The November Uprising
what the places of the most important battles of the Polish‑Russian war were;
to indicates the reasons for the outbreak of the uprising;
the history of the struggles of Poles and the consequences of the uprising in various partitions.
The Tsar's violation of the constitution caused protests of Poles, who began to organise conspiracies and associate in secret organisations. Already at the beginning of the existence of the Kingdom of Poland, Walery Łukasiński founded the National Freemasonry, which was later transformed into the Patriotic Club. A secret confederacyconfederacy established in 1828 under the leadership of Second Lieutenant Piotr Wysocki thrusted for the armed confrontation. The outbreak of the November Uprising took place on the night of 29th and 30th November 1830. The first dictator of the uprising was Józef Chłopicki. On 25th January 1831, the Sejm of the Congress Poland announced the dethronement of Tsar Nicholas, which resulted in the entry of the tsarist army into the Congress Poland territory. During the fights Poles won a number of victories, but the defeat in the battle of Ostrołęka in May 1831 led to the Russians entering Warsaw and the fall of the uprising.
Put in order the direct and indirect causes of the November Uprising.
spy surveillance, violation of constitution, the introduction of preventive censorship, refusal of Tsar Nicholas to join the territories of the Western Krai to the Congress Poland, irregular convening of the Sejm sessions, repressions of secret associations, combating oppositional activity, discovery of the cadets confederacy, abolition of the openness of proceedings, threat of sending Polish soldiers to suppress the uprising in Belgium
| indirect | |
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| direct |
What were the consequences of the battles fought during the November Uprising. Match the elements.
The Polish cavalry ride of General Józef Dwernicki won the first victory, chasing the Russian cavalry brigade., The victory of the Poles, who captured more than 10 thousand prisoners and 12 cannons. Thousands of Russian soldiers have died. The Polish losses did not reach 500 people killed or injured., The third great victory of the Poles was ensured by the young, very talented General Ignacy Prądzyński. These successes have been widely recognised in the capitals of Western Europe., On May 26th, 1831, the Polish army suffered a devastating defeat in the Battle of Ostrołęka. Only the desperate charge of Józef Bem's horse artillery allowed the remaining units to retreat to Warsaw's Praga district. It was not until 21 July that the Russians crossed to the left bank of the Vistula and started marching towards Warsaw., In this battle the Poles managed to stop the offensive of Russia. The battle remained inconclusive as both sides of the conflict suffered significant losses. At that time, the hopes of the field marshal, Ivan Dybich, for a quick victory fell.
| Battle of Stoczek14 February 1831 | |
| Battle of Grochów and Olszynka Grochowska25 February 1831 | |
| Battles of Wawer and Dębe Wielkie31 March 1831 | |
| Battle of Iganie10 April 1831 | |
| Battle of Ostrołęka26 May 1831 roku |
Read the text and explain what diplomatic actions Poles took during the November Uprising. What did they expect from other countries? Why did they fail?
Duke Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, who also took over the management of the foreign policy of the uprising, became the President of the National Government established on 30th January 1831. He tried to push through the view that Russia was responsible for its outbreak. It encouraged the Western powers, England and France, for whom freedom is an superior value, to take political action against Nicholas I. He stressed that Poland was undergoing a national uprising, not a revolution. He demanded military success from the uprising leaders after the first victories in the battle clashes, convincing them unsuccessfully that the defeats of the Russian army were the strongest Polish diplomatic argument. Among the Polish proposals addressed to the Habsburgs ruling Austria, the Orléan line of the House of Bourbon in France and the English royal family there was an offer to take over the throne of the Kingdom of Poland. Poland expected organising the Franco‑English‑Austrian anti‑Russian coalition and an international conference, or at least the inclusion of the issue of the Polish uprising on the agenda of the London Conference, which was to consider the independence of Belgium. Polish diplomacy also made unsuccessful efforts to obtain the support of the Pope, Gregory XVI. However, none of these objectives was achieved. Nicholas I successfully presented the conflict with Poles to the Western world as an internal matter for Russia, which was helped by Austrian diplomacy. France and the United Kingdom did not want to risk confronting Russia at the time.
Familiarise yourself with the actions taken by Polish society during the November Uprising. Search the English‑language Internet for the information who the women commemorated on the commemorative stone presented below were.
Analyse a fragment of General Ignacy Prądzyński's memoirs and evaluate the correctness of the answers listed below, selecting those that are in accordance with his opinion.
PamiętnikiPierwszy zaraz ranek po okropnej nocy, w której się [uczestnicy insurekcji] tak niepotrzebnie krwią zmazali, ujrzał ich skupionych koło Arsenału, nieśmiałych i jakby się już cała ich dzielność była wysiliła, bez wodza, bez planu, sami nie wiedzieli, co dalej poczynać. Myśląc już tylko o obronie, pracowali nad kilku nędznymi barykadami, jakby dla zupełniejszego naśladowania tego, co w Paryżu zaszło. Uratowała ich najsamprzód niedołężność Konstantego, który, okazując w pierwszych chwilach cokolwiek energii, byłby niezawodnie taki bunt stłumił. Miał po temu dostateczne siły, zebrało się bowiem koło niego pięć pułków gwardii rosyjskiej, pułk strzelców konnych polskich, większa część gwardii polskiej pieszej, dwie baterie i niektórzy nawet oficerowie, co do spisku należeli, znaleźli się pod jego rozkazami […]. Ale Konstanty zupełnie stracił głowę […], tracił dzień za dniem, przez który to czas powstanie się wzmagało, stało się na koniec silniejszym od Konstantego za przybyciem z Sochaczewa i przystąpieniem do niego 1. Pułku Strzelców Pieszych. […] Bunt z początku tak słaby i mordami splamiony pociągnął jednak za sobą z taką łatwością cały naród. […] Naród miał tylko do wyboru: albo odepchnąć od siebie bunt, wyrzekając się wszelkiego z nim wspólnictwa, a zatem sankcjonować jak najwyraźniej i z własnej woli ohydny stan, w którym się znajdował, albo też, przyłączając się do buntu, zrobić z niego powstanie narodowe
Source: Pamiętniki, [w:] Ignacy Prądzyński, Zaprzepaszczone szanse. Wybór myśli politycznych i społecznych, oprac. J.R. Nowak, Kraków 1985.
Evaluate the correctness of the answers listed below, selecting those that are in accordance with General Ignacy Prądzyński's opinion.
- The Arsenals' Conquerors did not have a realistic plan of action and waited for the decision of the leading Polish politicians.
- The accession of the 1. Pułk Strzelców Pieszych to the uprising made it possible to transform it into a national uprising.
- Grand Duke Konstantin used the 1. Pułk Strzelców Pieszych to suppress the revolt.
- Konstantin hesitated to take action against the conspirators, which allowed the uprising to spread.
- After conquering the Arsenal, the conspirators imprisoned and then lost Grand Duke Constantine.
- The accession of the 1. Pułk Strzelców Pieszych to the uprising changed the balance of power in the capital and allowed the uprising to develop.
- The Polish nation had a choice only between accepting Russia's policy, which was unfavourable to Poles, or actively supporting the uprising.
Keywords
November Uprising, Partitions, fight for independence, insurgents
Glossary
insurekcja – powstanie zbrojne
detronizacja – pozbawienie urzędującego władcy tronu; dokonywana zazwyczaj siłą.
sprzysiężenie Wysockiego – tajne sprzysiężenie młodszych stopniem wojskowym z warszawskiego garnizonu, pod przywództwem podporucznika Piotra Wysockiego, które zaplanowało przeprowadzenie powstania antyrosyjskiego.
Prometeusz – grecki bóg, który za udzielanie pomocy ludziom został na rozkaz Zeusa przykuty do skały. Co dzień do uwięzionego Prometeusza przylatywał orzeł i wydziobywał mu wątrobę
Towarzystwo Patriotyczne – (Klub Patriotyczny) organizacja powołana do życia 1.12.1830 roku. Na jej czele stanął Joachim Lelewel. Za swój cel zakładała zbrojną walkę o niepodległość oraz reformy społeczne.