File:The Military Situation in Hungary between 06.01.1849-12.02.1849.png

English: After the capturing of Buda and Pest by the Austrian Imperial-Royal Army led by Field Marshal Windisch-Grätz, the Hungarian main army retreated through northern Hungary towards the Tisza river, which represented the new defense line of the Hungarians. The Austrians occupied the Western part of the country. Retreating through the northern Carpathians, on 05.02.1849 Görgei managed to break through the Branyiszkó Pass and join forces with the troops of Colonel György Klapka, forcing the imperials led by Franz Schlik to retreat towards Central Hungary. At the same time, the Hungarian high commandment decided to retreat the Hungarian troops fighting the Serbians in Southern Hungary, on the line of the Maros river, in order to organize a counter attack with the battle hardened troops coming from the South against the main troops of Windisch-Grätz. In the Eastern front, after liberating Northern and Western Transylvania, General Józef Bem suffered a series of defeats in the South from the Austrian troops led by Lieutenant General Anton Puchner, who reinforced his defenses also with 7000 Russian troops coming from Wallachia. Thus the first Russian intervention in the Hungarian war of Independence began. Despite this, on 09.02.1849, thanks to the reinforcements he received from Hungary, Bem defeated Puchner in the Battle of Piski, and restarted his fight for Transylvania.