A key engagement of the Battle of Warsaw, its outcome helped repel the Soviet advance and turned the tide of the Polish–Soviet War.
Key Facts
- Dates
- August 13–16, 1920
- Distance from Warsaw
- 20 kilometres north-east of Warsaw km
- Red Army divisions engaged
- Six rifle divisions
- Polish defending force
- 1st Polish Army (corps-sized)
- Radzymin recaptured
- August 15, 1920
- Soviet armies eventually crippled
- Four Soviet armies
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Red Army launched a major offensive toward Warsaw in August 1920, seeking to break through Polish defences and advance westward. Soviet forces targeted the Praga bridgehead east of Warsaw, aiming to capture the capital and decisively defeat Poland before a planned Polish counteroffensive could be executed.
Between August 13 and 16, 1920, Red Army forces assaulted the town of Radzymin, capturing it on August 14 and breaching the 1st Polish Army's lines. The town changed hands multiple times in intense fighting. The threat to Warsaw forced General Haller to order the 5th Army's counterattack earlier than planned, and General Latinik's corps ultimately repelled six Soviet rifle divisions.
Radzymin was recaptured by Polish forces on August 15, marking a turning point in the Battle of Warsaw. The broader strategic counteroffensive, launched simultaneously from south and north under Piłsudski and Sikorski, successfully outflanked Soviet forces, pushing them away from Warsaw and crippling four Soviet armies, effectively deciding the Polish–Soviet War in Poland's favour.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Franciszek Latinik, Józef Haller, Władysław Sikorski, Józef Piłsudski.
Side B
1 belligerent