The battle of Raczlawitz is one of the first battles during the Koscius Revolt against the Russian Empire . Occurred on April 4, 1794 near the village of Raclavice, of Malopolska province .
| Battle of Racławice | |||
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| Main conflict: Rise of Kosciuszko | |||
 Jan Matejko . "Battle of Raczawitz" | |||
| date | April 4, 1794 | ||
| A place | Raclavice (Lesser Poland Voivodeship ) | ||
| Total | Victory forces of the Commonwealth | ||
| Opponents | |||
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| Commanders | |||
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| Forces of the parties | |||
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| Losses | |||
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After in March 1794, Kosciuszko was proclaimed head of the armed forces of the uprising in Krakow , he managed to gather the following forces:
| number of units | regiment name and commander | number of soldiers | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 battalions | Infantry regiment Chapskogo | 400 bayonets | |||||||||||
| 2 battalions | Infantry Regiment Vodzitsky | 400 bayonets | |||||||||||
| 2 battalions | Infantry Regiment Ozarovsky | 400 bayonets | |||||||||||
| 1 battalion | Infantry regiment Raczynski | 200 bayonets | |||||||||||
| 10 cavalry squadrons | Under the command of Antoni Madalinsky | 400 saber | |||||||||||
| 10 cavalry squadrons | Under the command of Magnet | 400 saber | |||||||||||
| 4 cavalry squadrons | Under the command of Bernatsky | 160 saber | |||||||||||
| 2 auxiliary squadrons | Duke of Württemberg | 80 saber | |||||||||||
| Total 2440 people | |||||||||||||
In addition, the Małopolska voivodeship put out 11 cannons and 2,000 peasants armed with braids (so-called Coeners ), who played a decisive role in the battle.
General Tormasov superior forces attacked the Polish troops from the front. Russian troops attacked the traditional closed musket system: shoulder to shoulder, in several rows. This system provided the density and continuity of fire, but did not allow to maneuver. Kosciuszko, who participated in the American War of Independence 1775 - 1783 , learned more advanced tactics that he used on the battlefield: the Poles fired from natural shelters, taking advantage of the landscape. The detachments of the trainers under the personal guidance of Kosciusko, meanwhile, imperceptibly bypassed the Russian detachment and penetrated to its rear. As a result of a successful and lightning attack, the cosiners seized all the Russian guns and forced the Russian troops to retreat. However, Kosciuszko’s forces were too small to pursue the Tormasov detachment, and the Russian troops, after the defeat, continued operations in the Malopolska province.
Battle Results
The victory at Raczawitz was only a tactical success, but raised the morale of the uprising, and new areas joined it: the majority of the Polish lands, Lithuania and Kurland . The victory also became a signal to the Warsaw Uprising , which forced the Russian troops to leave the capital of Poland on April 17 . In honor of the victory, Kostyushko conferred the rank of cornet to some especially distinguished volunteer peasants, and in honor of their valor, at a parade he passed in front of the troops in national Lesser clothes: sukmane - homespun a peasant's kaftan. One of the serfs who participated in the battle was Bartosh Glovatsky , who later became the national hero of Poland.
“ Confederate ”, which was worn by the troops of the Polish uprising, and two crossed braids became the emblem of the Polish 303rd Fighter Squadron during World War II .
Scenes of the battle are captured in the panorama " Battle of Raclawice ".
Links
- Site of the museum-panorama "Battle of Raclawitz" (English) (German) (Polish)