Battle of Tryškiai

The Battle of Tryškiai, (Tryszki or Triski), on 4–5/5–6/15–16 December 1701, was a small engagement between the Swedish forces under the command of the Swedish King Charles XII and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s forces under the command of the Polish–Lithuanian Field Hetman Grzegorz Antoni Ogiński, in the town of Tryškiai of the Duchy of Samogitia (present-day Lithuania). After the Crossing of the Düna Charles XII went into an alliance with the Sapieha family to gain his support in dethroning Augustus II the Strong from the Polish–Lithuanian throne, in exchange for protection from rival families in Samogitia, such as the Ogiński family. After initial engagements between the Swedish forces and those loyal to Grzegorz, the Swedish King personally takes command of the troops and engages Grzegorz at the town of Tryškiai; after a brief encounter, Grzegorz is forced on the run and, with Charles XII being hot on his heels, eventually retreats out of Samogitia altogether. A Swedish detachment is established at Kaunas in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as a sort of forward operating base before the inevitable Swedish invasion of Poland (1701–1706); further engagements, foremost the Battle of Darsūniškis, confirms the Swedish invasion. Although only a small action in a major war, the battle quickly sparked false rumours to be spread around Europe; one spoke of Charles XII’s death somewhere in Lithuania, while the other mentioned a major defeat for Grzegorz, involving many thousands of participants.