Battle of Praga

Obrona Pragi (Defence of Praga) by Aleksander Orłowski

Date	4 November 1794
Location	Praga, Warsaw
Result	Decisive Russian victory

Belligerents

Polish forces

Russian Empire

Commanders and leaders

Józef Zajączek

Berek Joselewicz

Aleksandr Suvorov

Strength

14,000 regulars, 3,200 militia
Less than 90 cannons

17,000 men (assaulting)
104 cannons

Casualties and losses

6,000 killed or wounded
10,000 taken prisoner

580 killed, 960 injured

7,000 to 10,000-15,000 to up to 20,000 civilians killed

Józef Zajączek

The Battle of Praga or the Second Battle of Warsaw of 1794 was a Russian assault of Praga, the easternmost suburb of Warsaw, during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. It was followed by a massacre (known as the Massacre of Praga ) of the civilian population of Praga.

After the Battle of Maciejowice General Tadeusz Kościuszko was captured by the Russians. The internal struggle for power in Warsaw and the demoralisation of the city's population prevented General Józef Zajączek from finishing the fortifications surrounding the city both from the east and from the west. At the same time the Russians were making their way towards the city.

The Russian forces consisted of two battle-hardened corps under Generals Aleksandr Suvorov and Ivan Fersen. Suvorov took part in the recent Russo-Turkish war, then in the heavy fighting in Polesie and finally in the Battle of Maciejowice. Fersen fought for several months in Poland, but was also joined by fresh reinforcements sent from Russia. Each of them had approximately 11,000 men.

The Polish forces consisted of a variety of troops. Apart from the rallied remnants of the Kościuszko's army defeated in the Battle of Maciejowice, it also included a large number of untrained militia from Warsaw, Praga and Vilna, a 500-man Jewish regiment of Berek Joselewicz as well as a number of scythemen and civilians. The forces were organised in three separate lines, each covering a different part of Praga. The central area was commanded directly by General Józef Zajączek, the northern area was commanded by Jakub Jasiński and the southern by Władysław Jabłonowski. Altogether, the Polish commander had less than 20,000 men.

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