Battle of Bila Tserkva (1651)

The Battle of Bila Tserkva (Ukrainian: Битва під Білою Церквою, Polish: Bitwa pod Białą Cerkwią: 23–25 September 1651) was fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Cossack Hetmanate and Crimean Khanate as a part of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. Near the site of the present-day city of Bila Tserkva in Ukraine.

Background
Following the Battle of Berestechko in 28 June — 10 July, 1651, under orders from the departing the Polish King John II Casimir, the Polish forces under the command of Hetmans Marcin Kalinowski and Mikołaj Potocki advanced into the Cossack Hetmanate, reaching Lyubar in 4 August 1651 and at the same time the Lithuanian forces under the command of Prince Janusz Radziwiłł entered Kyiv. The Polish forces under the command of Hetmans Marcin Kalinowski and Mikołaj Potocki soon encountered the Zaporozhian Cossack’s positions near the city of Bila Tserkva and the Zaporozhian Cossacks under the command of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky main camp to the east, preventing the Polish and Lithuanian forces from the military uniting. The death of Prince Jeremi Wisniowiecki, who constantly insisted on the most energetic and ruthless tactics possible against the Zaporozhian Cossacks, delayed movement of the Crown Army until 23 August 1651, when it moved to the village of Trylisy, capturing the garrison of the Zaporozhian Cossacks numbered around 600 men in the next day. In 3 September 1651, Prince Janusz Radziwiłł agreed to merge his Lithuanian forces with the Polish forces near the city of Vasylkiv and took up a position with it near the village of Hermanivka in 13 September 1651, followed by the Polish–Lithuanian an entire camp being moved toward the city of Bila Tserkva in 16 September 1651. After the peace negotiations in the all month failed to progress, Hetmans Marcin Kalinowski and Mikołaj Potocki probably moved in 22 September 1651 in a defensive formation from the village of Hermanivka to the city of Bila Tserkva, the Polish forces at the centre and right flank and the Lithuanian forces on the left.

Battle
According to Hetman Mikołaj Potocki, who was commanding from the centre with Nobleman Zygmunt Przyjemski: On Saturday in 23 September 1651, I was approaching the city of Bila Tserkva. A good mile ahead, the Zaporozhian Cossack’s and Crimean Tatar’s cavalry came out to engage us and I moved against them in a formation similar to that at the Battle of Berestechko in 28 June — 10 July, 1651, adhering to the information given by His Royal Majesty and attacked the enemy in a broad line. I committed the right flank to Prince Janusz Radziwiłł and the left flank to Hetman Marcin Kalinowski, together with Hetman Stanisław Potocki. He ordered the vanguard regiment into battle and drove the enemy right into their camp, littering the field abundantly with the Zaporozhian Cossack’s and Crimean Tatar’s military corpses." On Sunday in 24 September 1651, the Zaporozhian Cossacks were building a rampart near a dike and Stanisław Potocki ordered our the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s forces to go into the field, our light cavalry skirmishers fought against the Zaporozhian Cossacks and Crimean Tatars who’s withdrew to the marshes". On Monday in 25 September 1651, according to Hetman Mikołaj Potocki, the Zaporozhian Cossacks moved into the field with the Crimean Tatars and so did our forces and did considerable harm to them and drove them back to their camp." On Tuesday in 26 September 1651, the rain was falling in torrential downpours, Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky sent the Zaporozhian Cossacks again and asking that no more blood be shed and it was decided to make a peace, according to Hetman Mikołaj Potocki.

Aftermath
Hetman Mikołaj Potocki listed five reasons for seeking a peace including:

(1) In the German mercenary cavalry started a desertion and quarter-year term to fought together and with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s forces was ending.

(2) An epidemic of some sort had developed among the Polish–Lithuanian infantry partly because of hunger and bad weather, they began to die in large a numbers.

(3) Prince Janusz Radzwiłł could not help the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s forces long and retreated to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

(4) The predictions of the arrival of the Crimean Tatars under the command of Khan İslâm III Giray.

(5) The hunger befell the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s forces and their cavalry.

After the battle was signed the Treaty of Bila Tserkva on Friday in 28 September 1651.