Polish Battles and Campaigns in 13Th–19Th Centuries
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POLISH BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS IN 13TH–19TH CENTURIES WOJSKOWE CENTRUM EDUKACJI OBYWATELSKIEJ IM. PŁK. DYPL. MARIANA PORWITA 2016 POLISH BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS IN 13TH–19TH CENTURIES WOJSKOWE CENTRUM EDUKACJI OBYWATELSKIEJ IM. PŁK. DYPL. MARIANA PORWITA 2016 Scientific editors: Ph. D. Grzegorz Jasiński, Prof. Wojciech Włodarkiewicz Reviewers: Ph. D. hab. Marek Dutkiewicz, Ph. D. hab. Halina Łach Scientific Council: Prof. Piotr Matusak – chairman Prof. Tadeusz Panecki – vice-chairman Prof. Adam Dobroński Ph. D. Janusz Gmitruk Prof. Danuta Kisielewicz Prof. Antoni Komorowski Col. Prof. Dariusz S. Kozerawski Prof. Mirosław Nagielski Prof. Zbigniew Pilarczyk Ph. D. hab. Dariusz Radziwiłłowicz Prof. Waldemar Rezmer Ph. D. hab. Aleksandra Skrabacz Prof. Wojciech Włodarkiewicz Prof. Lech Wyszczelski Sketch maps: Jan Rutkowski Design and layout: Janusz Świnarski Front cover: Battle against Theutonic Knights, XVI century drawing from Marcin Bielski’s Kronika Polski Translation: Summalinguæ © Copyright by Wojskowe Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej im. płk. dypl. Mariana Porwita, 2016 © Copyright by Stowarzyszenie Historyków Wojskowości, 2016 ISBN 978-83-65409-12-6 Publisher: Wojskowe Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej im. płk. dypl. Mariana Porwita Stowarzyszenie Historyków Wojskowości Contents 7 Introduction Karol Olejnik 9 The Mongol Invasion of Poland in 1241 and the battle of Legnica Karol Olejnik 17 ‘The Great War’ of 1409–1410 and the Battle of Grunwald Zbigniew Grabowski 29 The Battle of Ukmergė, the 1st of September 1435 Marek Plewczyński 41 The Battle of Orsha 8th September 1514 Henryk Lulewicz 51 Stephen Bathory’s Expeditions against Muscovy (1579–1581) Witold Rawski 59 The Battle of Kircholm 1605 Przemysław Gawron 67 The Battle of Klushino Paweł Przeździecki 87 The Polish-Turkish War of 1620–1621: the battles of Cecora and Chocim Rafał Roguski 103 The Battle of Berestechko 28–30 June 1651 Mirosław Nagielski 113 The Chudniv Campaign of 1660 Marek Wagner 127 The Battle of Chocim, 10–11 November 1673 Mirosław Nagielski 139 Vienna Campaign 1683 Janusz Wojtasik 147 The Battle of Racławice, 4th April 1794 Tomasz Malarski 155 The Napoleon’s Polish Troop in 1815 Tomasz Strzeżek 167 Battle of Iganie, April 10, 1831 Zbigniew Moszumański 177 Battle in the Kobylanka Forest, 1–6 May 1863 – 5 – Introduction The thousand-year history of Poland and the Polish battles from that period, starting with the Battle of Orsha nation reveals many battles which not only changed the (1514) and ending with the Vienna Campaign (1683), con- course of the history of Poland, but also other countries stitute the core of this work. in Central and Eastern Europe. A team of Polish military The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was the historians from both civil and military circles wishes to name of the state created by Poland and Lithuania after present you with a selection of campaigns and battles the Union of Lublin in 1569, was a military superpower fought by Polish armed forces, from the Battle of Legnica at the time. Victories achieved in the battles of Kircholm, against Tataro-Mongolians in 1241, through the Battle Klushino, Berestechko, Chocim and Vienna made Polish of Grunwald against the Teutonic Knights in 1410, to the cavalry famous throughout Europe. Above all, it was January Uprising of 1863–1864. The battles were selected the hussars, who, with their daredevil charges that de- according to their significance and results. Campaigns and cided the course of campaigns, earned people’s greatest battles are presented chronologically and each study has respect. been appended with a drawing. Other important battles from the point of view of the The book begins with texts on campaigns and battles of history of the Polish army include battles fought in the the middle ages in Poland (Legnica, Grunwald, Ukmergė). name of sovereignty at the end of the 18th century and However, battles that are particularly interesting, espe- armed attempts to regain independence at the end of the cially from the point of view of general military history, are 19th century. These problems are discussed in the last texts those fought during the Polish-Lithuanian Union, as dur- of the book. ing that period Poles were very eager to learn from their The authors and editors of this work are aware that this allies and enemies and incorporated new types of arms, is not a full record of the history of the Polish army. Never- military organisation, tactics and strategy into the Polish theless, they hope that the book will be warmly received army. This led to the creation of the peculiar blend and and plan to continue the subject in the form of studies distinctiveness of the Polish art of war which flourished in on selected campaigns and battles fought by the Polish the 16th and 17th centuries. Descriptions of campaigns and Armed Forces in the 20th century. – 7 – – Karol Olejnik – Higher School of Humanities and Journalism in Poznan The Mongol Invasion of Poland in 1241 and the battle of Legnica The process of feudal fragmentation, although com- firmation of how little we knew about the strangers from mon in medieval European countries, was relatively short the depths of the Asian steppes. in Poland. However, its effects were disastrous. The first The Tatar army entered the territory of Poland between endeavours to recentralise the country, initiated in Silesia, December and January 1241. In its first stage, the invasion were made between the 12th and 13th centuries. At that time, covered lands on the east of the Vistula river, particularly Henry I the Bearded, and later his son Henry II the Pious, Lublin and Zawichost. Within several weeks the invaders established the so-called ‘monarchy of the Silesian Hen- advance farther to the west and besiege Sandomierz, ries’. Although their rule was consolidated only in Silesia Wiślica and Skarbimierz. After breaking down resistance of and Greater Poland, in many areas Henry’s authority being local knights in Tursko Wielkie and besieging Zawichost, purely nominal, and although the remaining regions of the the troops head towards Sieciechów, where they cross fragmented country were still feuding, Wrocław’s initiative the Vistula river and move to Rus’.2 At the beginning of is considered the first stage of the unification process.1 March 1241 Tatars attacked for the third time. This time It needs to be assumed that this state of affairs was also after crossing the Vistula river in Sandomierz, the Mongols noted by other countries, which perceived the Henries as divided into two groups, one of which headed north and a major political factor in the territory between the Vistula, the other, probably stronger, advanced towards Cracow. Oder and Warta. In any case, in all their political endeav- On their way, the army won the battle of Chmielnik with ours, the external factors in distant territories had to allow knights from Lesser Poland and reached Cracow. Upon for the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty. And vice versa, capturing the city (only st. Andrew’s church withstood all political events that took place outside their dominion the attack) and after a short repose, they continued west. triggered Wrocław’s reaction. Their route went on through Racibórz and Opole, and at The above mentioned comments will gain significance the beginning of April the hostile army stopped outside in the context of events which took place in the 1230’s in Wrocław. At this point, however, we need to stop our nar- territories to the east of the San, in connection with threats ration in order to point out some details. from Tatars. News of the Mongolian army reached Poland 2 The most creadible and at the same time extensive source of as early as the end of the 12th century and became par- information is ‘Annals or Chronicles of the Famous Kingdom ticularly intensified ca. 1237, when the Mongol invasion of of Poland’ by Jan Długosz (Roczniki czyli Kroniki sławnego Rus’ practically ended. These news, however, cannot be Królestwa Polskiego, Chapter VII, Warsaw 1974), which was assumed to have contained sufficiently detailed informa- proved to have used (cf. G. Labuda, ‘Wojna z Tatarami w roku tion on the character of the army, its equipment or fighting 1241’, in Przegląd Historyczny, vol. L, pp. 189–224), lost sour- methods. To some extent, the course of events which took ces, unknown to us today. According to Długosz, in 1241 ‘Batu […] Khan of the Tatars […] arrives in Poland and with unusual place on our lands in the first half of 1241 constitute a con- swiftness plunders and ravages two highly populated Polish cities: Lublin and Zawichost together with adjoining powiats 1 Cf. J. Baszkiewicz, Powstanie zjednoczonego państwa polskie- and lands’ (author’s translation). J. Długosz, Roczniki czyli Kro- go na przełomie XIII i XIV w., Warsaw 1954. niki…, Chapter VII, pp. 9–10. – 9 – – Karol Olejnik – It follows from the above comments that before Tatars oeuvres (arrow barrage, feigned retreat manoeuvre) than reached the city walls of Wrocław, Polish knights had the Polish knighthood, accustomed to close combat with tried to stop them. Their effort was realised in the battles the use of pole-arms and melee weapons; 6. the Mongol of Tursko, Racibórz and Chmielnik. It is assumed that the army mainly consisted of light cavalry, unburdened with first of the mentioned battles took place approximately in tabors and riding unusually sturdy horses. All this added to the middle of February. The Mongol army fought against the great swiftness of the Tatar army, as well as to its ability armies from Sandomierz and Cracow, summoned by to travel long distances and overcome natural obstacles. Bolesław V the Chaste. Despite a promising beginning, Thus, the subsequent attempts to suppress the danger- the battle resulted in a total defeat of the Polish army.3 It ous assailants from the east failed.