Learn about The January Uprising in Poland – National Uprising against the Russian Empire, announced on January 22, 1863 in Warsaw by the Provisional National Government. It began in the Kingdom of Poland and on February 1, 1863 in Lithuania, and lasted until the fall of 1864. It was the largest and longest-lasting Polish National Uprising (about 1,200 battles), and was supported by international public opinion.

History of The January Uprising in Poland

About 200,000 people, both from noble families and from the lower middle class (to a lesser extent), passed through the troops of the January Uprising. After the fall of the uprising, Poland and Lithuania were plunged into national mourning. In 1867, the autonomy of the Kingdom of Poland, its name and budget were abolished, and in 1868 an order to keep parish books in Russian was introduced. In addition, the governor’s office was abolished in 1874, and the Bank of Poland was abolished in 1886. The defeat of this largest national uprising was a huge shock to Poles.

How did the January Uprising end?

Polish losses amounted to about 10,000-20,000 insurgents (Russian sources say up to 30,000), but these are only estimates. Russian losses totaled 4.5 thousand (killed, wounded and missing), including 3343 in the Kingdom of Poland (826 killed, 2169 wounded, 348 missing). Polish historians, however, estimate Russian losses at around 10,000. Despite the military defeat, the National Uprising strengthened the Polish national consciousness and influenced the independence aspirations of the next generation.