Editing Modlin Fortress (section)

== Russian Fortress Novogeorgievsk ==
[[File:Modlin koszary.jpg|thumb|Barracks within the Modlin Fortress.]]
[[File:Russian artillery captured at Novo Georgievsk.jpg|thumb|right|Russian artillery captured at Novo Georgievsk 1915]]
After the November Uprising of 1830 the Russian rule over Congress Poland became more severe. The Modlin fortress was renamed ''Novogeorgievsk'' in 1834<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Novogeorgievsk |volume= 19 |page = 841; see line 4 |quote= A first-class fortress of Russian Poland (called Modlin till 1831)}}</ref> and during the years 1832–1841 underwent a huge expansion, to host garrison troops who were tasked with preventing another Polish uprising, as well as defend Russia's western frontiers. It was part of the chain of fortresses which included Warsaw, [[Dęblin|Ivangorod]], and [[Brest Fortress|Brest-Litovsk]]. The most notable new work built was a fortified barracks building 2,200&nbsp;m in length, which was to serve as the last line of defense for the fortress. After 1841 construction work largely ceased, and over the next 40 years the fortress gradually became obsolete. However, in 1844 the large granary building was built at the estuary of the [[Narew River]]. Polish architect [[Jan Jakub Gay]] designed the granary not only for storing food, but also as a defensible position at the bridgehead of the rivers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Najciekawsze budowle militarne w Twierdzy Modlin |url=https://twierdzamodlin.pl/twierdza-modlin/najciekawsze-budowle/#spichlerz-zbozowy |website=Twierdza Modlin |access-date=4 April 2021 |language=pl-PL}}</ref>

When relations between Germany and Russia deteriorated in the 1880s, with Germany entering the [[Triple Alliance (1882)|Triple Alliance]] potentially aimed against Russia, the decision was made to expand the fortress and upgrade it to modern standards. In the years 1883–1888 eight modern forts were added, roughly forming a ring with 2 to 4&nbsp;km distance from the central fortress. In the following years these forts were modernized. At the same time, additional defensive works were built to integrate the fortress into the larger fortified region around Warsaw.

The defeat of Russia in the [[Russo-Japanese War]] caused a rethinking of Russian strategy. In particular the idea of concentrating forces in the interior away from the borders before hostilities began to gain popularity. This approach would eliminate the need for a chain of border fortresses to screen the mobilizing units.

In 1909 when General [[Vladimir Sukhomlinov]] became the War Minister for the Russian Empire, one proposal he made was to scrap the bulk of the Russian fortress system, and Novogeorgievsk was a prime example of why they should be scrapped: The outer forts were initially built at a distance of about eight kilometers from the citadel to protect it from attacking artillery; by 1900, even field guns could fire past that distance.<ref name="Stone">{{harvnb|Stone|1998|page=30}}</ref> Sukhomlinov was overruled. Instead of being razed, the fort system was slated for an 800 million ruble upgrade<ref name="Stone-31">{{harvnb|Stone|1998|page=31}}</ref> with a new belt of forts to be added.<ref name="Stone-31" /> The fortress was also to receive a large number of heavy artillery pieces. The intensive new construction work started in 1912 and continued almost until the German army approached the fortress in 1915 during [[World War I]]. The fortress was now designed to serve as a center of resistance deep behind enemy lines if the Russian army were forced to retreat from Poland. The works were carried out in great haste, not all equipment was fitted, and some construction materials were improvised and hence of lower quality. Even with these defects, the fortress with its nineteen forts was one of the strongest fortifications in Europe at the outbreak of World War I. The Russian high command expected that if surrounded by the German armies it would hold out for many months, serving as a major thorn in the German rear.