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{{Short description|Part of the fourth Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1514)}}
{| border=1 width=300 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 align=right style="margin-left:1em;margin-bottom:1em"
{{pp-protected|small=yes}}
|-
{{more citations needed|date=September 2011}}
|colspan=2|]
{{Infobox military conflict
|-
!colspan=2 bgcolor=#cccccc|Battle of Orsha | conflict = Battle of Orsha
| map_type = Belarus
|-
| image = Autor nieznany (malarz z kręgu Lukasa Cranacha Starszego), Bitwa pod Orszą.jpg
|Conflict||Muscovite-Lithuanian War of ]
| image_size = 300
|-
| caption = '']'' painting attributed to ]
|Date||], ]
| partof = ]
|-
| date = 8 September 1514
|Place||], ]
| place = ], ], present-day ]
|-
| coordinates = {{coord|54|30|N|30|23|E|region:BY_type:event|display=inline,title}}
|Result||Total Muscovite defeat
| result = Polish–Lithuanian victory
|-
| combatant1 = ]<br>]
|colspan=2|
| combatant2 = ]
{| border=1 width=300 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0
| commander1 = {{Plainlist|
|-
*]
!colspan=2 bgcolor=#cccccc|Combatants
*]
|-
*Janusz Świerczowski
| width=50%|]
*Wojciech Sampoliński
| width=50%|]
}}
|-
| commander2 = ]{{POW}}
!colspan=2|Commanders
| strength1 = 12,000 to 35,000{{efn|
|-
{{center|'''Different estimates''':}}
| ]
* 12,000 men;<ref>Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности и составе польско-литовской армии в битве под Оршей в 1514 г. // Праблемы інтэграцыі і iнкарпарацыі ў развіцці Цэнтральнай і Усходняй Еўропы ў перыяд ранняга Новага часу. Мінск, 2010. С. 18–42</ref>
| ]
* 25,000 men;<ref name="Podhorodecki">{{cite book |title=Sławne bitwy Polaków |publisher=MADA |author=Podhorodecki, Leszek |year=1997 |pages=105–106 |isbn=8386170247}}</ref>
|-
* 35,000 men.<ref name="Spieralski">{{cite book | title=Wojskowość polska w okresie odrodzenia Zarys dziejów wojskowości polskiej do roku 1864, t. I, pod red. Janusza Sikorskiego | author=Spieralski, Zdzisław | year=1965 | page=331 }}</ref><ref name="Wojciechowski">{{cite book |title=Zygmunt Stary (1506–1548) |author=Wojciechowski, Zygmunt |year=1946 |page=50}}</ref>
!colspan=2|Strength
}}
|-
| strength2 = 11,000 to 40,000{{efn|
|30,000 troops
{{center|'''Different estimates''':}}
|80,000 troops
* 11,000 men;{{sfn|Lobin|2015|p=31}} (previously 12,000)<ref name="Lobin">Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. p. 66</ref>
|-
* 35,000–40,000 men;<ref name="Podhorodecki"/> (perhaps exaggerated){{sfn|Alexeev|2009|p=408}}
!colspan=2|Casualties
* 80,000 men.<ref name="Spieralski"/><ref name="Wojciechowski"/> («exaggerated»)<ref name="Bohun">Bohun T. Bitwa pod Orsza 08.09.1514 // Rzeczpospolita. 2006. ¹ 4/20. S. 13.</ref>
|-
}}
|unknown
| casualties1 = Unknown
|40,000 killed; 3,000 prisoners
| casualties2 = 13,000–40,000 dead and wounded (?)
|}
|} }}
{{Campaignbox Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1512–1522)}}
The '''Battle of Orsha''' took place ], ], between the forces of the ] and ] (less than 30,000 troops), under the command of ] ], and the army of ] under ] (&#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1102;&#1096;&#1080;&#1081;, "Tsar's Equerry") ] (&#1048;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085; &#1063;&#1077;&#1083;&#1103;&#1076;&#1085;&#1080;&#1085;) and ] (Prince) ] (&#1052;&#1080;&#1093;&#1072;&#1080;&#1083; &#1043;&#1086;&#1083;&#1080;&#1094;&#1072;). The Battle of Orsha was part of a long chain of wars conducted by ]n ] striving to gather ]n lands under their rule.
The '''Battle of Orsha''' ({{langx|pl|Bitwa pod Orszą}}, {{langx|lt|Oršos mūšis}}), was fought on 8 September 1514, between the allied forces of the ] and the ], under the command of ] ]; and the army of the ] under ] ] and ] Mikhail Bulgakov-Golitsa. The Battle of Orsha was part of a long series of ] conducted by Muscovite rulers striving to gather all the former ] lands under their rule.


According to '']'' by ], the primary source for information on the battle, the much smaller army of Lithuania–Poland (under 30,000 men) defeated a force of 80,000 Muscovite soldiers, capturing their camp and commander. These numbers and proportions have been disputed by some modern historians.
The much smaller army of the ] and ] defeated the ] forces and seized their camp, taking the enemy commander captive.


==Eve of battle== ==Eve of battle==
At the end of 1512, the ] began a new war for the ]'s ]n lands in present-day ], ] and ]. ], Grand Master of the ], rebelled and refused to give a vassal pledge to ] of Poland-Lithuania, as required by the ]. Albrecht I was supported by ].<ref name="baranauskas">{{cite web|last=Baranauskas|first=Tomas|author-link=Tomas Baranauskas|date=2006-09-08|title=Oršos mūšis – didžiausia Lietuvos karinė pergalė prieš Rusiją|url=http://www.delfi.lt/news/ringas/lit/article.php?id=10641866|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210142121/http://www.delfi.lt:80/news/ringas/lit/article.php?id=10641866 |archive-date=2007-02-10 |access-date=|website=|language=lt}}</ref>


At the end of ] ] began a new war for the ]n lands of present-day ] and ] that were part of the ]. The fortress of ] was then the easternmost outpost of the Grand Duchy and one of the most important strongholds guarding it from the east. It repelled several Muscovite attacks, but in July ] a Muscovite army of 80,000 men and 300 guns besieged and finally captured it. (Some historians claim that the size of Muscovy's army has been overstated: see "]," below.) The fortress of ] was then the easternmost outpost of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and one of the most important strongholds guarding it from the east. It repelled several Muscovite attacks, but in July 1514 a Muscovite army besieged and finally captured it. Spurred on by this initial success, the ] ] ordered his forces farther into present-day Belarus, occupying the towns of ], ], and ].


Meanwhile, ] gathered some 35,000 troops, most of whom (57%) were Poles,<ref name=Plew/> for war with his eastern neighbor. His army was inferior in numbers, but consisted mostly of well-trained ].
Spurred on by this initial success, the ] of ] ] ordered his forces farther into Belarus, occupying the towns of ], ], and ].


The regular Polish army was commanded by {{ill|Janusz Świerczowski|pl}}. It was the largest one that the ] had hitherto put in the field. {{ill|Wojciech Sampoliński|de}} was in charge of the private Polish detachments and household troops. The Lithuanian landed service (some 15,000 soldiers) was led by Grand Hetman ] and Field Hetman ].<ref name=Plew>{{cite book |last1=Plewczyński |first1=Marek |editor1-last=Jasiński |editor1-first=Grzegorz |editor2-last=Włodarkiewicz |editor2-first=Wojciech |title=Polish battles and campaigns in 13th–19th centuries |date=2016 |publisher=Wojskowe Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej im. płk. dypl. Mariana Porwita Stowarzyszenie Historyków Wojskowości |isbn=978-83-65409-12-6 |page=41 |url=https://wceo.wp.mil.pl/y/pliki/rozne/2020/07/POLISH_BATTLES.pdf |chapter=The Battle of Orsha 8th September 1514}}</ref> The Lithuanian-Polish forces included 32,500 cavalry and 3,000 ] ].<ref name="baranauskas" /> Sigismund left 4,000–5,000 men in the town of ], while the main force, placed under the command of Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski and around 30,000 strong, moved on to face the Muscovites.<ref name="baranauskas"/>{{sfn|Plewczyński|2016|p=42}}
Meanwhile ]'s King ] gathered some 35,000 troops for war with the eastern neighbor. This army was inferior in numbers, but comprised mostly well-trained ]. The forces of the ] and Kingdom of ] placed under the command of ] ] included:
* 16,000 horse of the Grand Duchy,
* 14,000 ] (light and heavy),
* 3,000 ] ],
* 2,500 volunteers, mostly from ].


Marching into ], ] secured the town of ] with a 4,000-strong force, while the main forces moved on to face the ]s. At the end of August, several skirmishes took place at crossings of the ], ] and ] Rivers, but the ] army avoided a major confrontation. At the end of August, several skirmishes took place at the crossings of the ], ], and ]s, but the Muscovite army avoided a major confrontation.


Suffering negligible losses, the ]s advanced to the area between ] and ] on the River ], where they set up camp. ], confident that the Lithuanian-Polish forces would have to cross one of two bridges on the ], split his own forces to guard those crossings. However, Ostrogski's army crossed the river farther north via two ]s. On the night of ], it began preparations for a final battle with the ]s. Hetman Ostrogski placed most of his 16,000 ] (]) horse in the center, while most of the ] ] and the auxiliary troops manned the flanks. The ]n and ]n ] were deployed in the center of the line, in front of reserves comprising ]n and ] ]. Suffering negligible losses, the Muscovites advanced to the area between ] and ] on the ], where they set up camp. ], confident that the Lithuanian–Polish forces would have to cross one of the two bridges on the ], split his own forces to guard those crossings. However, Ostrogski's army crossed the river farther north via two ]s. On the night of 7 September, the Lithuanian-Polish army began preparations for a final battle with the Muscovites. Hetman Konstantyn Ostrogski placed most of his 16,000 horses from the Grand Duchy in the center, while most of the Polish ] and the auxiliary troops manned the flanks. The ]n and ]n infantry were deployed in the center of the line, in front of the reserves comprising Lithuanian and Polish ].

===Size of the Muscovite army===
]
The size of the Muscovite army remains an unsolved question. Narrative Lithuanian sources generally give large numbers. King Sigismund wrote to ] about a "horde of Muscovites" which consisted of 80,000 men.<ref>Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr. 1–2. p. 61</ref> Sigismund also claimed that his army had killed 30,000 Muscovites and taken prisoner 46 commanders and 1,500 nobles. Extant Polish and Lithuanian documents, however, list all captured nobles by name; only 611 men in all. The Polish historian Bohun considers it improvident to rely on what he terms "propaganda data" given by Sigismund.<ref name="Bohun"/> According to the Sigismund description of the disposition of the Russian troops, each regiment outnumbers even modern ].{{sfn|Lobin|2015|p=39}} Gembarowicz (another Polish researcher) is of the opinion that the Muscovite army was about 40,000 strong. It also remains unclear why – if the figure of 70,000–80,000 men is to be trusted – King Sigismund (who knew about this superiority of the Muscovite army from ]'s letters) kept a personal guard of about 5,000 men (about 15% of his army) in reserve, without sending them into the battle. The Muscovite chronicles (] and ]es) claim a Lithuanian numerical superiority.<ref name="Lobin"/>

The Russian historian A. Lobin tried to calculate the size of the Muscovite army at Orsha based on the mobilisation capacities of the towns which had to send townspeople for military service.<ref>Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. pp. 45–78</ref> It is known that except for Boyar sons of the sovereign's regiment, the army consisted of people from at least 14 towns: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr. 1–2. pp. 63–64</ref> Based on figures from the well-documented ] campaign of 1563, the author gives the following estimates: 400–500 Tatars, 200 boyar sons of the sovereign's regiment, 3,000 Novgorodian and Pskovians, and about 3,600 representatives of other towns, altogether about 7,200 noblemen. Once servants are included, the overall size of the Muscovite army could be 13,000–15,000 men. Considering the losses during the campaign, the level of desertion which is documented in the sources and the number of soldiers left as a garrison in Smolensk; the number of Muscovite troops present at Orsha could have been as low as about 12,000 men.<ref name="Lobin"/> This calculation method has been backed by Brian Davies (University of Texas at San Antonio),<ref name="davies">Форум//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. pp. 120–121</ref> and Russian historians N. Smirnov, A. Pankov, O. Kurbatov,<ref name="kurbatov">Курбатов О. А. Отклик на статью А. Н. Лобина//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1-2. pp. 104–119</ref> М. Krom,<ref name="krom">Кром М. М. Еще раз о численности русского войска в XVI в. (По поводу статьи А. Н. Лобина)//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. pp. 79–90</ref> and V. Penskoy.<ref name="penskoy">Пенской В. В. Некоторые соображения по поводу статьи А. Н. Лобина «К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства XVI в.»//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr. 1–2. pp. 79–90</ref> An earlier estimate also noted that at the beginning of the 16th century, the Russia could not even gather 40,000 in its ranks.{{sfn|Alexeev|2009|p=408}} Vitaly Penskoi analyzing the structure of the Russian army, also came to the conclusion that in the largest military campaigns under Vasily III, Muscovites could not have more than 20,000.{{sfn|Penskoi|2021|p=19}}


==Battle== ==Battle==
{{multiple image
On ], ], shortly after dawn, ] gave the order to attack. The ] forces attempted to outflank the ]ns and ] by attacking the flanks, manned by ] troops. One of the pincers of the attack was commanded by ] personally, while the other was led by ] ]. The initial attack failed, and the ]s withdrew toward their starting positions. ] was still confident that the almost 3:1 odds in his favor would give him the victory. However, preoccupied with his own wing of the ] forces, he lost track of the other sectors and failed to coordinate a defense against the counterattack by the ]n cavalry, which until then had been kept in reserve.
|perrow=2
|total_width=275
|align=left
|image1= MapofOrshabattle.jpg
|image2= Orsha1514map.gif
|footer=The battle plan drawn up by ], {{circa}} middle of the XVI century and battle plan drawn up in 1878 by the Russian military historian {{ill|Nikolai Sergeevich Golitsyn|ru|Голицын, Николай Сергеевич}}
|footer_align=center
}}
], 1903).]]
On 8 September, shortly after dawn, ] gave the order to attack. The Muscovite forces attempted to outflank the Lithuanians and Poles by attacking their flanks, which were manned by Polish, Lithuanian light hussar, and ] troops. One of the pincers of the attack was commanded by Chelyadnin personally, while the other was led by Prince Bulgakov-Golitsa. The initial attack failed, and the Muscovites withdrew toward their starting positions. Chelyadnin was still confident that the odds, almost 3:1 in his favor, would give him the victory. However, preoccupied with his own wing of the Muscovite forces, he lost track of the other sectors and failed to coordinate a defense against the counterattack by the Lithuanian light and Polish heavy cavalry, which until then had been kept in reserve.


The ]n ] attacked the overstretched center of the ] lines in an attempt to split it. At the crucial moment the horse of the ] seemed to waver, then went into retreat. The ]s pursued with all their ] ]s. The ]n horse, after retreating for several minutes, chased by the ]s, suddenly turned to the sides. The ] horse now found themselves confronted by ] concealed in the ]. From both sides, ] forces appeared and proceeded to surround the ]s. ] sounded ], which soon became somewhat panicky. The ] forces were pursued by the army of the ] for five kilometers. The Lithuanian and Polish ] and Tartars attacked the overstretched center of the Muscovite lines in an attempt to split them. At the crucial moment the Polish cavalry seemed to waver, then went into retreat.{{sfn|Plewczyński|2016|p=45}} The Muscovites pursued with all their ] reserves. The Lithuanian Tartars and Polish cavalry, after retreating for several minutes under chase from the Russians, suddenly turned to the sides. The Muscovite cavalry now found themselves confronted by ] concealed in the forest. From both sides, Lithuanian forces appeared and proceeded to surround the Muscovites. Ivan Chelyadnin sounded ], which soon became somewhat panicked. The Muscovite forces were pursued by the army of the ] for five kilometres.


The ] defeat is often attributed to repeated failures by ] and ] to coordinate their operations. The Muscovite defeat is often attributed to repeated failures by Ivan Chelyadnin and Mikhail Golitsa to coordinate their operations.


According to accounts in ] ], at the Battle of Orsha 30,000 Muscovites were killed and an additional 3,000 were taken captive, including ] and eight other commanders. The forces of the ] and ] seized the ] ] and all 300 ]. ] reported that 40,000 Muscovites were killed.<ref name="baranauskas"/> According to accounts in Polish ]s, 30,000 Russians were killed and an additional 3,000 were taken captive, including Ivan Chelyadnin and eight other commanders. The forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania seized the Muscovite ] and all 300 ]s. Upset at word of the massive defeat, Grand Prince ] allegedly remarked that "the prisoners as useful as the dead".<ref name="baranauskas"/>


==Aftermath== ==Aftermath==
]s during the Battle of Orsha (1514)]]
Upset at word of the massive defeat, ] ] ] remarked that "the prisoners as useful as the dead" and declined to negotiate their return. The Battle of Orsha was one of the biggest battles of ] ]. Ostrogski's forces continued their pursuit of the routed ] ] and retook most of the previously captured strongholds. However, the ]n and ] forces were too exhausted to besiege ] before winter. Also ] did not reach the gates of Smolensk until late September, giving ] enough time to prepare defense.
Ostrogski's forces continued their pursuit of the routed Russian army and retook most of the previously captured strongholds, including ] and Krychev, and the advancement of the Russians was stopped for four years.<ref name="baranauskas"/> However, the Lithuanian and Polish forces were too exhausted to besiege ] before the winter. This meant that Ostrogski did not reach the gates of Smolensk until late September, giving Vasili III enough time to prepare defense.

In December, ] ] triumphantly entered ]. To commemorate the victory, two Orthodox churches were erected: the Church of the Holy Trinity and the ], which remain among the most impressive examples of ] architecture in Lithuania. Immediately after the victory, the Polish–Lithuanian state started to exploit the battle for its ] aimed at other nations in Europe, with the intent of improving the image of Poland-Lithuania abroad. Several panegyrical accounts of the battle were sent to ]. "The Polish message was similar to Bomhover's: the Muscovites are not Christians; they are cruel and barbaric; they are Asians and not Europeans; they are in league with Turks and the ] to destroy Christendom".<ref name=poe>{{cite book |first=Marshall T. |last=Poe |title=A People Born to Slavery: Russia in Early Modern European Ethnography, 1478–1748 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bvLHqFOTLL4C&pg=PA21 |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2001 |isbn= 0-8014-3798-9 |page=21}}</ref>

Impressed by the scope of the Lithuanian and Polish victory, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, started peace negotiations with the ] in Vienna. On 22 July 1515, final agreements for peace were made and the broad coalition against Lithuania and Poland ceased.<ref name="baranauskas"/>

The war between the ] and ] lasted until 1520. In 1522 a peace was signed, under the terms of which Lithuania was forced to cede to Moscow about a quarter of its possessions within the lands of the former ], including ]. The latter city was not retaken until almost a century later, in 1611. After the peace agreement of 1522, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania tried to attack Moscow one more time, but major military conflicts were settled for around 40 years.<ref name="baranauskas"/>


==Modern times==
In December ], ] ] triumphantly entered ]. To commemorate the victory, two Orthodox churches were erected: the ] and the ], which remain among the most impressive examples of ] architecture.
{{Multiple image
|direction=vertical
|width=200
|image1=Битва під Оршею аверс.jpeg
|image2=LT-2014-50litų-Oršos mūšis-b.png
|caption2=Commemorative coins by Ukraine and Lithuania.
}}


The battle is regarded by some ] as a symbol of national revival, with many seeing it as a Day of Belarusian Military Glory.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} On 8 September 1992, the 478th anniversary of the battle, cadets from Minsk Higher Military Engineering School and the Minsk Higher Military Command School (now the unified ]) took the first military oath of allegiance to the ], with their induction ceremony being held on ] in the presence of defense minister ].<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lMs_c10EUc| title = Присяга на Площади Независимости! Минск 06 сентября 1992 г. |website=]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2017/9/8/262281/|title = День, когда Площадь была заполнена солнцем и народом}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2017/9/8/262248/|title = Белорусские офицеры присягнули на верность Родине}}</ref> Subsequently, however, as a result of increasing ties to Russia, the regime of President ] actively suppressed celebration of the battle. In September 2005, four members of the ] opposition were each fined almost {{Currency|4 million|BYN|first=yes}} (roughly ]1,500) for celebrating the 491st anniversary of the battle.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}
The war between the ] and ] lasted until ]. In ] a ] was signed, in which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was forced to surrender about one fourth of its ]n possessions together with the city of ] to ]. Smolensk was not retaken until almost a century later, in ].


Ukraine has public celebrations of the Battle of Orsha, as an important victory, within the wider history of Ukrainian-Russian conflicts. On October 14, 2014, the National Bank of Ukraine presented a commemorative coin on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Orsha.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tsn.ua/video/video-novini/novu-yuvileynu-monetu-prezentuvav-ukrayinskiy-nacbank.html|title=Нову ювілейну монету презентував український Нацбанк|trans-title=The new jubilee coin was presented by the Ukrainian National Bank|date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530075743/https://tsn.ua/video/video-novini/novu-yuvileynu-monetu-prezentuvav-ukrayinskiy-nacbank.html |archive-date=30 May 2021|url-status=live|access-date=30 May 2021|language=uk|publisher=]}}</ref> There is Orsha Victory Street in Rivne.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.city-adm.rv.ua/RivnePortal/ukr/documents_view.aspx?id=37402|title=Перегляд документа|last=kalagum|website=www.city-adm.rv.ua|access-date=2016-04-21|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221022/http://www.city-adm.rv.ua/RivnePortal/ukr/documents_view.aspx?id=37402|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Disputed data ==


At the ], the Battle of Orsha is commemorated by the inscription "ORSZA 8 IX 1514".
Because of the spectacular defeat, the data about the battle of Orsha was suppressed in Russian chronicles. Even reputabe historians of ], such as ] rely on foreign sources. On the other hand, King ] tried to gain as much political advatage as possible from his victory. Therefore the actual data about the numbers of participants, prisoners and dead are questioned by some modern historians.


In Lithuania, the Battle of Orsha is commemorates as well by Lithuanian Ministry of Defense and Lithuanian government every year with concerts, conferences and military parades.
In particular, the size of Russian army of 80,000 is thought to be serously exaggerrated. Even ], who commanded a larger territory than his father, could never muster more than 40,000 troops, of whom 20% were newly-conquered ] and ]. As a consequene, the number 30,000 of killed is also questioned.


==Popular culture==
As an indirect proof of exaggerration may be the fact that King Sigismund sent a letter Pope ] and other European courts claiming that his army killed 30,000 Muscovites and took prisoner 46 commanders with 1,500 nobles. At the same time, there exist Polish and Lithuanian lists that enumerate all captured nobles by name, 611 persons in all.
On the ] television program '']'', ] was made a vampire after the Battle of Orsha.


== References == ==Legacy==
In 1514, in appreciation for the victory in the battle, ] built the ] in ].
* The battle was described by ] in his '']'' (]) (''Notes on Muscovite Affairs'').


==References==
]
{{Reflist}}
]
===Bibliography===
]
* {{cite book |last=Alexeev |first=Yuri |lang=ru |script-title=ru:Походы русских войск при Иване III |trans-title=Campaigns of Russian troops under Ivan III |date=2009 |publisher=St. Petersburg University Press |isbn=978-5-288-04840-1 }}
* {{cite book |last=Penskoi |first=Vitaly |lang=ru |script-title=ru:"Центурионы" Ивана Грозного: Воеводы и головы Московского войска второй половины XVI века |trans-title="Centurions" of Ivan the Terrible: Voivodes and Heads of the Moscow army of the second half of the XVI century |date=2021 |place=Moscow |isbn=978-5-227-09581-7 |publisher=Центрополиграф |others=Series: Новейшие исследования по истории России }}
* {{cite book |last=Lobin |first=Alexei |lang=ru |script-title=ru:Взятие Смоленска и битва под Оршей |trans-title=Capture of Smolensk and the Battle of Orsha |publisher=Русские витязи |place=Moscow |date=2015 |isbn=978-5-9906036-7-7 }}
==External links==
* Cherkas, B. ''''. ] (originally from ]). July 24, 2013.
* , Radoslaw Sikora, Bartosz Musialowicz, ''BUM Magazine'', October 2016.
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{Polish wars and conflicts}}


] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 16:55, 27 December 2024

Part of the fourth Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1514)

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Battle of Orsha
Part of Lithuanian–Muscovite War (1512-1522)

Battle of Orsha painting attributed to Hans Krell
Date8 September 1514
LocationOrsha, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, present-day Belarus54°30′N 30°23′E / 54.500°N 30.383°E / 54.500; 30.383
Result Polish–Lithuanian victory
Belligerents
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Kingdom of Poland
Grand Duchy of Moscow
Commanders and leaders
Ivan Chelyadnin (POW)
Strength
12,000 to 35,000 11,000 to 40,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown 13,000–40,000 dead and wounded (?)
Battle of Orsha is located in BelarusBattle of Orshaclass=notpageimage| Location within Belarus
Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1512–1522)

The Battle of Orsha (Polish: Bitwa pod Orszą, Lithuanian: Oršos mūšis), was fought on 8 September 1514, between the allied forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, under the command of Lithuanian Grand Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski; and the army of the Grand Duchy of Moscow under Konyushy Ivan Chelyadnin and Kniaz Mikhail Bulgakov-Golitsa. The Battle of Orsha was part of a long series of Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars conducted by Muscovite rulers striving to gather all the former Kievan Rus' lands under their rule.

According to Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii by Sigismund von Herberstein, the primary source for information on the battle, the much smaller army of Lithuania–Poland (under 30,000 men) defeated a force of 80,000 Muscovite soldiers, capturing their camp and commander. These numbers and proportions have been disputed by some modern historians.

Eve of battle

At the end of 1512, the Grand Duchy of Moscow began a new war for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's Ruthenian lands in present-day Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Albrecht I, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, rebelled and refused to give a vassal pledge to Sigismund I the Old of Poland-Lithuania, as required by the Second Peace of Thorn (1466). Albrecht I was supported by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

The fortress of Smolensk was then the easternmost outpost of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and one of the most important strongholds guarding it from the east. It repelled several Muscovite attacks, but in July 1514 a Muscovite army besieged and finally captured it. Spurred on by this initial success, the Grand Prince of Moscow Vasili III ordered his forces farther into present-day Belarus, occupying the towns of Krichev, Mstislavl, and Dubrovna.

Meanwhile, Sigismund the Old gathered some 35,000 troops, most of whom (57%) were Poles, for war with his eastern neighbor. His army was inferior in numbers, but consisted mostly of well-trained cavalry.

The regular Polish army was commanded by Janusz Świerczowski [pl]. It was the largest one that the Crown had hitherto put in the field. Wojciech Sampoliński [de] was in charge of the private Polish detachments and household troops. The Lithuanian landed service (some 15,000 soldiers) was led by Grand Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski and Field Hetman Jerzy Radziwiłł. The Lithuanian-Polish forces included 32,500 cavalry and 3,000 mercenary infantry. Sigismund left 4,000–5,000 men in the town of Barysau, while the main force, placed under the command of Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski and around 30,000 strong, moved on to face the Muscovites.

At the end of August, several skirmishes took place at the crossings of the Berezina, Bobr, and Drut Rivers, but the Muscovite army avoided a major confrontation.

Suffering negligible losses, the Muscovites advanced to the area between Orsha and Dubrovno on the Krapivna River, where they set up camp. Ivan Chelyadnin, confident that the Lithuanian–Polish forces would have to cross one of the two bridges on the Dnieper River, split his own forces to guard those crossings. However, Ostrogski's army crossed the river farther north via two pontoon bridges. On the night of 7 September, the Lithuanian-Polish army began preparations for a final battle with the Muscovites. Hetman Konstantyn Ostrogski placed most of his 16,000 horses from the Grand Duchy in the center, while most of the Polish infantry and the auxiliary troops manned the flanks. The Bohemian and Silesian infantry were deployed in the center of the line, in front of the reserves comprising Lithuanian and Polish cavalry.

Size of the Muscovite army

Russo-Polish war, image from Jacob Piso Die Schlacht von dem Kunig von Poln und mit dem Moscowiter, 1514

The size of the Muscovite army remains an unsolved question. Narrative Lithuanian sources generally give large numbers. King Sigismund wrote to Pope Leo X about a "horde of Muscovites" which consisted of 80,000 men. Sigismund also claimed that his army had killed 30,000 Muscovites and taken prisoner 46 commanders and 1,500 nobles. Extant Polish and Lithuanian documents, however, list all captured nobles by name; only 611 men in all. The Polish historian Bohun considers it improvident to rely on what he terms "propaganda data" given by Sigismund. According to the Sigismund description of the disposition of the Russian troops, each regiment outnumbers even modern divisions. Gembarowicz (another Polish researcher) is of the opinion that the Muscovite army was about 40,000 strong. It also remains unclear why – if the figure of 70,000–80,000 men is to be trusted – King Sigismund (who knew about this superiority of the Muscovite army from Mikhail Glinsky's letters) kept a personal guard of about 5,000 men (about 15% of his army) in reserve, without sending them into the battle. The Muscovite chronicles (Novgorodian and Sophian codexes) claim a Lithuanian numerical superiority.

The Russian historian A. Lobin tried to calculate the size of the Muscovite army at Orsha based on the mobilisation capacities of the towns which had to send townspeople for military service. It is known that except for Boyar sons of the sovereign's regiment, the army consisted of people from at least 14 towns: Novgorod, Pskov, Velikie Luki, Kostroma, Murom, Borovsk, Tver, Volok, Roslavl, Vyazma, Pereyaslavl, Kolomna, Yaroslavl, and Starodub. Based on figures from the well-documented Polotsk campaign of 1563, the author gives the following estimates: 400–500 Tatars, 200 boyar sons of the sovereign's regiment, 3,000 Novgorodian and Pskovians, and about 3,600 representatives of other towns, altogether about 7,200 noblemen. Once servants are included, the overall size of the Muscovite army could be 13,000–15,000 men. Considering the losses during the campaign, the level of desertion which is documented in the sources and the number of soldiers left as a garrison in Smolensk; the number of Muscovite troops present at Orsha could have been as low as about 12,000 men. This calculation method has been backed by Brian Davies (University of Texas at San Antonio), and Russian historians N. Smirnov, A. Pankov, O. Kurbatov, М. Krom, and V. Penskoy. An earlier estimate also noted that at the beginning of the 16th century, the Russia could not even gather 40,000 in its ranks. Vitaly Penskoi analyzing the structure of the Russian army, also came to the conclusion that in the largest military campaigns under Vasily III, Muscovites could not have more than 20,000.

Battle

The battle plan drawn up by Stanisław Sarnicki, c. middle of the XVI century and battle plan drawn up in 1878 by the Russian military historian Nikolai Sergeevich Golitsyn [ru]
Russian campaign against the Lithuanians (oil on canvas by Sergey Ivanov, 1903).

On 8 September, shortly after dawn, Ivan Chelyadnin gave the order to attack. The Muscovite forces attempted to outflank the Lithuanians and Poles by attacking their flanks, which were manned by Polish, Lithuanian light hussar, and Tartar troops. One of the pincers of the attack was commanded by Chelyadnin personally, while the other was led by Prince Bulgakov-Golitsa. The initial attack failed, and the Muscovites withdrew toward their starting positions. Chelyadnin was still confident that the odds, almost 3:1 in his favor, would give him the victory. However, preoccupied with his own wing of the Muscovite forces, he lost track of the other sectors and failed to coordinate a defense against the counterattack by the Lithuanian light and Polish heavy cavalry, which until then had been kept in reserve.

The Lithuanian and Polish light horse and Tartars attacked the overstretched center of the Muscovite lines in an attempt to split them. At the crucial moment the Polish cavalry seemed to waver, then went into retreat. The Muscovites pursued with all their cavalry reserves. The Lithuanian Tartars and Polish cavalry, after retreating for several minutes under chase from the Russians, suddenly turned to the sides. The Muscovite cavalry now found themselves confronted by artillery concealed in the forest. From both sides, Lithuanian forces appeared and proceeded to surround the Muscovites. Ivan Chelyadnin sounded retreat, which soon became somewhat panicked. The Muscovite forces were pursued by the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for five kilometres.

The Muscovite defeat is often attributed to repeated failures by Ivan Chelyadnin and Mikhail Golitsa to coordinate their operations.

Sigismund von Herberstein reported that 40,000 Muscovites were killed. According to accounts in Polish chronicles, 30,000 Russians were killed and an additional 3,000 were taken captive, including Ivan Chelyadnin and eight other commanders. The forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania seized the Muscovite camp and all 300 cannons. Upset at word of the massive defeat, Grand Prince Vasili III allegedly remarked that "the prisoners as useful as the dead".

Aftermath

Hussars during the Battle of Orsha (1514)

Ostrogski's forces continued their pursuit of the routed Russian army and retook most of the previously captured strongholds, including Mstislavl and Krychev, and the advancement of the Russians was stopped for four years. However, the Lithuanian and Polish forces were too exhausted to besiege Smolensk before the winter. This meant that Ostrogski did not reach the gates of Smolensk until late September, giving Vasili III enough time to prepare defense.

In December, Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski triumphantly entered Vilnius. To commemorate the victory, two Orthodox churches were erected: the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Church of Saint Nicholas, which remain among the most impressive examples of Eastern Orthodox Church architecture in Lithuania. Immediately after the victory, the Polish–Lithuanian state started to exploit the battle for its propaganda aimed at other nations in Europe, with the intent of improving the image of Poland-Lithuania abroad. Several panegyrical accounts of the battle were sent to Rome. "The Polish message was similar to Bomhover's: the Muscovites are not Christians; they are cruel and barbaric; they are Asians and not Europeans; they are in league with Turks and the Tatars to destroy Christendom".

Impressed by the scope of the Lithuanian and Polish victory, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, started peace negotiations with the Jagiellons in Vienna. On 22 July 1515, final agreements for peace were made and the broad coalition against Lithuania and Poland ceased.

The war between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Grand Duchy of Moscow lasted until 1520. In 1522 a peace was signed, under the terms of which Lithuania was forced to cede to Moscow about a quarter of its possessions within the lands of the former Kievan Rus', including Smolensk. The latter city was not retaken until almost a century later, in 1611. After the peace agreement of 1522, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania tried to attack Moscow one more time, but major military conflicts were settled for around 40 years.

Modern times

Commemorative coins by Ukraine and Lithuania.

The battle is regarded by some Belarusians as a symbol of national revival, with many seeing it as a Day of Belarusian Military Glory. On 8 September 1992, the 478th anniversary of the battle, cadets from Minsk Higher Military Engineering School and the Minsk Higher Military Command School (now the unified Military Academy of Belarus) took the first military oath of allegiance to the Armed Forces of Belarus, with their induction ceremony being held on Independence Square in the presence of defense minister Pavel Pavlovich Kozlovsky. Subsequently, however, as a result of increasing ties to Russia, the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko actively suppressed celebration of the battle. In September 2005, four members of the Belarusian National Front opposition were each fined almost 4,000,000 Belarusian rubles (roughly 1,500) for celebrating the 491st anniversary of the battle.

Ukraine has public celebrations of the Battle of Orsha, as an important victory, within the wider history of Ukrainian-Russian conflicts. On October 14, 2014, the National Bank of Ukraine presented a commemorative coin on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Orsha. There is Orsha Victory Street in Rivne.

At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw, the Battle of Orsha is commemorated by the inscription "ORSZA 8 IX 1514".

In Lithuania, the Battle of Orsha is commemorates as well by Lithuanian Ministry of Defense and Lithuanian government every year with concerts, conferences and military parades.

Popular culture

On the BBC television program Being Human, Hal Yorke was made a vampire after the Battle of Orsha.

Legacy

In 1514, in appreciation for the victory in the battle, Konstanty Ostrogski built the Church and monastery of Holy Trinity in Vilnius.

References

  1. Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности и составе польско-литовской армии в битве под Оршей в 1514 г. // Праблемы інтэграцыі і iнкарпарацыі ў развіцці Цэнтральнай і Усходняй Еўропы ў перыяд ранняга Новага часу. Мінск, 2010. С. 18–42
  2. ^ Podhorodecki, Leszek (1997). Sławne bitwy Polaków. MADA. pp. 105–106. ISBN 8386170247.
  3. ^ Spieralski, Zdzisław (1965). Wojskowość polska w okresie odrodzenia Zarys dziejów wojskowości polskiej do roku 1864, t. I, pod red. Janusza Sikorskiego. p. 331.
  4. ^ Wojciechowski, Zygmunt (1946). Zygmunt Stary (1506–1548). p. 50.
  5. Lobin 2015, p. 31.
  6. ^ Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. p. 66
  7. ^ Alexeev 2009, p. 408.
  8. ^ Bohun T. Bitwa pod Orsza 08.09.1514 // Rzeczpospolita. 2006. ¹ 4/20. S. 13.
  9. ^ Baranauskas, Tomas (2006-09-08). "Oršos mūšis – didžiausia Lietuvos karinė pergalė prieš Rusiją" (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 2007-02-10.
  10. ^ Plewczyński, Marek (2016). "The Battle of Orsha 8th September 1514". In Jasiński, Grzegorz; Włodarkiewicz, Wojciech (eds.). Polish battles and campaigns in 13th–19th centuries (PDF). Wojskowe Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej im. płk. dypl. Mariana Porwita Stowarzyszenie Historyków Wojskowości. p. 41. ISBN 978-83-65409-12-6.
  11. Plewczyński 2016, p. 42.
  12. Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr. 1–2. p. 61
  13. Lobin 2015, p. 39.
  14. Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. pp. 45–78
  15. Лобин А. Н. К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства в XVI в.//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr. 1–2. pp. 63–64
  16. Форум//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. pp. 120–121
  17. Курбатов О. А. Отклик на статью А. Н. Лобина//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1-2. pp. 104–119
  18. Кром М. М. Еще раз о численности русского войска в XVI в. (По поводу статьи А. Н. Лобина)//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr 1–2. pp. 79–90
  19. Пенской В. В. Некоторые соображения по поводу статьи А. Н. Лобина «К вопросу о численности вооружённых сил Российского государства XVI в.»//Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana 2009 Nr. 1–2. pp. 79–90
  20. Penskoi 2021, p. 19.
  21. Plewczyński 2016, p. 45.
  22. Poe, Marshall T. (2001). A People Born to Slavery: Russia in Early Modern European Ethnography, 1478–1748. Cornell University Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-8014-3798-9.
  23. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Присяга на Площади Независимости! Минск 06 сентября 1992 г." YouTube.
  24. "День, когда Площадь была заполнена солнцем и народом".
  25. "Белорусские офицеры присягнули на верность Родине".
  26. "Нову ювілейну монету презентував український Нацбанк" [The new jubilee coin was presented by the Ukrainian National Bank] (in Ukrainian). ТСН. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  27. kalagum. "Перегляд документа". www.city-adm.rv.ua. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-04-21.

Bibliography

  • Alexeev, Yuri (2009). Походы русских войск при Иване III [Campaigns of Russian troops under Ivan III] (in Russian). St. Petersburg University Press. ISBN 978-5-288-04840-1.
  • Penskoi, Vitaly (2021). "Центурионы" Ивана Грозного: Воеводы и головы Московского войска второй половины XVI века ["Centurions" of Ivan the Terrible: Voivodes and Heads of the Moscow army of the second half of the XVI century] (in Russian). Series: Новейшие исследования по истории России . Moscow: Центрополиграф. ISBN 978-5-227-09581-7.
  • Lobin, Alexei (2015). Взятие Смоленска и битва под Оршей [Capture of Smolensk and the Battle of Orsha] (in Russian). Moscow: Русские витязи. ISBN 978-5-9906036-7-7.

External links

Notes

  1. Different estimates:
    • 12,000 men;
    • 25,000 men;
    • 35,000 men.
  2. Different estimates:
    • 11,000 men; (previously 12,000)
    • 35,000–40,000 men; (perhaps exaggerated)
    • 80,000 men. («exaggerated»)
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