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Revision as of 23:22, 6 September 2004 by Rydel (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Battle of Orsha took place on September 8, 1514, between the Belarusians (Litvins) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on one side (estimated 30,000 troops) and the Russian (Muscovite) army (about 80,000 troops). The much smaller army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania led led by hetman Kanstancin Astrozhski (Konstantin Ostrozhsky) crashed the mighty army of the Muscovites.
At the end of 1512 Muscovy started a new war for the "Russian" (Ruthenian) lands of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine that were a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, not controlled by Moscow. Smolensk was then the Eastern outpost of the Grand Duchy. In July 1514 Muscovite's army of 80,000 and 300 cannon guns took it under siege and finally occupied it.
Inspired by the initial success Moscow prince Vasily III directed his troops further into Belarus, occupiying the cities Krychau, Amscislau, Dubrouna.
Meanwhile the Grand Duke Zygimont Stary managed to gather only 30,000 warriors. It consisted of the 16,000 horsemen of the Grand Duchy, 14,000 Polish soldiers, 3,000 infantry mercenaries, and 2500 volunteer soldiers.