Battle of Radzymin (1809)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Radzymin took place on April 25, 1809 during the brief Polish-Austrian War
. The battle occurred at Radzymin
, some 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north-east of Warsaw
.
Following the Austrian defeat in the Battle of Raszyn
on April 19, the Polish forces commanded by Prince Józef Poniatowski left Warsaw undefended and withdrew to several fortresses located nearby (most notably to Modlin Fortress
and Serock
). The Austrians seized the Polish capital relatively easy, but it was a pyrrhic victory
, as the Austrian force was now seriously overstretched and had a still unbeaten enemy in the vicinity of Warsaw, as well as new Polish forces gathering strength behind their lines in Greater Poland
. Prince Este
garrisoned Warsaw with 10,000 soldiers, and split his remaining forces, sending some 6,000 troops under Gen. Johann Friedrich von Mohr to the right bank of the Vistula, and the rest towards Toruń
and other targets on the left bank.
The borough of Praga, located right across the Vistula from Warsaw, was initially left in Polish hands, garrisoned by a small force of 600 men. Mohr's force crossed the river near Karczew
and on April 24 besieged the small Polish garrison of Praga. However, the following day the besiegers were assaulted from the back by a Polish division-sized sortie from the Modlin Fortress under Gen. Michał Sokolnicki. In what became known as the Battle of Grochów, the spearhead of the Austrian force was defeated and the Poles withdrew successfully.
Simultaneously, further to the north-east, at Radzymin, a Polish force mounted yet another attack on overstretched Austrians. The town was held by relatively small Austrian forces consisting of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions from the 63rd Graf Baillet Infantry Regiment (under Ludwig Graf Baillet de Latour, younger brother of Field Marshal Maximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de Latour
) and a detachment of hussars. The Polish force was similar in size and consisted of a squadron of uhlans under Capt. Piotr Strzyżewski and a single infantry battalion from the 6th Infantry Regiment under Julian Sierawski. The force was supported by a single 2-gun battery of mounted artillery.
Overnight of April 24 the Polish force left Serock and crossed the Narew
, reaching Radzymin before daylight. In the early hours of April 25 the force attacked the town from two sides and commenced a synchronised attack. The Austrians withdrew to the town's centre, but soon their cavalry was forced to retreat and the infantry battalion was now isolated. After a brief close quarters fight, the two Austrian battalions with their remaining 37 officers surrendered.
The losses for the Polish side were 19 killed and 27 wounded. The losses for the Austrians included approximately 2,000 prisoners of war and many killed and wounded. Although the battle was not a decisive defeat for the Austrians, it was one of a series of skirmishes they lost on the eastern bank of Vistula. Finally on May 2 and May 3 the entire corps under Gen. Mohr was defeated at Ostrówek and its pontoon bridge
across the river was destroyed, thwarting any further attempts to advance further east. This gave Poles enough time to leave the Austrians locked in Warsaw to their fate and liberate much of Galicia without much opposition from the enemy.
Polish-Austrian War
Polish–Austrian War or Austro-Polish War was a part of the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809...
. The battle occurred at Radzymin
Radzymin
Radzymin is a town in Poland and is one of the distant suburbs of the city of Warsaw. It is located in the powiat of Wołomin of the Masovian Voivodeship. The town has 8,818 inhabitants .Radzymin was located by Bolesław IV of Warsaw in 1440...
, some 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north-east of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
Following the Austrian defeat in the Battle of Raszyn
Battle of Raszyn (1809)
The first Battle of Raszyn was fought on April 19, 1809 between armies of the Austrian Empire and the Duchy of Warsaw as a part of the War of the Fifth Coalition in the Napoleonic Wars. The Austrian army was defeated....
on April 19, the Polish forces commanded by Prince Józef Poniatowski left Warsaw undefended and withdrew to several fortresses located nearby (most notably to Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
and Serock
Serock
Serock is a town at the north bank of the Zegrze lake in the Legionowo County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,616 inhabitants ....
). The Austrians seized the Polish capital relatively easy, but it was a pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
, as the Austrian force was now seriously overstretched and had a still unbeaten enemy in the vicinity of Warsaw, as well as new Polish forces gathering strength behind their lines in Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
. Prince Este
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este was the third son of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este and of his wife Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este, last member and heiress of the house of Este. For much of the Napoleonic Wars he was in command of the Austrian army.Ferdinand was born...
garrisoned Warsaw with 10,000 soldiers, and split his remaining forces, sending some 6,000 troops under Gen. Johann Friedrich von Mohr to the right bank of the Vistula, and the rest towards Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
and other targets on the left bank.
The borough of Praga, located right across the Vistula from Warsaw, was initially left in Polish hands, garrisoned by a small force of 600 men. Mohr's force crossed the river near Karczew
Karczew
Karczew is a town in Otwock County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 10,271 inhabitants .-References:...
and on April 24 besieged the small Polish garrison of Praga. However, the following day the besiegers were assaulted from the back by a Polish division-sized sortie from the Modlin Fortress under Gen. Michał Sokolnicki. In what became known as the Battle of Grochów, the spearhead of the Austrian force was defeated and the Poles withdrew successfully.
Simultaneously, further to the north-east, at Radzymin, a Polish force mounted yet another attack on overstretched Austrians. The town was held by relatively small Austrian forces consisting of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions from the 63rd Graf Baillet Infantry Regiment (under Ludwig Graf Baillet de Latour, younger brother of Field Marshal Maximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de Latour
Maximilian Anton Karl, Count Baillet de Latour
Count Maximilian Anton Karl Baillet de Latour was a general in Austrian service during the French Revolutionary Wars.- Biography :...
) and a detachment of hussars. The Polish force was similar in size and consisted of a squadron of uhlans under Capt. Piotr Strzyżewski and a single infantry battalion from the 6th Infantry Regiment under Julian Sierawski. The force was supported by a single 2-gun battery of mounted artillery.
Overnight of April 24 the Polish force left Serock and crossed the Narew
Narew
The Narew River , in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a left tributary of the Vistula river...
, reaching Radzymin before daylight. In the early hours of April 25 the force attacked the town from two sides and commenced a synchronised attack. The Austrians withdrew to the town's centre, but soon their cavalry was forced to retreat and the infantry battalion was now isolated. After a brief close quarters fight, the two Austrian battalions with their remaining 37 officers surrendered.
The losses for the Polish side were 19 killed and 27 wounded. The losses for the Austrians included approximately 2,000 prisoners of war and many killed and wounded. Although the battle was not a decisive defeat for the Austrians, it was one of a series of skirmishes they lost on the eastern bank of Vistula. Finally on May 2 and May 3 the entire corps under Gen. Mohr was defeated at Ostrówek and its pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
across the river was destroyed, thwarting any further attempts to advance further east. This gave Poles enough time to leave the Austrians locked in Warsaw to their fate and liberate much of Galicia without much opposition from the enemy.