499:. The fortress was now designed to serve as a center of resistance deep behind enemy lines if the Russian army were forced to retreat from Poland. The works were carried out in great haste, not all equipment was fitted, and some construction materials were improvised and hence of lower quality. Even with these defects, the fortress with its nineteen forts was one of the strongest fortifications in Europe at the outbreak of World War I. The Russian high command expected that if surrounded by the German armies it would hold out for many months, serving as a major thorn in the German rear.
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from attacking artillery; by 1900, even field guns could fire past that distance. Sukhomlinov was overruled. Instead of being razed, the fort system was slated for an 800 million ruble upgrade with a new belt of forts to be added. The fortress was also to receive a large number of heavy artillery pieces. The intensive new construction work started in 1912 and continued almost until the German army approached the fortress in 1915 during
318:, Napoleon ordered a fort to be built on two islands located at the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula. The fortification was to be temporary and was to become primarily a supply depot and a huge granary, serving as a supply centre for the forces operating in Poland or Russia. The construction started almost immediately, although Chief Engineer of the French forces Gen.
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535:, the commander of the Polish sector, knew that to garrison the forts was a trap and the impregnability was an illusion. However, he was swayed by men of a higher social standing and left a garrison to defend Novogeorgievsk. The troops that he was able to spare were the remnants of the II. Siberian division, the 63rd division, and 58th division.
463:. The most notable new work built was a fortified barracks building 2,200 m in length, which was to serve as the last line of defense for the fortress. After 1841 construction work largely ceased, and over the next 40 years the fortress gradually became obsolete. However, in 1844 the large granary building was built at the estuary of the
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Bugonarew, and a moat protecting the camp from the east. During the Battle of Nowy Dwór, Polish forces blocked the crossing of
Swedish troops for ten days, then, forced to retreat by Swedish artillery fire, they broke away from the enemy, using the fortifications and terrain obstacles, avoiding destruction.
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Some parts of the fortress are open to tourists. At the same time, the Polish military still has many facilities in the area and thus some redoubts are inaccessible. Some abandoned redoubts are not maintained and have deteriorated badly, with many metal elements having been pillaged for scrap. The
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became the War
Minister for the Russian Empire, one proposal he made was to scrap the bulk of the Russian fortress system, and Novogeorgievsk was a prime example of why they should be scrapped: The outer forts were initially built at a distance of about eight kilometers from the citadel to protect it
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decided to build the fortress on the northern bank of the river rather than on the islands. The work started in early 1807, yet went on very slowly. It was not until the following year that the pace was speeded up and in 1809 the first casemates and walls were ready. It was there that the core of the
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river, one facing the village of Modlin and one in the centre). The ravelins were between 800 and 1000 meters away from the main line of fortifications, in order to reinforce the defenses against new models of heavy artillery. The second part of the fortress was the Kazuń bridgehead on the left bank
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potentially aimed against Russia, the decision was made to expand the fortress and upgrade it to modern standards. In the years 1883–1888 eight modern forts were added, roughly forming a ring with 2 to 4 km distance from the central fortress. In the following years these forts were modernized.
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and envisioned Modlin to become the main fortress behind his lines. By
September 1811 more than 19,000 people were taking part in the works. Because of that the authorities of the Duchy of Warsaw were considering to grant Modlin with a city charter, which however did not succeed. Although the
331:. Soon after the outer rim of defences on the right bank of the Vistula was ready. It ran more or less along the inner line of modern fortifications. It consisted of a semi-circular earthwork reinforced with wooden stockade and five bastions. In addition, the area was guarded by two fortified
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is located within the fortress area. It re-opened as the second civilian airport for the city of Warsaw in July 2012. In 2013 the Modlin
Fortress was sold to private investors after being on the market for five years, but some key features such as the Tatar Tower and the White Tower must be
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The first modern fortifications in the area of today's citadel were built by the forces of the Polish
Masovian troops, which established a camp here in September 1655 to defend against the Swedish invasion. These were fortified artillery positions defending the crossings over the Vistula and
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From the very beginning of French presence in Poland, Bonaparte's engineers started to fortify the border with Russia, expecting either a
Russian offensive towards western Europe – or a future offensive of the French armies towards Petersburg and Moscow. In December 1806, while in
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caused a rethinking of
Russian strategy. In particular the idea of concentrating forces in the interior away from the borders before hostilities began to gain popularity. This approach would eliminate the need for a chain of border fortresses to screen the mobilizing units.
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In 1810 the very concept of the fort was changed and
Napoleon decided to turn Modlin into a pivotal fortress in his line of fortifications and expand it significantly by adding an outer rim of defenses. General de Chasseloup-Laubat was replaced with a famous French engineer
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was the abandonment of the fortresses especially
Novogeorgievsk. Novogeorgievsk was seen as the "symbol of Russian rule in Poland." It would also mean the abandonment of Poland, which would compromise their ability to negotiate for more territory if the Allies won.
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in 1834 and during the years 1832–1841 underwent a huge expansion, to host garrison troops who were tasked with preventing another Polish uprising, as well as defend Russia's western frontiers. It was part of the chain of fortresses which included Warsaw,
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at Moscow, the fortress was taken over by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw. On 5 February 1813 the
Russian army of 36,000 soldiers arrived to the fortress and laid siege to it. The Polish forces under Dutch general
421:, a state which was a part of the Russian Empire, but had considerable autonomy and an army of its own. It was weakly manned by Polish and Russian units, and little new construction work was carried out. During the
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of 1830 the fortress was prepared for defense by Polish units, but the Russian army did not storm it. It surrendered on 9 October 1831 as one of the last points controlled by Polish units during the uprising.
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fortress, located approximately 1.5 km from the rivers and with several forts guarding the area from the west. However, the project was never accomplished as in 1806 the area became part of the
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The French plans included a fortified area composed of three, semi-independent fortifications. The main line of defences was located on the right bank of Vistula and Narew, and was composed of a
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In summer of 1915, the Russians were reeling from the German attacks in Poland. They were faced with the reality of giving up Poland to the Germans or have their forces cut off from retreat.
363:. It is not certain whether the authors of the expansion were the two to supervise its construction, or Napoleon himself. The works continued on a very fast pace as Napoleon was planning his
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Warsaw fortified region, including Warsaw and Novogeorgievsk fortresses and connecting works. Works marked in grey were planned but never built. By 1914 the Warsaw fortress was deactivated.
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equipment. Its main purpose was to provide cover for Warsaw from enemy attacks from the North. The fortress also housed several military barracks and military colleges for
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Paaskoski, J. (1998). "A Dutch Fortification Officer, Count Jan Pieter van Suchtelen in the Russian Service in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries".
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following year, shortly before the outbreak of the Franco-Russian War, the number of workers exceeded 20 thousands, the fortress was never fully completed.
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ensconced the Army of Łódź in the fortress after failing to fight his way back to Warsaw, and his was one of the last Polish military units to capitulate.
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was a star-shaped fortified military camp, located probably close to the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula, at the so-called
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At the same time, additional defensive works were built to integrate the fortress into the larger fortified region around Warsaw.
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of July 1656. After the Swedish defeat the fort was demolished in 1660 and the area remained unfortified for roughly 150 years.
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After the November Uprising of 1830 the Russian rule over Congress Poland became more severe. The Modlin fortress was renamed
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and Narew was known to various armies throughout the ages. The first fortified stronghold was built in Zakroczym by the
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defended the fortress until 1 December 1813. It was the last of the French fortresses along the Vistula to capitulate.
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early in the war. In a stroke of luck, his forces captured the chief engineer of Novogeorgievsk on the first day. The
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Defensive work in Fort XV, one of the forts constructed in 1912–1915 and a site of heavy fighting during World War I
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designed the granary not only for storing food, but also as a defensible position at the bridgehead of the rivers.
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lasted only a matter of days. When it fell, the Germans captured 1,600 guns and close to a million shells.
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located between Vistula and Narew and the fourth was an artillery nest located on the
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710:. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 841; see line 4.
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Next modern fortified position was built there in 1656 by the Swedish armies during
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Grodziska Mazowsza i Podlasia (W Granicach Dawnego Województwa Warszawskiego)
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Legions of the East: A Compendium of the Russian Army in the First World War
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on the left bank of the Vistula and the other next to Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.
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271:. The camp was also guarding a wooden bridge over the Vistula prior to the
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Napoleonovskie vojny 1799–1815; Biograficheskiy enciklopedicheskiy slovar
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and served as the main supply depot of the Swedish army during the
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A first-class fortress of Russian Poland (called Modlin till 1831)
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Jaarboek van de Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde, 1998
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of the Vistula, composed of a single ravelin. The third was a
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To capture Novogeorgievsk, the Germans transferred General
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About fortress Modlin, with maps and plans (in Polish)
983:. Great Falls, VA: Counterintelligence Consulting LLC.
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Vera Delineatio Castrorum Suecicorum prope Nowodwor,
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After the First World War Modlin became part of the
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The strategic importance of the area limited by the
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838:[A Brief History of the Modlin Fortress].
725:"Najciekawsze budowle militarne w Twierdzy Modlin"
446:Russian artillery captured at Novo Georgievsk 1915
1052:Buildings and structures in Masovian Voivodeship
118:One of the bridgeheads on the other side of the
306:, a rump Polish state created by and allied to
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942:Zalesskiy, Konstantin Aleksandrovič (2003).
355:(later a naturalized Pole under the name of
220:river, approximately 50 kilometers north of
1062:Tourist attractions in Masovian Voivodeship
864:(in Polish). 12 August 2013. Archived from
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1067:Establishments in the First French Empire
1000:Pre-WWII aerial photograph of the complex
80:Learn how and when to remove this message
834:Wołoszański, Bogusław (13 August 2013).
667:. Warsaw: Gajewski L. 1976. p. 169.
417:After 1815 the fortress found itself in
43:This article includes a list of general
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224:. It was originally constructed by the
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581:Modlin fortress was the place of the
200:) is one of the largest 19th-century
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860:[Modlin Fortress was sold].
544:siege to the Belgian city of Antwerp
438:Barracks within the Modlin Fortress.
323:Polish Army was stationed after the
858:"Twierdza Modlin została sprzedana"
607:preserved for the visiting public.
286:the area was incorporated into the
928:Fortyfikacje poligonalne XIX wieku
396:, Gen. Prevo-Vernois and Lt. Col.
49:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1057:Establishments in Congress Poland
836:"Krótka historia Twierdzy Modlin"
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919:Wojciechowski, Mariusz (2000).
562:and was modernized with modern
430:Russian Fortress Novogeorgievsk
327:against the invading forces of
208:. It is located in the town of
148:France, Imperial Russia, Poland
972:A Short History of World War I
375:with 4 bastions and 3 linking
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970:Stokesbury, James L. (2002).
640:Modlin (Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki)
320:François de Chasseloup-Laubat
946:. Moscow: AST. p. 828.
482:The defeat of Russia in the
963:The Eastern Front 1914–1917
896:Lankhorst, Otto S. (1998).
842:(in Polish). Archived from
683:De rebus a Carolo Gustavo…,
413:Fortress in Congress Poland
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542:who had successfully laid
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400:. After the defeat of the
885:Baltic Studies, Groningen
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979:Deyo, Daniel C. (2016).
965:. London: Penguin Books.
353:Jean Mallet de Granville
292:Jan Pieter van Suchtelen
27:Large fortress in Poland
707:Encyclopædia Britannica
624:is in fact a peninsula.
548:Siege of Novogeorgievsk
373:polygonal fortification
298:. The fort was to be a
64:more precise citations.
974:. New York: Perennial.
961:Stone, Norman (1998).
701:"Novogeorgievsk"
685:Norymberga 1696, p. 20
560:Second Polish Republic
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503:Capture by the Germans
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407:Herman Willem Daendels
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252:in the 11th century.
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507:Further information:
490:In 1909 when General
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868:on 9 September 2013.
492:Vladimir Sukhomlinov
290:. Shortly afterward
284:Partitions of Poland
210:Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki
104:Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki
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524:The problem of the
467:. Polish architect
273:battle of Zakroczym
228:from 1806 to 1812.
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620:A misnomer as the
587:invasion of Poland
585:during the German
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484:Russo-Japanese War
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398:Filip Mięciszewski
365:campaign in Russia
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308:Napoleon Bonaparte
145:Controlled by
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589:in 1939. General
533:Mikhail Alekseyev
423:November Uprising
394:Ignacy Prądzyński
359:), aided by Gen.
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263:. The so-called
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174:Battles/wars
169:1812–present
153:Site history
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70:January 2013
67:
48:
1026: /
731:(in Polish)
597:Present day
497:World War I
465:Narew River
333:bridgeheads
166:In use
62:introducing
1041:Categories
1014:20°40′55″E
1011:52°26′18″N
933:6 February
910:6 February
891:: 136–154.
877:References
819:Stone 1998
795:Stone 1998
780:Stone 1998
765:Stone 1998
750:Stone 1998
282:After the
265:Bugskansen
261:The Deluge
202:fortresses
45:references
651:Footnotes
568:anti-tank
457:Ivangorod
335:, one in
296:Zakroczym
161:1806–1812
106:, Poland
862:Newsweek
840:Newsweek
629:See also
377:ravelins
735:4 April
564:bunkers
526:retreat
386:redoubt
329:Austria
300:bastion
238:Vistula
232:History
216:on the
134:citadel
131:Bastion
58:improve
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924:(http)
901:(http)
459:, and
381:Utrata
316:Poznań
226:French
222:Warsaw
214:Modlin
206:Poland
194:Polish
47:, but
611:Notes
337:Kazuń
218:Narew
158:Built
120:Narew
948:ISBN
935:2006
912:2006
737:2021
576:NCOs
570:and
246:Wkra
127:Type
242:Bug
204:in
1043::
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