Polish Armies of the Partitions 1770–94
The tragic national epic of Polish history began in these late 18th-century wars.
Under Poland's Saxon monarchy, Russia and Prussia constantly meddled in the affairs of the Kingdom. In 1768 a civil war broke out between pro-Russian 'Commonwealth' Poles and 'Confederate' patriots who opposed foreign intervention; Russia intervened directly, and the First Partition followed in 1772. Guerrilla resistance continued, and, following a Second Partition between Russia and Prussia in 1793, Poland's national hero Thaddeus Kosciusko led a national uprising against the invaders in April 1794. After remarkable victories against the odds at Raclawice and Warsaw, the patriots were finally defeated at Maciejowice, and Poland ceased to exist as a political nation.
Featuring specially commissioned full-color illustrations, this is the epic story of Poland's doomed struggle to remain independent in the face of aggression from its neighbours in the late 18th century.
Vincent W. Rospond received his Masters in Eastern European History from the University of Illinois as well as studying at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He has spent almost 20 years as an executive in the publishing and gaming industry. Vincent caught the history bug early and has spent the past 50 years collecting books and miscellanea covering his interests, and he has written articles on a variety of historical periods.
Raffaele Ruggeri studied at the Fine Arts Academy and worked in several areas of graphics and design before deciding to devote himself to illustration. He has long been interested in military history and has illustrated a number of books for Osprey including MAA 547, Roman Army Units in the Eastern Provinces (2) and CBT 55, Roman Legionary vs Gallic Warrior.