Siege of Riga (1812)
The Siege of Riga was a military operation undertaken by the Grande Armée during the French invasion of Russia in 1812.
The siege, beginning in July 1812, was led by Marshal Jacques MacDonald, with a force of 30,000 men, facing Russian defenders under command of Ivan Fyodorovich Emme. The defenders were aided by the British Baltic squadron under Rear Admiral Thomas Byam Martin. In August, Martin led a British-Russian force on a diversionary naval raid on the major French base at Danzig. The French did not try to storm Riga and eventually withdrew in September 1812.
