The Battle of Racławice was one of the first battles of the Polish Kościuszko Uprising against Russia. It was fought on April 4, 1794 near the village of Racławice in Lesser Poland.

The Polish forces prepared for the battle were relatively small. The Polish Order of Battle was as follows:

In addition, Lesser Poland fielded also approximately 2 000 peasants armed with war scythes and pikes, as well as 11 cannons. The outcome of the battle was a tactical Polish victory, with Kościuszko defeating the numerically supperior enemy. However, his forces were too small to start a successful pursuit and the Corps of Gen. Denisov evaded destruction and continued to operate in Lesser Poland.

The victory was subsequently promoted in Poland as a major success and helped in starting the Kościuszko Uprising in other areas of Poland and the Warsaw Uprising of 1794 . Also, the participation of peasant volunteers was seen by many as the starting point of the political evolution of Polish peasantry from serfs to members of the nation.

In honour of the bravery of the peasants, after the battle Kościuszko paraded in front of his troops in sukmana , a traditional attire worn in Lesser Poland. Both the red cap worn by his soldiers and the home-made war scythes were later featured on the emblem of the 303rd Polish Fighter Squadron fighting in the Battle of Britain.

See also

• The Raclawice Panorama