3rd Division (Duchy of Warsaw)

The 3rd Division (Polish: 3 Dywizja) – is a military division in the Duchy of Warsaw.

From the 26 January 1807 the 3rd Division functioned as the Poznań Legion (Polish: Legia Poznańska). In organising it, eight battalions were formed in the Poznań department and four in the Bydgoszcz department. Subsequently, the number of battalions was reduced to eight.^[1]

On 4 June 1807, Minister of War Józef Poniatowski issued an order introducing a new numbering system for units. Its regiments were numbered from 9 to 12.^[2] In 1808 The Legion was reorganised and the 3rd Division was formed. Its commander was the former commander of the Poznań Legion, General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.^[3]

On the 10th May 1808 Under the Treaty of Bayonne, Napoleon took over the 8,000-strong Polish Division, consisting of the 4th, 7th and 9th Infantry Regiments, into French service. On 14 August 1808, Antoni Sułkowski's 9th Infantry Regiment from General Dąbrowski's division marched from Łowicz to Spain.^[4]

At the end of August 1808, Antoni Downarowicz's 10th Infantry Regiment from Wschowa and Stanisław Mielżyński's 11th Infantry Regiment from Poznań were sent to Gdańsk, leaving their bases in Łęczyca. On 8 September, Prince Poniński's 12th Infantry Regiment marched from Rawicz to Toruń. Kazimierz Turno's 5th Regiment of Mounted Rifles, serving on the Pilica River, around Pyzdry and near Warsaw, was sent to the Niemen River in October, while Dominik Dziewanowski's 6th Regiment of Uhlans was sent from Łabiszyn to Toruń.^[4] In this situation, General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski remained a ‘general without an army’. At his request, Prince Józef Poniatowski granted him leave.^[5]

Following the reorganisation and personnel changes, the division's status in mid-1808 was as follows:^[6]

Chain of command of the 3rd Division:

• Division commander – Gen. Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (on indefinite leave)^[3]
• Major commander of the divison – Col. Maurycy Hauke^{[Citation 1]}
• Chief of Staff – Col. Czesław Pakosz
• Brigade commanders: Gen. Michał Sokolnicki, Gen. Michał Grabowski^{[Citation 2][3]}
• commander's aide – Lt Col. Antoni Cedrowski
• Chief health officer – Puchalski^[7]

Regiments:

• 9 Infantry Regiment
• 10 Infantry Regiment
• 11 Infantry Regiment
• 12 Infantry Regiment
• 5 Mounted Rifle regiment
• 6 Uhlan Regiment
• 3 Infantry Artillery Battalion

• Korzon, Tadeusz; Gembarzewski, Bronisław; Rogowa, Jadwiga (2003). Dzieje wojen i wojskowości w Polsce. Poznań: "Kurpisz". ISBN 8388841521.
• Gembarzewski, Bronisław; Askenazy, Szymon (2003). Wojsko Polskie : Księstwo Warszawskie 1807–1814. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Kurpisz. ISBN 8388841475.
• Krwawicz, Marian; Zych, Gabriel (1955). Wypisy źródłowe do historii polskiej sztuki wojennej. Polska sztuka wojenna w latach 17961815. Zeszyt jedenasty. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej.
• Kukiel, Marian (1993). Zarys historii wojskowości w Polsce. London: Puls. ISBN 0907587992.
• Morawski, Ryszard; Wielecki, Henryk (1996). Wojsko Księstwa Warszawskiego. Generalicja i sztaby. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Belona. ISBN 8311085110.
• Pachoński, Jan (1981). Generał Jan Henryk Dąbrowski 17551818. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo MON. ISBN 8311072523.
• Wimmer, Jan (1978). Historia piechoty polskiej do roku 1864. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej.
• Wróblewski, Wiesław (2002). Działania militarne w Wielkopolsce i na Ziemi Lubuskiej. Warszawa: Wojskowy Instytut Historyczny AON. Departament Systemu Obronnego MON. ISBN 8388329251.
• Zych, Gabriel (1961). Armia Księstwa Warszawskiego 1807 1812. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej.