Battle of Racławice

"Battle of Racławice", Jan Matejko 465 x 897 cm. Kraków's National Museum.

Date	4 April 1794
Location	Racławice, Lesser Poland
Result	Polish victory

Belligerents

Poland

Russian Empire

Commanders and leaders

Tadeusz Kościuszko

Fiodor Denisov

Alexander Tormasov

Strength

5,000 and 11 cannons

3,000 and 12 cannons

Casualties and losses

200-250

800

The Battle of Racławice was one of the first battles of the Polish Kościuszko Uprising against Russia. It was fought on 4 April 1794 near the village of Racławice in Lesser Poland.

The battle site is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated May 1, 2004. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland.

General Denisov, with 2,500 troops, had planned to attack the Poles from south, while Tormasov's force of 3,000 troops blocked Kosciuszko. Encountering Tormasov's force first, Kosciuszko occupied a nearby hill, General Antoni Madalinski on his right and General Józef Zajączek on his left. Not waiting any longer, Tormasov attacked the hill by 3:00 PM, setting up their cannon. Kosciuszko inspired his peasant brigade with shouts of "My boys, take that artillery! For God, and the Fatherland! Go forward with faith!"

The first group of serfs captured three twelve-pound cannons and the second wave captured eight more cannons. Moving to his left flank, Kosciuszko led a bayonet charge when the Russians fled, followed closely by the scythemen.

The Polish Order of Battle was as follows:

In addition, Lesser Poland fielded approximately 2,000 peasants armed with war scythes and pikes, known as kosynierzy, as well as 11 cannon. The outcome of the battle was a tactical Polish victory, with Kościuszko defeating the numerically inferior enemy. However, his forces were too small to undertake a successful pursuit, and the Corps of General Denisov evaded destruction and continued to operate in Lesser Poland.

Kosciuszko marched back to Kraków and made camp in the fields of Bosutow.

After the battle, Kościuszko paraded before his troops in a sukmana, a traditional attire worn in Lesser Poland, in honour of the bravery of the peasants, whose charge ensured the quick capture of the Russian artillery. He also praised Wojciech Bartosz Głowacki, a peasant who was the first to capture the cannon (he is visible in Matejko's painting, above). He smothered its fuse with his hat before it fired. In return he received an award of nobility, his freedom, a tract of land and made standard-bearer.

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Wikipedia