# Death of Józef Poniatowski (1813)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1813-death-of-jozef-poniatowski
Location: Leipzig
Categories: battle

Newly made a Marshal of France, Poniatowski drowned in the Elster covering the retreat. Within the broader Napoleonic & Congress Poland period: Poles fought beside Napoleon in hope of restoring their state, gaining the Duchy of Warsaw. After 1815 the Congress Kingdom of Poland enjoyed a constitution under the Russian tsar until the November Uprising. At this point in the timeline (19 October 1813), the governing authority was Frederick Augustus I (Duke of Warsaw). King of Saxony appointed by Napoleon as Duke of Warsaw; grandson of Augustus III. Death of Józef Poniatowski 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
Death of Józef Poniatowski mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Frederick Augustus I](https://poland-history.com/rulers/frederick-augustus-i)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Józef Poniatowski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Poniatowski)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Death of Józef Poniatowski](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Death+of+J%C3%B3zef+Poniatowski)
- [Wikipedia — Congress Poland (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_Poland)