Battle of Kircholm
Kircholm (now Salaspils), near Riga, Latvia
What happened
A Polish-Lithuanian army under Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, with its famous winged hussars, fought a Swedish army led by King Charles IX. The Swedish army, about three times larger, was besieging Riga. Chodkiewicz pretended to retreat to draw the Swedes down from their ridge. When they advanced, the hussars charged and broke both Swedish flanks, and the Swedish army collapsed.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It is remembered as one of the most famous victories of the Polish winged hussars. The Swedish king abandoned the siege of Riga.
What came next
The Commonwealth could not follow up the victory because its soldiers were unpaid, and the war went on until a truce in 1611.
Did you know?
Kircholm is one of the battles named on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw.
Timeline
- 17 September 1605The Polish-Lithuanian army wins at Kircholm.
- 1605Charles IX abandons the siege of Riga.
- 1611A truce is agreed.