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Battle of Loyew (1649)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Loyew was a battle of the Khmelnytsky Uprising
. Near the site of the present-day town of Loyew in Belarus
, a numerically superior force of Cossacks under the command of Cossack warleaders Stepan Pobodailo
and Mykhailo Krychevsky
was defeated by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
forces under the command of hetman Janusz Radziwiłł. Radziwiłł was able to engage the Cossack forces before they merged. First, he defeated the army of Krychevsky, who was mortally wounded; then he defeated Pobodailo's army.
(Stiepan Podobajła) with a force of about 7,000 took Loyew in summer of 1649 and began using it as an operational base in the region, from which they staged a series of pillaging raids. Hetman Janusz Radziwiłł took the Lithuanian army (about 6,000 strong, including about 800 Polish hussars
, 1,000 infantry, the rest, lighter cavalry) in the field to challenge him.
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
, leader of the Cossacks, learned about Radziwiłł's plans while besieging Zbarazh
. He sent part of his forces, an army of about 10,000, under another Cossack leader, Mykhailo Krychevsky
(Stanisław Krzeczowski), to support Podobajła against the Commonwealth.
On 23 July the Commonwealth army approached Loyew on the right bank of the Dnieper River
. Pobodailo's fortified camp was on the left, and Radziwiłł decided to start a siege by shelling the Cossack's camp with his artillery over the river.
The remains of Krychevsky's army took up positions in a wagon fort
. Initial attempts by the Commonwealth army to take the new Cossack positions failed. In the meantime, Pobodailo's troops crossed the river to help their allies, but were defeated by the Commonwealth. After that, the Commonwealth's final assault on the wagon fort succeeded, with the hussars dismounting and taking to battle on foot. Krychevsky, mortally wounded, was taken prisoner. Radziwiłł collected about 40 Cossack banner from the field. Samuel Orgelbrand
gave Cossack losses at 3,000 men, 2 artillery pieces and 12 banners.
.
Radziwiłl was rewarded by the king with possessions at Nevel
, Sebezh
and Krasne
. Not content with those rewards, he would later betray the Commonwealth
.
Another battle would take place in the same area two years later.
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, was a Cossack rebellion in the Ukraine between the years 1648–1657 which turned into a Ukrainian war of liberation from Poland...
. Near the site of the present-day town of Loyew in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, a numerically superior force of Cossacks under the command of Cossack warleaders Stepan Pobodailo
Stepan Pobodailo
Stepan Pobodailo was a Ukrainian Cossack leader.In 1646 he began the reconstruction of the Trinity–Saint Elijah's Monastery in Chernihiv....
and Mykhailo Krychevsky
Mykhailo Krychevsky
Mykhailo Krychevsky or Stanisław Krzyczewski or Krzeczowski was a Polish noble, military officer and Cossack commander.-Biography:...
was defeated by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
forces under the command of hetman Janusz Radziwiłł. Radziwiłł was able to engage the Cossack forces before they merged. First, he defeated the army of Krychevsky, who was mortally wounded; then he defeated Pobodailo's army.
Before the battle
A Cossack army under Stepan PobodailoStepan Pobodailo
Stepan Pobodailo was a Ukrainian Cossack leader.In 1646 he began the reconstruction of the Trinity–Saint Elijah's Monastery in Chernihiv....
(Stiepan Podobajła) with a force of about 7,000 took Loyew in summer of 1649 and began using it as an operational base in the region, from which they staged a series of pillaging raids. Hetman Janusz Radziwiłł took the Lithuanian army (about 6,000 strong, including about 800 Polish hussars
Polish Hussars
The Polish Hussars were the main type of cavalry of the first Polish Army, later also introduced into the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, between the 16th and 18th centuries...
, 1,000 infantry, the rest, lighter cavalry) in the field to challenge him.
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky was a hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates which resulted in the creation of a Cossack state...
, leader of the Cossacks, learned about Radziwiłł's plans while besieging Zbarazh
Siege of Zbarazh
The Siege of Zbarazh was a 1649 battle of the Khmelnytsky Uprising.The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces held their positions besieged in the Zbarazh Castle until in the aftermath of Battle of Zboriv and the Treaty of Zboriv the hostilities paused and the siege ended. These events were...
. He sent part of his forces, an army of about 10,000, under another Cossack leader, Mykhailo Krychevsky
Mykhailo Krychevsky
Mykhailo Krychevsky or Stanisław Krzyczewski or Krzeczowski was a Polish noble, military officer and Cossack commander.-Biography:...
(Stanisław Krzeczowski), to support Podobajła against the Commonwealth.
On 23 July the Commonwealth army approached Loyew on the right bank of the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
. Pobodailo's fortified camp was on the left, and Radziwiłł decided to start a siege by shelling the Cossack's camp with his artillery over the river.
Battle
When Radziwiłł learned of the approaching Cossack reinforcements under Krychevsky, he sent 2,000 of his cavalry to scout the enemy, but Krychevsky avoided them and attacked the main Commonwealth army. The Cossack assault was however broken by Commonwealth artillery and infantry fire. Radziwiłł then assaulted the Cossacks with his cavalry, but it was encircled by the Cossacks and would have been destroyed if the rest of the Commonwealth cavalry, returning from the failed scouting mission, hadn't arrived at that moment and turned the tables.The remains of Krychevsky's army took up positions in a wagon fort
Wagon fort
A Laager, also known as a wagon fort, is a mobile fortification made of wagons arranged into a rectangle, a circle or other shape and possibly joined with each other, an improvised military camp....
. Initial attempts by the Commonwealth army to take the new Cossack positions failed. In the meantime, Pobodailo's troops crossed the river to help their allies, but were defeated by the Commonwealth. After that, the Commonwealth's final assault on the wagon fort succeeded, with the hussars dismounting and taking to battle on foot. Krychevsky, mortally wounded, was taken prisoner. Radziwiłł collected about 40 Cossack banner from the field. Samuel Orgelbrand
Samuel Orgelbrand
Samuel Orgelbrand was one of the most prominent Polish-Jewish printers and publishers of the 19th century. The person to discover the works of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski.-The monumental work - publishing the encyclopedia:...
gave Cossack losses at 3,000 men, 2 artillery pieces and 12 banners.
Aftermath
Commonwealth forces retook control of the region, but lack of supplies prevented Radziwiłł from advancing on KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
.
Radziwiłl was rewarded by the king with possessions at Nevel
Nevel
Nevel is a town and the administrative center of Nevelsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on Lake Nevel southeast of Pskov. Population:...
, Sebezh
Sebezh
Sebezh is a town and the administrative center of Sebezhsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in a picturesque setting between lakes Sebezhskoye and Orono south of Pskov. Population:...
and Krasne
Krasne
Krasne is a name of several locations in Ukraine:* Krasne , a village in Krasnoarmiisk Raion * Krasne , a town near Lviv, site of Krasne longwave transmitter* See Krásné for locations in the Czech Republic....
. Not content with those rewards, he would later betray the Commonwealth
Union of Kedainiai
Union of Kėdainiai was an agreement between several magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the king of the Swedish Empire, Charles X Gustav. It was signed on 20 October 1655 during the "Swedish Deluge", part of the Second Northern War...
.
Another battle would take place in the same area two years later.