Battle of Olkieniki
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Olkieniki took place on November 18, 1700, during the Lithuanian Civil War, between forces of the Sapieha family, led by Michał Franciszek Sapieha
, and an anti-Sapieha coalition of Wiśniowiecki, Ogiński
, Radziwiłł and Pac families and their supporters (including a pospolite ruszenie
of Lithuanian
and Samogitia
szlachta
), led by Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki.
The anti-Sapieha confederates were victorious.
had risen to prominence and attained a premier rank among the magnate families of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
. Over the course of the 17th century, the family came to monopolize most of the top government offices of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. While these offices were not hereditary, the Sapiehas ensured that they remained within the family. Over time this contributed to growing resentment among Lithuania's other magnate clans and opposition to the Sapiehas began to form in various quarters. The Sapiehas attempts to control local politics through the sejmik
s and their arrogation of other nobles' lands also led to dissatisfaction among rank-and-file szlachta
.
The volatile situation was furthered acerbated by the actions of the King of Poland, Augustus II the Strong
. Augustus aimed to transform the weak position of the Polish-Lithuanian monarch into one based on the then current Western (and Russian) model of an absolute monarch. He saw the potential conflict in Lithuania as a possible excuse for an intervention which could then be utilized to strengthen royal power, as well as a means of weakening powerful magnate families in the region.
Augustus allowed the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger
to conscript further forces for the Sapieha's private army, while at the same time he issued proclamations calling on the lesser nobility to defend their ancient privileges
.
The anti-Sapieha coalition consisted of members of the Radziwiłł, Pac and Ogiński
families, and had the support of medium and lesser nobles. It was further strengthened in April of 1700, when Sapieha's soldiers and courtiers mistook a procession of the Princely Wiśniowiecki family in Wilno, for that of the anti-Sapieha Kociełł family, attacked it and wounded two of its most prominent members Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki and Janusz Wiśniowiecki
. As a result the Wiśniowieckis joined the anti-Sapieha cause, with Michał Serwacy given the overall command of the coalition.
In October the szlachta gathered in a camp near the town of Olkieniki (today Valkininkai
, in Lithuania). Sapieha forces, under Michał Franciszek Sapieha, left Wilno in early November and arrived near Olkieniki in the middle of the month. Older accounts of the battle give the strength of the szlachta forces at around twenty thousand and that of the Sapiehas at eight or nine thousand. Newer sources list lower figures; twelve thousand for the szlachta and around three thousand for the Sapiehas. It is generally agreed that the Sapieha troops were of superior quality. The Sapieha forces also had eight pieces of artillery, which the confederates lacked.
Last minute negotiations and an attempt at a truce was made by Bishop of Wilno Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski
, who while a long time Sapieha opponent, was genuinely worried about the extent of destruction that the civil war was going to cause in Lithuania. Brzostowski, accompanied by bishop sufragan Jan Mikołaj Zgierski, met with the Sapiehas at a tavern in nearby Lejpuny (Leipalingis). The details of the proposed truce are unknown but the conditions were rejected by Sapiehas, who declared that things will have to be "settled with sabres".
A contemporary poem described the various regiments and their commanders on the anti-Sapieha side. The counties (voivodeships) of Oszmiana (Kociell), Lida
, Bracław, Troki
, Grodno, Upita, Nowogródek (Radziwill), Słonim, Wołków, Witebsk (Oginski), Orsza (Kmicic), Brześć Litewski, Pinsk
(Wisniowiecki), Mścisław, Minsk
, Samogitia (Oginski) and Połock (Pac) all supported the confederates, while the counties of Wilno
, Wiłkomierz, Kowno, Mozyr and Rzeczyca
supported the Sapiehas.
The confederates placed their infantry
in the center, the majority of the szlachta were on the right or in reserve, and the left wing was taken up by hired
Wallachian
cavalry
. Wisniowiecki placed his troops between Olkieniki and Lejpuny, while Oginski led his troops through the local forests in a wide encircling maneuver. The Sapiehas also placed their infantry in the center, their rajtars on the left, with the right taken up by Tatar troops.
of Wilno, Krzysztof Białłozor, whose brother had been executed by the Sapiehas the previous year, murdered many of the Sapieha leaders, including several prominent members of the family itself. The battle and the subsequent slaughter marked the end of the dominance of the Sapiehas in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
in general, and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
in particular. Jan Kazimierz Sapieha managed to escape capture and fled to the Duchy of Prussia.
One of the participants on the Sapieha side was the then relatively unknown nobleman Stanisław August Poniatowski, who would later become the last King of Poland. Poniatowski was spared from the slaughter which followed the battle because of his low rank, young age, and relatively low status at the time.
Michał Franciszek Sapieha
Michał Franciszek Sapieha was a Polish-Lithuanian magnate of the Sapieha family, Koniuszy of Lithuania, and a general of Lithuanian and Russian armies....
, and an anti-Sapieha coalition of Wiśniowiecki, Ogiński
Oginski family
Ogiński was a noble family of Lithuania and Poland , member of The Princely Houses of Poland.They were most likely of Rurikid stock, related to Chernihiv Knyaz family, and originated from the Smolensk region, incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania around 14th century...
, Radziwiłł and Pac families and their supporters (including a pospolite ruszenie
Pospolite ruszenie
Pospolite ruszenie , is an anachronistic term describing the mobilisation of armed forces, especially during the period of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The tradition of wartime mobilisation of part of the population existed from before the 13th century to the 19th century...
of Lithuanian
Lithuanian
Lithuanian may refer to:* Lithuanian cuisine* Anything related to Lithuania* Anything related to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania* The Lithuanian people* The Lithuanian language...
and Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
), led by Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki.
The anti-Sapieha confederates were victorious.
Background
Since the second half of the 16th century the Sapieha family of Lithuania and BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
had risen to prominence and attained a premier rank among the magnate families of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
. Over the course of the 17th century, the family came to monopolize most of the top government offices of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. While these offices were not hereditary, the Sapiehas ensured that they remained within the family. Over time this contributed to growing resentment among Lithuania's other magnate clans and opposition to the Sapiehas began to form in various quarters. The Sapiehas attempts to control local politics through the sejmik
Sejmik
A sejmik was a regional assembly in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and earlier in the Kingdom of Poland. Sejmiks existed until the end of the Commonwealth in 1795 following the partitions of the Commonwealth...
s and their arrogation of other nobles' lands also led to dissatisfaction among rank-and-file szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
.
The volatile situation was furthered acerbated by the actions of the King of Poland, Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II the Strong
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
. Augustus aimed to transform the weak position of the Polish-Lithuanian monarch into one based on the then current Western (and Russian) model of an absolute monarch. He saw the potential conflict in Lithuania as a possible excuse for an intervention which could then be utilized to strengthen royal power, as well as a means of weakening powerful magnate families in the region.
Augustus allowed the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger
Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger
Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger was a Grand Hetman of Lithuania since 1682. He held the title of a Duke since 1700. In 1681 he became Field Hetman of Lithuania, the following year he also became the voivode of Vilnius....
to conscript further forces for the Sapieha's private army, while at the same time he issued proclamations calling on the lesser nobility to defend their ancient privileges
Golden Liberty
Golden Liberty , sometimes referred to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles' Democracy or Nobles' Commonwealth refers to a unique aristocratic political system in the Kingdom of Poland and later, after the Union of Lublin , in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
.
The anti-Sapieha coalition consisted of members of the Radziwiłł, Pac and Ogiński
Oginski family
Ogiński was a noble family of Lithuania and Poland , member of The Princely Houses of Poland.They were most likely of Rurikid stock, related to Chernihiv Knyaz family, and originated from the Smolensk region, incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania around 14th century...
families, and had the support of medium and lesser nobles. It was further strengthened in April of 1700, when Sapieha's soldiers and courtiers mistook a procession of the Princely Wiśniowiecki family in Wilno, for that of the anti-Sapieha Kociełł family, attacked it and wounded two of its most prominent members Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki and Janusz Wiśniowiecki
Janusz Wisniowiecki
Janusz Wiśniowiecki , koniuszy wielki koronny from 1633, starost of Krzemieniec.In 1631 after the death of Jerzy Zbaraski inherited Puławy.Married to Katarzyna Eugenia Tyszkiewicz...
. As a result the Wiśniowieckis joined the anti-Sapieha cause, with Michał Serwacy given the overall command of the coalition.
Battle
Initial military engagements, at Lipniszki and in a skirmish on the Oszmianka river, were favorable to the Sapiehas who commanded well trained professional troops against irregular forces of the szlachta.In October the szlachta gathered in a camp near the town of Olkieniki (today Valkininkai
Valkininkai
Valkininkai is a historic town in Lithuania, located about northeast from Varėna and about southeast from Vilnius. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 238. It is situated on the confluence of Merkys River with its tributaries Šalčia and Geluža...
, in Lithuania). Sapieha forces, under Michał Franciszek Sapieha, left Wilno in early November and arrived near Olkieniki in the middle of the month. Older accounts of the battle give the strength of the szlachta forces at around twenty thousand and that of the Sapiehas at eight or nine thousand. Newer sources list lower figures; twelve thousand for the szlachta and around three thousand for the Sapiehas. It is generally agreed that the Sapieha troops were of superior quality. The Sapieha forces also had eight pieces of artillery, which the confederates lacked.
Last minute negotiations and an attempt at a truce was made by Bishop of Wilno Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski
Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski
Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski was a Polish noble, count of the Holy See, and papal prelate. He was Grand Secretary of Lithuania from 1671, and shortly thereafter was Grand Writer of Lithuania. He was bishop of Smoleńsk from 1685 to 1687 and bishop of Vilnius from 1687.Brzostowski was a political...
, who while a long time Sapieha opponent, was genuinely worried about the extent of destruction that the civil war was going to cause in Lithuania. Brzostowski, accompanied by bishop sufragan Jan Mikołaj Zgierski, met with the Sapiehas at a tavern in nearby Lejpuny (Leipalingis). The details of the proposed truce are unknown but the conditions were rejected by Sapiehas, who declared that things will have to be "settled with sabres".
A contemporary poem described the various regiments and their commanders on the anti-Sapieha side. The counties (voivodeships) of Oszmiana (Kociell), Lida
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
, Bracław, Troki
Trakai Voivodeship
Trakai Voivodeship, Trakai Palatinate, or Troki Voivodeship , was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1413 until 1795.-History:...
, Grodno, Upita, Nowogródek (Radziwill), Słonim, Wołków, Witebsk (Oginski), Orsza (Kmicic), Brześć Litewski, Pinsk
Pinsk
Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
(Wisniowiecki), Mścisław, Minsk
Minsk Voivodeship
Minsk Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413 and later in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth till the partitions of the Commonwealth in 1795...
, Samogitia (Oginski) and Połock (Pac) all supported the confederates, while the counties of Wilno
Vilnius Voivodeship
The Vilnius Voivodeship was one of voivodeships in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, created in 1413, from the Duchy of Lithuania and neighbouring lands.- Geography and administrative division :...
, Wiłkomierz, Kowno, Mozyr and Rzeczyca
Rzeczyca
Rzeczyca may refer to the following villages in Poland:*Rzeczyca, Polkowice County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Rzeczyca, Środa Śląska County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
supported the Sapiehas.
The confederates placed their infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in the center, the majority of the szlachta were on the right or in reserve, and the left wing was taken up by hired
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
Wallachian
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. Wisniowiecki placed his troops between Olkieniki and Lejpuny, while Oginski led his troops through the local forests in a wide encircling maneuver. The Sapiehas also placed their infantry in the center, their rajtars on the left, with the right taken up by Tatar troops.
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the battle, a drunken mob of szlachta, encouraged by the CanonCanon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Wilno, Krzysztof Białłozor, whose brother had been executed by the Sapiehas the previous year, murdered many of the Sapieha leaders, including several prominent members of the family itself. The battle and the subsequent slaughter marked the end of the dominance of the Sapiehas in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
in general, and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
in particular. Jan Kazimierz Sapieha managed to escape capture and fled to the Duchy of Prussia.
One of the participants on the Sapieha side was the then relatively unknown nobleman Stanisław August Poniatowski, who would later become the last King of Poland. Poniatowski was spared from the slaughter which followed the battle because of his low rank, young age, and relatively low status at the time.