The Treaty of Kalisz formally allied Prussia with Russia against Napoleon, marking Prussia's definitive break from the French alliance in 1813.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 28 February 1813
- Signatories
- Russia and Prussia
- Alliance formed
- Kalisz Union, directed against Napoleon I
- Preceding convention
- Convention of Tauroggen, 30 December 1812
- Treaty language
- French, despite being directed against France
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On 30 December 1812, Lieutenant-General Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg and Russian General Hans Karl von Diebitsch signed the Convention of Tauroggen, neutralising Prussian forces without royal consent. Although the Prussian king initially suspended Yorck pending court-martial, the convention generated broad popular enthusiasm in Prussia and set in motion a shift away from the French alliance.
On 28 February 1813, Russia and Prussia signed the Treaty of Kalisz, formally establishing the Kalisz Union—a military alliance against Napoleon I. The treaty text was written in French, the prevailing diplomatic language of the era, despite its purpose of organizing opposition to France.
The treaty marked Prussia's official and final change of sides in the Napoleonic Wars. By joining Russia against Napoleon, Prussia helped consolidate the Sixth Coalition, contributing to the military campaigns that would ultimately lead to Napoleon's defeat and abdication in 1814.
Political Outcome
Prussia and Russia formed the Kalisz Union, a formal alliance against Napoleon I, completing Prussia's defection from the French alliance.
Prussia was nominally aligned with Napoleonic France
Prussia allied with Russia against Napoleon as part of the Sixth Coalition