The Charge of Rokitna () was a

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

of a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

squadron of the 2nd Brigade of Polish Legions, fighting for the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

. It took place on June 13, 1915 near the village of Rokytne, which at that time was part of

Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its administrative centre in Kishinev (Chișinău). It consisted of an area of and a population of 1,935,412 inhabitants. The Bessarabia Governorate bordered t ...

(

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

). A Polish squadron of 70

uhlan Uhlan (; ; ; ; ) is a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. The uhlans started as Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, Lithuanian irregular cavalry, that were later also adopted by other countries during the 18th century, including Polis ...

s, led by

Rittmeister Rittmaster () is usually a commissioned officer military rank used in a few armies, usually equivalent to Captain. Historically it has been used in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A is typically in charge of a s ...

Zbigniew Dunin-Wasowicz, attacked positions of the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

. The battle resulted in a Polish

pyrrhic victory A Pyrrhic victory ( ) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress. The phrase originates from a quote from ...

: out of 70 soldiers, 17 Poles were killed and 23 were wounded. Russian losses are unknown.

Background

In the spring of 1915, the 2nd Brigade was reorganized. It was divided into three tactical groups, commanded by Marian Januszajtis-Zegota,

Józef Haller Józef Haller (''de Hallenburg''; 13 August 1873 – 4 June 1960) was a Polish lieutenant general and legionary in the Polish Legions during the First World War. He was a harcmistrz (the highest Scouting instructor rank in Poland), the p ...

and Bolesław Roja. On April 1, 1915, Austrian Army Colonel Ferdinand Kuttner was named commandant of the 2nd Brigade. On April 17, Polish Legions were sent to Bukovina, where they became part of forces of General of Cavalry Ignaz Edler von Korda. Third Legions Infantry Regiment was ordered to man frontline between the villages of Dobronowce ( Dobronauti) and Toporowce ( Toporivtsi). Polish artillery was at Balamutowka ( Balamutca),

s of the 3rd squadron were in the area of Rarancza, while 2nd squadron stayed in the town of Kotul-Ostrica. In the first days of June, 2nd and 3rd uhlan squadrons were merged into the 2nd Regiment of the Legions Cavalry, under command of Rittmeister Zbigniew Dunin-Wasowicz.

Charge

On June 12, 1915, the 2nd Brigade operated in the area of the villages Ridkivtsi, Austrian

Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...

and Rokytne, Russian

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

. On both sides of it were units of the

: all forces initiated a joint attack on Russian positions. Despite heavy fighting, Polish and Austrian regiments failed to achieve their objectives. On June 13, in the early afternoon, the Russians began their advance from positions in the area of Rokitna. In order to halt the enemy, Austrian headquarters ordered Rittmeister Dunin-Wasowicz to carry out an attack with both uhlan squadrons of the 2nd Legions Brigade. They were to advance along the left wing, supporting Austrian infantry which simultaneously would attack Russian trenches. Rittmeister Dunin-Wasowicz personally headed the charge: after crossing muddy banks of the Rokitnianka river, 3rd squadron was kept in reserve, while 2nd squadron charged. Within 15 minutes, Polish uhlans broke through three lines of Russian trenches. Polish losses were very high, but their sacrifice was not utilized, as the Austrian infantry failed to advance. Among those killed in action were Dunin-Wasowicz himself, also Colonel Jerzy Topor-Kisielnicki (commandant of 2nd squadron) and his deputy Roman Prawdzic-Wlodek.

Aftermath

On June 15, 1915, at a cemetery in Rarancza, a funeral of uhlans killed in action took place. The service was led by Reverend Jozef Panas, coffin of Dunin-Wasowicz was covered with red cloth with Polish Eagle. Since in the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

the cemetery at Rarancza was part of

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, a Polish ally (see Polish–Romanian alliance), Romanian took care of the tombs. In February 1923, exhumation of bodies of Polish soldiers took place. All remains were transported to Poland, and on February 26, 1923, in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, an official funeral took place, with such notable figures present at the ceremony, as

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

and Cardinal Adam Sapieha. Pilsudski posthumously awarded

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

5th Class to all soldiers. After the funeral, all coffins were transported to

Rakowicki Cemetery Rakowicki Cemetery (English: ; ) is a historic necropolis and a cultural heritage monument located on 26 Rakowicka Street in Kraków, Poland. It lies within the Administrative District No. 1 ''Stare Miasto'' meaning "Old Town" – distinct from ...

. Two years later, a monument of the uhlans was unveiled there. The Charge of Rokitna was the basis for a zurawiejka, "Song of the Squadron of Wasowicz". It also is mentioned in The Red Poppies on Monte Cassino, one of the best-known Polish military songs of World War II. On the

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier () is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the unknown soldiers who have given their lives for Poland. It is one of many such national tombs of unknowns that were erected after World War I, and the most imp ...

, the charge is mentioned as "ROKITNA 13 VI 1915".

Sources

* August Krasicki: Dziennik z kampanii rosyjskiej 1914–1916. Warszawa: Instytut Wydawniczy PAX, 1988. . * Stanisław Jan Rostworowski: Nie tylko Pierwsza Brygada (1914–1918) – Z Legionami na bój. Warszawa: P. W. EGROS – Oficyna Wydawnicza, 1993. . * Andrzej Czesław Żak Rokitna 1915 Wydawnictwo Bellona, Warszawa 1994, . * Wacław Lipiński: Walka zbrojna o niepodległość Polski w latach 1905–1918. Warszawa: "Wolumen"

External links

{{Commons category, Charge of Rokitna Rokitna Rokitna 1915 in Austria-Hungary Rokitna Rokitna Polish Legions in World War I Rokitna Rokitna Bessarabia Governorate June 1915

Background

Charge

Aftermath

See also

Sources

External links