Battle of Shepeleviche

Battle of Shepeleviche
Part of the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)

Map of the attack of the Muscovite cavalry and infantry on the Polish–Lithuanian army[1]
Date24 August 1654
Location
Shepeleviche, Vitebsk Voivodeship, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Result Muscovite victory
Belligerents
link Tsardom of Russia Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Commanders and leaders
link Aleksey Trubetskoy Janusz Radziwiłł (WIA)
Strength
15,000[2] 6,000–8,000[3][2]
Casualties and losses
9–100 killed[4]
97 wounded		 1,000 killed[5]
270 captured

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

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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.[6] 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.[3]

Radziwiłł and Gosiewski then tried to stop a numerically superior Russian force of 15,000[2] near Shepeleviche (Szepielewicze). Trubetskoy forces also included Cherkassky's.[5] He took positions near Bialynichy (Białynicze).[6] This time the even larger Russian army managed to outflank him, with Russian infantry holding Shepeleviche and cavalry attacking from the rear. Radziwiłł ordered a retreat, on the 24 (or 25[citation needed]) August the retreating Polish army was defeated and its artillery was captured by the Russians.[7]

Aftermath

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Radziwiłł with a remainder of his forces retreated to Minsk.[3] 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.[5] Russian forces were able to advance and take Smolensk (see Siege of Smolensk (1654))[3][8] as well as Orsha which they held till 1661.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Схема сражения у села Шепелевичи 14 (24) августа 1654 года в ходе русско-польской войны 1654 — 1667 гг".
  2. ^ a b c d Бабулин И. Б. Князь Семен Пожарский и Конотопская битва, М., 2009
  3. ^ a b c d 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.
  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. — p. 8.
  5. ^ a b c Wlodzimierz Onacewicz (1985). Empires by Conquest: Ninth century-1905. Hero Books. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-915979-04-2. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  6. ^ a b 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.
  7. ^ Władysław Konopczyński (1936). Dzieje Polski nowożytnej. Skład głowny u Gebethnera i Wolffa. p. 19. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Stanisław Załęski (1905). Jezuici w Polsce. Drukiem i nakładem, drukarni ludowej. p. 1060. Retrieved 19 April 2011.

54°07′47″N 29°33′36″E / 54.12972°N 29.56000°E / 54.12972; 29.56000

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