Korsun, Battle of 1648

a battle between Ukrainian cossacks under the command of Bogdan KhmePnitskii (15,000-17,000 cossacks and 4,000 Crimean Tatars) and Polish troops under the command of the hetmans N. Potocki and M. Kalinowski (over 20,000 men), fought on May 15-16 during the War for the Liberation of the Ukrainian People in 1648-54.

After the rout of the Polish vanguard at Zheltye Vody, the main forces of the Polish troops took up defensive positions at Korsun’, waiting for J. Wisniowiecki’s detachment to move up. On May 15 the Tatars unsuccessfully attacked the left wing of the Polish defensive positions between Korsun’ and Steblev. Through a rapid and skillful troop maneuver, KhmePnitskii forced Potocki to give up the position he had occupied and begin a retreat through the forest, where abatises and ambushes had been prepared by the detachment of 6,000 men led by M. Krivonos. As a result of simultaneous surprise strikes by the main forces and Krivonos’ detachment, the Polish troops were encircled and routed; more than 8,500 men, the entire artillery, and the two hetmans were captured. The victory at the battle of Korsun’ was the signal for a general popular uprising in the Ukraine.