Battle of Lwów (1920)
Battle of Lwów | |
---|---|
Part of Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine) | |
Result | Polish victory |
During the
For the heroic defense with large units of locally raised volunteers the city was awarded with the Virtuti Militari medal on 11 November 1920.
Lwów theatre of operations
Commanders and forces
Polish commanders included Czesław Mączyński, Domaszewicz (240), Zagórski (240), Tatar-Trześniowski (240), Abraham (cavalry), Krynicki, Śniadowski (artillery), Wit Sulimirski. Rómmel (1st Cavalry Division). Units: 240 Volunteers. Size: volunteers ~12,000. 1st Cavalry Division.
Soviet commanders included Semyon Budyonny, Jakira (cavalry), Grigory Kotovsky (cavalry). Budyonny's insistence (bordering on insubordination) on capturing Lwów has led to weakening Soviet forces near Warsaw and was a factor in their eventual defeat.
The battle
Around the time of
On 12 Aug., Budyonny received orders for the Konarmiya "to destroy the enemy on the right bank of the
Related battles
Several battles near Lwów were decisive for the outcome of the entire war. They included:
- The Battle of Zadwórze on 17 August ended in the near total destruction of Polish forces, but at the same time halted the Soviet advance preventing the forces of Siemion Budionnyi from either advancing towards unprepared Lwów or breaking off and helping the Soviet forces fighting in the Battle of Warsaw.
- The Battle of Komarów on 31 August 1920, the world's largest cavalry battle, since 1813 and the last great battle in which cavalry was used as such and not as mounted infantry. The Battle of Komarów was a complete disaster for the Russian 1st Cavalry Army which sustained heavy casualties and barely avoided being totally surrounded. After that battle, the 1st Cavalry Army morale had collapsed and the army which was one of the most feared of the Soviet troops was no longer considered an effective fighting force.
References
- ISBN 9780712606943
- Jerzy Pogonowski; Czesław Mączyński (1921). Bój o Lwów; z walk Armji Ochotniczej z 1920 roku (Struggle for Lwów; the fights of the Volunteer Army in 1920) (doc). Gdańsk: Lotos. p. 73.
See also
- Battle of Lemberg (1918)
- Battle of Lwów (1939)
- Lwów Eagles
- Polish-Ukrainian War