions with French attacks being thrown back by Russian massed infantry and artillery. At around 11:30 Napoleon threw in his cavalry reserve and Murat with 10,500 horsemen smashed through the Russian centre, and back again, evening out the positions. The afternoon arrival of the French reinforcements, matched to some extend by the Prussians under Lestoq arriving to support the Russians led to general melee all along the lines and as darkness fell the fighting died down and Bennigsen decided to withdraw. Both sides then, sensibly, went into winter quarters.

A town in East Prussia [now in the Russian enclave of Kalingrad] about 20 miles south of Kalingrad [then called Königsberg]. (Poland)

Grande Armee

Number engaged :

75,000

Casualties :

25,000 (33.33%)

Russian forces

Number engaged :

76,000

Casualties :

15,000 (19.74%)