present in the Commonwealth at that time. After receiving news of the election, both Sigismund and Maximilian made haste for Poland. Sigismund arrived at Danzig (Gdańsk) on 28 September and, after approximately two weeks, he had departed to Kraków, where he arrived on 9 December and was crowned on 27 December. Maximilian attempted to resolve the dispute by bringing a military force to Poland, thereby starting the War of the Polish Succession. After a failed attempt to take Kraków in late 1587, successfully defended by Zamoyski, he retreated to gather more reinforcements but was pursued by the forces loyal to Sigismund. Zamoyski at first wanted to avoid a large battle, as he hoped for more reinforcements and supplies, but, when it became apparent that Maximilian would be reinforced first, he decided to press an attack. He also received the king's permission to cross the border and attack Maximilian in Silesia. Zamoyski divided his army into several regiments that were able to march quickly, at approximately 24 kilometers a day. He reformed his army after a week near Częstochowa. In the meantime, on 22 January 1588, Maximilian crossed the border into his own territory, towards Byczyna (Pitschen). Opposing forces Each side had comparable forces: Maximilian had about 6,500 men, about half of which (3,290) were infantry. His forces consisted primarily of Silesians, Hungarians, and Moravians, with artillery consisting of four heavy and a dozen or so lighter pieces. Zamoyski's forces numbered about 6,000, including 3,700 cavalry, 2,300 infantry, and several cannon. Maximilian's Polish supporters included 600 cavalry under the command of the "devil of Łańcut" Stanisław Stadnicki. Another of Maximilian's notable Polish supporters at the battle was the poet Adam Czahrowski. Overall Maximilian's forces held the advantage in infantry, while Zamoyski's was in cavalry. The Poles favored cavalry, which had supreme mobility and used effective charging tactics, but also meant that their infantry was geared too much towards cavalry support. The battle On the night of 24 January the Archduke's army took positions east of the small town of Byczyna on the royal road leading into Poland. They felt secure in their camp, on the Habsburg side of the border, and did not expect the Poles to cross. Zamoyski marshaled his forces into three lines and was able to position them at an angle to the opponent's line. The exact position of the Polish Army is unknown, but part of the