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| Battle of Kcynia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theSecond Northern War /The Deluge | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Swedish Empire |  Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles X Gustav | Stefan Czarniecki | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Light | At least 300 killed[1] | ||||||
TheBattle of Kcynia took place on June 1, 1656, and was one of the battles of theSwedish invasion of Poland. It resulted in a victory for Swedish forces, commanded by KingCharles X Gustav andAdolph John I, Count Palatine of Kleeburg.
In the spring of 1656,HetmanStefan Czarniecki carried out a raid in Swedish-occupiedGreater Poland, during he supported Polish guerrilla forces. On May 20, he leftUniejów, and headed northwards, toRoyal Prussia, where his division joined the localpospolite ruszenie, commanded by theVoivode ofMalbork Voivodeship,Jakub Weyher. Polish forces camped nearKcynia, feeling safe among the waters of theNoteć river. Meanwhile, CountAdolph John enteredBydgoszcz on May 26.
Czarniecki's raid into Royal Prussia alarmed KingCharles X Gustav, who at that time commanded theSiege of Danzig. Charles Gustav decided to act quickly, and in late May, he abandoned the siege, and together with his army marched southwards, reaching Bydgoszcz on May 31, to meet Adolph John.
On June 1, after crossing the Noteć nearRynarzewo, the Swedes attacked Czarniecki's camp, completely surprising the Poles, whose units were scattered in the area. After an initial skirmish, the Poles began to flee, while Swedish soldiers advanced into the camp. The Swedish victory was complete, the camp was destroyed, and several Polish officers were captured, including the royal envoy,Jan Dominik Dzialynski.
After the defeat, Czarniecki cancelled his Prussian plans, and following royal orders, marched toWarsaw.