Second Battle of Nagyszeben (Sibiu)(1849)
Approximate site. The pin marks a locally accepted site or a nearby anchor point, not a survey-grade position.
Sibiu city center
Coordinate source: latitude.to Sibiu 45.7928, 24.1521
Background
Bem's capture of Sibiu was the campaign's strategic climax. It gave Hungary effective control of Transylvania — but at a terrible diplomatic cost. The humiliation of Russian troops directly at Sibiu was a key factor in Tsar Nicholas I's decision to intervene with overwhelming force.
Campaign: Bem's Transylvanian Campaign 1849
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Bem feigned retreat then turned and captured Sibiu in the war's boldest maneuver. Russian garrison fled east.
The Second Battle of Nagyszeben (or Sibiu, or Hermannstadt) was a battle in the Hungarian war of Independence of 1848-1849 fought on 11 March 1849 between the Hungarian army led by the Polish General Józef Bem and the garrison of Nagyszeben, the Habsburg headquarters of Transylvania, composed by the Russian detachment led by Colonel Grigory Skariatin Austrian troops led by Lieutenant General Alois Pfersmann, and Transylvanian Saxon national guards. Before the battle, Bem managed to make the commander of the Austrian main Commander-in-Chief of Transylvania, Lieutenant General Anton Puchner think that he barricaded himself at Segesvár, while he escaped, heading to Nagyszeben. While Puchner was trying to encircle Segesvár where he thought that Bem was hiding, the latter headed through a quick march to Nagyszeben, where he defeated the Ruso-Austro-Saxon garrison led by General Skariatin, and captured the city.
“Bem also reprimanded Nagyszeben for calling in the Russian troops, but, true to his well-known amnesty policy, he promised that the Hungarian government would "cast a veil of oblivion over the past". (for example the killing by a hussar, "in unknown circumstances", of Joseph Benigni, the editor of the leading newspaper of Nagyszeben, the Siebenbürger Bote, who consistently called Hungarians rebels and used derogatory terms against the Hungarian army) The first two possibilities, though unlikely, would have posed a threat to his armies, but in the end the third, the most likely, was the one that materialised. On the 8th, Bem had a clear view of the situation, which showed that the Austrians would not attack from Medgyes with any greater force, because according to the reports he received, most of Puchner's corps was approaching from the south. According to Heydte, the Austrian corps left Segesvár at 11 o'clock at night on the 10th, while according to Kalliány, 2 hours later.
Casualties & Outcome
~200 killed and wounded (Hungarian); ~500 killed, wounded, and captured (Austrian-Russian)
Hungarian Revolutionary Army achieved victory over Austrian-Russian garrison.
The fall of Sibiu — Transylvania's administrative capital — was a humiliation for both Austria and Russia. Tsar Nicholas I was reportedly furious that Russian troops had fled. The incident contributed directly to his decision to commit 200,000 troops to crush the Hungarian revolution.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Secured Hungarian control over virtually all Transylvania. Enraged Tsar Nicholas I, leading to massive Russian intervention.
At the same time, the imperial command completely lost its head, and although the troops fought with the tenacity expected of them, they could only ameliorate the disastrous consequences of the commanders' precipitated and contradictory decisions. The Second Battle of Nagyszeben (or Sibiu, or Hermannstadt) was a battle in the Hungarian war of Independence of 1848-1849 fought on 11 March 1849 between the Hungarian army led by the Polish General Józef Bem and the garrison of Nagyszeben, the Habsburg headquarters of Transylvania, composed by the Russian detachment led by Colonel Grigory Skariatin Austrian troops led by Lieutenant General Alois Pfersmann, and Transylvanian Saxon national guards.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Second Battle of Nagyszeben (Sibiu)?
- The Second Battle of Nagyszeben (Sibiu) took place in 1849. March 11, 1849.
- What was the outcome of the Second Battle of Nagyszeben (Sibiu)?
- The Hungarian Revolutionary Army were victorious against the Austrian-Russian garrison.
- What was the significance of the Second Battle of Nagyszeben (Sibiu)?
- Secured Hungarian control over virtually all Transylvania. Enraged Tsar Nicholas I, leading to massive Russian intervention.