Modlin Fortress ( pl, Twierdza Modlin) is one of the largest 19th-century
fortresses in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. It is located in the town of
Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki
Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki , often simply referred to as Nowy Dwór, is a town in east-central Poland with ca. 42500 inhabitants (2008). It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999); previously, it was in Warsaw Voivodeship (1975-1998), War ...
in district
Modlin on the
Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
. It was originally constructed by the
French from 1806 to 1812.
History
The strategic importance of the area limited by the
Vistula
The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
,
Bug,
Wkra and Narew was known to various armies throughout the ages. The first fortified stronghold was built in Zakroczym by the
Piast dynasty in the 11th century. However, first modern fortified position was built there in 1656 by the Swedish armies during
The Deluge
The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...
. The so-called ''Bugskansen'' was a star-shaped fortified military camp, located probably close to the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula, at the so-called ''Swedish Island''. The camp was also guarding a wooden bridge over the Vistula prior to the
battle of Zakroczym and served as the main supply depot of the Swedish army during the
battle of Warsaw of July 1656. After the Swedish defeat the fort was demolished in 1660 and the area remained unfortified for roughly 150 years.
After the
Partitions of Poland the area was incorporated into the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. Shortly afterward
Jan Pieter van Suchtelen
Jan Pieter van Suchtelen, Count of Liikkala, ''Pyotr Kornilovich Suhtelen'' (2 August 1751, Grave – 6 January 1836, Stockholm), was born in the Netherlands, and was a general in the Russian army during the Russo-Swedish War (1808–1809). ...
, a Dutch military engineer in Russian service prepared a construction plan for a mighty fortress in the area, named after the nearby town of
Zakroczym
Zakroczym (; yi, זאקראטשין ''Zakrotshin'') is a small town in the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around . The Vistula River flows through the town. Zakroczym has a long and rich history: in the Kingdom of Poland and the ...
. The fort was to be a
bastion fortress, located approximately 1.5 km from the rivers and with several forts guarding the area from the west. However, the project was never accomplished as in 1806 the area became part of the
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw ( pl, Księstwo Warszawskie, french: Duché de Varsovie, german: Herzogtum Warschau), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during ...
, a rump Polish state created by and allied to
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
.
From the very beginning of French presence in Poland, Bonaparte's engineers started to fortify the border with Russia, expecting either a Russian offensive towards western Europe – or a future offensive of the French armies towards Petersburg and Moscow. In December 1806, while in
Poznań
Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...
, Napoleon ordered a fort to be built on two islands located at the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula. The fortification was to be temporary and was to become primarily a supply depot and a huge granary, serving as a supply centre for the forces operating in Poland or Russia. The construction started almost immediately, although Chief Engineer of the French forces Gen.
François de Chasseloup-Laubat decided to build the fortress on the northern bank of the river rather than on the islands. The work started in early 1807, yet went on very slowly. It was not until the following year that the pace was speeded up and in 1809 the first casemates and walls were ready. It was there that the core of the Polish Army was stationed after the
Battle of Raszyn
The first Battle of Raszyn was fought on 19 April 1809 between armies of the Austrian Empire under Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este and the Duchy of Warsaw under Józef Antoni Poniatowski, as part of the War of the Fifth Coalitio ...
against the invading forces of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. Soon after the outer rim of defences on the right bank of the Vistula was ready. It ran more or less along the inner line of modern fortifications. It consisted of a semi-circular earthwork reinforced with wooden stockade and five bastions. In addition, the area was guarded by two fortified
bridgehead
In military strategy, a bridgehead (or bridge-head) is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge or other place of possible crossing over a body of water which at time of conflict is sought to be defended or taken over ...
s, one in
Kazuń on the left bank of the Vistula and the other next to Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.
![Warszawski rejon forteczny (schemat)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Warszawski_rejon_forteczny_%28schemat%29.svg)
In 1810 the very concept of the fort was changed and Napoleon decided to turn Modlin into a pivotal fortress in his line of fortifications and expand it significantly by adding an outer rim of defenses. General de Chasseloup-Laubat was replaced with a famous French engineer
Jean Mallet de Granville
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* J ...
(later a naturalized Pole under the name of ''Jan Malletski''), aided by Gen.
François Haxo. It is not certain whether the authors of the expansion were the two to supervise its construction, or Napoleon himself. The works continued on a very fast pace as Napoleon was planning his
campaign in Russia and envisioned Modlin to become the main fortress behind his lines. By September 1811 more than 19,000 people were taking part in the works. Because of that the authorities of the Duchy of Warsaw were considering to grant Modlin with a city charter, which however did not succeed. Although the following year, shortly before the outbreak of the Franco-Russian War, the number of workers exceeded 20 thousands, the fortress was never fully completed.
The French plans included a fortified area composed of three, semi-independent fortifications. The main line of defences was located on the right bank of Vistula and Narew, and was composed of a
polygonal fort
A polygonal fort is a type of fortification originating in France in the late 18th century and fully developed in Germany in the first half of the 19th century. Unlike earlier forts, polygonal forts had no bastions, which had proved to be vulnerabl ...
ification with 4 bastions and 3 linking
ravelins (one facing the
Utrata river, one facing the village of Modlin and one in the centre). The ravelins were between 800 and 1000 meters away from the main line of fortifications, in order to reinforce the defenses against new models of heavy artillery. The second part of the fortress was the Kazuń bridgehead on the left bank of the Vistula, composed of a single ravelin. The third was a
redoubt
A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...
located between Vistula and Narew and the fourth was an artillery nest located on the ''Swedish Island''. Among the engineers to supervise the construction were also Gen.
Ignacy Prądzyński
Ignacy Prądzyński (; 1792–1850) was a Polish military commander and a general of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, he was one of the most successful Polish commanders of the November Uprising against Russia.
Ignacy Prądz ...
, Gen. Prevo-Vernois and Lt. Col.
Filip Mięciszewski. After the defeat of the
Grande Armée at Moscow, the fortress was taken over by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw. On 5 February 1813 the Russian army of 36,000 soldiers arrived to the fortress and laid siege to it. The Polish forces under Dutch general
Herman Willem Daendels defended the fortress until 1 December 1813. It was the last of the French fortresses along the Vistula to capitulate.
Fortress in Congress Poland
After 1815 the fortress found itself in
Congress Poland, a state which was a part of the Russian Empire, but had considerable autonomy and an army of its own. It was weakly manned by Polish and Russian units, and little new construction work was carried out. During the
November Uprising of 1830 the fortress was prepared for defense by Polish units, but the Russian army did not storm it. It surrendered on 9 October 1831 as one of the last points controlled by Polish units during the uprising.
Russian Fortress Novogeorgievsk
![Russian artillery captured at Novo Georgievsk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Russian_artillery_captured_at_Novo_Georgievsk.jpg)
After the November Uprising of 1830 the Russian rule over Congress Poland became more severe. The Modlin fortress was renamed ''Novogeorgievsk'' in 1834 and during the years 1832–1841 underwent a huge expansion, to host garrison troops who were tasked with preventing another Polish uprising, as well as defend Russia's western frontiers. It was part of the chain of fortresses which included Warsaw,
Ivangorod
Ivangorod ( rus, Иванго́род, p=ɪvɐnˈɡorət; et, Jaanilinn; vot, Jaanilidna) is a town in Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the east bank of the Narva river which flows along the Estonia–Russia int ...
, and
Brest-Litovsk. The most notable new work built was a fortified barracks building 2,200 m in length, which was to serve as the last line of defense for the fortress. After 1841 construction work largely ceased, and over the next 40 years the fortress gradually became obsolete. However, in 1844 the large granary building was built at the estuary of the
Narew River
The Narew (; be, Нараў, translit=Naraŭ; or ; Sudovian: ''Naura''; Old German: ''Nare''; uk, Нарва, translit=Narva) is a 499-kilometre (310 mi) river primarily in north-eastern Poland, which is also a tributary of the river Vis ...
. Polish architect
Jan Jakub Gay
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Numbe ...
designed the granary not only for storing food, but also as a defensible position at the bridgehead of the rivers.
When relations between Germany and Russia deteriorated in the 1880s, with Germany entering the
Triple Alliance potentially aimed against Russia, the decision was made to expand the fortress and upgrade it to modern standards. In the years 1883–1888 eight modern forts were added, roughly forming a ring with 2 to 4 km distance from the central fortress. In the following years these forts were modernized. At the same time, additional defensive works were built to integrate the fortress into the larger fortified region around Warsaw.
The defeat of Russia in the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
caused a rethinking of Russian strategy. In particular the idea of concentrating forces in the interior away from the borders before hostilities began to gain popularity. This approach would eliminate the need for a chain of border fortresses to screen the mobilizing units.
In 1909 when General
Vladimir Sukhomlinov
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sukhomlinov ( rus, Владимир Александрович Сухомлинов, p=sʊxɐˈmlʲinəf; – 2 February 1926) was a Russian general of the Imperial Russian Army who served as the Chief of the General Staf ...
became the War Minister for the Russian Empire, one proposal he made was to scrap the bulk of the Russian fortress system, and Novogeorgievsk was a prime example of why they should be scrapped: The outer forts were initially built at a distance of about eight kilometers from the citadel to protect it from attacking artillery; by 1900, even field guns could fire past that distance.
Sukhomlinov was overruled. Instead of being razed, the fort system was slated for an 800 million ruble upgrade
with a new belt of forts to be added.
The fortress was also to receive a large number of heavy artillery pieces. The intensive new construction work started in 1912 and continued almost until the German army approached the fortress in 1915 during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The fortress was now designed to serve as a center of resistance deep behind enemy lines if the Russian army were forced to retreat from Poland. The works were carried out in great haste, not all equipment was fitted, and some construction materials were improvised and hence of lower quality. Even with these defects, the fortress with its nineteen forts was one of the strongest fortifications in Europe at the outbreak of World War I. The Russian high command expected that if surrounded by the German armies it would hold out for many months, serving as a major thorn in the German rear.
Capture by the Germans
![Modlin fort xv dzielo lewobarkowe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Modlin_fort_xv_dzielo_lewobarkowe.jpg)
In summer of 1915, the Russians were reeling from the German attacks in Poland. They were faced with the reality of giving up Poland to the Germans or have their forces cut off from retreat.
The problem of the
retreat was the abandonment of the fortresses especially Novogeorgievsk. Novogeorgievsk was seen as the "symbol of Russian rule in Poland."
It would also mean the abandonment of Poland, which would compromise their ability to negotiate for more territory if the Allies won.
Mikhail Alekseyev
Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseyev (russian: Михаил Васильевич Алексеев) ( – ) was an Imperial Russian Army general during World War I and the Russian Civil War. Between 1915 and 1917 he served as Tsar Nicholas II's Chi ...
, the commander of the Polish sector, knew that to garrison the forts was a trap and the impregnability was an illusion.
However, he was swayed by men of a higher social standing and left a garrison to defend Novogeorgievsk. The troops that he was able to spare were the remnants of the II. Siberian division, the 63rd division, and 58th division.
To capture Novogeorgievsk, the Germans transferred General
Hans Beseler who had successfully laid
siege to the Belgian city of Antwerp early in the war. In a stroke of luck, his forces captured the chief engineer of Novogeorgievsk on the first day. The
Siege of Novogeorgievsk lasted only a matter of days.
When it fell, the Germans captured 1,600 guns and close to a million shells.
Post World War I
After the First World War Modlin became part of the
Second Polish Republic and was modernized with modern
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...
s,
anti-tank and
anti-aircraft equipment. Its main purpose was to provide cover for Warsaw from enemy attacks from the North. The fortress also housed several military barracks and military colleges for
NCOs
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
, including the Engineers Training Centre and the Armored Forces Officer Cadet School.
Modlin fortress was the place of the
Battle of Modlin
]
The Battle of Modlin was a battle that took place during the 1939 German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 to 29 ...
during the German
invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
in 1939. General
Wiktor Thommée
Wiktor Thommée (1881–1962) was a Polish military commander and a brigadier general of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Great War and the Russian Civil War, he is best known for his command over Piotrków Operational Group and the battle of t ...
ensconced the Army of Łódź in the fortress after failing to fight his way back to Warsaw, and his was one of the last Polish military units to capitulate.
Present day
Some parts of the fortress are open to tourists. At the same time, the Polish military still has many facilities in the area and thus some redoubts are inaccessible. Some abandoned redoubts are not maintained and have deteriorated badly, with many metal elements having been pillaged for scrap.
The
Modlin airfield is located within the fortress area. It re-opened as the second civilian airport for the city of Warsaw in July 2012. In 2013 the Modlin Fortress was sold to private investors after being on the market for five years, but some key features such as the Tatar Tower and the White Tower must be preserved for the visiting public.
Notes
# A misnomer as the ''Wyspa Szwedzka'' is in fact a peninsula.
See also
*
Battle of Modlin
]
The Battle of Modlin was a battle that took place during the 1939 German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 to 29 ...
*
Modlin (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki) Modlin may refer to:
* Modlin, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki County, a village until 1961, now a district of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Poland
* Modlin Army, a Polish army during the invasion of Poland in 1939
* Battle of Modlin, a battle during the Polish ...
*
Warsaw Citadel
Warsaw Citadel (Polish: Cytadela Warszawska) is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. ...
Footnotes
References
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External links
About fortress Modlin, with maps and plans (in Polish)Pre-WWII aerial photograph of the complex
{{Coord, 52, 26, 18, N, 20, 40, 55, E, display=title, region:PL_type:landmark_source:dewiki
Forts in Poland
Buildings and structures in Masovian Voivodeship
Establishments in Congress Poland
Tourist attractions in Masovian Voivodeship
Establishments in the First French Empire