The largest battle of the Greater Poland Uprising of 1848, commemorated on Warsaw's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Key Facts
- Date
- April 30, 1848
- Polish forces
- approx. 3,400 soldiers
- Prussian forces
- approx. 2,500 soldiers
- Polish casualties
- approx. 200 killed
- Prussian casualties
- 225 men
- Polish artillery
- 4 cannons
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following a Prussian victory at the Battle of Książ, General Blumen advanced toward Miłosław, where Polish commander Ludwik Mieroslawski had gathered roughly 1,200 men and 4 cannons. Initial Polish attempts to negotiate with Blumen collapsed when Mieroslawski learned that reinforcements totaling about 2,200 soldiers were en route from Nowe Miasto nad Wartą and Pleszew.
On April 30, 1848, Polish rebel forces under Mieroslawski clashed with Blumen's Prussian column near Miłosław in the Grand Duchy of Posen. In an initial Prussian push, Polish troops were driven from the town, but the arrival of reinforcements allowed a successful counterattack. The Poles retook Miłosław and forced the Prussians to withdraw, though the enemy escaped largely intact with most of its men and equipment.
The Polish victory was incomplete, as Prussian forces avoided destruction and continued to operate in the region. The uprising was ultimately suppressed, but the Battle of Miłosław remained a symbol of Polish resistance. It is commemorated on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw with the inscription 'MILOSLAW 30 IV 1848'.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ludwik Mieroslawski.
Side B
1 belligerent
General Blumen.