Chapter 101 The End of the Road

However, this was almost the same as yesterday's result, and the Russian army 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 pm, the Russian army retreated across the board.

But the victorious Polish army was exhausted, out of ammunition and food, and was also affected by the existence 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 gap in strength between the two sides was too great, and a battle of this scale could not have a big impact on the overall situation.

But such a victory still inspired the Polish army, which was generally demoralized, proving that they could fight for a glimmer of hope in a hopeless prospect, but how long could such hope last?

Poniatowski didn't know that he only had so many troops at hand, and he had to guard against the other side blocking the road to the Ottoman Empire, which was undoubtedly difficult.

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

France had been thinking about going to war, and with the Polish people's pleading and agitation, many Parisians showed their internationalism and called on the government to send troops to defend Poland's independence and freedom.

The National Convention began to discuss this bill.

But Poland's situation was getting worse and worse. In early May, Poniatowski's army was in a worse situation due to poor supply of materials and had to continue to retreat.

The reason was that Mihaly Lubomirski, who was responsible for supplying the army, surrendered to the Russian army and gave all the precious materials prepared for the Polish army to the Russians in exchange for the Russians' support for his family's privileges after the war.

By the way, this Mihaly Lubomirski was 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 cause of reform and almost succeeded. However, they failed because of the rebellion of the conservative nobleman Lubomirski, which led to Poland losing the last chance to save itself before the situation became irreversible.

Now his descendants have chosen outrageous betrayal for their own selfish interests when the country is on the verge of destruction. The trauma caused by the Lubomirski family, who control enormous power and do traitorous things, to Poland is more regrettable than the blows of Russia, Prussia and Austria.

Selim can only be said to be the half-brother of the Yanshenggong. Whoever comes is the father, exactly the same meanness.

However, Mihaly Lubomirski, who committed a crime that should be punished by death in any country, was only dismissed.

This is the greatest punishment that Stanislaw II can give him under the constraints of the system and situation.

The Lubomirski family once again deeply hurt the motherland that raised him, and once again easily escaped the sanctions they deserved.

Although Poland would not have won even if he had not betrayed, this act of abandoning the national cause and treating the nation as a worn-out shoe still broke 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, and Poniatowski led 35,000 people and 30 cannons to block them in the village of Lubinka, 250 kilometers away from Warsaw.

Since the defense zone planning in this area was all directed by Kościuszczuk, and he had participated in the American War of Independence earlier and spent more than two years creating a very solid defense system for the West Point Military Academy, he was very good at building fortifications.

Kościuszczuk chose terrain protected by forests and swamps and built field fortifications. He also burned nearby bridges and set traps.

The battle broke out at 3 pm. The Russian army poured fierce artillery fire on the Polish positions, but most of them were resolved by solid fortifications. Although the Polish army had few artillery pieces, they played a huge role under the command of Poniatowski.

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

Kakhovsky had to order the army to detour from the flank 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, 14 artillery pieces, and the Russian army suffered about 2,000 casualties.

The front line was retreating step by step. The request for help from the Ottoman Empire had been rejected. The British had an ambiguous attitude, and the French were still wrangling.

Prussia was advancing rapidly on the northwest border, and Austria was standing still in Krakow, watching Kosciuszko dead.

The failure of Lubinka became the last straw that broke the camel's back for King Poniatowski.

In fact, as early as April 22, Stanislaw II, who had no hope for the war, wrote to Catherine II, lowering his posture and almost begging:

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

Whether it is to fight against the infidels of the Ottoman Empire or to fight against Europe, it is important for you to keep the Russian army's marching route unobstructed.

It is also important for us Poles to end the civil strife and repel foreign invasions. Therefore, we need a government that is more powerful and better-ordered than what we have had so far.

You can combine these favorable conditions in many ways. You can make your grandson, Grand Duke Constantine, the King of Poland.

You can form a permanent alliance with Poland and reach a favorable commercial treaty. I will not list them one by one. You do not need my advice and guidance.

I just hope that 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 let Poland become a vassal of Russia forever, only asking Catherine II to agree to keep Poland.

Catherine II's reply was desperate, she said.

"You can help Poland in only one way, that is, to support the Targowica Confederation immediately.

This will save the Polish bloodshed. "

The king was indecisive and could not make up his mind.

At this time, many parliamentarians who were coerced and bribed by the Russians began to persuade him to surrender, and the Russian ambassador Bulgakov also said that as long as he surrendered, Poland would be preserved.

It turned out that this was another lie of the Russians. Rather than saying that the Polish king believed this lie, it was better to say that he had no choice.

And August Kazimierzski also began to prepare for the withdrawal of the Polish army.

As for who will contact him on the Ottoman Empire side, it will not be Sergey the Great anyway.

The first civil service examination of the Ottoman Empire is about to begin, and Sergey the Great is busy taking the Polish papers.

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