Battle of Bronnitsy

Battle of Bronnitsy
Part of Ingrian War
Jacob De la Gardie
Date July 16, 1614 Location Novgorod Oblast, Russia Result Swedish victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Sweden	Muscovite Tsardom
Commanders and leaders
Jacob De la Gardie	Dmitry Trubetskoy
Strength
Few thousand mercenaries	Several thousand militia and Cossacks
Casualties and losses
Light	Heavy

The Battle of Bronnitsy was part of the Ingrian War.

Prelude

After the Battle of Klushino, the Swedish troops located in Russia, called in 1609 by Vasily Shuisky, declared war on Russia and in 1611 occupied Novgorod land. The Siege of Tikhvin in 1613 was unsuccessful for the Swedes, and in spring of 1614, Tsar Michael Romanov sent an army to the liberation of occupied Novgorod.

Battle

In April 1614, the Russian army made a camp near Bronnitsy in Novgorod Oblast, preparing for an offensive against Novgorod. The army consisted primarily of militiamen, mared by weak discipline and conflicts between noblemen and Cossacks. Swedish Governor of Novgorod Jacob De la Gardie decided to act quickly and on July 16, 1614, defeated the Russians in the open battle. After that, the Swedes blocked the Russian camp, where famine soon began. Trubetskoy broke through the blockade and retreated to Torzhok , bearing heavy losses.

Aftermath

As a result of the victory at Bronnitsy, the Swedes regained military initiative in the Ingrian War and began the siege of Gdov, who covered the road to Pskov from the north.