city state · Poland, Lithuania and Russia
Free City of Danzig (1807-1814)
Origins
After defeating Prussia, Napoleon created the Free City of Danzig by the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, taking the city and its surrounding territory from the Kingdom of Prussia. It was placed under the joint protection of Prussia and the Kingdom of Saxony, whose king also ruled the Duchy of Warsaw.
Rule and society
The city had a senate and its own constitution, but real power lay with the French governor, General Jean Rapp, and a large garrison. Napoleon's Continental System cut off Danzig's trade with Britain and ruined its merchants, while the city had to pay heavy contributions. It served as a base for the 1812 invasion of Russia.
Decline and legacy
In 1813 Russian and Prussian forces besieged the city for most of the year, and Rapp surrendered at the end of 1813, the garrison leaving in January 1814. The Congress of Vienna returned Danzig to Prussia in 1815.
Lineage
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- Free City of Danzig (1807-1814) was a protectorate of French Empire1807 CE – 1814 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Free City of Danzig (1807-1814). In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-city-of-danzig-1807-1814
- MLA
- “Free City of Danzig (1807-1814).” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-city-of-danzig-1807-1814. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Free City of Danzig (1807-1814).” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-city-of-danzig-1807-1814.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Free City of Danzig (1807-1814)’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-city-of-danzig-1807-1814 (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻