Battle of Batoh

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Batoh
partof=the Khmelnytsky Uprising
date=June 1-June 2, 1652
place=Batoh, Ukraine
result=Cossack victory
combatant1=Zaporozhian Cossack Army
combatant2=Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
commander1=Bohdan Khmelnytsky
commander2=Marcin Kalinowski
strength1=45,000
strength2=15,000
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=8,000 captured and killed

The Battle of Batoh was a battle in 1652 in which Polish forces under Marcin Kalinowski were defeated by Cossacks commanded by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. About 8,000 Polish soldiers were taken prisoners and massacred after the battle, including Samuel Jerzy Kalinowski, Zygmunt Przyjemski, Jan Odrzywolski and Marek Sobieski. The defeat had severe and long-lasting consequences for the history of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and for Ukraine.

The background

Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky marched toward Moldavia in 1652 to form an alliance with Hospodar Basil Lupu against the Poles. He also wanted to marry his son Tymish with Rozalin, the daughter of the ruler.

Hetman Marcin Kalinowski, leader of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s Crown army, decided to foil the plan. In May 1652, he concentrated armies to block the road against the march of the Cossacks and accompanying Crimean Tatars. The assembly point was designated as the entrenched camp at Batoh, founded previously near the river Boh. This was a significant mistake of the Polish leadership, losing the opportunity to prevent the unification of the enemy forces. The camp was in naturally defensive terrain and appeared to be a good base, but events turned out differently.

It is difficult to estimate the strength of the sides because of the paucity of records. Sometimes the Crown banners ordered to move to the camp never arrived. This is tied to the unpopularity of Hetman Kalinowski among junior officers. There were about 15,000 of Polish troops, while Cossacks and Tatar army estimated 40,000-50,000 warriors.

The battle

Poor leadership and the passivity of the Crown army led to the enemy, without hardship, crossing the Boh. The camp thus became surrounded. Though the camp could have been easily defended for quite some time, a rebellion broke out. At that time, Kalinowski decided to treat with senior men of the army. June 1, 1652, was the first day of the battle of Batoh. As a result of the negotiations, part of the units faithful to Polish Hetman wanted to defend in the camp, whereas the rioters wished to flee. On June 2, 1652, the battle at the camp ended as a defeat of the armies of the Crown, and the camp was overcome by fire after the grass was set ablaze. Many who were running away were captured by the Tatars. Hetman Kalinowski fell at the side of his son, Samuel.

The massacre

After the battle, the Cossacks paid the Tatars for possession of the prisoners, and promptly slaughtered the Polish captives to avenge Chmielnicki’s defeat at Berestechko in June 1651. All 8,000 Polish soldiers were massacred.

The losses included Samuel Jerzy Kalinowski; Sigmund Przyjemski; general of Crown Artillery and the Chancellor of the Crown, John Odrzywolski; Castellan of Czernihow; Marek Sobieski; Starost of Krasnystaw; and the brother of John the future King.

The Battle of Batoh destroyed the best Crown units. Although Poland managed to rebuild her army soon after the battle, the loss of the most experienced troops resulted in temporary weakness in Ukraine. Defeat of the Poles contributed to the wars to come with Russia, which in turn resulted in the ‘deluge’ of the country by Swedish armies.

References

* [http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Batoh.htm Battle of Batoh 1652]
* [http://www.poland.gov.pl/Stefan,Czarniecki,(1599,-,1665),1963.html history]
* [http://www.jasinski.co.uk/wojna/conflicts/conf05.htm Summary of Conflicts]