From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Raszyn Part of the War of the Fifth Coalition Death of Cyprian Godebski in the Battle of Raszyn 1855 painting by January Suchodolski oil on canvas, National Museum in Warsaw Date April 19, 1809 Location Raszyn, present-day Poland Result Polish victory Combatants Austrian Empire Duchy of Warsaw Commanders Archduke Ferdinand Józef Poniatowski Strength 24,500 infantry 4,500 cavalry 94 cannons 10,500 infantry 3,500 cavalry 44 cannons Casualties 2,300 total: 800 killed 1,500 wounded 1,390 total: 450 killed 900 wounded 40 captured

v • d • e War of the Fifth Coalition Sacile – Teugen-Hausen – Raszyn – Abensberg – Landshut – Piave River – Eckmühl – Ratisbon – Ebersberg – Aspern-Essling – Bergisel – Raab – Wagram – Gefrees – Znaim – Walcheren

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.

The Austrian army under the Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este invaded the Duchy of Warsaw in April, 1809. Polish troops under Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski withstood the Austrian attack on Warsaw defeating them at Radzymin and reconquered parts of former Poland including Kraków and Lwów by beating the Austrians at near the villages of Góra and Grochów.

General Józef Antoni Poniatowski was presented grand-aigle de la Légion d'Honneur, a saber of honour and a lancer's shako for this victory.

The battlefield’s terrain is dominated by several villages and by the river Utrata, which during April in unfordable. The only way to cross the river is at the ponds of Raszyn, Dawidy or Michalowice, which were all under Polish control.

After a preparatory cannonade started at 14.00, the Austrian infantry attacked around 15.00 the Polish screening forces. The Poles gradually yielded terrain to the attacker. Austrian attempts to outflank the Polish position near Jaworowo were without success. After the village of Falenty was captured at 16.00 Poniatowski launched a counterattack which evicted the Austrians from the town and re-establishing the Polish line. Around 17.00 a combined attack was launched against Razsyn. Repulsed by the Saxon units, the Austrians called up reinforcements and took the town around 19.00 but where unable to progress beyond the last houses of the village. The Poles again counterattacked at 21.00 and drove the Austrians from Razsyn but were unable to recapture the causeway. Fighting progressed until 22.00 when the Poles evacuated the battlefield.

After the Austrian army withdrew to the other side of the swamps, prince Józef Poniatowski ordered his forces to withdraw towards Warsaw. However, since the city fortifications were in a very bad shape and the Saxon expeditionary force withdrew towards their homeland, Poniatowski decided to leave Warsaw undefended and withdraw to several fortresses located nearby (most notably to Modlin Fortress and Serock). The capital was seized with little opposition, but it was a Pyrrhic victory since the Austrian commander diverted most of his forces there at the expense of other fronts. In the following weeks Greater Poland was defended by the Corps of General Henryk Dąbrowski and the Polish cavalry seized Lwów. Finally, Poniatowski left only a small force near Warsaw to prevent the Austrians from leaving it and moved the rest of his forces southwards, which led to capturing the city of Kraków.

On October 14, 1809, the Treaty of Schönbrunn was signed between Austria and France. According to it, the former state lost approximately 50 000 square kilometres of land inhabitated by over 1 900 000 people. The territories annexed by the Duchy of Warsaw included the lands of Zamość and Kraków as well as 50% of income of the Wieliczka salt mines.

• Cyprian Godebski

• The Battle of Raszyn, 1809

This article does not cite any references or sources. (December 2006) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.