Andrzej Grzegorz Przepiórka. Mіlіtary operatіons of the Grand Duchy of Lіthuanіa near Smalensk іn 1614

In June of 1614, in the result of the offensive, Moscow army got back most of territories lost in 1609-11, and in October it started the blockade of Smalensk. Due to the lack of money, Hetman Jan Karol Chadkievich couldn’t organize the support of Smalensk garrison which consisted of several hundreds of warriors only. Just in May, 1614, Aleksander Sapieha, the head of Orsha, took an attempt to break the blockade with 3 000 of cavalry and 400 of infantry but he wasn’t a success. Having transposed the forces and obtained the help, Sapieha with Lisowski had managed at last to get to Smalensk before July, 11. However, supplies and reinforcement they had brought weren’t sufficient. So, in the beginning of December, Sapieha at the head of 1 000 of infantry and several hundreds of cavalry had to deliver provisions and additional forces to Smalensk. Twotimes’ break through the blockade of Smalensk by the Grand Duchy army had prevented the loss of such an important fortress. This had a great influence on the further course of the war and was a considerable trump in negotiations with Moscow.