Battle of Moscow (1612)
The Polish-Lithuanian army entered Moscow on the 21st of September, 1610. This occupation followed the Battle of Klushino in the summer of that same year. Tsar Vasili IV of Russia was deposed and taken to Warsaw as a prisoner. The boyars, clergy, and citizens of Moscow accepted Prince Wladyslaw IV Vasa as their new ruler out of fear of False Dmitry II. Yet this foreign tsar found no universal acceptance outside the city walls. Poles, mercenaries, and gangs of robbers ransacked the country beyond the capital. In March 1611, citizens of Moscow rebelled against these occupiers. A group known as the First People's Militia laid siege to the Kremlin under Prokopy Lyapunov. He was a nobleman born in Ryazan. The militia failed to take the fortress due to poor armament. Disorder soon consumed them when Cossack leader Ivan Zarutski murdered Lyapunov.
Citizens of Nizhny Novgorod led by Kuzma Minin assembled the Second People's Militia during the anarchy. They placed Prince Dmitry Pozharsky in command of these forces. This new army proved more well-armed and organized than its predecessor. It took Yaroslavl in March of 1612 and established a provisional government there. Minin and Pozharsky obtained support and provisions from many cities across Russia and Siberia. News reached them that a Polish relief army under Hetman Chodkiewicz was approaching Moscow. The leaders entered Moscow in August 1612 to begin their campaign. They moved to besiege the Polish garrison inside the Kremlin. Their efforts contrasted sharply with the chaos that had plagued the previous year.
Polish-Lithuanian forces attacked from the west on the 1st of September, 1612. They aimed to break the siege of the Moscow Kremlin and rescue Mikołaj Struś. Polish hussars backed by Hungarian and German infantry managed to break Russian lines initially. However, the right wing of the Commonwealth forces became exposed. Don Cossacks allied with the Russians waited on the other bank of the Moscow River. Dmitry Troubetskoy commanded this cavalry force. Part of their cavalry attacked together with forces Pozharsky sent to Trubetskoy's aid beforehand. These combined units dispersed the Polish-Lithuanian forces. Commonwealth units inside the Kremlin also failed to attack Russian positions successfully. Both sides lost some 1,000 men during this single day of fighting.
Chodkiewicz decided to attack Moscow via its southern suburb on the 3rd of September. This area was known as the Zamoskvorechye District. Some 600 Hungarian infantrymen reached the walls of the Kremlin. Main Commonwealth units followed them into the narrow streets of the district. The troops were halted in these tight urban spaces after a Russian counterattack. Chodkiewicz ordered a retreat that cost several hundred men. His August advance had already met failure before this engagement. King Sigismund's invasion was stopped in November less than ten miles from Moscow. The Polish garrison could not hold its position against the growing pressure.
Mstislavskii led Ivan Romanov and Mikhail Romanov out of the Kremlin on the 26th of October. The next day, the 27th, the Polish garrison surrendered unconditionally. National militia forces entered the capital immediately following this event. The liberation of the capital became necessary for choosing a new sovereign. It marked the end of the Time of Troubles for Russia. The country needed stability after years of foreign occupation and internal chaos. The surrender ended the immediate military conflict but left political questions unanswered.
The Zemsky Sobor was held in the Kremlin in 1613 to choose a new ruler. Mikhail Romanov was elected as Tsar during this assembly. This election established the House of Romanov as the new ruling Russian dynasty. The decision marked the formal end of the Time of Troubles. Previous attempts at governance had failed due to foreign interference and civil war. The selection of Mikhail Romanov provided the stability that Russia desperately needed. His reign began a long period of consolidation for the state.
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Common questions
When did the Polish-Lithuanian army enter Moscow in 1612?
The Polish-Lithuanian army entered Moscow on the 21st of September, 1610. This occupation followed the Battle of Klushino in the summer of that same year.
Who led the Second People's Militia during the Battle of Moscow 1612?
Citizens of Nizhny Novgorod led by Kuzma Minin assembled the Second People's Militia and placed Prince Dmitry Pozharsky in command of these forces. This new army proved more well-armed and organized than its predecessor.
What happened to Commonwealth forces on the 1st of September 1612?
Polish-Lithuanian forces attacked from the west on the 1st of September, 1612, but Don Cossacks allied with the Russians dispersed their units. Both sides lost some 1,000 men during this single day of fighting.
How many days did it take for the Polish garrison to surrender in October 1612?
Mstislavskii led Ivan Romanov and Mikhail Romanov out of the Kremlin on the 26th of October, and the next day, the 27th, the Polish garrison surrendered unconditionally. National militia forces entered the capital immediately following this event.
When was Mikhail Romanov elected as Tsar after the Battle of Moscow 1612?
The Zemsky Sobor was held in the Kremlin in 1613 to choose a new ruler, and Mikhail Romanov was elected as Tsar during this assembly. This election established the House of Romanov as the new ruling Russian dynasty.