Battle of Czasniki ( 1812 ) The Battle of Czasniki ( ) was fought during Napoleon ' s invasion of Russia , on 31 October 1812 , between Russian forces under General Wittgenstein , and the French army , commanded by Marshal Victor . This battle was a failed effort by the French to reestablish their northern " Dwina Line " , which had crumbled as a result of Wittgenstein ' s victory at the Second battle of Polotsk just two weeks earlier . Background . Upon learning of the French defeat at Polotsk , Victor , the commander of the French IX corps which Napoleon had kept in reserve at Smolensk , marched northeast with 22 , 000 troops to restore the Dwina Line . At Czasniki he united with elements of the II Corps , which was retreating from Polotsk . The combined II and IX corps . put 36 , 000 troops at Victor ' s disposal . Wittgenstein , after leaving 9 , 000 soldiers to garrison territory captured as a result of his victory at Polotsk , marched south to Czasniki with 30 , 000 troops to deal with Victor . Action . The combat at Czasniki was conducted chiefly by Wittgenstein ' s advance guard , 11 , 000 troops led by General Jaschwill , and the II Corps on the French side . The battle began with the Russians attacking the II Corps , which occupied a position in advance of the rest of Victor ' s troops . In the ensuing combat the Russians drove the French back toward Victor ' s rearward line . Upon encountering Victor ' s main position , Wittgenstein ordered Jaschwill to halt , and then commenced an artillery bombardment against the French . Victor , apparently unnerved by Jaschwill ' s successful advance , decided against continuing the battle , and retreated to Senno , 25 miles to the east . The Russians did not pursue . French casualties in this battle were 1 , 200 troops , as opposed to 400 lost by the Russians . Consequences . Although the Russian victory at Czasniki was indecisive , its outcome was highly unfavorable to Napoleon for several reasons . First , Victor ' s defeat amounted to a failure to reestablish the Dwina Line , which was his overriding objective . Second , Victor ' s new position at Senno was only 30 miles from Napoleon ' s intended line of retreat from Moscow , thus putting the Grande Armée within Wittgenstein ' s attacking range . Further , Wittgenstein ' s success increased the possibility that he could unite his command with the armies of Pavel Chichagov and Kutusov , thus trapping the Grande Armee ] between three separate Russian forces . Also , as a result of his victories at Polotsk and Czasniki , Wittgenstein dispatched a force under General Harpe to capture the massive French supply depot at Vitebsk . On November 7 , after a short combat , the French garrison at Vitebsk surrendered to Harpe , and huge caches of foodstuffs and war material fell into Russian hands . The fall of Vitebsk was a severe blow to Napoleon because he had planned to quarter his battered Grande Armée there for the winter . Napoleon ' s plan to combine his main army with Victor ' s force at Vitebsk , where they would reequip themselves before beginning the campaign anew the following spring , was now broken . Upon learning of the Russian victory at Czasniki , Napoleon ordered Victor to immediately attack Wittgenstein again and recapture Polotsk . This led to yet another French defeat , the Battle of Smoliani , on November 14 , 1812 .