Battle of Szőreg
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Szőreg was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
, fought on 5 August 1849 at Szőreg
, Hungary
. The Hungarian troops, led by Henryk Dembiński
, lost the battle against the Emperor’s
troops, led by Haynau
. Even though the Hungarian losses were relatively small in number, the defeat deeply affected the Hungarians' organisation and morale.
from Budapest
and on 24 July he followed them. He prepared for a hard and serious fight. Haynau precisely planned this battle: he divided his army of 46,000 people and 284 cannon into three parts. His plan was that he would take the Hungarian troops in a pincer movement
at Szeged. Haynau sent his 3rd legion to Szabadka
under the command of Georg Heinrich Ramberg. Haynau led his strongest legion (the Russia
n legion and his cavalry joining forces) and reached Kiskunfélegyháza
without resistance. On 29 July Mór Perczel
and his legion (26,438 people and 49 cannon) arrived at Szeged.
. Most of the 4th Hungarian legion (10,500 legionnaires, 50 cannon) also went there from Bácska under Richard Guyon
’s command, with Alessandro Monti’s legion (3,500 legionnaires, 8 cannon). The Emperor’s 1st legion occupied the Cegléd
-Nagykőrös
-Szolnok
area under Franz Schlik
’s command. They reached the River Tisza. Haynau gave orders to Ramberg and Schlik: Ramberg to move from Törökkanizsa and Schlik from Makó
towards the Hungarian troops. Haynau wanted to start a frontal attack in the hope that the three legions jointly would destroy the Hungarian troops.
Dembiński thought that he lacked the power to defend Szeged and he retreated from the city on 1 August. He acted against other generals’ advice. Haynau was surprised when his legion occupied Szeged without a fight on 2 August. He ordered General Franz Liechtenstein
to cross the River Tisza. Schlik had already crossed the river at Alpár
on 1 August and was moving towards Makó
. On 4 August came the first fight between Lenkey and the Emperor’s troops. Lenkey’s legion was only 7,000 strong, and most of them were inexperienced new recruits. Lenkey’s main task was to stop Schlik, who wanted to close off an escape route towards Arad (now in Romania
).
Dembiński thought that if necessary he could escape towards to Turkey
so he tried to cover his legion in the south. After he received news that the Austrian legions were battle-ready at Magyarkanizsa, he sent Guyon to Törökkanizsa (in Romanian
: Noul Cnezat, now in Serbia) on 2 August. The next day Dembiński also sent Monti’s legion there. But Dembiński gave this order a little too late to be of use, and all he could do was debilitate the enemy on the Szentiván–Szőreg
–Deszk
front line, because Ramberg had crossed the River Tisza on 5 August. Dembiński also failed to stop Ludwig von Benedek, who had crossed the river on 3 August. Dembiński decided to attack, but his decision came too late, because the area had already been reinforced by the enemy. After this he redeployed his troops to Szőreg. He planned this as a defensive fight and dug his cannon into the embankment.
Haynau's legion was approximately 25,000 strong with 160 cannon, Dembiński's was 34,000 strong with 108 cannon. Dembiński didn't intend to use all of his cannon and he sent most of their surplus munitions en route for the planned retreat.
Haynau bypassed the Hungarian troops and Dembiński deployed his cavalry too late, even though Fülöp Bechtold was only advancing very slowly. Haynau started his attack at the front line and after an hour and a half's battle he displaced the Hungarians. The Hungarians tried to attack. After Bechtold arrived and started to fight Dembiński's troops, Dembiński had to retreat. Polish and Italian legions, and Arisztid Dessewffy
's, covered Dembiński and his troops during the retreat.
, where the Hungarians waited for the enemy's cavalry and had their revenge. Whereas at Káplona the Hungarians engaged with the enemy’s cavalry, at Szőreg they deserted.
The refugee troops got help from the legions at Beba
, Dudeştii Vechi
and Lenauheim
(now Cetad), all of the cities are now part of Romania
.
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
, fought on 5 August 1849 at Szőreg
Szoreg
Szőreg is a settlement which forms a part of Szeged in Csongrád County, , Hungary.There are some Serbs living there besides Hungarians. Szőreg has two churches: a Roman Catholic and a Serbian Orthodox church. The village has a long history...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The Hungarian troops, led by Henryk Dembiński
Henryk Dembinski
Henryk Dembiński was a Polish engineer, traveler and general.Dembiński was born in Strzałków, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In 1809 he entered the Polish army of the Duchy of Warsaw and took part in most of the Napoleonic campaigns in the East. Among others, he took part in the Battle of Leipzig in...
, lost the battle against the Emperor’s
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
troops, led by Haynau
Julius Jacob von Haynau
Julius Jacob von Haynau was an Austrian general.The illegitimate son of the landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, William I and Rebecca Richter, a Jewish woman, he entered the Austrian army as an infantry officer in 1801 and saw much service in the Napoleonic wars...
. Even though the Hungarian losses were relatively small in number, the defeat deeply affected the Hungarians' organisation and morale.
From Budapest to Szeged
On 22 July, Haynau started to move his troops towards SzegedSzeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
from Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and on 24 July he followed them. He prepared for a hard and serious fight. Haynau precisely planned this battle: he divided his army of 46,000 people and 284 cannon into three parts. His plan was that he would take the Hungarian troops in a pincer movement
Pincer movement
The pincer movement or double envelopment is a military maneuver. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it...
at Szeged. Haynau sent his 3rd legion to Szabadka
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
under the command of Georg Heinrich Ramberg. Haynau led his strongest legion (the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n legion and his cavalry joining forces) and reached Kiskunfélegyháza
Kiskunfélegyháza
Kiskunfélegyháza is a town in the Bács-Kiskun county in southern Hungary, 130 kilometres southeast of Budapest by rail.Among the principal buildings are a fine Art Nouveau town hall, a Roman Catholic high school and a modern large parish church. The surrounding country is covered with vineyards,...
without resistance. On 29 July Mór Perczel
Mór Perczel
Sir Mór Perczel de Bonyhád , was a Hungarian landholder, general, and one of the leaders of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.- Life before 1848 :...
and his legion (26,438 people and 49 cannon) arrived at Szeged.
Before the battle
20,000 soldiers occupied the front at Szeged, which partly bordered the River TiszaTisza
The Tisza or Tisa is one of the main rivers of Central Europe. It rises in Ukraine, and is formed near Rakhiv by the junction of headwaters White Tisa, whose source is in the Chornohora mountains and Black Tisa, which springs in the Gorgany range...
. Most of the 4th Hungarian legion (10,500 legionnaires, 50 cannon) also went there from Bácska under Richard Guyon
Richard Debaufre Guyon
Richard Debaufre Guyon , British soldier, general in the Hungarian revolutionary army and Turkish pasha , was born at Walcot, near Bath, Somerset....
’s command, with Alessandro Monti’s legion (3,500 legionnaires, 8 cannon). The Emperor’s 1st legion occupied the Cegléd
Cegléd
Cegléd is a city in Pest county, Hungary, approximately southeast of the Hungarian capital, Budapest.-Name:There are discussions going on about the origin of the name of the town...
-Nagykőrös
Nagykorös
Nagykőrös is a town in Pest county, Hungary.Arany János taught there from about 1851, and a local museum is named for him.- External links :*...
-Szolnok
Szolnok
Szolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
area under Franz Schlik
Franz Schlik
Franz Joseph von Shlik of Bassano and Weisskirchen was an Earl and general in the Austrian Empire's army. He was one of the most successful Austrian generals during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.In 1808 he enrolled in the Emperor's army. He was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars...
’s command. They reached the River Tisza. Haynau gave orders to Ramberg and Schlik: Ramberg to move from Törökkanizsa and Schlik from Makó
Makó
Makó is a town in Csongrád County in southeastern Hungary. It lies on the Maros River, near the Romanian border. The area of the town is of which is arable land. The climate is very warm with hot and dry summers. Makó and the surrounding region get the most sunshine in Hungary, about 85-90...
towards the Hungarian troops. Haynau wanted to start a frontal attack in the hope that the three legions jointly would destroy the Hungarian troops.
Dembiński thought that he lacked the power to defend Szeged and he retreated from the city on 1 August. He acted against other generals’ advice. Haynau was surprised when his legion occupied Szeged without a fight on 2 August. He ordered General Franz Liechtenstein
Prince Franz de Paula of Liechtenstein
Prince Franz de Paula of Liechtenstein was a son of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein and wife Landgravine Josepha of Fürstenberg-Weitra, nephew of Aloys I, brother of Aloys II and uncle of Johann II and Franz I.-Marriage and issue:On 3 June 1841, in Vienna, he married Ewa Jozefina...
to cross the River Tisza. Schlik had already crossed the river at Alpár
Alpár
Alpár is name of:Place name:* TiszaalpárGiven name:* Alpár Jegenyés , Hungarian handball player* Alpar Meszaros , Romanian football playerFamily name:...
on 1 August and was moving towards Makó
Makó
Makó is a town in Csongrád County in southeastern Hungary. It lies on the Maros River, near the Romanian border. The area of the town is of which is arable land. The climate is very warm with hot and dry summers. Makó and the surrounding region get the most sunshine in Hungary, about 85-90...
. On 4 August came the first fight between Lenkey and the Emperor’s troops. Lenkey’s legion was only 7,000 strong, and most of them were inexperienced new recruits. Lenkey’s main task was to stop Schlik, who wanted to close off an escape route towards Arad (now in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
).
Dembiński thought that if necessary he could escape towards to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
so he tried to cover his legion in the south. After he received news that the Austrian legions were battle-ready at Magyarkanizsa, he sent Guyon to Törökkanizsa (in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
: Noul Cnezat, now in Serbia) on 2 August. The next day Dembiński also sent Monti’s legion there. But Dembiński gave this order a little too late to be of use, and all he could do was debilitate the enemy on the Szentiván–Szőreg
Szoreg
Szőreg is a settlement which forms a part of Szeged in Csongrád County, , Hungary.There are some Serbs living there besides Hungarians. Szőreg has two churches: a Roman Catholic and a Serbian Orthodox church. The village has a long history...
–Deszk
Deszk
Deszk is a village near the city of Szeged, in county Csongrád, in Hungary. Deszk has a historically important Serb minority that consisted 4.9% of the whole population in 2001. The name of the village was first mentioned in 1490.- External links :*...
front line, because Ramberg had crossed the River Tisza on 5 August. Dembiński also failed to stop Ludwig von Benedek, who had crossed the river on 3 August. Dembiński decided to attack, but his decision came too late, because the area had already been reinforced by the enemy. After this he redeployed his troops to Szőreg. He planned this as a defensive fight and dug his cannon into the embankment.
The battle
On 4 August Haynau's troops crossed the river and the next day advanced towards Dembiński. After Dembiński received the news that Ramberg had broken through and crossed the river, and was very close to the Hungarians, he prepared to retreat.Haynau's legion was approximately 25,000 strong with 160 cannon, Dembiński's was 34,000 strong with 108 cannon. Dembiński didn't intend to use all of his cannon and he sent most of their surplus munitions en route for the planned retreat.
Haynau bypassed the Hungarian troops and Dembiński deployed his cavalry too late, even though Fülöp Bechtold was only advancing very slowly. Haynau started his attack at the front line and after an hour and a half's battle he displaced the Hungarians. The Hungarians tried to attack. After Bechtold arrived and started to fight Dembiński's troops, Dembiński had to retreat. Polish and Italian legions, and Arisztid Dessewffy
Arisztid Dessewffy
Arisztid Dessewffy was a honvéd general in the Hungarian Army. He was executed for his part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and is considered one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad.-Reference:...
's, covered Dembiński and his troops during the retreat.
Summary
The battle finished in the evening and even though the Hungarian losses were relatively small in number (500 dead and injured, 400 prisoners), the defeat deeply affected the Hungarians' organisation and morale. The situation was more different at Szőreg than the battle at KápolnaBattle of Kápolna
The Battle of Kápolna was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 26 and 27 February 1849. The battle ended with Austrian victory and influenced the politics of central Europe: Franz Joseph I announced the Constitution of Omnütz on 4 March 1849.- Dembiński, the Polish supreme...
, where the Hungarians waited for the enemy's cavalry and had their revenge. Whereas at Káplona the Hungarians engaged with the enemy’s cavalry, at Szőreg they deserted.
The refugee troops got help from the legions at Beba
Bêba
Beba is a town in Nyingchi County, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies at an altitude of 3231 metres .-See also:*List of towns and villages in Tibet...
, Dudeştii Vechi
Dudestii Vechi
Dudeştii Vechi is a commune in Timiş County, Romania...
and Lenauheim
Lenauheim
Lenauheim is a commune in Timiş County, Banat, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bulgăruş, Grabaţ and Lenauheim.-History:...
(now Cetad), all of the cities are now part of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.