Battle of the Berezina (1920)
Second Battle of Berezina (15 May – 8 June 1920) was a clash in the Polish–Soviet War fought near the Berezina River. It ended without a decisive winner.
In May 1920, six divisions of the Soviet XV Army, commanded by August Kork under orders from Trotsky and Mikhail Tukhachevsky, crossed the Dvina River on 15 May and attacked the left wing of the Polish Army before Piłsudski could strike at the Zhlobin–Mogilev rail line. The Soviet XVI Army soon besieged Borisov and pushed their line about seventy miles, stretching from Koziany to Lake Pelic.
The Polish response saw General Kazimierz Sosnkowski form the First Army at Švenčionys and General Leonard Skierski organize a second group at Lahoysk, both aiming to encircle the Soviet advance.
On 8 June, Tukhachevsky ordered a retreat to the Auta and Berezina rivers, ending the battle without a clear winner.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 00:49 (CET).