Battle of Sobota explained

Conflict:Battle of Sobota
Partof:the Northern War of 1655–1660 / The Deluge
Date:23 August 1655
Place:near Sobota
Result:Swedish victory
Combatant1: Swedish Empire
Combatant2: Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Commander1: Charles X of Sweden
Commander2: John II Casimir of Poland
Strength1: 25,000 men
Strength2:Unknown

The Battle of Sobota took place near Sobota, Poland, on 23 August 1655, between the armies of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on the one hand and of Sweden on the other.

After Charles X Gustav's entry into Poland, he made camp at Koło. Here the Swedish king received representatives from John II Casimir of Poland in an attempt to sue for peace. The Polish attempts were in vain and the Swedish king marched towards Warsaw. John II Casimir put up a small army in order to hinder the Swedish advance while seeking assistance from other rulers. The forces clashed on 23 August, resulting in a Swedish victory as the Polish forces were routed after rapid, but intense fighting.[1] [2]

After the battle, Charles X Gustav left the majority of his army under the command of field marshal Arvid Wirtenberg von Debern while he himself continued his march towards Warsaw with about 2000 cavalry and 1200 infantry.[3] Warsaw fell with no resistance on 29 August.

References

  1. Fredrik Ferdinand Carlson, Sveriges historia under konungarne af pfalziska huset, Volume 1, Stockholm: Norstedt, 1855,, p. 112 (Swedish).
  2. Carl Efraim Josua Leonhard Wibling, Carl X Gustaf och Georg Rakoczy II, Lund: Berlingska, 1891, p. 13 (Swedish).
  3. Johan Levin Carlbom, Om Karl X Gustafs polska krig och öfvergången till det 2dra. Sundskriget Karl Gustaf Wrangel (1654–1658), Göteborg: Ericson, 1905,, p. 16 (Swedish).

Sources