why were winged hussars so good

The hussars in actual battles were commanded by his subordinates and career soldiers, including a lieutenant of the towarzysze rank. The attack with which the Polish Hussars are so popular is actually a psychological attack. The latter money was sometimes taken forcibly from the host population and often contributed substantially to the revenues of a hussar company. But it was possibly a large Tatar raid (or even invasion) into the Polish territory with the objective of capturing both loot and slaves. By 1576 AD, Stephan Batory further standardized the adoption of wheellock pistols for most cavalrymen of the Polish Winged Hussars. This tradition was rather expanded upon in the 17th century when some of the hussars even carried two pistols equipped with the efficient French flintlocks. This naturally raises the question – how did these companies recruit the hussars? These rotas were furnished and commanded by the rotmistrz (‘rota-master’), who usually hailed from the upper sections of nobility (or szlachta) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Known for their decisive impact on numerous military encounters, like the Battle of Lubieszów (1577 AD), Battle of Pitschen (1588 AD), Battle of Kircholm (1605 AD), Battle of Klushino (1610 AD), and the Battle of Vienna (1683 AD) – which possibly entailed the largest cavalry charge in the history of warfare, the Polish Winged Hussars are rightly held in high regard by military historians and aficionados. On top of all of that, their winged attachments when paired with the sound produced by their horses hooves and armour created an intimidating hum which rapidly increased in intensity as they drew closer. February 14, 2018. Moreover, it should be noted that it was only the towarzysze ranked ‘companions’ and their chosen retainers who often flaunted their heavier, well-crafted armor with better finishes. There's a reason the Mongols, and, eventually, the succeeding khanates, never made it past Poland and into Europe. Vonadler and Koshatnik provided pretty accurate descriptions of what made Polish Hussars effective out on the field. This brings us to the another (and arguably more credible) possibility that the wings were mostly worn by the hussars during parades and special occasions. So when the feathered wings were accompanied by their leopardskin-draped attires, burnished armor, and lances with fluttering pennants, the overall visual impact must have been a sight to behold. The Ottomans? Later it was modified into a ‘half-lobster’ form after 1600 AD. Majority of these troops came from the non-noble background, thus establishing the trend of lower classes opting for military careers in the army. To that end, it is a possible misconception that the wings were worn due to the ominous sound-effects emanated during the course of a hussar charge. According to contemporary sources, most kopia lances measured somewhere between 13 to 19 ft, and they were possibly crafted by combining longitudinal, hollowed-out segments of the wood that were consolidated with sinews, glue, and silk threads – thus resulting in a composite yet light-weight shaft. Now beyond agile movements, the Polish Winged Hussars were known for their headlong charges, a seemingly anachronistic mode of engaging the enemy in the 16th-17th centuries, but nevertheless pretty effective when it came to deciding battle results. There are even accounts that suggest that the defending forces used improvised ammunition from ‘upcycled’ Tatar arrows. As new technologies are introduced to the battlefield, old tactics get thrown out. Inside this fortified ring, the Poles (especially the Hussars) made use of their long-range firearms and staved off relentless waves of enemy assaults for over six hours. Well, this may have been the case in the latter part of the 17th century, especially during the reign of John Sobieski. Book Reference: Polish Winged Hussar 1576-1775 (By Richard Brzezinski), Online Sources: Kismeta / MyArmoury / Polish Cultural Institute (link), Featured Image: Illustration by Mariusz Kozik. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. But of course, pertaining to the leopardskins, many of these seemingly ostentatious capes were sourced from smaller feline species like lynxes, with the pelts being sewn together. The kopia lances also had the distinguishing feature of the spherical handguards that were known as galka (‘knob’) in Polish (though foreigners described them as ‘apple-shaped’). During rare situations, when the encounters turned into siege stalemates, the Polish Winged Hussars were known to courageously storm into the enemy positions. Seriously, Hollywood? However, the Polish commander (presumably a man named Konstanty Zahorowski) did notice the sheer numerical superiority of the Tatars, and so decided to withdraw to the nearby Hodów village – to set up a defensive perimeter with heavy and sturdy wooden fences. And thus, even while bearing the rank of a junior officer in such an exclusive group, the towarzysze (companion) rightly considered himself as a member of an elite military fraternity that tended to overshadow other army divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These ‘companions’ also came from the szlachta class of Polish nobility, albeit with lesser means than the rotmistrz – and they were tasked with providing manpower (with their retainers), sharing the economic burden of the company, and even performing duties of an officer at the camp and on the battlefield. Many of the cavalrymen, known as gusars in Serbian, continued to operate in the region, even after the demise of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Russians? The Winged Hussars were one of the most effective military forces in the world. Today, they are still remembered for their outstanding courage as well as their remarkable armor and clever military tactics. On the other hand, they truly shone in the decisive moments of the various pitched battles fought from 16th to 17th centuries. In essence, much like their medieval knightly counterparts, the hussars charged not to completely demolish the opponent’s infantry but rather to psychologically afflict and dismantle (‘crack open’) the enemy formations. In other words, these companies of cavalrymen, who bridged the gap between heavy lancers and mobile horsemen, formed the first of the famed Polish Winged Hussars that we tend to admire and glorify in the realm of military history. A few of these retainers also hailed from the aforementioned szlachta class, though of the impoverished nature. Simply put, the Polish Winged Hussars were too expensive (to train, outfit, and equip) to be expended in cramped and brutal melee fighting situations interspersed with devastating volleys of firearms. I'm refering to the 'Winged Hussars,' one of the most dominate Calvary forces of all time, and probably the most recognizable. Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. Everyone praises the Spartans for pitting 300 troops against the mighty Persian army. Smack dab in the middle of those three was the little commonwealth of Polish-Lithuania. These shock troops were some of the most devastating cavalrymen to ever mount a horse. Simply put, the actual strength of individual companies of hussars often stood at 164 to 180 mounted soldiers, as opposed to the standard 200 horsemen. On the other hand, the pacholiks who served in the rear-ranks of a hussar company were only given cheaper versions of the classier sets. In essence, while the feathered elements defined the ‘winged’ visual flair of the hussars, historians and academics are still not sure as to how and why these wings were worn. In any case, the heroic defense was successful, with over a thousand casualties on the Crimean Khanate side (who finally retreated to central Ukraine), and less than a hundred on the Polish side. While popular notions tend to pinpoint the origins of hussars in Hungary, according to historian Richard Brzezinski, the history of hussars possibly harks back to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) times, circa 10th century, when the Empire recruited light cavalry from the Balkans (especially the Serbs), known as the chonsarioi (possibly derived from cursores, the Roman light cavalry). Quite intriguingly, the early Polish hussars (circa 16th century) were also known to carry bows to the battlefield, with the anachronistic bow possibly perceived as a mark of honor (as opposed to a handy weapon) for the towarzysze officers. Please read the rules before participating, as we remove all comments which break the rules. Creighton Abrams may be remembered for it, but Polish-Lithuania lived by the mantra, "they've got us surrounded again? After Batory’s reforms – wherein the king explicitly mentioned wings being a part of hussar uniform, the horsemen possibly inserted the simply-framed feathered wings (in pairs) at the back of their saddles. They crushed the Swedes at Kirkholm 1605, and the Swedes learned the lesson and formed both an offensive cavalry arm of their own (used heavily with great success in the Thirty Years' War) and a superb pike formation, which, together with artillery and good, offensive cavalry, defeated the Polish Hussars at Warsaw 1656. In essence, many of historians are of the opinion that these wings, as opposed to auditory purposes, were used for their fashionable (and perhaps intimidating) flair that mirrored the high status enjoyed by the companies of the Polish Winged Hussars. Hussars were shock troops, meaning that they needed to instill as much fear as they could as fast and effectively as they could — before the enemy has a chance to realize what's going on. The local Polish administration responded to this surprise attack by calling upon mounted hussars and pancerni forces from two regional strongholds in Red Ruthenia (present-day western Ukraine). 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Eisenhower, the chain-smoking D-Day mastermind who became president, The Navy EOD's 2030 vision is more byte than bang, Air Force Academy and the experiment of enlisted faculty, Next up on your reading list needs to be Iraq veteran’s ‘almost perfect novel’ Missionaries. Their initial action involved boldly charging headlong into 700-strong Crimean light cavalry, which resulted in the successful dispersion of the enemy forces.

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