Gallery

 

On 21 May the 8d Corps of the Grw,de Armée under Mar&hal Mortier arrived to reinforce Lefébvre and Lanncs still further. The Prussians were now very low on ammunition, food stocks had been exhausted, severe damage had been sustained in many areas, and within days the now strengthened French batteries could wreak havoc. Furthermore considerable numbers of Polish troops fighting for the Prussian side defected to the French. Accordingly von Kalckreuth decided to enter into negotiations. The garrison was granted an honourable withdrawal on agreement not to fight the French nor their allies for a period of twelve months

On 26 May Danzig capitulated and the next day the Prussian troops were permitted to leave with colours flying, via the spit of land towards East Prussia. On 1 June Napoleon Bonaparte made a triumphal entry through the High Gate into Danzig, where he delivered a speech in front of the main Town Hall He inspected the fortifications and appointed his aide-de-camp General Jean Rapp as governor Lefèbvre was created “Due k Danizig and took up residence at the house of the rich merchant Peter Eggert at 31 Long Market

The “Free City” 1807-1814

By the 19 article of the Treaty of Tilsit, 7-9 July 1807, between Napoleon, Tsar Alexander of Russia and Friedrich Wilhelm 111, King of Prussia, Danzig became a “Free City”, under the nominal protection of Prussia and Saxony. This was much to the disappointment of the Poles who had nurtured the hope that the French would restore the old Polish state incorporating Danzig as before The reality, however, was that the city remained very much under French administration as their troops still garrisoned the city. The Treaty served to extend the French blockade of British Trade, an act known as the “Continental System” Napoleon demanded 20 million Francs from Danzig to line his war chest, The debt was payable in foodstuffs, equipment, promissory notes and cash Lefèbvre received a personal gift of 400,000 Francs whilst Rapp took I million! The territory afforded to the new Free City of Danzig, extended the city boundaries considerably.

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 112 - July - August - September - 2001, Page 17.