# Battle of Racławice (1794)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1794-battle-of-raclawice
Location: Racławice
Categories: battle

Kościuszko's army, reinforced by peasant scythemen, defeated a Russian corps near Racławice. The scythemen's capture of Russian guns became a legend of the uprising. Within the broader Reform & Partitions period: Under Stanisław August the Commonwealth attempted sweeping Enlightenment reforms, culminating in the Constitution of 3 May 1791, while Russia, Prussia and Austria carved up its territory in three partitions. At this point in the timeline (4 April 1794), the governing authority was Stanisław August Poniatowski (King of Poland). Last King of Poland; patron of the Enlightenment and the Constitution of 3 May 1791, he abdicated after the Third Partition. Battle of Racławice mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Battle of Racławice mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Stanisław August Poniatowski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/stanislaw-august-poniatowski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Racławice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rac%C5%82awice)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Racławice](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Rac%C5%82awice)
- [Wikipedia — Partitions of Poland (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland)