Cheers, field marshal!
220 years ago, 30 in November 1794, Empress Catherine II awarded the great Russian military leader Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov with the rank of Field Marshal. This was done after the final suppression of the Polish uprising against Russia and the storming of Warsaw, where Suvorov played a key role. After the Russian troops entered the capitulation of Warsaw, Suvorov, in his laconic style, said: “Hurray! Warsaw is ours! ”The empress replied:“ Hurray! Field Marshal Suvorov! "
Polish uprising and liquidation of the Commonwealth
Russian-Turkish war 1787 — 1791 made Alexander Suvorov a national hero. The defeat of the Turkish assault at Kinburn, the battle of Focsani and Rymnik, the assault of Ishmael boomed all over Europe. For his victory in the Rymnik, Suvorov was elevated to the count of dignity by the Empress Catherine II with the name of Rymnik, received the diamond signs of the St. Andrew Order, the Order of St.. George 1 degree and other awards.
But then, instead of awards, Suvorov was in the favor of the omnipotent Potemkin, as he spoke very boldly about his deeds. Suvorov hoped for the assault of Ishmael to obtain the rank of Field Marshal, but Potemkin offered to award him with a medal and the rank of guard lieutenant colonel. As a result, the commander was awarded a medal, and he became a lieutenant colonel in the Preobrazhensky regiment. Suvorov saw himself in the honorable link. He was sent to command an insignificant auxiliary corps in Finland. Victory of Russian troops Potemkin said in St. Petersburg without a commander, whose victories decided the outcome of the war.
After the death of Potemkin, Russian troops in the south led Rumyantsev. True, he refused such an honor (earlier Potemkin pushed the old commander from the leadership of the troops). When a new uprising began in Poland, and the empress moved troops to Poland, Suvorova was again refused. Small intrigues pursued Suvorov. He was transferred to the commander of the troops in southern Russia, where he was ordered to guard the Turkish border. Suvorov was engaged in the fortification of the left bank in the lower reaches of the Dniester, on his orders the fortress Medium and the city of Tiraspol were built, fortifications were built in Khadzhibei (Odessa).
Only the aggravation of events in Poland made Petersburg call Suvorov again. Polish statehood during this period was at the peak of its decay (more in a series of articles Decomposition of Polish statehood. Kosciuszko Uprising; Part of 2; Part of 3; Part 4). Poland, due to the degradation of its “elite”, was under the strong influence of external forces - Russia, Prussia and Austria. Catherine II proposed in Poland 1787 to enter into an alliance with Russia, directed against Turkey. The benefits of this union were enormous. Poland was offered money for the maintenance of the Polish auxiliary corps (the troops promised to contain several years after the war with Turkey), trade privileges and Turkish lands in Podolia and Moldova. Thus, Poland could, at the Russian expense, form the core of an efficient army, gain land in the south, strengthen the economy at the expense of trade privileges. Russia, entering into an alliance with Poland, in fact, guaranteed its immunity from the territorial claims of Prussia and Austria. There was a chance for the transformation of Poland into a friendly Russian Slavic state.
However, this union was blocked by Prussia and the Polish "elite". Frederick William II of Prussia, who feared the gain of Russia and Austria during the war with Turkey, promised the Polish Sejm an alliance, guarantees of independence, freedom and security of Poland. The Polish gentry preferred to believe Prussia. The centuries-old hostility towards Russia and the illusion that the Western powers will completely disinterestedly support the Poles against the Russians played their part.
The French Revolution also played its part. The Polish gentry, not understanding the essence of the events taking place in France, began to imitate the French revolutionaries. Polish gentlemen were embraced by the idea of introducing a new constitution. In May, 1791 announced the introduction of a new constitution in Warsaw. In fact, it was a coup d'état.
In Petersburg, at first, they reacted rather calmly to the coup. However, seeing the danger of the situation, Petersburg changed its attitude. Poland raged dangerously. Pans led the country to a new internecine war. The persecution of dissidents (the so-called Orthodox and Protestants) was intensified. Many offended tycoons began to offer St. Petersburg to create a confederation (in the Commonwealth so called temporary military-political associations of the nobility) to restore the old constitution. In the summer of 1792, the Russian army was introduced to Poland. At the same time, a confederation was established in the town of Targowice to fight King Stanislav, who supported the new constitution. Empress Catherine II, successfully completing the war with the Ottoman Empire, took Targovic confederates under her patronage. In Poland, war broke out between supporters of the new constitution and the Targowitz Confederation. The Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm II, in fact, deceived the hopes of the Polish gentry and took the side of Russia.
Russian troops occupied Vilna, where another was created - the Lithuanian Confederation to restore the old constitution. Russian troops also occupied Grodno and Lublin. The Polish army under the command of Joseph Poniatowski, Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Zayonchka was defeated and retreated to Bug. Many supporters of the new constitution fled the country, and the king joined the Targowitz Confederation. In January 1793, Prussia and Russia signed the convention on the second partition of Poland. Russia received the West Russian lands (a significant part of modern Belarus and Left-Bank Ukraine). Prussia was ceded to the western part of Poland, including the Danzig District. Austria did not participate in this section. In July, 1793 in Grodno signed a Russo-Polish agreement on the refusal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for all eternity from the lands indicated in the agreement.
The Russian government was satisfied with the second section of the Commonwealth and wanted peace and stability in the rest of Poland. Russia had other serious tasks than the new partition of Poland. Petersburg was advantageous to have a buffer on the borders with Prussia. But in Poland there was no peace and could not be. Polish gentlemen hated Russia and dreamed of revenge. Given the military-economic potential of the Commonwealth and its internal decomposition, to fight in its position was suicide. However, the gentry did not care. The Polish gentlemen with their egoism, passion for adventures and entertainment destroyed the great power and brought Poland to a logical end - suicide.
A group of very dark personalities conspired and elected popular general T. Kostyushko as their leader. He fought during the War of Independence, received the rank of general, returning to Poland, joined the army of Joseph Potocki. For lack of other talented generals, Kosciusko became a national hero. Kostiushko enlisted the support of France and led the uprising.
The first was General Madalinsky, who refused to submit to the decision of the Grodno Seym and disband his cavalry brigade in Ostrolenka. Polish rebels crossed the Prussian border, occupied the city of Soldau, where they seized the treasury of Prussian troops. Grabbing money, Madalinsky fled to Poland and moved to Krakow. Kostyushko hurried there. 16 March 1794 in Krakow Kosciuszko was appointed commander in chief and handed over dictator powers. Riots broke out in different parts of Poland and Lithuania.
4 April 1794, a detachment of Tormasov, sent to suppress the insurrection of Madalinsky, was forced to retreat, and threw all the weapons. This small tactical victory caused rejoicing throughout Poland. 17 April began the Warsaw uprising, which ended in a massacre. Part of the Russian garrison was slaughtered. Most of the Russian garrison with bayonets made their way from Warsaw. Synchronously, the uprising began in Vilna. The Poles suddenly attacked the Russian garrison. Part of the garrison was killed or captured. Others broke out of the city.
Kosciusko with the title of Generalissimo announced a general mobilization and gathered a large army, but she was poorly armed. Prussia sent troops to Poland. The Prussians occupied Krakow and began to prepare for the assault on Warsaw, but an uprising of the Poles in the rear (in Wielkopolska, in areas not long before attached to Prussia) forced the Prussian king to withdraw its troops back. The Austrians also entered troops in Poland, occupied Krakow, Sandomierz and Chelm, but this was limited. In Vienna, they believed that they secured participation in the new section and did not intend to fight seriously.
The main command of Russian troops, Catherine II commissioned Count Rumyantsev. The old and sick commander made the first and last decision, summoning Suvorov to Poland without the sanction of the empress. Only in hindsight, Catherine wrote: "I sent two armies to Poland - one real, the other Suvorov." “Let's go and show how the Poles are beaten!” Suvorov exclaimed. In August, he performed with 8-th. squad from Nemirov, and made 560 versts in 20 days, moving along difficult roads.
4 September Suvorov defeated the Polish detachment Ruzic near Kobrin. September 6 Suvorov at Krupchich, in the area of Kobrin, knocked over selected 16-thousand. Corps Serakovsky. The best Polish units, well-armed and equipped, fought desperately. However, Suvorov, with bayonet attacks of his miracle warriors, defeated the Polish troops. Serakovsky retreated to Brest. September 8 near Brest-Litovsk Suvorov completed the rout of Serakovsky’s corps. Virtually the entire corps was destroyed. The remains of the Poles fled to Warsaw. The news of the appearance of Suvorov and his invincible army greatly demoralized Polish units. Kosciusko personally traveled to Serakovsky and generously rewarded the survivors. At the same time, he issued an order to shoot alarmists and create parts with guns to shoot the fleeing.
Understanding that it was necessary to keep the initiative, Kostyushko decided to attack General Ferzen’s Russian detachment and prevent him from joining with Suvorov. September 29 (October 10) The 1794 of the year in the battle of Maceiowitz Ferzen and Denisov's troops defeated Kosciusko. The Polish dictator himself was captured.
Suvorov, having attached the detachments of Fersen and Derfelden, moved to Warsaw. October 15 Russian troops near the village Kobylka defeated the squad of Mayen. October 22 Russian troops reached Prague - a heavily fortified suburb of Warsaw, which was located on the right bank of the Vistula. The forces were approximately equal: 20-30 thousand Poles with 104 guns (according to other data - 200), about 25 thousand Russians with 86 guns. October 24 during a fierce battle, which killed up to 10-15 thousand Poles, the Russian troops took Prague. The capture of Kosciuszko and the terrible assault on Prague paralyzed the will of the majority of the rebels. Warsaw surrendered. As a result, the sword of Alexander Suvorov completed history Commonwealth
A new feat put Suvorov above the rest of the generals. "Hooray! Warsaw is ours! ”He wrote to the empress. "Hooray! Field Marshal! ”Replied Ekaterina. The rank of field marshal and estate in 7 thousand souls became the commander's award. He was also awarded the Prussian Orders of the Black and Red Eagles, and the Austrian emperor sent his portrait to Suvorov.
Suvorov extremely graciously reacted to the remaining rebels, gave them the opportunity to return to a peaceful life. After the capitulation of Warsaw and the amnesty announced by Suvorov, almost all rebel troops throughout Poland laid down during the week weapon. A few detachments were still partisan for some time, but soon they also surrendered, or fled abroad.
Polish King Stanislav Augustus abdicated the throne and went to Grodno, and then to St. Petersburg. The Polish state was liquidated. October 24 1795 in Petersburg was signed by the trilateral Russian-Prussian-Austrian convention on the third section of the Commonwealth. The three powers mutually guaranteed each other new possessions obtained during the division of the Polish state, up to and including military support in the event that any third parties were attempted to attack these possessions or attempts to restore Poland. Warsaw, including the Right Bank of the Vistula, remained behind Prussia, and Krakow behind Austria. The territories that became part of the Russian Empire were divided into three provinces — Kurland, Vilna, and Grodno. In general, during the three sections of the Commonwealth of Russia, Russia received the Russian lands, which were previously part of the Russian state. Only Belostok Okrug departed Prussia, and Galicia Austria. Indigenous Polish lands inhabited by ethnic Poles, moved Prussia and Austria.
Information