ORDER OF BATTLE // July 4, 1610
Battle of Klushino
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 16,500–16,800 estimated
Poland–Lithuania
6,500–6,800
Medium-confidence figure
Russia
10,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Klushino, fought near the village of Klushino near Smolensk on 4 July 1610, was a decisive engagement of the Polish–Muscovite War during Russia's Time of Troubles. A Polish–Lithuanian force of between 6,500 and 6,800 men under hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski defeated a Russian army of approximately 10,000 commanded by Dmitry Shuisky and Jacob De la Gardie, inflicting casualties estimated between 5,000 and 15,000. The scale of the Russian losses against a substantially smaller opponent underscores the completeness of the Polish–Lithuanian victory. The outcome is regarded as one of the most significant Polish cavalry engagements of the war, with the Polish hussars playing a central role in securing the result. The battle demonstrated the pronounced military advantage the Commonwealth held over Muscovite forces during this period of Russian internal instability, and it advanced Polish–Lithuanian strategic objectives in the broader contest over territory and influence during the Time of Troubles.
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