Chapter 675: Eastern Europe in Flames (Part 2)
"All sacrifices are worthwhile," said Brigadier General Dąbrowski in halting Polish. "In the end, we will rid ourselves of Russian control and threats.
"Their bodies may fall, but their blood will become the soul of Poland. The homeland will forever be with them!"
Dąbrowski's Polish was poor, a consequence of spending his youth at a military academy in Saxony—at the time, Saxony and Poland were united as one. He only returned to Poland four years ago, which left his German far more fluent than his Polish.
Historically, this linguistic gap caused Prince Poniatowski to distrust him.
But Joseph knew well that Dąbrowski was a staunch patriot. Later, he would join Kosciuszko's uprising against Russia, fighting valiantly during the defense of Warsaw.
At Joseph's suggestion, Dąbrowski had been given significant responsibilities in the Polish military and now served as the commander of cavalry for the Dnieper Front Army.
Dąbrowski pointed toward the long breastwork stretching between two hills in the distance:
"If the day comes when I must fight there, I will use my life to block the Russian advance."
Kosciuszko nodded silently. Among the 50,000 Polish soldiers defending the Mozyr Front, a staggering 37,000 were recruits with less than four months of training.
They would face the brunt of the Russian assault.
Indeed, to execute their strategic plans, Poland's most critical eastern defense line had to rely on these inexperienced troops.
"Perhaps we will all perish in this war…" Kosciuszko muttered, but then, sensing the somber tone, he quickly changed the subject. He turned his gaze eastward and asked:
"When do you think the Russians will launch their attack?"
This was a pertinent question because five days ago, Russia had issued a formal note—essentially an ultimatum—to Poland.
The demands were severe:
Immediately cease persecution of nobles and Eastern Orthodox Christians in Poland.Deliver the "culprits" behind the Tarnopol incident to Russia for trial.Repeal constitutional reforms that restricted noble privileges, allowed peasants to purchase land freely, and permitted commoners to serve as military officers.
The situation arose after the Tarnopol Confederation—a gathering of pro-Russian nobles—was disrupted. Members of the Potocki family fled to Russia, accusing the Polish Parliament of unjust arrests and assassinations of nobles. They appealed to the Russian Tsar to intervene and "stabilize Poland."
This mirrored the treachery of the historical Targowica Confederation. However, relentless efforts by Polish intelligence had severely weakened these reactionary nobles' influence, preventing them from rallying armed support.
The Potockis had actually arrived in St. Petersburg earlier in the year. Initially, Catherine the Great had delayed action due to her romantic entanglements with Stanisław II, as well as her reluctance to fully prepare for war.
According to Potemkin's plan before his death, Russia intended to launch a full-scale invasion of Poland the following spring.
But when Catherine learned of Poland's feverish military preparations through her intelligence network, she realized her invasion plans had been compromised.
After consulting her generals, Catherine decided to strike preemptively, believing it was better to attack while Poland was still under-prepared.
Thus, Count Potocki became the pretext for war.
"Who knows?" Dąbrowski shook his head. "Maybe next month, maybe tomorrow, or perhaps… in the very next moment."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a rider galloped toward them at full speed.
Before the horse had fully stopped, the officer leaped down and hurried to Kosciuszko.
"General! The Russians have declared war! The news came this morning!"
Kosciuszko and Dąbrowski exchanged grim looks. Before they could respond, the sound of distant cannon fire rumbled through the air.
Kosciuszko placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and turned to his aide:
"Have the soldiers take their positions. Tell them there's no need to be nervous; the Russians are still far off."
In wars of this scale, battlefields stretched vast distances. Poland had set up numerous outposts along its borders. The cannon fire likely signaled Russian forces clearing these forward defenses.
Poland's main defensive line, however, lay seven or eight kilometers further back.
Kosciuszko calmly issued further orders:
"Send our uhlans to monitor Russian movements. Pay particular attention to the right flank—it's an ideal spot for Cossack cavalry to launch a surprise attack."
Quick, mobile Cossack cavalry often exploited weak points in enemy lines. Commanders who underestimated them paid a steep price.
"Yes, General."
After the aide left, Dąbrowski, still uneasy, said:
"I should personally oversee the right flank."
"No, leave it to Mocharewicz," Kosciuszko said, stopping him. "Your place isn't here."
Russia's sudden assault had caused some chaos among Polish troops at Mozyr. However, thanks to Poland's extensive preparations, order was quickly restored, and large contingents deployed according to prearranged plans.
Southeast of Mozyr, in the village of Zagórsk.
Located near the Polish border, the village had been abandoned by its residents, who fled in anticipation of the war. Now, it formed part of Poland's defensive line.
"Boom!"
An artillery shell struck near a decrepit farmhouse, shaking the ground.
Inside, behind a shattered window, Corporal Drasowicz glanced at the six or seven young soldiers huddled nearby, their postures tense.
He sighed inwardly. The sergeant hadn't said as much, but as the only veteran in the group—having fought in Slavonia—Drasowicz knew these raw recruits were his responsibility.
Once a humble mason, Drasowicz wasn't used to public speaking. Yet now he found himself raising his voice, trying to mimic the confident tone of the town magistrate.
"Don't worry, boys! The cannon sounds loud, sure, but hitting us directly? That's as unlikely as you hitting that fly on the wall from fifty paces with a rock!"
He pointed at a small insect on the crumbling wall.
The distant cannon fire continued unabated, but his calm demeanor seemed to ease the recruits' nerves. They straightened up, some even managing faint smiles.
Drasowicz nodded in satisfaction. But then, another deafening explosion shook the ground, sending debris flying.
When the dust settled, they saw that a corner of the farmhouse—and the adjacent pigsty—had been obliterated by a shell.
Drasowicz quickly ensured no one was hurt, then spread his hands sheepishly.
"See? Even when they're close, they can't hit us directly!"
He eyed the now-precarious structure and frowned.
"Still, we'd better move."
Once the recruits were outside, Drasowicz noticed the blond-haired young man at the rear trembling. He patted the youth on the shoulder.
"Janik, stay strong. War isn't as scary as you think…"
The young man turned, his eyes glimmering with excitement.
"Corporal, I'm not scared! I'm thrilled!"
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