Ignacy Prądzyński | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ignacy Pantaleon Prądzyński (1792-07-20)July 20, 1792 |
| Died | August 4, 1850(1850-08-04) (aged 58) |
| Alma mater | Warsaw University of Technology |
| Occupation(s) | military leader, engineer |
| Known for | Construction of theAugustów Canal |
| Awards | Golden Cross of the War OrderVirtuti Militari Knight ofLegion of Honour Order of Saint Anna |
Ignacy Prądzyński (Polish pronunciation:[iɡˈnatsɨprɔnˈdzɨj̃skʲi]; 20 July 1792– 4 August 1850) was a Polishmilitary commander,general of thePolish Army and an engineer. A veteran of theNapoleonic Wars, he was one of the most successful Polish commanders of theNovember Uprising against Russia. He is also notable for constructing theAugustów Canal.
Ignacy Prądzyński was born on July 20, 1792, in the village ofSanniki inGreater Poland. In November 1807 he joined the army of theDuchy of Warsaw and quickly advanced through its ranks. During the Napoleonic Wars he took part in the campaigns of 1809 (Polish–Austrian War) and the campaign against Russia between 1812 and 1814. For his bravery in the latter campaign he was awarded with the Golden Cross of theVirtuti Militari and the FrenchLegion of Honour for his role in theBattle of Leipzig and theBattle of Waterloo.
After the Russian takeover of Poland he remained in Warsaw, though he did not join the army. In 1815 he founded a secret anti-RussianAssociation of True Poles and later collaborated with thePatriotic Society. Arrested by the Russian police in 1826, he spent 3 years in prisons. Upon his release, he started working as an engineer. Among the most notable of his projects was theAugustów Canal, linkingVistula with theBaltic Sea through the basin of theNeman River.
After the outbreak of the November Uprising he again joined the Polish Army. Initially an advisor to Gen.Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł, he also served as a General Quartermaster, Chief of Engineering Corps and de facto chief of staff of the army. After theBattle of Iganie, in which he achieved a brilliant victory, he was nominated by the government for the post of the commander in chief of the uprising, Prądzyński was forced to resign byJan Krukowiecki andHenryk Dembiński. Instead, on August 19, 1831, he was promoted to the rank ofGeneral of Division.
In September he prepared the plans for the defense of Warsaw. However, the commanders of the Uprising lacked will to continue the fight and his plans were not accepted. Appointed to the Polish commission negotiating the capitulation, Prądzyński suffered from a nervous breakdown and surrendered to the Russians. Forcibly resettled toViatka, in 1833 he was allowed to return to Poland, where he continued his work as a theoretician of military strategy and tactics. Author of roughly 60 works on theory of warfare, he was one of the most notable Polish military writers of the 19th century.
Suffering from serious illnesses, in 1850 he moved to the island ofHelgoland, where he drowned on August 4, 1850, probably committing suicide.
 | This article includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(November 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Commanders in chief of theNovember Uprising | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
