Within a short time, dozens of uprisings, large and small, erupted across Russian-controlled Poland. The rebels were no longer limited to nobles, soldiers, exiles abroad, and university students; workers, peasants, and artisans joined in a full-scale revolt.
On top of that, the huge quantities of weapons and ammunition that had flowed out of Warsaw left the Russian forces in Russian-controlled Poland critically short-handed.
The fall of Warsaw, the heart of their rule, also left the Russian forces across the region without a clear chain of command. They were often ambushed on the road while rushing from one crisis to another, or found their own rear bases suddenly under attack.
The main reason was that this time, the Polish rebels had not gathered in big cities and waited for the Russians to attack. Instead, they had spread throughout Poland, lying in wait for their chance.
And some of the Russians' own actions only won them more enemies. Unable to tell civilians from rebels, certain Russian commanders fell back on a Russian tradition.
"When trouble comes, sweep it away with an iron rod. When trouble grows, make the rod thicker."
When they couldn't find the rebels, Russian troops simply massacred nearby villages to intimidate the population. They were very familiar with this tactic, and very fond of using it.
But even without a revolt, such methods were enough to drive people into rebellion.
In ordinary times, terror might indeed have been the most effective tool. But these were not ordinary times. The whole of Russian-controlled Poland was caught in a rising storm, and even the most timid people were considering more extreme measures.
The result was that the Russian army managed to offend everyone. They didn't even dare lay siege to cities, because the moment they left, Poles would try to seize