The Battle of Wołodarka was a clash between the
Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
and
Siemion Budionnyi's
First Cavalry Army __NOTOC__
The 1st Cavalry Army (russian: Первая конная армия, Pervaya konnaya armiya) was a prominent Red Army military formation. It was also known as "Budyonny's Cavalry Army" or simply as ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horse ...
. It took place between 29 and 31 May 1920, near the
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
village of
Volodarka
Volodarka ( uk, Володарка) is an urban-type settlement located on the Ros River in Bila Tserkva Raion, Kyiv Oblast (oblast, region) of Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Volodarka settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. ...
, in the course of the
Polish Offensive on Kiev during the
Polish-Soviet War.
Before the battle
After the
Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
captured Kiev on 7 May 1920, it became apparent that
Józef Piłsudski
Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...
's plan to fight a major battle against the Soviet armies in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
had failed. The Soviets avoided battle, withdrew from all of right-bank Ukraine, and also gave up its capital. At the same time,
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
headquarters ordered
Siemion Budionnyi's battle-proven
1st Cavalry Army __NOTOC__
The 1st Cavalry Army (russian: Первая конная армия, Pervaya konnaya armiya) was a prominent Red Army military formation. It was also known as "Budyonny's Cavalry Army" or simply as ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horse ...
to relocate to Ukraine, begin an offensive, and outflank the overstretched Polish forces and
Symon Petlura's small contingent of
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...
troops.
The Soviet advance finally began on 26 May 1920, with the Red 12th Army and
Komdiv
(russian: комдив) is the abbreviation to Commanding officer of the Division (russian: командир дивизии, komandir divizii; ), and was a military rank in the Soviet Armed Forces of the USSR in the period from 1935 to 1940. It ...
Iona Yakir
Iona Emmanuilovich Yakir (russian: Ио́на Эммануи́лович Яки́р; 3 August 1896 – 12 June 1937) was a Red Army commander and one of the world's major military reformers between World War I and World War II. He was an ear ...
's Corps crossing the
Dnieper River
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...
and attacking the weakest part of the Polish defenses. The assault began the same day as the reorganization of the Polish forces in the area, and was initially aimed at the
Polish 7th Infantry Division
The 7th Infantry Division (, 7 DP) was the name of several units of the Polish Army.
Second Polish Republic
The original division was formed on 14 May 1919 near Częstochowa. At that time it consisted of two infantry brigades (13th and 14th), ...
, the weakest and least battle-proven Polish unit. In addition, the Polish defenses were weakened by the relocation of a large part of the Polish forces to northern
Polesie, where Piłsudski was preparing defenses against possible Russian attack. The following day,
Budionnyi's
1st Cavalry Army __NOTOC__
The 1st Cavalry Army (russian: Первая конная армия, Pervaya konnaya armiya) was a prominent Red Army military formation. It was also known as "Budyonny's Cavalry Army" or simply as ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horse ...
joined the assault and attacked the Polish 6th Army's
13th Infantry Division. The Soviets planned to outflank the Poles and Ukrainians by forming two giant pincers advancing separately toward
Bila Tserkva and
Khvastiv.
However, apart from the fresh and battle-proven units of the First Cavalry Army, the Russian commander of the
Southwestern Front,
Komandarm
is the abbreviation of the russian: Командующий армией, Komanduyushtchi armiy, lit=Commander of the Army / Army commander, and was a military rank used in the Soviet Union. Between 1918 and 1935, it was a rank in the Red Army, ...
Alexander Ilyich Yegorov, had only the
12th Red Army, reinforced with fresh, untrained recruits, which had been badly beaten during the Soviet retreat from Ukraine only a month earlier. Due to this, the planned offensive could not begin on all fronts at once, and the mobility of the troops was limited. On 29 May 1920 the commander of the Polish 3rd Army ordered a counterattack. Lt. Col.
Stefan Dąb-Biernacki's newly formed Wasilków Group was to attack the Yakir Group before it could attack the weakened 7th Division. The assault was successful, and the group — comprising a single (
5th Legions) infantry regiment, reinforced with one battalion of the elite
1st Legions Infantry Regiment, two artillery groups, and two cavalry squadrons — was able to take the Soviets by surprise. After the first assault, the Bolshevik 44th Rifle Division had lost one of its brigades and its entire staff, which delayed the Soviet assault on the Polish northern flank, thus securing it. However, at the same time the southern flank, between the Polish 3rd and 6th Armies, was threatened by the First Cavalry Army, which had crossed the
Dnieper River
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...
and was concentrating near
Uman
Uman ( uk, Умань, ; pl, Humań; yi, אומאַן) is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the historical region of the eastern Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River ...
. From there, it easily broke the thin line of Polish defenses and began a fast advance toward the strategically important railway node of
Koziatyn
Koziatyn ( uk, Козятин; also referred to as Kozyatyn, pl, Koziatyn, russian: Каза́тин) is a town in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district), the town ...
.
The battle
On 29 May 1920, the Soviet
1st Cavalry Army __NOTOC__
The 1st Cavalry Army (russian: Первая конная армия, Pervaya konnaya armiya) was a prominent Red Army military formation. It was also known as "Budyonny's Cavalry Army" or simply as ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horse ...
's 4th Cavalry Division attacked Polish positions at the villages of Volodarka, Berezno and Novokhvastiv. The area was defended by the Polish 44th
Kresy
Eastern Borderlands ( pl, Kresy Wschodnie) or simply Borderlands ( pl, Kresy, ) was a term coined for the eastern part of the Second Polish Republic during the History of Poland (1918–1939), interwar period (1918–1939). Largely agricultural ...
Rifle Regiment,
16th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment 16th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment of General Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer (Polish language: 16 Pulk Ulanow Wielkopolskich im. gen. dyw. Gustawa Orlicz-Dreszera, 16 p.ul.) was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the Second Polish Republic. In the interbel ...
, elements of the
1st Krechowce Uhlan Regiment, and the 7th Mounted Artillery Group. The Polish defenders formed strong pockets of resistance in the villages — a tactic that had shown itself to be superior to an attempted defense of an entire frontline.
Due to this, the Soviet forces could not fully exploit their numerical advantage. In addition, poor command procedures caused the Soviet cavalry regiments to begin their attacks on the Polish positions in piecemeal fashion. Moreover, instead of simply bypassing the Polish positions, the Russian commander decided to attack them frontally. After the initial
Cossack cavalry assault was repelled with heavy-machine-gun fire, the Polish
cavalry counter-charged the Cossacks, and an intense hand-to-hand cavalry battle with
sabre
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
s ensued. Both sides suffered major casualties. For example, the Polish 1st Krechowce Uhlan Regiment's third squadron lost 30 of 72 men and a similar number of horses. The Polish charge succeeded. When further reinforcements arrived and joined in, the Cossacks fled the field.
After the Battle
The following day, the
3rd Don Cossack Cavalry Brigade, comprising Cossacks who had formerly served in Gen.
Anton Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...
's
White Russian army and then been forcibly drafted into the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
, approached Polish positions and, after brief negotiations, switched sides to fight on the Polish side against the
Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
, under the name of
Free Cossack Brigade. Colonel
Vadim Yakovlev
Vadim Yakovlev was a Russian Cossack cavalry commander, in the rank of yesaul.
A veteran of World War I, during the Russian Civil War he commanded a Cossack brigade in the ranks of Gen. Anton Denikin's White Russian army in Ukraine. Following De ...
would remain the brigade's commander until it was disbanded in 1923.
Due to the Polish forces' strong resistance and high mobility, the
1st Cavalry Army __NOTOC__
The 1st Cavalry Army (russian: Первая конная армия, Pervaya konnaya armiya) was a prominent Red Army military formation. It was also known as "Budyonny's Cavalry Army" or simply as ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horse ...
's assault was repelled. Only the 6th Cavalry Division managed to break through the lines of the Polish 13th Infantry Division, but was repulsed the following day (31 May 1920) and, after three days of heavy fighting, forced to retreat to its initial positions near
Uman
Uman ( uk, Умань, ; pl, Humań; yi, אומאַן) is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the historical region of the eastern Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River ...
.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Wolodarka
Conflicts in 1920
1920 in Ukraine
Wolodarka
May 1920 events