19. Audacity Forced the Surrender of a Powerful Garrison to a Tiny Force
On the afternoon of October 29th, 1806, General Antoine Lasalle sent a subordinate under a flag of truce to demand the surrender of Stettin. He promised to treat its defenders with all the honors of war. The garrison’s commander, General Friedrich von Romberg refused and vowed to defend the city to the last man. An hour later, the emissary returned, this time with a more ominous message: “If by 8 AM you have not surrendered, the town will be bombarded by our artillery and stormed by 50,000 men. The garrison will be put to the sword, and the town will be plundered for 24 hours“. An alarmed von Romberg consulted with the town leaders. They urged capitulation, and that night, the details of the surrender were negotiated and finalized.
When the sun came up the next day, the garrison marched out in perfect order and filed past the French to throw their arms down at their feet in a pile. It did not take long before von Romberg discovered just how tiny was the force he had surrendered to. Instead of 50,000 men, the Frenchman had barely 500. By then, it was too late, however, and the Prussian general had little choice but to stick to the negotiated agreement. Lasalle became a national hero, while von Romberg became a laughingstock. Stettin’s erstwhile commander was tried by court-martial in 1809, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment for his shameful surrender without a fight. He died two months later.
