The Battle of Nowy Dwór was fought during September 20 – September 30, 1655 between forces of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

commanded by

Jan Kazimierz Krasiński Jan Kazimierz Krasiński (1607–1669) was a Polish nobleman (szlachcic) using the Ślepowron coat of arms. He was the fifth son of Stanisław Krasinski and Anna Michowska, brother of Gabriel and Ludwik. Jan Kazimierz was courtier on the r ...

on one side, and on the other

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire or the Great Power era () was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic regi ...

forces commanded by

Gustaf Otto Stenbock Gustaf Otto Gustafsson Stenbock (17 September 1614, Torpa stenhus – 24 September 1685, Stockholm) was a Swedish military officer and politician. Biography He was a member of the noble Stenbock family; born to the Riksråd (Privy Councilor) ...

. It ended in Swedish victory.

Background

On September 8, 1655, Swedish forces under King

Charles X Gustav Charles X Gustav, also Carl X Gustav (; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg, John Casimir, Count Palatine of Palatinate-Kleeburg, Zweib ...

entered

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, which had been abandoned by

John II Casimir of Poland John II Casimir Vasa (; ; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 to his abdication in 1668 as well as a claimant to the throne of Sweden from 1648 to 1660. He was the first son of Sigis ...

on August 18. At the same time, in the village of Mogilno near

Zakroczym Zakroczym (; ''Zakrotshin'') is a town in the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. The Vistula River flows through the town. Zakroczym has a long and rich history: in the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was the capital of a ...

Mazovia Mazovia or Masovia ( ) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the largest city and Płock being the capital of the region . Throughout the ...

levée en masse ''Levée en masse'' ( or, in English, ''mass levy'') is a French term used for a policy of mass national conscription, often in the face of invasion. The concept originated during the French Revolutionary Wars, particularly for the period fo ...

gathered to fight the invaders. It was commanded by

Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

Płock Płock (pronounced ), officially the Ducal Capital City of Płock, is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by Central Statistical Office (Poland), GUS on 31 December 2021, the ...

, Jan Kazimierz Krasinski. Swedish forces, including such units, as Jämtlands fältjägarregemente and Norrlands dragonregemente, sent from Warsaw to face the Poles, decided to cross the

Narew The Narew (; ; or ) is a 499-kilometre (310 mi) river primarily in north-eastern Poland. It is a tributary of the river Vistula. The Narew is one of Europe's few braided rivers, the term relating to the twisted channels resembling braided h ...

near Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki.

Battle

On September 21, the Swedes approached Nowy Dwor. Polish camp was located on a 30-meter hill, located at the confluence of the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

and Bugonarew. Swedish troops quickly captured Nowy Dwor and began construction of a bridge. Their commandant,

was well aware of the fact that in previous battles, the Polish

szlachta The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...

of the levée en masse had capitulated to the Swedes without fighting. Therefore, on September 28, Stenbock urged the Poles to capitulate, but their offer was rejected. An exchange of fire began, in which Swedish artillery had an advantage. Covered by the cannons, Swedish

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. Cont ...

s crossed the Narew, finishing construction of the bridge, and digging trenches, which protected the river crossing. In the morning of September 30, Stenbock's army crossed the river and attacked the Polish positions. The battle took place in the area where now the district of Modlin is located. Swedish fire forced the

Masurians The Masurians or Mazurs (; ; Masurian dialects, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ''), historically also known as Prussian Masurians (Polish language, Polish: ''Mazurzy pruscy''), are an ethnic group originating from the region of Masuria, within the Warmian- ...

to withdraw north. The mobility of Polish units prevented them from complete destruction, as the Swedes were too slow to chase them. Polish losses amounted to some 300 killed. The Swedes captured about 500 wagons of the baggage train and 7 cannons which had been abandoned by the poles. Two battle standards were also taken. On the next day the Poles counterattacked, but without success. Swedish advance continued, and the invaders captured

Pułtusk Pułtusk () is a town in Poland, by the river Narew. Located north of Warsaw in the Masovian Voivodeship, it has a population of 19,224 as of 2023. Known for its historic architecture and Europe's longest paved marketplace ( in length), it is a po ...

Aftermath

The Swedish victory opened the road towards the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

and

Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

, while Swedish engineers noticed strategic importance of the location of the battle. In the following months, they constructed here a permanent fortified position, the so-called Bugskansen. This star-shaped military camp was main supply depot and concentration point of the Swedish-Brandenburgian army during the Battle of Warsaw. In the early 19th century, the

Modlin Fortress Modlin Fortress () is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin (village), Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was original ...

was built in the location of the Bugskansen.

Sources

* Leszek Podhorodecki, Rapier i koncerz, Warszawa 1985, , str. 261-262 {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki Northern War of 1655–1660 Conflicts in 1655 1655 in Europe Nowy Dwor Nowy Dwor History of Masovian Voivodeship 1655 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Battles involving the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth