Operation Mińsk was a military offensive of 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 stret ...
during the
Polish–Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921)
* russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...
. It resulted in the capture of
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
from 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, after ...
around 8 August 1919. The victory allowed the Polish troops to advance further into Russian-controlled
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
and
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
and thus to present 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 ...
with a military ''
fait accompli
Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern Engli ...
.'' The main Polish attack was toward
Maladzyechna
Maladzyechna ( be, Маладзе́чна, Maladziečna, ; russian: Молоде́чно, Molodechno; pl, Mołodeczno) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, an administrative centre of the Maladzyechna District (and formerly of the Maladzyech ...
, Minsk, and
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...
along the railroad lines. On 6 August, the Polish Army took over
Slutsk
Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population is ...
and Minsk was taken two days later. The Polish units fought under command of General
Stanisław Szeptycki
Count Stanisław Maria Jan Teofil Szeptycki (3 November 1867 – 9 October 1950) was a Polish count, general and military commander.
Biography
Born in 1867 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary to the aristocratic Szeptycki family, he was the grandson of ...
. Polish control over the railway lines prevented the Russians from bringing in reinforcements. By the end of August, the Polish forces had taken
Barysaw
Barysaw ( be, Барысаў, ) or Borisov (russian: Борисов, ) is a city in Belarus near the Berezina River in the Minsk Region 74 km north-east from Minsk. Its population is around 145,000.
History
Barysaw is first mentioned in t ...
and
Babruysk
Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
.
The main military campaigns of the Polish–Soviet War took place in 1920.
Background
In early 1919, the eastern front of the
Directorate of Ukraine
The Directorate, or Directory () was a provisional collegiate revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian People's Republic, initially formed on November 13–14, 1918 during a session of the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against Ukr ...
collapsed, and by spring, the
Ukrainian insurrection had failed under attack from all sides, including by the
White armies. In the summer of 1919, after the Polish successes in several skirmishes with the Soviet forces, both combatants were engaged on multiple fronts, were near the limits of their capability to wage war against each other and needed time to regroup and to concentrate their forces.
—— English ed. (2011) Random House,
pp. 59, 70. Google Books.
/ref>
In June 1919, the Jewish First Guard Battalion from Minsk, at the insistence of its own members, was deployed by the Bolsheviks against the Polish Army, which included the 1st and 2nd Lithuanian–Belarusian Divisions.[ ''Also in:'' ] The Jews had won the first skirmish, which forced the Poles to retreat several kilometers.
Battle
In July, the Polish High Command decided to strike one more blow against the Bolsheviks and to cripple the Russian Army's Western Division, headquartered in Minsk. The assault on the vital railway centre by the Polish Northern Group was led by General Stanisław Szeptycki
Count Stanisław Maria Jan Teofil Szeptycki (3 November 1867 – 9 October 1950) was a Polish count, general and military commander.
Biography
Born in 1867 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary to the aristocratic Szeptycki family, he was the grandson of ...
, whose officers included Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyears ...
, Józef Adam Lasocki and Stefan Mokrzecki. Their forces were composed of 12,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 40 guns. The Polish plan involved a wide pincer movement around the city of Minsk. The battle raged throughout the first week of August. The Soviet forces took heavy casualties and retreated. On 8 August 1919, the Polish troops took over Minsk.
Aftermath
Perhaps as retribution for the actions of the Jewish regiments, the Polish troops killed 31 Jews suspected of supporting the Bolsheviks, beat and attacked many more, looted 377 Jewish-owned shops with the aid of the local civilians and ransacked many private homes.[.]
The success of the Polish offensive allowed the Poles to move forward again. In late summer, Polish Commander-in-chief Józef Piłsudski
), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania)
, death_date =
, death_place = Warsaw, Poland
, constituency =
, party = None (formerly PPS)
, spouse =
, children = Wan ...
had ordered his armies to stop their offensive, as he considered that all the territories that were important to Poland and could be taken before winter had been secured. Piłsudski also wanted to release the Soviet forces engaged on the Polish front so they could be used to fight the advancing Whites.
References
:Inline
:General
* Davies, Norman, ''White Eagle, Red Star: the Polish-Soviet War, 1919–20'', Pimlico, 2003, . (First edition: New York, St. Martin's Press, inc., 1972.), pages 58–60
{{coord missing, Belarus
1919 in Poland
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
History of Minsk
Military history of Belarus
1919 in Belarus
August 1919 events