Warsaw Uprising of 1794

The Warsaw Uprising of 1794 or Warsaw Insurrection (Polish: insurekcja warszawska) is an armed insurrection by the people of Warsaw early in the Kościuszko Uprising.

Supported by the Polish Army, the uprising aims to throw off control by the Russian Empire of the Polish capital city (Warsaw).

It begins on April 17, 1794, soon after Tadeusz Kościuszko's victory at the Battle of Racławice.

Although the Russian forces have more soldiers and better equipment, the Polish regular forces and militia, armed with rifles and sabers from the Warsaw Arsenal, inflicts heavy losses on the surprised enemy garrison.

Russian soldiers find themselves under crossfire from all sides and from buildings, and several units break early and suffer heavy casualties in their retreat.

Kościuszko's envoy, Tomasz Maruszewski, and Ignacy Działyński and others had been laying the groundwork for the uprising since early 1793.

They had succeeded in winning popular support: the majority of Polish units stationed in Warsaw join the ranks of the uprising.

A National Militia is formed by several thousand volunteers, led by Jan Kiliński, a master shoemaker.

Within hours, the fighting has spread from a single street at the western outskirts of Warsaw's Old Town to the entire city.

Part of the Russian garrison is able to retreat to Powązki under the cover of Prussian cavalry, but most of it is trapped inside the city.

The isolated Russian forces resist in several areas for two more days.

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