The Battle of Vác, fought between 15 and 17 July 1849, was one of two important battles which took place in Vác during the Hungarian War of Independence. This battle, fought between the Russian Empire's intervention forces led by Field Marshal Ivan Paskevichand and the Hungarian Army of the Upper Danube led by General Artúr Görgei, was part of the Summer Campaign. After the lost battle of Komárom from 11 July 1849, Görgei tried to lead his army to the planned concentration point of the Hungarian troops around Szeged, but the Russians cut his road at Vác. In the battle, the still convalescent Görgei (who was suffering from a head injury suffered in the battle of Komárom fought on 2 July) managed to capture Vác from the Russians, repulse the Russian attacks, then to retreat towards North-East, as much superior Russian forces arrived. Fearing that Görgei will cut their supply lines, after the battle, the four times bigger Russian army, instead of marching towards Szeged in order to unite with the Austrian main army of Field Marshal Julius Jacob von Haynau, and to crush the much weaker Hungarian forces which were gathering there, followed Görgei's retreating troops, enabling them to arrive to the Hungarian concentration point with several days in front of them, creating the condition to unite with the Southern Hungarian troops, and crush the Austrian army of Haynau before the Russians arrived (it was not Görgei's fault that this opportunity failed, but mainly Henryk Dembiński's who, as the Hungarian commander of the Southern main forces, instead of North, he marched towards South, and met Haynau alone in the Battle of Temesvár). Considering the fact that the actual plan of Görgei was to arrive to the concentration point before the Russians, and, as a result of the battle of Vác from 15 to 17 July, he managed to achieve this, this battle is considered a strategic victory for the Hungarians.
Background After the Hungarian defeat at Third Battle of Komárom (11 July), it had become clear for Görgei's, that his plan, expressed by him, in front of his officers, during the deliberations from 6 July, to remain, with his troops in Western Hungary, operating independently, and defying Governor Lajos Kossuth's orders to move with the Army of the Upper Dunabe to the concentration point of all the Hungarian armies to Szeged, could not be fulfilled.Bánlaky József: A váci ütközet. 1849. július 15-én. A magyar nemzet hadtörténete XXI Arcanum Adatbázis Kft. 2001 This situation left him only two options: one was to remain at Komárom, but this could threaten him to be locked inside the fortress, and, in case of a Russian advance in that direction, to be besieged there, and the second option was to fulfill Kossuth's order, and march with the bulk of his army on the left (Northern) bank of the Danube, which was still from the Austrian troops, which occupied the whole right side after their victory from 11 July. The war council held in the evening of the battle decided the second option, but left General György Klapka with the II. and VIII. corps (around 20,000 soldiers: 22 infantry battalions, 12 cavalry companies, and, besides the fortress guns, 48 field cannons) to defend Komárom.
The Russian main troops entered in Hungary on the middle of June through the Northern Carpathian Mountains. On 15 June the III. corps led by Cavalry General Friedrich von Rüdiger entered Hungary at Ófalu, on 17–19 June the main army corps (the II. and the IV.) led by Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich entered in Hungary in four smaller columns and a reserve column.. On 19 June there were already 100,000 Russian troops between Lubló and Ladomérmező, and started their advance towards Eperjes and Kassa. On 17 June the Russian independent detachment, numbering 18,000 soldiers, led by Lieutenant General Pavel Grabbe entered in Hungary at Alsókubin, defeating on 22 June the 3,500 soldiers of Ármin Görgey (Artúr Görgei's brother) at Túrócszentmárton, and occupied the mining towns from Northern Hungary (Besztercebánya, Körmöcbánya, Igló, Selmecbánya, etc.).. The Hungarian troops facing the main Russian army led by Paskevich, were the IX. corps under the commandership of General Józef Wysocki, comprising 4 brigades, and the independent Kazinczy division, but the latter, being positioned in the Ung, Bereg and Máramaros counties, where in the next two months almost no military activity occurred, except one single battle (28 July at Klimec), his troops numbering 7,000 soldiers,Bánlaky József: 33. fejezet. A magyar nemzet hadtörténete XXI Arcanum Adatbázis Kft. 2001 were left outside the military actions. So Wysocki's 9,600 soldiers and 23 guns had to face alone the more than ten times bigger Russian armies.Bánlaky József: 28. fejezet. A magyar nemzet hadtörténete XXI Arcanum Adatbázis Kft. 2001 In this situation the Polish general could apply only one reasonable tactic: to delay the Russian advance. From time to time he stopped, deployed his troops, forcing the Russians to do the same, and although every time suffered defeats (on 20 June at Lófalu and Héthárs, and on 23 June at Somos), but he managed to delay their advance. Despite this the Russian troops reached at 23 June Eperjes and on 24 Kassa. On 28 June the Russian troops reached Miskolc and Tokaj, where, after a successful battle, they took control over the crossing point over the river Tisza. At Miskolc the Russian army had to stop difficulties because of the cholera epidemic which swept through the country and also the difficulties of the food supply, Paskevich sending Lieutenant General Tscheodayev with a corps across the Tisza to occupy Debrecen to gather food there, then to return from there, and meet with the main troops at Tiszafüred at 9 July. Tscheodayev accomplished his task, arriving back to Tisza at Tokaj at 9 July, and met again with Paskevich at Miskolc in the same day. Now having food supplies for 25 days, Paskevich started his march against Pest through Kápolna, Mezőkövesd, Gyöngyös and Hatvan..
Prelude On 12 July evening, Görgei marched out of Komárom towards the East on the Northern shore of the Danube. Görgei had at his disposal the I., III., and VII. corps and the column of Ármin Görgey, in total around 27,000 men (35 infantry battalions, 45 cavalry companies, and 140 cannons). At 7.00 p.m. the column of Ármin Görgey left the first the fortress, then at 9 the I. corps, while the III. and the VII. corps left Komárom after midnight. The march was organized in such a way that the troops could enter in battle formation if they were attacked, leaving their luggage behind them, and the distance between the marching corps was short enough to be able to support each other's if they were attacked. On the 13th Artúr Görgei was still very ill as a result of his serious wounding in the battle of Komárom on 2 July, and because of this he could not lead his troops from horseback but followed them in a light carriage..
During the night of 14 to 15 July, at Hatvan, Paskevich heard that Görgei's troops started their march towards Vác.. Upon this Paskevich sent the II. and the III.corps towards Vác, to cut Görgei's route to the South, towards Szeged, and he sent the IV. corps led by Tscheodayev to Miskolc, considering the eventuality that Görgei wanted to march in that direction to cut off the Russians supply routes.
Opposing forces
Commander in chief: General Artúr Görgei; 226 ½ infantry companies, 48 ½ cavalry companies, 147 cannons, 27,834 soldiers..
Corps Division Infantry company Cavalry company Saddled horse Traction horse Cannon NumberI. Corps
General József NagysándorMáriássy infantry division
Colonel János Máriássy 30 - 29 228 17 3,541Bobich infantry division
Colonel János Bobich 36 - 27 172 20 3,231Mesterházy cavalry division
Colonel István Mesterházy - 12 1,133 96 6 1,297Sappers and guerillas 7 - - - - 684 Total 73 12 1,189 496 43 8,726III. Corps
General Károly Leiningen-WesterburgCzillich infantry division
Colonel Ede Czillich 35 - 20 199 16 3,664Földváry infantry division
Lieutenant Colonel Károly Földváry 36 - 16 93 10 3,519Puchly cavalry division
Lieutenant Colonel János Puchly - 16 1692 106 6 1,801Artillery reserve - - 21 237 14 293 Total 71 16 1,749 635 46 9,277VII. Corps
General Ernő PoeltenbergPosta infantry division
Major Ferenc Posta 32 - - 95 8 2,750Liptay infantry division
Lieutenant Colonel Ferenc Liptay 34 - - 96 6 3,025Berzsenyi cavalry division
Colonel Lénárd Berzsenyi - 16 1,408 312 23 1,766Column of Lieutenant Colonel Johann Weissl 11 - - 273 11 1,090 Total 77 16 1,408 776 48 8,631Detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Ármin Görgey 5 ½ ½ 86 85 10 80013. Hussar Regiment - 4 400 - - 400 Grand total 226 ½ 48 ½ 4,832 1,992 147 27,834
Commander in chief: Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich; 237 infantry companies, 88 cavalry companies, 234 cannons, 52,831 soldiers..
Corps Division Infantry company Cavalry company Cannon NumberII. Infantry Corps
Lieutenant General Pavel Jakovlevich Kupriyanov2. light cavalry division
Lieutenant General - 27 - 3,3604. infantry division
Lieutenant General Anton Mihaylovics Karlovich 48 - - 7,2965. infantry division
Lieutenant General Anton Mihaylovics Karlovich 56 - - 9,127Other infantry units 5 - - 8952. artillery division
Lieutenant General Adam Yosipovich Serjputovskiy - - 114 3,176Other units - 6 - 897 Total 109 33 114 24,733III. Infantry Corps
Lieutenant General Friedrich von Rüdiger3. light cavalry division
Lieutenant General Ivan Petrovich Offenberg - 32 - 3,829Cossack regiments - 12 - 1,2967. infantry division
Lieutenant General Petr Fydorovich von Kaufman 64 - - 9,5838. infantry division
Lieutenant General Anton Grigoryevich Lisetskiy 40 - - 5,8559. infantry division 24 - - 3,4323. artillery division
Major General Ivan Petrovics Miller - - 120 3,053Other units - 11 - 1,050 Total 128 55 120 28,098 Grand total 237 88 234 52,831.
Battle 15 July
On the morning of 15 July, the Hungarian vanguard formed by the detachment of Ármin Görgey approaching Vác found the Transcaucasian Muslim cavalry led by prince Colonel David Osipovich Bebutov at Nagymaros and Verőce, and in the fight which followed, they chased them out of these localities and also from Vác, pursuing them until Újfalu. At 10 a.m. the I. Hungarian corps arrived in Vác and occupied their defensive positions in front of the Seven Chapels hill (Hétkápolna domb), between the Gombás creek and the Danube. Hearing about this, General Rüdiger at 9 a.m. ordered Lieutenant General Offenberg to ride with his own cavalry division and the 1. brigade of the 2. cavalry division to ride to Vác from the direction of Kisújfalu, and to General Grigory Zass, who was leading the Russian vanguard, to join with his cavalry and cavalry artillery Bebutov, but leave his infantry back at Gödöllő, hoping that in this way they can avoid to enter in battle with the Hungarians before the rest of the Russian troops arrived. But Zass did not followed Rüdiger's plan, advancing with all his troops to Vác, arriving at noon to Sződ.