Battle of Shepeleviche

The Battle of Shepeleviche (Szepielewicze) or Battle of Ciecierzyn on 24 August 1654 was one of the first battles of the Russo-Polish War (1654–67). It ended with a Russian victory.

Battle of Szepielewicze
Part of Russo-Polish War (1654–67)
Date24–25 August 1654
Location
Shepelevichy, present-day Belarus
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Russian Tsardom
Commanders and leaders
Janusz Radziwiłł Aleksey Trubetskoy
Strength
6,000–8,000[1][2] 15,000[2]
Casualties and losses
1,000[3] 100[4]

Battle

A small Polish–Lithuanian force of about 5,000 under Great Lithuanian Hetman Janusz Radziwiłł stopped the Russian force under knyaz Yakov Cherkassky at Shklow and camped at Hołowczyn. He learned that a Russian force under knyaz Aleksey Trubetskoy crossed Drut River near Ciecierzyn on 23 August.[5] Radziwiłl was joined by the Field Lithuanian Hetman Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski with 3,000 strong forces, increasing the Polish–Lithuanian army to about 6,000[2]–8,000.[1]

Radziwiłł and Gosiewski then tried to stop a numerically superior Russian force of 15,000[2] near Shepelevichy (Szepielewicze). Trubetskoy forces also included Cherkassky's.[3] He took positions near Bialynichy (Białynicze).[5] This time the even larger Russian army managed to outflank him, with Russian infantry holding Shepelevichy and cavalry attacking from the rear. Radziwiłł ordered a retreat, on the 24 (or 25) August the retreating Polish army was defeated and its artillery was captured by the Russians.[6]

Aftermath

Radziwiłł with a remainder of his forces retreated to Minsk.[1] His defeat meant that Russians faced no opposition in Lithuania, and they were able to take Polotsk, Vitebsk and Mogilev, advancing to the Berezina River.[3] Russian forces were able to advance and take Smolensk (see Siege of Smolensk (1654))[1][7] as well as Orsha which they held till 1661.[8]

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References
  1. William Young (22 September 2004). International Politics and Warfare in the Age of Louis XIV and Peter the Great: A Guide to the Historical Literature. iUniverse. p. 417. ISBN 978-0-595-32992-2. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  2. Бабулин И. Б. Князь Семен Пожарский и Конотопская битва, М., 2009
  3. Wlodzimierz Onacewicz (1985). Empires by Conquest: Ninth century-1905. Hero Books. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-915979-04-2. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  4. Беляев И. Д. Книга сеунчей 162 и 163 гг. 1654 июня 10 - февраль 1655 г. // Временник Общества истории и древностей российских. — М.: Университетская типография, 1854. — Т. 18. — С. 8.
  5. Filip Sulimierski; Bronisław Chlebowski; Władysław Walewski (1880). Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich. Filipa Sulimierskiego i Władsława Walewskiewgo. p. 682. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  6. Władysław Konopczyński (1936). Dzieje Polski nowożytnej. Skład głowny u Gebethnera i Wolffa. p. 19. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  7. Robert I. Frost (May 2000). The northern wars: war, state, and society in northeastern Europe, 1558-1721. Longman. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-582-06430-0. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  8. Stanisław Załęski (1905). Jezuici w Polsce. Drukiem i nakładem, drukarni ludowej. p. 1060. Retrieved 19 April 2011.

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