Prelude
The Polish-Lithuanian forces, commanded by King John II Casimir of Poland, comprised about 24,000 regulars (including only 950 Winged Hussars - 8 banners), 2,000 Tatars and 10,000 of the noble levy (pospolite ruszenie), altogether some 36,000 men of which only about 4,000 were infantry and the remainder cavalry & dragoons, with 18 artillery pieces. The allied armies of Sweden and Brandenburg, commanded by King Charles X of Sweden and Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg, were only 19,000 strong, and after landing at Danzig, marched south towards Warsaw. It fielded 12,500 cavalry & dragoons, 6,500 infantry (15 brigades) and 47 artillery pieces. Second in command of Brandenburg's forces was Otto Christoph von Sparr.
John II Casimir ferried his army across the Vistula River and met the approaching Swedish-Brandenburg force on its right bank, about five kilometers to the north of the suburb of Praga. Charles X had initially hoped to destroy the Lithuanian and Tatar forces before they joined up with the remainder of the Commonwealth army, but this plan failed. Some officers of Brandenburg considered the Polish-Lithuanian forces to be overwhelming in numbers and instead advocated a retreat.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Warsaw (1656)
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