The Battle of Kircholm ( lt, Salaspilio mūšis; ) was one of the major battles in the
Polish–Swedish War (1600–1611)
The Polish–Swedish War (1600–1611) was a continuation of struggle between History of Sweden (1523–1611), Sweden and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth over control of Duchy of Livonia, Livonia and Estonia, as well as the dispute over th ...
. The battle was decided in 20 minutes by the devastating charge of Polish-Lithuanian
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
, the
Winged Hussars
The Polish hussars (; pl, husaria ), alternatively known as the winged hussars, were a heavy cavalry formation active in Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Poland and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702. Their epithet is deriv ...
. The battle ended in the decisive victory of the Polish-Lithuanian forces, and is remembered as one of the greatest triumphs of Commonwealth cavalry.
Background
On 27 September 1605, the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
and Swedish forces met near the small town of
Kircholm
Salaspils (; german: Kircholm; sv, Kirkholm) is a town in Latvia, the administrative centre of Salaspils Municipality. The town is situated on the northern bank of the Daugava river, 18 kilometers to the south-east of the city of Riga.
His ...
(now Salaspils in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
, some 18 km south-east of
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
). The forces of
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX, also Carl ( sv, Karl IX; 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611), reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I () and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric X ...
were numerically superior and were composed of 10,868 men and 11
cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
s. The Swedish army included two western commanders, Frederick of Lüneburg and Count Joachim Frederick of Mansfeld, with a few thousand German and Dutch
mercenaries
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
and even a few hundred
Scot
The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...
s.
The
Polish Crown
The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Korona Królestwa Polskiego; Latin: ''Corona Regni Poloniae''), known also as the Polish Crown, is the common name for the historic Late Middle Ages territorial possessions of the King of Poland, includ ...
declined to raise funds for defence and send troops, only making promises they never fulfilled. The army, led by the Great Hetman of Lithuania
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz ( lt, Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius, be, Ян Караль Хадкевіч ; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from ...
, was tired and starving; however, the soldiers admired their leader. He promised to pay army wages from his own fortune, resulting in an influx of recruits from Lithuania. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth army under Chodkiewicz was composed of roughly 1,000 infantry and 2,600 cavalry, but only five cannons. However, the Polish-Lithuanian forces were well-rested, and their cavalry consisted mostly of superbly trained
Winged Hussars
The Polish hussars (; pl, husaria ), alternatively known as the winged hussars, were a heavy cavalry formation active in Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Poland and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702. Their epithet is deriv ...
, or heavy cavalry armed with
lance
A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike si ...
s. In contrast, the
Swedish cavalry
This is a list of Swedish cavalry regiments, battalions, corps and companies that have existed in the Swedish Army. They are listed in three ways, first by the actual units that have existed, then by the various names these units have had, and la ...
were less-well trained, armed with pistols and
carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighter ...
s, on poorer horses and tired after a long night's march of over 10 km in torrential rain. The Polish-Lithuanian forces had a small number of Lithuanian Tatar and Cossack mercenaries, used mostly for reconnaissance.
Deployment
![Kircholm Phase2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Kircholm_Phase2.svg)
The Swedish forces seem to have been deployed in a
checkerboard
A checkerboard (American English) or chequerboard (British English; see spelling differences) is a board of checkered pattern on which checkers (also known as English draughts) is played. Most commonly, it consists of 64 squares (8×8) of altern ...
formation, made up of the infantry
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
s formed into seven or eight well-spaced independent blocks, with intersecting fields of fire. The
flanks were to be covered by the Swedish and German cavalry, and the cannons were placed in front of the cavalry. Charles' force was formed into four lines on the crest of a ridge. The first line consisted of four infantry battalions, cavalry in the second line, six infantry battalions in the third line, and cavalry in the fourth line. The infantry battalions formed in squares of 30 by 30, with pikemen in the center and shot on the edges, and gaps between the squares allowed passage of their cavalry.
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz ( lt, Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius, be, Ян Караль Хадкевіч ; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from ...
deployed his forces in the traditional deep Polish battle formation--the so-called "
Old Polish Order
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
* Old, Baranya, Hungary
* Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, ...
"--with the left wing significantly stronger and commanded by Tomasz Dąbrowa, while the right wing was composed of a smaller number of
hussar
A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...
s under Jan Piotr Sapieha, and the center included
Hetman
( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders.
Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...
Chodkiewicz's own company of 300 hussars led by Lt. Wincenty Woyna and a powerful formation of
reiter
''Reiter'' or ''Schwarze Reiter'' ("black riders", anglicized ''swart reiters'') were a type of cavalry in 16th to 17th century Central Europe including Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Tsardom of Russia, and others.
...
s sent by the Duke of
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
Friedrich Kettler
Friedrich Kettler ( Latvian: Frīdrihs Ketlers, 25 November 1569 in Mitau (now Jelgava) – 17 August 1642) was Duke of Courland and Semigallia (Latvian: ''Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste'', now part of Latvia) from 1587 to 1642.
He was the son ...
. The Polish-Lithuanian infantry, mostly armed in
Hungarian hajduk
A hajduk ( hu, hajdúk, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries. They have reputations ranging from bandits to freedom fighters depending on time, p ...
-style, drew up in the center. Some 280 hussars were left as a general reserve under
Teodor Lacki.
Battle
Chodkiewicz tried for hours to lure the Swedes from their positions with his light cavalry sent out to skirmish between the two armies. Chodkiewicz, having smaller forces (approximately a 1:3 disadvantage), used a
feint
Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or e ...
to lure the Swedes off their high position, pretending to withdraw. The Swedes under Charles thought that the Polish-Lithuanian troops were retreating and therefore advanced to the bottom of the slope, using their second line of cavalry to cover their flanks while the first line of infantry closed up. This is what Chodkiewicz was waiting for. The Commonwealth forces now gave fire with Kettlers' Courland
harquebusiers while Wincenty Wojna's hussars charged at the Swedish lines, causing disorder in the infantry.
The main battle started with the Polish-Lithuanian cavalry charge on the Swedish right flank. About 1,000 hussars shattering Mansfield's
reiter
''Reiter'' or ''Schwarze Reiter'' ("black riders", anglicized ''swart reiters'') were a type of cavalry in 16th to 17th century Central Europe including Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Tsardom of Russia, and others.
...
s and disordering the Swedish third infantry line in their retreat. At the same time, on the Swedish left, 650 hussars under
Jan Piotr Sapieha
Jan Piotr Sapieha (English: ''John Peter Sapieha'', 1569–1611) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, general, politician, diplomat, governor of Uświat county, member of the Parliament and a skilled commander of the Polish troops stationing in th ...
charged. After Charles sent in his reserve of 700 cavalry, Chodkiewicz sent in his reserves. The entire force of Swedish cavalry was finally put to rout, and in their flight, disordered many of their own infantry, leaving them vulnerable to the hussars' charge.
![Jan Karol Chodkiewicz in battle of Kircholm 1605](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Jan_Karol_Chodkiewicz_in_battle_of_Kircholm_1605.PNG)
Within 30 minutes, the Swedish cavalry was in full retreat on both flanks exposing the infantry in the centre to the hussars and the firepower of Chodkiewicz's infantry. The Swedish defeat was utter and complete. The army of
Charles IX had lost at least half, perhaps as much as two-thirds, of its original strength. The Polish-Lithuanian losses numbered only about 100 dead and 200 wounded, although the hussars, in particular, lost a large part of their trained battle horses.
As in all crushing victories in this period, the larger part of the Swedish losses were suffered during the retreat, made more difficult by the dense forests and marshes on the route back to
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, many drowning crossing the Dvina. The Poles and Lithuanians spared few. Polish-Lithuanian casualties were light, in large part due to the speed of the victory. During the hussar's charges, it was the horses that took the greatest damage, the riders being largely protected by the body and heads of their horses.
Aftermath
After the defeat, the Swedish king was forced to abandon the
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
of
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
and withdraw by ship back across the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
to Sweden and to relinquish control of northern
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
and
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. However, the Commonwealth proved unable to exploit the victory fully because there was no money for the troops, who had not been paid for months. Without pay, they could not buy food or fodder for their horses or replenish their military supplies, and so the campaign faltered. An additional factor was the large number of trained horses lost during the battle, which proved difficult to replace.
A truce was eventually signed in 1611, but by 1617
war broke out again, and finally, in 1621, the new Swedish king,
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
, landed near Riga and took the city with a brief siege, wiping away – in Swedish eyes – much of the shame suffered at Kircholm.
Commemoration
The Battle of Kircholm is commemorated on the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ( pl, Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the unknown soldiers who have given their lives for Poland. It is one of many such national tombs of unknowns that were erected af ...
, with the inscription "KIRCHOLM 27 IX 1605".
References
Bibliography
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External links
''Winged Hussars'' Radoslaw Sikora, Bartosz Musialowicz, ''BUM Magazine'', 2016.
{{Authority control
1605 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Kircholm 1605
Kircholm 1605
Kircholm 1605
Conflicts in 1605
17th century in Latvia
Kircholm, Battle of