Chapter 730: Selim III's New Army
One Month Later – Warsaw
As per the ceasefire agreement, Stanisław II returned from Saint Petersburg to Warsaw.
Only Prince Poniatowski and a handful of officials were there to greet him. The streets were eerily empty and quiet.
Instead of returning to the Royal Castle, the king retreated to his private villa on the southern outskirts of Warsaw.
The next day, he made an official announcement—he would marry his longtime lover, Elżbieta Szydłowska.
In truth, they had been together for years and had even raised two children.
But to avoid angering his "official mistress"—Catherine II of Russia—he had never dared to go public with their relationship.
Now, he no longer had to worry about making the Tsarina unhappy.
Or rather—she was already furious.
A little more wouldn't matter.
At the end of the month, at the King's request, Prince Poniatowski was unanimously elected by Parliament as Regent of Poland, assuming full authority over the government.
Following the engagement banquet, rumors spread among Polish nobles and officials:
The King had only pretended to submit to Russia—he had actually bought Poland valuable time to prepare for the next war.
Many nobles visited his villa to thank him or apologize.
But among the common people, the most popular stories were still the scandalous jokes about the King and the Tsarina.
The Return of Poland's Heroes
Two months later, the 3,900 surviving Polish soldiers who had followed Kościuszko deep into Russian territory finally returned home.
This was made possible through:
A prisoner exchange with RussiaAn 800,000-ruble ransom paid by the Polish government
Among them were:
2,800 soldiers captured in Crimea's last battle1,100 men led by Święcicki, who had continued fighting in northern and central Crimea
Yes—Russia had agreed to return most of Minsk only because Święcicki was still causing chaos in Crimea.
That day, Warsaw emptied itself.
Tens of thousands of residents lined the streets to welcome their heroes home.
Everyone remembered:
17,000 soldiers had left Mozyr.Now, fewer than 4,000 had returned—many permanently disabled.
They had sacrificed their lives to strike a devastating blow against the invaders, giving Poland one last chance at survival.
But when the people failed to see Kościuszko and Dąbrowski among them, a wave of grief swept through the city.
The next day, thousands gathered in front of the Royal Castle, volunteering to help build the "Polish Victory Monument."
The 50-meter-tall stone obelisk, funded by wealthy nobles and merchants, would forever commemorate the heroic march to Crimea.
Northeastern Egypt – Sinai Peninsula
Near the city of Tur, Ottoman commander Mustafa Pasha watched the rising dust clouds through his telescope, his face turning grim.
That was a sign of a massive cavalry movement.
He knew all too well how dangerous the Mamluk cavalry could be.
For centuries, these warriors had ruled Egypt, maintaining elite training, excellent equipment, and unshakable morale.
Even though previous battles had been victories, he still believed the Sultan's decision to invade Egypt was incredibly risky.
Yes—when Russia and Poland went to war, Selim III immediately seized the opportunity.
Using the excuse that his appointed governor was being obstructed by the Mamluks, he launched an invasion of Egypt.
But his greatest advantage was the 2,000 Topçu Ocakları soldiers, an elite "New Army" fully equipped with French weapons.
If he could win this war, he would gain Egypt's immense wealth, significantly improving the empire's finances.
That, in turn, would allow him to expand his military reforms and modernize the Ottoman army.
A messenger ran up and saluted.
"General, the enemy cavalry is attacking!"
Mustafa Pasha nodded slightly and gave the order:
"Send in General Omar Agha."
Omar Agha was the commander of the Topçu Ocakları New Army.
The Battle Begins
Over 3,000 Mamluk cavalrymen thundered across the desert, attacking from the north and west.
The Ottoman forces were numerically superior, numbering over 36,000 men.
However—their troops were far less skilled than the Mamluks.
Sure enough, in the north, 6,000 Ottoman infantry, backed by 1,000 Ottoman cavalry, were quickly bogged down by 1,000 Mamluks.
At times, they were on the verge of being overrun.
On the west, the main force of 2,000 Mamluk cavalry targeted the Ottoman left flank.
This sector had already been weakened by multiple infantry assaults earlier in the battle.
If the Mamluks broke through, Mustafa's command post would be exposed.
But just as the Mamluks caught sight of the Ottoman battle lines through the dust, a steady drumbeat echoed across the battlefield.
Then—
A white wall of soldiers emerged from the swirling sand, their bayonets gleaming in the sun.
The Mamluk commander estimated their numbers—no more than 2,000 men.
He immediately ordered his cavalry to split into five wedge formations and smash through the infantry.
Based on his past experiences, at least 5,000 Ottoman infantry were needed to barely stop a 2,000-man Mamluk charge.
However, what happened next shocked him.
Behind the Ottoman lines—
Artillery. Three cannons.
The gun crews fired in tight volleys, focusing on the central Mamluk charge.
After just four rounds, the lead formation was shattered.
Truthfully, the Topçu artillery was not highly skilled.
But even poorly aimed 12-pounder cannons, when fired directly into cavalry, could cause massive devastation.
And even the fearless Mamluks could not ignore cannon fire.
The remaining Mamluk horsemen still managed to close in on the infantry—
Only to be greeted by three rows of Ottoman bayonets, gleaming coldly in the sun.
And the Ottoman soldiers did not move.
Their firm, unmoving line sent a clear message—
"Charge at your own risk."
The warhorses hesitated.
The riders pulled on their reins, trying to redirect their charge—but it was too late.
The Ottomans opened fire.
Unlike the usual low-quality Ottoman muskets, these were Charleville Model 1763 flintlocks—far superior in range and accuracy.
The first few volleys tore through the dense cavalry, creating chaos as horses crashed into one another.
The Mamluk cavalry was now trapped—those trying to retreat were blocked by those still charging forward.
Seeing this, Mustafa Pasha finally exhaled in relief.
The Mamluk cavalry had been his greatest concern.
But now, they had been broken by the Topçu infantry.
The rest would be easy.
He immediately ordered his Janissaries to launch a full-scale assault on the Mamluk center.
With no cavalry left to support them, the Mamluk infantry was soon overwhelmed by the Ottoman advance.
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