The participation of Poles in the civil fights in Bosnia in 1850–1851

Abstract

The article concerns the participation of Poles serving in the Ottoman army in the suppression of the uprising in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1850–1851. The aim of the author is to determine the scale of Polish involvement and to place this phenomenon within the broader context of the policy of the Hôtel Lambert toward the Balkans. The research was based on the analysis of archival sources, in particular correspondence preserved in the Czartoryski Archives and diplomatic documents. It was established that between six and eight Polish officers and approximately 145 soldiers took part in the military operations, having entered the Ottoman army after the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution. The Poles fought in the forces of Omer Pasha Latas against Bosnian rebels opposing the Tanzimat reforms. The analysis demonstrated that their presence formed part of the broader political plans of the Polish émigré community associated with the Hôtel Lambert. Despite military successes, the further activities of the Poles were limited as a result of Austrian intervention, motivated by fears of increasing Polish influence in the Balkans. The analysis indicates that Polish participation in the Bosnian events constituted an important but little-known element of the political and military activity of the Polish emigration after 1848.