"Grandfather of Poltava Victoria" - the battle of Kalish
Karl, unable to overtake the Russian army, which was moving away from Grodno and impose a battle on it on its own terms, turned back to the west, began to pursue Augustus. From Polotsk, the Swedish army moved through Lutsk and Lublin to Dresden. Without much resistance, Swedish troops in September 1706 occupied the whole of Saxony.
In the meantime, the authorized representatives of the Saxon prince were conducting secret negotiations with the Swedes. 13 (24) September 1706, Augustus concluded a separate peace with Sweden in the village of Altranstadt. The Saxon Elector Augustus II rejected the crown of the Commonwealth in favor of the Swedish protege Stanislav Leschinsky, refused to union with Russia. In addition, he pledged to withdraw Saxons from the Russian service and issue the Russian representative and commander of the auxiliary Russian corps, Johann Patkul (issued and executed in 1707) to the King of Sweden, as well as all other Russian soldiers who were in Saxony. Augustus also promised to transfer the Polish fortresses to Krakow, Tykocin and others with all the artillery and property of the Swedish army and to let the Swedish garrisons into the Saxon lands. Augustus II also pledged to patronize the Lutheran religion in Saxony. The Swedish king Karl, for his part, pledged to protect Augustus II from reprisals from Moscow and, when concluding peace with Russia, to protect the interests of Saxony. Contemporaries called this treaty capitulation, “unparalleled in stories". In fact, the agreement gave the entire King of Sweden to the power of the Swedish king and untied his hands for an offensive against Russia.
Negotiations were conducted in secret, Augustus did not warn his ally, Peter, about them. The Russian command at that time was trying to help its ally. There was an instruction to concentrate the army at Zolkiev. The volatile 20 thousand corps (corolant, from the French corps volant) under the command of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was instructed to help Augustus. This unit was created in 1701 year, as a temporary military unit in the cavalry, infantry transported on horseback and light artillery. The flying corps was created for action on enemy communications, in its rear, for pursuing a defeated enemy and was able to solve strategic tasks in isolation from the main forces of the army.
In Lublin, the Menshikov corps joined up with the 15 thousand corps of the Polish-Saxon cavalry under the command of August II (as already mentioned, he hid a separate peace with Sweden, leading a double game). Menshikov received a message from intelligence that the 7-8 thousand Swedish squad with the Polish Polish army 20 thousand (supporters of Stanislav Leschinsky) under the command of Arvid Mardefeld is concentrated in the area of the city of Kalisz. On the way to Kalisz, Augustus ratified the Altranstedt Treaty, but did not dare to confess to Menshikov the surrender of Saxony. The elector expected that Mardefeld would have time to retreat and secretly informed him about the approach of the Russian-Polish-Saxon troops, about making peace with Sweden, but Mardefeld did not believe him and decided to take the fight.
Battle
18 (29) October Allied army approached Kalisz. The Swedish general took a strong position beyond the Prosnoi River, it was covered from the flanks and the front by swamps, this was to reduce the capabilities of the superior Menshikov cavalry forces. Mardefeld placed a Swedish detachment in the center (4 thousand cavalry and 3 thousand cavalry), on the flanks were Polish troops. Menshikov built his forces in three lines, on the right flank there were Russians, on the left Saxon forces.
The first attacked the army Menshikov. The first line crushed the Poles and they ran, but then the Saxon cavalry ran into the Swedish infantry and she threw the Saxons with a strong firing. The Russian first line was also overturned by the Swedish cavalry.
The Swedish cavalry, fascinated by the pursuit, ran into the Russian second line — fresh dragoon regiments. Menshikov led the cavalry at this critical moment and was wounded in battle. After a fierce battle, the Swedes were chopped up. The Swedish infantry was left alone - the Poles fought reluctantly, quickly scattered. The Swedes lined up in a square - the battle order of the infantry, built in the form of a square, was used to defend against the enemy's cavalry. The Swedes repulsed several attacks of the Russian cavalry. Then Alexander Menshikov ordered several compounds to hurry and attack from the front, and the cavalry to attack from the flanks. The army went to the general attack. After a three-hour battle, the Swedes were completely defeated. General Mardefeld was captured. The next day, surrendered those Polish units, who sat down in a train.
The outcome of the battle. It was a complete victory, which is why historian V.A. Artamonov called Victoria under Kalish “the grandfather of Poltava Victoria.” The Swedish-Polish corps ceased to exist: up to 5 thousands of dead and wounded (including the Swedes - 4 thousands, they put up the most stubborn resistance), 5 thousands of prisoners (including 2 thousands of Swedes), 3 guns seized, hundreds of guns. The Menshikov Army lost several hundred killed and wounded (including more than 400 Russians). It was a major achievement of Russian military art - in the "right" battle a strong opponent was completely destroyed. The Russian cavalry acted perfectly, and Menshikov showed himself to be an excellent cavalry commander, personally brave and resolute, at the critical moment he rushed into battle, dragging soldiers and officers along with him. The victory had a great psychological significance for the Russian army. It should be noted that the victory was won solely by the Russian regiments, Augustus prudently stayed away from the battlefield, and the Saxon army retreated after the first failure.
Its value reduced the surrender of Augustus. In addition, the Saxon Elector deceived Menshikov, took all the Swedish prisoners and handed them over to Karl.
Medal "For the victory at Kalisz. 1706.
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