In the late 15th Century the Polish army was raised, mainly through the nobility, only when urgently required. In the event of a major invasion, large numbers of additional gentry and town and peasant militia could be called out. The crack cavalry were Western-style knights in full plate armour, on armoured horses and equipped with the heavy medieval lance, supported by lighter lancers (mail and half-armour), and mounted crossbow and sword-and-shield men (half-armour). The poorer territory of Lithuania supplied mailed cavalry with spear and shield and Tartars with bows. Infantry were similar to medieval Western types, with many crossbow and pavise-men.
In the 16th Century a small standing army was created, its weapons and equipment provided by the state; it was supported by German, Scottish, Hungarian, Czech and Dutch mercenaries. Extra Polish mercenary troops (often highly patriotic) were also hired when needed, and in a large-scale conflict could be supplemented by masses of gentry and peasant militia raised on the old lines.
Stephen Bathory (1576-86) continued reorganisation, introducing new infantry formations of peasants from Royal estates. As ruler of Transylvania he was also responsible for introducing Hungarian and probably Wallachian troops.
Reorganisation included an effective administration and the permanent division of the army into ‘Rotas’. These corresponded to the Western company, being officially of 100 infantry or 50 cavalry (later cavalry rotas, called ‘Standards’ had up to 200 men). There was no larger permanent organisation in this period.
Infantry rotas could be grouped into a regiment, but this was not a tactical unit and the rotas still acted independently. On the battlefield, cavalry rotas were formed into ‘Hufs’ up to several thousand strong. These were tactical units, but rotas or groups of rotas could readily be detached, for example, to deal with enemy reinforcements. Each rota was commanded by a ‘Rotmistrz’ and had a standard, and in the case of infantry a drummer (with a small drum at the waist, beaten with a single mallet) and a bagpiper.
75 per cent of this army was cavalry. The fully plate-armoured lancers survived up to the 1580s, though abandoning horse-armour by the ’50s, but beside them grew up a new type, the famous ‘Hussars’ who were to be the 6lite of Poland’s cavalry until the 18th Century. They were copied from the Serbian ‘Usars’ hired in the early 16th Century, unarmoured cavalry with lance, sabre and squarish Turkish shield, though the Polish-Lithuanian type established by midcentury wore mail and helmet. By the 1580s they had adopted a cuirass over the mail, and replaced the armoured knight. The dismounted hussar shown is of this period, and as well as his sabre would carry a long straight sword or ‘Koncerz’ (used against armoured opponents), long lance with pennon, warhammer (Nadziak), and possibly shield.
The most extraordinary feature of the hussars was the wing worn by some units. Made from a curved batten carrying eagle or vulture feathers, this could be attached to the rear of the saddle, or by crossbelts to the shoulders, making its wearers some of the most spectacular soldiers ever seen, especially with the pair of wings sometimes worn in the 17th Century. They are said to have made a rushing tornado-like noise in a charge, with similar psychological effects to the Stuka’s scream, and also to have protected those who wore them against Tartar and Cossack lassoos.
Mounted crossbowmen changed to the arquebus early in the 16th Century, and hussars would be supported by a few mounted arquebusiers similarly equipped.
Lesser gentry provided medium cavalry or ‘Pancerni’ (‘Iron-clads’ — see illustration). Additional weapons could include ‘Koncerz’, or for Lithuanians a short lance, and some would replace bow and/or pistols with an arquebus. The shield was made of fig twigs bound together and covered with silk or leather.
Light cavalry consisted, firstly, of Cossacks. Those living West of the Dnieper were under Polish suzerainty and known as ‘Loyal Cossacks’ though actually somewhat addicted to rebellion. They wore fur hats, a long-sleeved caftan, baggy trousers and Polish boots and carried short lance, sabre, and bow or arquebus.
Cossacks were hired from 1524 on, but it was Stephen Bathory who introduced, in 1571, the system of ‘registering’ Cossacks (500 in his day) for regular service. Cossack standards seem to have been 320 strong.
Secondly, there were the Tartars illustrated, mostly settled in Lithuania; they could carry round shield and lariat as well as the weapons shown. Wallachians, armed like the Cossacks, were also used. All tended to wear light brown caftans, red trousers and black boots.
Infantry was mainly a support arm for the cavalry. Very early in the century plate armour and crossbows vanished, and the dress of the normal infantryman or ‘Drab’ was standardised as shown. A rota of this period often formed in ten ranks of ten, the first being of NCOs with eight foot halfpikes, second and tenth armed with halberds or berdische poleaxes, the rest with arquebusses. Usual sidearm was a sabre or light axe.
By the second half of the century mail had disappeared, and the infantry wore the uniform shown for a ‘Drabant’. A long coat, slit to the waist at each side, was worn over a tunic and tight trousers. The front quarters were pulled up and tucked through the belt. A flat fur-trimmed hat replaced the helmet. Coat commonly light blue with red lining, trousers black, shoes black or brown.
Infantry NCOs retained their half-pikes, the rest having arquebus or musket; halberds were now largely used by bodyguards; (Royal Guard wore red coat with yellow lining and gold trim, gold-embroidered sash, light blue trousers and cuffs, yellow shoes.)
‘Hungarian’ like ‘Polish’ infantry had ten per cent half-pikes, 90 per cent firearms, but wore the dress illustrated, while ‘German’ infantry were armoured pikemen and unarmoured ‘shot’ in morions, employing larger formations and Western tactics. (In the 17th Century at least, the bulk of these ‘Foreign’ troops were actually Polish.)
Variously-armed peasant infantry would also be mobilised, and they would wear a
Fur cap, fur-trimmed and hooded caftan worn (in winter) over creamy-white linen tunic and trousers and high boots.
World History
