The Battle of Warsaw, or 'The Miracle of the Vistula', was an incredible event in military history, with Poland saving itself from Soviet aggression against the odds. But it is mainly forgotten that nearly two weeks later, the Soviets came close to another blow nearly as crushing, with Budyonny himself nearly being captured and in the event losing much heavy equipment and his own staff car. The POD is therefore that, on the morning of 31st August 1920, the Soviet troops (4th Cavalry Division in particular) at Wolica Syniatycka is overrun before it can retreat- IOTL, they stood their ground briefly before retreating quickly.
The day was turning out to be a disaster of epic proportions for Semyon Budyonny and his 1st Cavalry Army, both strategically and personally. The charge by the Polish 8th Uhlans had been met with an initial stand followed by utter chaos, as the Uhlans overran the Soviet troops and cut their ranks to ribbons. In fact, the speed of the collapse had been such that Budyonny himself had been unable to escape, and was captured whilst trying to escape in his staff car. The Poles, however, carried on chasing the remnants of the Soviet 4th Cavalry Division. The 4th however were now to play another crucial role- they sowed utter chaos as they fled, hindering the 11th Division as they hurried to fill the gap. Polish Uhlans ruthlessly exploited the gap, and charged as soon as the opportunity arose, sandwiching the Soviet 4th between them and the 11th. By now, the 1st Cavalry was in outright chaos, as Budyonny (and several other senior officers) had been captured. To add to the chaos, one of the two senior political commissars, Kliment Voroshilov, had also been captured. The 11th and 4th Cavalry Divisions were by now utterly, hopelessly routed, and Budyonny and Voroshilov were being carted off to Warsaw. The entire Soviet 6th Cavalry Brigade was encircled several miles away, and by 3p.m. Soviet troops had been driven from around Wolica and were being chased in all directions imaginable.
Around 5p.m., still without orders, Bolshevik cavalry units moved back towards Wolica, hoping to stem the flow of Polish cavalry. In fact, it was the worst move possible- Colonel Juliusz Rommel threw his cavalry at the Soviet flanks, and destroyed an entire regiment. The remaining senior political commissar, Joseph Stalin, was attempting in vain to keep some form of order, but these last events of the day caused a mass retreat- ending that night as midnight when the 6th cavalry brigade broke through Polish infantry lines, only to find that the battle was lost.
The only success for the Soviets was that a minor office, Georgy Zhukov, led a tidy withdrawal of his own men and others who had rallied, ignoring Stalin's own orders.
The day was turning out to be a disaster of epic proportions for Semyon Budyonny and his 1st Cavalry Army, both strategically and personally. The charge by the Polish 8th Uhlans had been met with an initial stand followed by utter chaos, as the Uhlans overran the Soviet troops and cut their ranks to ribbons. In fact, the speed of the collapse had been such that Budyonny himself had been unable to escape, and was captured whilst trying to escape in his staff car. The Poles, however, carried on chasing the remnants of the Soviet 4th Cavalry Division. The 4th however were now to play another crucial role- they sowed utter chaos as they fled, hindering the 11th Division as they hurried to fill the gap. Polish Uhlans ruthlessly exploited the gap, and charged as soon as the opportunity arose, sandwiching the Soviet 4th between them and the 11th. By now, the 1st Cavalry was in outright chaos, as Budyonny (and several other senior officers) had been captured. To add to the chaos, one of the two senior political commissars, Kliment Voroshilov, had also been captured. The 11th and 4th Cavalry Divisions were by now utterly, hopelessly routed, and Budyonny and Voroshilov were being carted off to Warsaw. The entire Soviet 6th Cavalry Brigade was encircled several miles away, and by 3p.m. Soviet troops had been driven from around Wolica and were being chased in all directions imaginable.
Around 5p.m., still without orders, Bolshevik cavalry units moved back towards Wolica, hoping to stem the flow of Polish cavalry. In fact, it was the worst move possible- Colonel Juliusz Rommel threw his cavalry at the Soviet flanks, and destroyed an entire regiment. The remaining senior political commissar, Joseph Stalin, was attempting in vain to keep some form of order, but these last events of the day caused a mass retreat- ending that night as midnight when the 6th cavalry brigade broke through Polish infantry lines, only to find that the battle was lost.
The only success for the Soviets was that a minor office, Georgy Zhukov, led a tidy withdrawal of his own men and others who had rallied, ignoring Stalin's own orders.