Starcie pod Rutkami 20 maja 1831 r. w świetle opinii generała Ignacego Prądzyńskiego
The armed clash in Rutki on May 20, 1831 in the light of the opinion of General Ignacy Prądzyński

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the reliability of General Ignacy Prądzyński’s diaries based on the de- scription of the armed clash in Rutki on May 20, 1831. In addition to the battle itself, the relations in the Polish army headquarters at the end of April and the beginning of May were also analyzed, with special emphasis on the conflict between the Commander-in-Chief and the quartermaster general. This conflict significantly influenced Prądzyński’s account not only of the expedition against the guard, but also of the entire November Uprising. The real clash differed from its description in Prądzyński’s diaries. The guardsmen put up a strong resistance in the forest between Kołomyjka and Rutki, taking advantage of the favorable terrain for defense. They also managed to conceal their actual numbers. Writing his diaries years later, General Prądzyński already knew the course and outcome of the combat, from both the Polish and Russian perspective, but information about the enemy was not available in the course of the action. The whole description was justified and led to the undermining of the competence and skills of the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, General Jan Skrzynecki.

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