Siege of Zbarazh

A war before the Deluge

The siege of Zbarazh began in June 1649, six years before the Deluge. The Crown army defended a fortified camp against the forces of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and their Tatar allies. The Sejm appointed temporary commanders to replace captive hetmans, among them Stanisław Lanckoroński. According to the Polish Army Museum, Jeremi Wiśniowiecki took command in practice¹².

Aleksander Koniecpolski behind the earthworks

Aleksander Koniecpolski defended the camp with his own cavalry company. The Polish Biographical Dictionary describes his 13 July sortie: his cavalry left the earthworks and struck the attackers' flank. The siege gave him experience he later brought to the army fighting Sweden³.

Relief and the link to the Deluge

John Casimir marched to relieve the camp. A battle at Zboriv and subsequent talks ended the siege. This was not a battle of the Deluge or a war with Sweden. It helps explain why the Commonwealth army and treasury were already strained by an eastern war in 1655. More context: Why did Sweden invade?¹⁴.