Battle of Pered

Thanks to the victories of the Spring Campaign, the Hungarian Revolutionary Army liberated much of Hungary from the occupation of the numerically and technologically superior Habsburg armies and their Serbian, Romanian, and Croatian allies. The Hungarian army of Transylvania, led by Lieutenant General Józef Bem even managed to chase out from the province the first Russian intervention troops (7000 soldiers), which entered there in the winter of 1849. From the end of March the Austrian politicians and military leaders understood that the Habsburg Empire is incapable of crushing their revolution by relying on their strength. So, based on the Münchengrätz Agreements from 1833, according to which the Habsburg and Russian Empires and Prussia agreed to help each other if their sovereignty is threatened by a revolt or revolution, Austria decided to ask for Russian help against the Hungarian Revolution, although initially, they were reluctant to do that, because they were conscious that this will cause them a big loss of prestige. Although the Hungarian Government led by Bertalan Szemere and Governor President Lajos Kossuth believed that the European nations would not allow Russia to intervene in Hungary, the European states and England agreed with Russian intervention to crush the Hungarian revolution, thus Lord Palmerston replied to the question of the Russian ambassador about the reaction of England to Russian intervention in Hungary, saying: Finish them quickly!, demanding that after they fulfilled their task to return in Russia immediately. Although England worried about Russian intervention in Hungary, its first concern was that the Russian Empire to not advance in the Balkans, and an important condition for this was a strong Habsburg Empire. Görgei planned to attack towards Pozsony and Vienna quickly before the main Russian army started its attack on the Eastern and Northern fronts against Hungary. To this end he and his chief of the general staff, Lieutenant-Colonel József Bayer, created at end of May the Central Operational Bureau (Központi Hadműveleti Iroda), to coordinate the movements of the different units of the Hungarian main army corps gathered in the Western Front. Besides the troops which the Central Operational Bureau disposed of (I., II., III. and parts of the VIII. corps), on the Western Front was another army grouping to which the VII. corps from the Rába line, led by Ernő Poeltenberg (from 6 May Colonel, and from 7 June General), and the garrison of Komárom (the VIII. corps) belonged, and this was led by Major General György Klapka, commander of the garrison of Komárom. Klapka refused to submit to the orders of the chief of the general staff József Bayer, actioning independently. Görgei planned to attack as quickly as possible the Austrian troops on the Western Border of Hungary with the I., II., III., and parts of the VIII. corps, which were under the Central Operational Bureau's command, on the left Bank of the Danube, while the remainder of his troops had to protect the defensive line based on the Rába and Marcal rivers. Before the attack, he hoped that the 12,000 soldiers led by Józef Bem, coming from the southern front and Transylvania, promised by Kossuth to arrive to join his forces (unfortunately Bem refused to come, saying that this will leave Transylvania defenseless against the imminent Russian invasion). The Hungarian armies at the beginning of the Summer Campaign consisted of 150,000 soldiers, 464 field, and 393 defensive (castle) cannons. Another problem of the Hungarian army was that many of the talented, experienced Hungarian generals, who helped decisively the success of the Spring Campaign, were no more available (János Damjanich, who broke his leg; Lajos Aulich who became ill; András Gáspár) who resigned from the Hungarian army because of political reasons) and General Görgei was forced to put in their place other officers who were talented soldiers, but were not experienced as army corps leaders, many of them lacking capacity of acting independently when it needed and they had no order to do so, but the military situation required this. So, Görgei put General Károly Knezić in Damjanich's place to lead III. corps, Colonel Lajos Asbóth in Aulich's place to lead II. corps, General Ernő Poeltenberg in Gáspár's place. taking the place of Görgei, who became War Minister, had to give his position at the head of his corps to General József Nagysándor. From the West, the imperial troops which were preparing to attack Hungary were led by Lieutenant Field Marshal Haynau, the commander-in-chief of all the Habsburg forces outside Italy, were about 83,000 soldiers (71,000 Austrians and a 12,000-strong Russian army corps led by Lieutenant General Feodor Sergeyevich Panyutyin) and 336 cannons, against nearly 51,000 Hungarian soldiers (except a part of the garrison of the fortress of Komárom, the VIII. corps, which could not be moved out from the fortress to fight in open field) with 196 field and 244 defensive cannons used only in the fortifications, led by General Görgei. The concentration, in the opportunity of a battle of these troops was impossible, because of the great length of the front, consisting in total 250 kilometers. The Austrian troops which faced the Hungarians in the Western, under the high command of Lieutenant Field Marshal Julius Jacob von Haynau were positioned as follows. On the right (Southern) bank of the Danube: the III. corps under the lead of Lieutenant General von Moltke was stationed around Sopron having 16,200 men, This attack had to attract some of the imperial troops towards the south, to make the task of the main Hungarian attack along the Vág river easier. Haynau indeed sent the order to his troops to move southwards and cross the Danube, but this was not given because Kmety's victory impressed him, but because the imperial commander wanted to start the general offensive there towards Komárom. ==Prelude==

On 16 June, Colonel Lajos Asbóth, the commander of the II. corps, with around 8000 soldiers, started an attack towards Pered, but, despite initial successes, in the Battle of Zsigárd suffered a defeat, mainly because of the III. corps led by Major General Károly Knezić, which did not come to his rescue. The attack of the I. corps led by Major General József Nagysándor against the Austrian entrenched encampment from Sempte, but he too suffered a defeat. Hearing about these defeats, Görgei decided to repeat the attack on Pered, but with more troops. So he ordered the II. corps together with the reserve (IV.) corps to occupy the banks of Vág, making a bridgehead at Sempte. On 18 June Wohlgemuth installed his headquarters at Galánta. So, on 18 June the Pott and the Theissing brigades of the II. corps received the order to do a reconnaissance-in-force towards Alsószeli, Lieutenant General Ludwig von Wohlgemuth was named the commandment of the Austro-Russian forces which faced Görgei's troops. Around 2:00 a.m., when the II. corps was still crossing, Görgei arrived at Aszódpuszta. - III. corps: Commander: General Károly Knezić, from 21 June Colonel Károly Leiningen-Westerburg; • Czillich division: 3 line infantry battalions, 2 Honvéd battalions, 2 sapper companies, 16 six-puonder cannons; • Podoski division: 2 line infantry battalions, 2 Honvéd battalions, 6 six-puonder cannons, 4 Congreve rocket launching racks; • Pikéty division: 2. hussar regiment, 4 companies of the 3. hussar regiment, 14 cannons; Total: infantry battalions, 12 cavalry companies, 40 cannons, 9,395 soldiers. - VIII. corps: Commander: General György Klapka; • Kosztolányi division: 1 line infantry battalion, 3 Honvéd battalions, sapper company, 12 hussar companies, 9 three-pounder, 8 six-pounder and 8 cavalry cannons; Total: infantry battalions, 12 cavalry companies, 25 cannons, 7,832 soldiers. Commander in chief: Field Marshal Julius Jacob von Haynau; Chief of staff: Lieutenant Colonel Wilhelm von Ramming; - II. corps: Commander: Lieutenant General Anton Csorich; Chief of staff: Lieutenant Colonel Franz Jungbauer; Colloredo division; • Pott brigade: 3. & 4. battalions of the Haynau infantry regiment, 3. battalion of the Koudelka infantry regiment, 3. battalion of the Fürstenwärther infantry regiment, 11. six-pounder infantry battery (4 infantry battalions, 6 cannons); • Liebler brigade: 1., 2., 3. & 1. Landwehr battalions of the Archduke Stephen infantry regiment, 1. battalion of the Wimpfen infantry regiment, 4 companies of the Civalart uhlan cavalry regiment, 8. six-pounder infantry battery (5 infantry battalions, 4 cavalry companies, 6 cannons); • Barco brigade: 1., 2., & 3. battalions of the Mazzuchelli infantry regiment, 3. battalion of the Baumgarten infantry regiment, 1. Landwehr battalion of the Baumgarten infantry regiment, 4. border guard regiment of Otočac, 2 companies of the Civalart uhlan cavalry regiment, 13. six-pounder infantry battery (6 infantry battalions, 2 cavalry companies, 6 cannons); • Artillery reserve: 2 twelve-pounder batteries, 1 six-pounder battery, 1 cavalry battery (24 cannons); Total: 15 infantry battalions, 6 cavalry companies, 42 cannons, 2 military bridge equipment, 13,505 soldiers. - IV. (reserve) corps: Commander: Lieutenant General Ludwig von Wohlgemuth; Chief of staff: Major Joseph Freiherr von Weber; 1. (Herzinger) division; • Theissing brigade: Schneider, Fischer, Richter & Bittermann grenadier battalions, 18. six-pounder infantry battery (4 infantry battalions, 6 cannons); • Perin brigade: Rattay, Koudelka, Pásztory & Trenk grenadier battalions, 16. six-pounder infantry battery (4 infantry battalions, 6 cannons); 2. (Burits) division; • Jablonowski brigade: 1., 2., 3. & Landwehr battalions of the Nassau infantry regiment, 7. six-pounder infantry battery (5 infantry battalions, 4 cavalry companies, 6 cannons); • Lederer brigade: 2 companies of the Emperor Franz Joseph cuirassier regiment, 2 companies of the Sunstenau cuirassier regiment, 6 companies of the Emperor Ferdinand cuirassier regiment, 6 companies of the Auersperg cuirassier regiment, 2. cavalry battery (16 cavalry companies, 6 cannons); • Artillery reserve: 2 twelve-pounder batteries, 1 six-pounder battery, 1 Congreve rocket battery (24 cannons); Total: 17 infantry battalions, 24 cavalry companies, 60 cannons, 2 military equipment, 14,000 soldiers. - 9. combined Russian infantry division: Commander: Lieutenant General Fedor Sergeyevich Panyutin; Chief of staff: Major Kabiuv; • Kobyakov infantry brigade: 15. jäger regiment of count Dibitch Zabalkanski, 18. jäger regiment of count Paskevich Erivanski (8 infantry battalions); • 9. Semyakin artillery brigade: 2 companies of Civalart uhlans, 1 heavy artillery, 1 light artillery (2 cavalry companies, 48 cannons); Total: 16 infantry battalions, 2 cavalry companies, 48 cannons. 12,799 soldiers. Army total: 219 infantry companies, 32 cavalry companies, 172 cannons, 40,304 soldiers Commander Major General Anton Freiherr von Herzinger ==Battle==

20 June On 20 June Görgei, seeing the lack of success of his troops on 16 June, personally took command of his troops, mostly following the same plans of war elaborated for the 16 June attack. Also a part of the VIII. corps (the garrison of Komárom) arrived in Csallóköz to support the attack. The II. corps led by Asbóth, after crossing, at the dawn of 20 June, the Érsekújvár Danube branch at 5 a.m., Pott organized his brigade in two lines with the 58/1 Landwehr battalion in the center defending Zsigárd, 3 cavalry companies and the cavalry battery covering the right flank, and the 2. kaiserjäger battalion covering the left flank. Exploiting this success, Asbóth ordered the general attack on the left flank. Feeling that his troops cannot withstand the Hungarian attack, Herzinger gave the order for a general retreat. When they finished the discussion around 10 a.m., Görgei went towards the battlefield, and, as mentioned above, arrived at Pered around 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. The Rakovszky detachment broke into the eastern part of Pered despite the fierce resistance. In response, Pott sent the 58/1. battalion from the reserve, which managed to stop the Hungarian advance, but because their lines broke, they could not push the Hungarians out of the village. By taking Pered, the Hungarian army won the first day of the battle. But during the attack against Pered he lost control over the situation. Knowing that after the battle of Zsigárd he was criticized for leaving operational enemy forces near the battlefield, which then, after being reinforced, turned the tide of the battle by counter-attacking, he wanted to conquer Pered at all costs. Military actions related to the battle on 20 June On the same day, both the Hungarians and the Austrians conducted smaller military actions in other directions, in order to divert the attention of each others troops positioned south and west from the battlefield, and prevent them to march towards Pered. The I. corps troops led by General József Nagysándor did not make almost anything except some weak demonstration movements before Sempte, then retreated to his initial positions. The most important military encounter related to the first day of the battle of Pered, was the Battle of Alsónyárasd between the detached units of the VIII. corps led by General György Klapka and the II. Austrian corps led by Lieutenant General Anton Csorich, which ended in stalemate, both troops retreating to their initial position. So Görgei ordered Klapka to hold with any costs the bridge from Aszódpuszta, and József Nagysándor to force the crossing, with his troops, of the Vág river at Szered. The II. and III. corps had to wait for the Austro-Russian attack and to repel it. The key to the Hungarian success was the arrival in time of the I. corps of Nagysándor, after accomplishing his initial tasks, to help the other two corps. Görgei found also useful that his troops on the next day had to fight with Russian troops too because they could so measure the tsarist's real battle value. The battle order of the II. and III. Hungarian corps on 21 June at the dawn: the III. corps was deployed on the right wing, right of the main central street of Pered, until the Hetmény farm near the Vág, on the left wing, 2000 paces south from Alsószeli, along the Dudvág stood Colonel Samu Rakovszky, with an infantry brigade of the II. corps, reinforced by important units of cavalry and artillery, from which 2 battalions some cannons and cavalrymen were sent forward to hold Alsószeli, while the bulk of the II. corps occupied the center between Rakovszky's troops and the main street of Pered. The cavalry of the II. corps, under the lead of Colonel Mándy was deployed on the left wing of their corps, while the rest of the cavalry, under Colonel Pikéthy remained behind Pered. The two corps had infantry battalions, 21 cavalry companies, and 80 cannons, with around 20,000 soldiers. Thanks to the effective fire of the Russian batteries, as well as the retreat of the Rakovszky detachment, only weak Hungarian units remained on the left wing of the II. corps, as a result, were easily pushed back towards Királyrév by the Herzinger division. Then the main body of the imperials deployed at Deáki. because meanwhile the 8 cavalry companies of Colonel Mándy were ordered to stop Herzinger, who, as it was mentioned above, turned with a part of his troops, towards Pered. Görgei hoped that with the II. and the III. corps in front of Zsigárd, he will wait until the Rakovszky detachment will take back Királyrév, and the I. corps led by General Nagysándor will appear at the back of the enemy troops, and then he will start a counter-attack, and win the battle. Herzinger sent a Russian battalion and 4 cannons to support Theissing, but when they arrived in the neighborhood of Királyrév, they saw that the Hungarians already captured the village. Colonel Horváth with his detachment remained at Galgóc, and with his superior troops demonstrated before the minor Austrian outposts, instead of crossing the Vág, and helping the II. and III. corps in the battle of Pered. One of the causes of the defeat was that General József Nagysándor, who had the task to cross with the I. corps the Vág at Szered and to hold the Austrian units there, did not observe that these enemy units left that place and joined Wohlgemuth's main troops, to support the attack in the main front. He remained in his position, demonstrating, in the same way as Colonel Horváth, in front of the small Austrian units instead of attacking, even though Görgei ordered him to cross the now undefended Vág river, and attack from the side and behind the enemy troops, which could have brought the victory to Hungarians. Due to the inactivity of Nagysándor the numerically much superior Austro-Russian troops managed to chase the Hungarian troops from the positions they occupied the day before. Görgei had no choice but to order the Hungarian retreat. He sent Leiningen a messenger with the order to continue its retreat, crossing the Vág river, but he held Királyrév for a while until the units of lieutenant-colonel Rakovszky which were pursuing the enemy troops chased out of the village turned back. Until this happened, Colonel Kászonyi, with the cavalry battery of the II. corps attacked the enemy troops which were moving towards Királyrév. After all detached troops arrived, Görgei ordered the retreat of the II. corps too, towards the bridge of Aszódpuszta. ==Aftermath==

The casualties: The Hungarians: At Pered: - III. corps: • Dead: 4 officers and 77 soldiers; • Wounded: 7 officers and 111 soldiers; • Missing: 1 officer and 324 soldiers; • Cannons: 9; - II. corps: • Dead, wounded, missing: 2000 men (the majority of them, during the battle fled away from the battlefield, and after its end returned to the army); • Cannons: 4; In the battles from Csallóköz: - VIII. corps: • Dead: 45 men; • Wounded: 62 men; • Missing: 192 men; • Cannons: 2; • Ammunition wagons: 3; • Horses: 135; The Austrians: At Pered: • Dead: 2 officers and 89 soldiers; • Wounded: 9 officers and 236 soldiers; • Missing: 2 officers and 120 soldiers; • Horses: 160; In the battles from Csallóköz: - II. corps: • Dead: 1 officers and 8 soldiers; • Wounded: 9 officer and 236 soldiers; • Horses: 135; The Russians: At Pered: • Dead: 3 officers and 31 soldiers; • Wounded: 29 men; • Missing: 5 men; • Horses: 40. but the importance of this battle for the future of the Hungarian revolutionary state was too high for such a risk. In the Spring campaign, when the commanders of the corps were very talented and experienced generals, like Damjanich and Klapka, Görgei was every time nearby, but now when the new commanders were commanding for the first time an army corps, and when their tasks were far more difficult than the former corps commanders had in the Spring Campaign, Görgei did not support them. But he could not be in every place at the same time to hold the battle together, while his chief of the general staff, Colonel József Bayer did not show up to help him, remaining in his bureau. The majority of the Hungarian corps commanders (Knezić, Nagysándor, Kászonyi, and also the experienced Klapka) failed to do their best to help their troops to win the victory. They showed incapacity of cooperation, and this affected also their subordinate officers, who see this, and their failures, and lost their morale. The Hungarian military industry, weapon, and ammunition production started to be built only a year before, and that, because of the problems which usually occur at the start of everything new, corroborated with the lack of experience of the workers and their leading staff, wasn't enough to produce the ammunition and armament needed for a, since a year ongoing war. Besides this, the continuous changing in the front line, the occupation of the enemy forces, of the cities in which the ammunition and weapon manufacturers were working, or where the weapon and armament depots were, or only if these places threatened to be occupied by the nearing troops, caused them to stop temporary or permanently. For example, right when György Lahner finished the building of a gunpowder manufacture and a cannon foundry at Nagyvárad, in the summer of 1849, the town started to be threatened by the nearing of the Russian troops, and because of this the production did not start But the imperials could have been not achieve this victory without the involvement in the battle of Panyutyin's Russian troops. After this battle, due to the inefficiency of their reconnaissance, the Hungarians could not learn about Haynau's plans to attack the southern banks of the Danube, so he could continue to move his troops on the other side of the great river, to start an attack towards the Hungarian troops at Győr, then to advance towards Komárom and the Hungarian capitals (Buda and Pest). With the attack, which resulted in the Hungarian defeat at Pered, Görgei unwillingly helped Haynau to conceal, from his eyes, the transfer of the Austrian troops to the right bank of the Danube, and maintain the belief that the enemy will start its offensive on the left bank. ==Explanatory notes==