The Crescent of the Sultan

However, this result is almost exactly the same as yesterday, and the Russian army has made little progress.

Subsequently, Poniatowski ordered the entire army to launch a counterattack, and the Polish cavalry once again defeated the Russian cavalry.

At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the Russian army was defeated across the board.

However, the victorious Polish army was exhausted, ran out of ammunition and food, and was overwhelmed by the presence of more Russian follow-up troops, so there was no further pursuit.

In this battle, the Polish army lost 1,000 people and the Russian army lost 2,000 people. The significance of the Battle of Zlenice was to temporarily curb the speed of the Russian army's attack on Warsaw.

However, the disparity in strength between the two sides is too great for a battle of this scale to have a major impact on the overall war situation.

But such a victory still inspired the Polish army, whose overall morale was low, and proved that they could gain a glimmer of hope in a hopeless prospect. However, how long can such hope last?

Poniatowski did not know that he only had so many troops on hand, and it would be extremely difficult to prevent the other party from blocking the road to the Ottoman Empire.

It was already May, and almost three months had passed since Austria, Prussia and Tsarist Russia sent troops to Poland.

France had always wanted to go to war with other countries. Coupled with the Poles' pleading and instigation, many Parisians showed their internationalist spirit and called on the government to send troops to defend Poland's independence and freedom.

The National Convention began to discuss the bill.

But Poland's situation was getting worse and worse. In early May, Poniatowski's army fell into a worse situation due to insufficient material supplies and had to continue to retreat.

The reason was that Mihai Lubomirski, who was responsible for supplying the army, voluntarily surrendered to the Russian army and gave all the precious materials intended for the Polish army to the Russians in exchange for the Russians' supplies after the war. Support for his family's privilege.

Incidentally, this Mihai Lubomirski is the descendant of Jerzy Lubomirski, the initiator of the Polish Civil War in 1664.

At that time, Jan II and his wife were committed to the reform cause and almost succeeded. However, due to the rebellion of the conservative noble Lubomirski, Poland lost its last chance to save itself before the situation was irreversible.

Now, for their own selfish interests, his descendants have chosen to commit heinous betrayal when the country is on the verge of destruction. The Lubomirski family, which controls immense power and acts as a traitor, has inflicted more trauma on Poland than Russia, Prussia and Austria. Even more depressing.

Selim can only be said to be the half-brother of Yan Shenggong. Whoever comes here will be the father. They are exactly the same.

However, Mihai Lubomirsky, who committed a crime punishable by death in any country, was merely dismissed from office.

This was the maximum punishment that Stanislaw II could give him under the constraints of the system and situation.

The Lubomirsky family once again deeply hurt the motherland that raised him, and once again easily escaped the punishment it deserved.

Even if he didn't betray, Poland probably wouldn't be able to win, but this kind of behavior that abandons the country's justice and puts the nation in danger still breaks the bottom line of morality and responsibility as a citizen.

On May 18, under Potemkin's order, Kakhovsky led a huge army of 25,000 Russian troops and 56 cannons to approach Warsaw. Poniatowski led 30,000 Russian troops and 56 cannons. Five thousand men and thirty artillery pieces blocked the attack at the village of Lubynka, 250 kilometers away from Warsaw.

Since all the defense planning in this area was guided by Kosciuszczuk, he had participated in the American Revolutionary War earlier and spent more than two years creating a very strong defense system for West Point Military Academy, so he was very knowledgeable about building fortifications. OK.

Kosciuszko chose terrain protected by forests and swamps and built wild fortifications. He also burned nearby bridges and laid traps.

The battle broke out at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The Russian army poured fierce artillery fire on the Polish army's positions, but most of them were resolved by solid fortifications. Although the Polish army's artillery was small, it played a huge role under the command of Poniatowski.

The offensive of the Russian infantry was defeated by the Polish infantry and artillery. A large number of Russian infantry were either killed by artillery fire or fell into the swamp.

Kakhovsky had to order the army to detour from the flanks to the rear of the Polish position. Poniatowski was worried about being surrounded and ordered a retreat.

The Russian army launched a pursuit, and Poniatowski stabilized the army on the verge of collapse. The Polish army finally successfully retreated to Holm.

In this battle, the Polish army suffered 700 casualties and 14 artillery pieces, and the Russian army suffered about 2,000 casualties.

The front line is retreating steadily, requests for help from the Ottoman Empire have been rejected, the British are ambiguous, and the French are still wrangling.

Prussia was advancing furiously on the northwest border, while Austria stood still in Krakow, watching Kosciuszko die.

The failure of Lubynka Village was the last straw that broke King Poniatowski's will.

In fact, as early as April 22, Stanislaw II, who had no hope for the war, sent a letter to Catherine II. He lowered his posture and almost begged:

“Frankly speaking, it is very important for you to have a say in Polish affairs.

Whether it is against the infidels of the Ottoman Empire or against Europe, it is important for you to keep the Russian army's march routes open.

Ending civil strife and repelling foreign invasion is also very important to us Poles. We therefore need a stronger and better ordered government than we have hitherto had.

You can combine these advantages in various ways, and you can make your grandson, Grand Duke Constantine, king of Poland.

You can form a permanent alliance with Poland and conclude favorable commercial treaties. I won’t go into all of this, and you don’t need my advice or guidance.

I just hope you can keep Poland alive as a country. "

At the end of the letter, Stanislaw II expressed his willingness to give up his throne and make Poland a Russian vassal forever. He only asked Catherine II to agree to keep Poland.

Catherine II's reply was despairing, she said.

“The only way you can help Poland is to immediately support the Tagovica Alliance.

This would allow the Poles to bleed less. "

The king was hesitant and unable to make a final decision.

At this time, many congressmen who had been coerced and induced by the Russians began to persuade him to surrender. Russian Ambassador Bulgakov also said that as long as he surrendered, Poland would be retained.

This turned out to be another Russian lie. Rather than saying that the Polish king believed this lie, it is better to say that he had no choice.

August Kazimierzki also began to prepare for the withdrawal of Polish troops.

As for who in the Ottoman Empire would contact him, it was not Emperor Cypriot anyway.

The first civil service examination in the Ottoman Empire is about to begin, and Emperor Cyprus is busy getting the Poles to test out the papers.

Thanks to Azteca, Otaku Wang Lulu-Xiu, Xiao Yang, The Game, William Zhong Er, Qing Tian Xia 2, Drunk Appreciation of Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon, Xiao Yan’s classmate Yan, and several book friends and readers for their monthly votes