🚩 Claim your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: try.magellantv.com/historymarche. Start your free trial TODAY so you can watch “The Great Commanders” and the rest of MagellanTV’s history collection: www.magellantv.com/series/the-great-commanders
@@krismr6277 I wudnt call them loose;English and Scotts - I wud call them loose but we and Lithuania,even if situation sometimes was not great ,we were togheter since Jadwiga and Jagiello,yet if U don`t know history very well,U cud think that on this map Poland and Grand Duchy were completely separate countries,wich was not d case.
@czoncZ here's a surprising fact Sobieski saved viennna in 1683 But while austria, Russia and Prussia partitioned Poland The Ottomans denied the Partition of the Commonwealth. History is weird sometimes 🤔
@czoncZ it's kinda like France, that always was and still Is baller as fuck, but got railed hard in ww2, and that's all anyone remembers, not any of their dominant eras, or even their current badassery of the GIGN, such a shame
What's even more amazing is the Polish army's professionalism when compared with the Moldavian counterparts. Even though the arquebusiers were engaging in a forest, fighting off a cavalry charge with only 850 men is still no small feat. The Valny cavalry fighting in rotation and switching exhausted horses on the front row with fresh ones on the back mid-battle is even unthinkable.
But this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough. So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871! What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry. But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used. I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army. I continued the comment with more interesting information below. In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East. It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon. By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
You know weirdly enough my interest in Poland came from my friend who was Polish and had a beautiful sister, we all went to the same Catholic church, me having Spanish descent. Sadly nothing came of it but I was always fascinated by Poland's history originally from Jan Sobieski's victory over the Ottomans, then much later defeating the Red Army in the Russian civil war, and now Poland being a major contributor to holding up Ukraine and a good ally of the USA. Poland is awesome!
@Shinobiwan I'm no polish but my interest in Poland came from the early hungarian hussars which were called the Ràs (meaning rascians or modern day serbians since a big aprt of them where from serbia) as I'm From serbia and as I was following the history behind the hussars I obviously stumbled upon the winged hussars and I was directly mesmerised by them, and soon enough I started learning more about them, the combats they were in and polish history in general so yes Poland is awsome
@@Charles_Kos_TutorWesterners - you mean English- and why shouldn’t we know about our own history rather than Polish - do Poles know about Bosworth ? - idiotic
It's nice to see Jan Tarnowski getting some attention. Even here in Poland, he is quite overshadowed by later great hetmans, like Żółkiewski, Chodkiewicz or Sobieski. I imagine he is nearly completely unknown in the wider world. The video looks really slick and it's clear that there was some effort made to correctly pronounce Polish names and other terms. There are some issues, starting with the title itself being a bit anachronistic, but other viewers (like one Jak00bSpyr) already addressed them all at length in their comments. Edit: Also Kamil Szadkowski now. He always makes great comments under videos related to early modern Polish military and warfare. Fun fact: Jan Tarnowski also wrote a treatise about warfare _Consilium rationis bellicae_ among other works.
HistoryMarche is the absolute best at these type of battle animations. Very keen attention to detail and tremendous effort put into getting names and pronunciations correct.
Sorry Stanislaw Koniecpolski was """BETTER""' best Hetman/General/Commander that the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth ever had in the 16th and 17th Century, Zolkiewski and Chodkiewicz died in combat or after battle, the first losing at Cecora, a Battle that he should never had entered , heavily outnumbered and bad terrain against defense, due to his age he became """OVER CONFIDANT""" , yes Koniecpolski was there but young still learning and not too much experience, plus he was not in charge of the Army Zolkiewski was, Chodkiewicz wore himself out suffering too many injuries, during Khotyn, not as decisive like Koniecpolski s against the Swedes, specially when his opponent was none other than Gustavus Adolphus, the Ottomans and Russians had nothing compared to that Military Genius.
@Richard Rykala Yes, Stanisław Koniecpolski was also a great commander, I definitely could have included him. Plus, he managed to achieve all that despite having some sort of speech impediment (probably stuttering), which makes it even more impressive.
@@Artur_M. Thank you for your Reply. I am 50/50 as you can see by my last name, %50 Polish and %50 Finnish. The most accurate answer to that is that in one of the Swedish Wars with Poland during the 17th Century,( Possibly 1650s ) a Finnish soldier became """POW""" possibly a Cavalryman since the majority of the Swedish Cavalry at that period were Finnish. Finnland doesn,t have good land to farm so he didn,t go back when the war was over and was tired of constant wars after wars so he married a Polish woman have a better quiet life and here I am. What was told from my family. Our family is from the Rzeszow area of Poland closer towards the Carparti . During WW2 my fathers farm and forest was right on the demarcation line where Germans and Soviet soldiers met and on his land they accidently fought each other and he saw dead Germans,Soviets and Polish within a few yards from each other in the woods. Yes !!! Its to bad how the Polish Commonwealth did something that neither other Military Powerhouses could do and never recognized, with even great Generals Commanders Leaders ,Tactics,Technology,Professionally Trained Soldiers, Like the Swedes under Charles XII, later France under Napoleon and last Germany under Hitler, actually defeat the Russians in Battle, End the War ,take Moscow and finally having the Crown of Czar offered to the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, too bad Sigismund took bad advice, should of just let his son Wladislaw take the conversion to Orthodox in public, while privately remain Catholic. To bad he didn,t have a Cardinal Richelieu give him advice. A skilled Diplomat would of used """DECEPTION""" popular at Royal Courts at that time, made the Russian Boyars show that Wladislaw agrees to convert thereby receiving the crown of Czar of All Russia, but in reality he does not, see how that works! Than change the name to with the addition of Russian Commonwealth to the Polish and Lithuanian. Things would of been better in Russia, pretty good chance communism would never had existed. Some things I would of changed in that Polish Lithuanian Constitution. Being the biggest Power in Europe , you will have to have a Standing Royal Army, the Szalachta were always worried about paying $$$$$$$$, so I would create my own personal Business,Production advanced Technology on Royal Land, get the taxes from there for the Army etc . I also would of made the Peasants semi-independent, own their own house and small plot of land,sell their products to pay small taxes, with a land mass that large the last thing you want to anger the peasants and have a Peasant Uprising. I call Russia,s Time of Troubles, Polish Lithuanian Lost Opportunity☹☹
Thanks. By the way, this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough. So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871! What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry. But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used. I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army. I continued the comment with more interesting information below. In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East. It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon. By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
Tarnowski's plan was quite good, and the man had nerves of steel to stand his ground under artillery fire, especially while walking around the fortified encampment to calm his men down. Absolute beast of a commander, with absolute beasts under his command.
@@612ent7 I'm not getting work up, but If someone knows how to write the name of their country with a capital letter because they have respect for their country, then they should write about other countries with a capital letter (if they respect them). Chill man.
@@alexpaulrubinstein2582 nah man I get u but that’s not how u ask someone to correct something n how’s it a disrespect this ain’t a fucking government letter to your president so chill
When the winged hussars arrived A cry for help in time of need, await relief from holy league 60 days of siege, outnumbered and weak Sent a message to the sky, wounded soldiers left to die Will they hold the wall or will the city fall Dedication Dedication They're outnumbered 15 to one And the battle's begun Then the winged hussars arrived Coming down the mountainside Then the winged hussars arrived Coming down they turned the tide
Storm clouds. Fire and steel. Death from above Make the enemy kneel Shining armor and wings Death from above It’s an army of kings Storm clouds. Fire and steel. Death from above Make the enemy kneel Shining armor and wings Death from above It’s an army of kings We remember In September When the Winged Hussars arrived!
Interesting thing. In Topkapi museum is only one painting that's: "Polish diplomatic envoy in front of Suleyman the Magnificient" We were enemies, but had respect each to other for centuries. Turkey as one and only country never accepted partition of Poland.
Why I have a great respect for Turks is that altough we fought against each other more than once, I don't recall any significant event when they treated us with needless ruthlessness. Of course, the wars were brutal and horrible things happened, but they didn't massacre civilians or torture prisoners. Of all the enemies Poland fought over the centuries, Turks always struck me as the most honorable. Greetings to Turkiye.
The Ottomans did not accept the destruction of Poland because they were afraid that the Russians, English and French would do the same to them. However this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough. So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871! What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry. But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used. I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army. I continued the comment with more interesting information below. In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East. It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon. By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
A cry for help in time of need, await relief from holy league 60 days of siege, outnumbered and weak Sent a message to the sky, wounded soldiers left to die Will they hold the wall or will the city fall Dedication Dedication They're outnumbered 15 to one And the battle's begun Then the winged hussars arrived Coming down the mountainside Then the winged hussars arrived Coming down they turned the tide As the days are passing by and as the dead are piling high No escape and no salvation Trenches to explosive halls are buried deep beneath the walls Plant the charges there and watch the city fear Desperation Desperation It's a desperate race against the mine And a race against time Then the winged hussars arrived Coming down the mountainside Then the winged hussars arrived Coming down they turned the tide Cannonballs are coming down from the sky Janissaries are you ready to die? We will seek our vengeance eye for an eye You'll be stopped upon the steps of our gate On this field you're only facing our hate But back home the sultan's sealing your fate We remember In September That's the night Vienna was freed, We made the enemy bleed! Storm clouds, fire and steel! Death from above make their enemy kneel! HELL YEAH
So, some minor mistakes revolving around XVI-XVII century Polish military. "Valny" is not really a term used to describe Polish heavy cavalry. "Valny", or rather "huf walny" was a part of the formation in the "Old Polish order" ("Stare urządzenie polskie"). The formation consisted of two support forces, known in Polish as "huf posiłkowy", located on the flanks and made out of light cavalry, the center consisted of another two units, the frontal unit, ("huf przedni") and the aforementioned "huf walny", which can be translated as the main unit, the general-assault unit. Both were made out of heavy cavalry, hence the mistake it seems. Polish heavy cavalry at that time was called "Kopijnicy" or "jazda kopijnicza", which can be translated to simply "lancers" or "lancer cavalry", even though I always found it irritating that in English there is no proper equivalent of the word "kopia", meaning a long disposable polearm designed for one use only, after which it was broken and thrown away, used in the late Middle Ages by knights and by the Winged Hussars up to the XVIII century. The English only has a word "lance", which is awful, becouse in Polish we distinguish a kopia from a lance, a much shorter polearm, basically a cavalry spear, not ment for one-time use, and used up to XX century. And there were no "winged hussars" at that time either. Hussars were still a type of light cavalry, an elite force to be sure, but still they were not the heavy cavalry known in popculture until king Batory's refroms in the second half of XVI century.
@@imreadam9118 There is no such a thing as "fake hussars". And if we talk about so-called Polish Winged Hussars, they were heavy cavalry by all means, both by equipment, as they were armored and heavily armed, and their role as shock-cavalry.
@@imreadam9118 I don't think we understand each other properly. In XVI century, hussars were recognised as a foreign military unit, also known simply as "the Hungarian cavalry", becouse they were indeed recruited from among Hungarians, were equipped and fought exactly their style. However, since king Batory's reforms, these hussars evolved into something completely different, as part of the Polish army the Huszars evolved into Husaria. They were equipped completely different, their role and tactics on the battlefield were also different. They simply evolved into another unit, the husaria ORIGINATED from the Hungarian Huszar's, but it's wrong to call them "fake" - they were something completely else, they were then recruited from among the Polish nobles and this is why they could be recognised as a Polish military unit. In English people call them simply Hussars and used the term for both the XVI century Hungarian light cavalry and XVII century Polish heavy cavalry, becouse they have no better term or don't want to use their original names in native languages of each nation. And the Hungarian hussars evolved similarily, as they themselves originated from the Serbian Rác cavalry, were originally recruited from among them, and during the wars with Turkey they adapted some Turkish tactics and pieces of equipment, like their characteristic shields. Btw. the Hajducy infantry is also known in Poland as "piechota węgierska", the Hungarian infantry, as they were brought to Poland by Stephen Batory.
@@jak00bspyr72 To add to your comment - the process of taking an effective foreign unit and to later polonize it and integrate it's tactical value with some changes here and there was an extremely popular thing at least in Poland back in the day. The same goes with the "rajtars" (german Reiters) and plenty of "German infantry" that as far as i am aware didn't had their own specific names. A lot of our military from late XVI and then XVII was adaptive and inspired by foregin units. Even the hussars were not always used in the same way, when fighting the Tatars for example they were not using lances (kopie) at all, instead they would have a couple of pistols and a sabre as fighting the light, fast skirmish cavarly was not that effective with lances - and also adopt a completly different style of cavarly charge and movement. PS. Also, Hajducy became a polish infantry as well, changing and adapting their gear and tactics slightly to suit the polish military better, there is a very detailed chapter about those changes and adaptation of foreign units in the book "Wojsko polskie w drugiej połowie XVII wieku" by Jan Wimmer, dunno if english version of the book exist but it shows how foregin units are polonize. Edit - also if we want to generalize that a specific unit comes from a different country therefore it's "fake" then you know that Knights are therefore french/german and every other country that had knights had "fake" knights, right?
@@imreadam9118 So the French, Russian, Prussian, Austrian, Polish, and dozens of other countries with Hussar units throughout military history did not ACTUALLY have any light cavalry, because anything other than Hungarian was fake and imaginary and did not exist? OK, I will use your exact same logic. You are speaking English right now, but you are probably not from England, so you are fake and imaginary and you do not exist. Neither do I, I did not write this comment and I do not exist because I am speaking English and I am not from England.
Well, it's fantastic. I'm from Obertyn, my mother line came frome there. We oll heard something abot this battle, but I never expected to see someone made a video about it. Well done! Amazing job, as always!
Jan Amor Tarnowski was (as far as I recall) also the author of a "war-manual" (I forgot the Latin title) that until the times of Napoleon & von Clausewitz was one of the "must - to read" books for every major Commander & General in both Eastern & Western Europe - a book mandatory for lecture in Military Schools & Academies (like the Royal French ones) - out there for something like 200 years after his (Tarnowski's) death. I know for a fact Henry of Bourbon (later Henry the IVth - King Of France - had one copy in his possession) as well as Prinz Eugene of Savoy or "Prinz Eugen", as the Austrians&Germans called him - had another copy, too. ...can't recall the damn name!... PS. ...it was "CONSILIUM RATIONIS BELLICAE" - that was the title of his book! - first printed in 1558 in Tarnòw! (had to "google it back" out!) - sorry! 😄 Thanks for the (great video)!
Yes, that's right but this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough. So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871! What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry. But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used. I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army. I continued the comment with more interesting information below. In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East. It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon. By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
I see some people are curious about how and why the Moldovan army was so (relatively) big. So here are some bullet points explaining the structure of Moldovan armies to the best of my knowledge: - Total amount of Moldovan troops in the first half of the XVI century is estimated to reach 30 thousand men (10% of the Moldovan population) - Moldovan forces were divided into two main categories, the peasant and noble levy referred to as The Great Army and a mix of professional and semi-professional private troops owned by the ruler and wealthiest magnates called The Small/Lesser Army - The most important part of the Small Army were the Curteni roughly equivalent to what in Slavic countries was referred to as druzhina, so the personal retinues of feudal lords. The most elite of them were the Curteni Domnului - the personal retinue of the Voivode of Moldova counting up to 3 thousand men, mostly cavalry - Among the voivode's private troops, there were also so-called Joldul, mercenaries recruited mainly from Serbs, Hungarians, Poles, and Germans. - Up to 70% of the Moldovan army was recruited from peasant levies, like Hinsarii - peasant light cavalry, formed ad hoc, not receiving any pay aside from a share of the loot and exemptions from taxes - Another example of such formations were the Slujitori. Militia organized around administrative districts Slujitori were mostly recruited from peasants (witezi, vatagi). Each such unit was commanded by Mare Vatag. Slujitori did not receive any land or monetary payment in exchange for their service. Instead, they were provided with a variety of benefits and services by the local population. - As you might imagine, the armament and level of training of the Moldovan soldiers varied greatly most however were poorly armed and had little formal training. Locally produced aketons were the most common form of armour, while spears, javelins, clubs, bows, and scythes constituted the majority of offensive arms. Despite this contemporary sources note that Moldovan peasant levies were not to be trifled with especially when encountered in their native terrain, hills, and mountains If someone notices any mistakes feel free to correct me and fill in the gaps.
Grrat breakdown, though I have to admit, I find it a bit hard to believe such a force to be deployed in one place, who defended the rest of the country?
@@transylvanian8437 Who would dare to attack Ottomans? Garrisons and locals were quite enough to keep peace I guess and there seemed to be no threat from neighours.
Nowadays In that northern region called Botosani County there is a village called Joldesti. I didn't have any idea of its etymology (to be frank it never crossed my mind). Upon searching further about this subject I found out that there is an old meaning to the word in romanian: to work for next to nothing. "Jold" seems to be derived from the polish žołd or magyar zsold which would have meant "pay" or "feudal tribute". An old derivation of the word "Jold" is "Joldunar" which is closely related to the german word for mercenary: "Söldner". There we can draw a parallel with the modern day English word "Soldier" as we know that the English language is heavily influenced by old german and norse languages. I come to the conclusion that "žołd" meaning "pay" became "a worthless job" in this region due to the poor conditions people of the time had to live with while serving a subjugated voivode.
Entonces dime tú,que pareces muy bien informado, cómo ha podido Stefan el Grande en frente a 40 000 moldavianos destruir un ejército de 120 000 turcos en la batalla de Vaslui,y Moldavia era un pequeño Principado,y para saber era el primo de Vlad Tepes, Drácula,así que nada,pero Pocutia ha sido vendida a Moldavia desde los tiempos de la batalla de Grunwald,y los moldavianos han ayudado con tropas y dinero Alós reyes polacos,ke siempre kerian más,un pueblo ke no entiende nada de la historia,esos son los polacos,provocan las guerras y luego piden ayudas,como ahora en el nombre de un orgullo desmesurado.y a pagar otros para ellos.
Excellent military history clip-Poland has had to face many serious challenges throughout history and the nation has persevered with courage to this day
....and written by those that won. I doubt VERY much that only few hundred Polish died. Same for the battle with Sweden. If it's too good to be true.....
The cannons lost to the Poles were captured in 1529 from Ferdinand of Habsburg's army, defeated at Feldioara, in Transylvania. The wheel of history always turns.
"Amor Patriae Nostra Lex" Love of the fatherland is our law - Polish Hussar Motto Like France, many people forget how powerful Poland was before the World Wars
Before partition. And the powerfulness was the main reason for partition. Each country couldn't declare war alone, so they jumped on Poland from every side, cowards.
Great work History Marche as always. You never fail to deliver. Been studying European and Roman military history for over 50 years. Thank you once again.
I dated a Polish girl for about a year before I left for college. She is a very beautiful and cool chick. I later actually married a girl that is half Polish (Poles are kind of rare around my area, so this is notable). We have a daughter, so this piqued my interest in Poland's history as well.
@@russkayaimperiya4918 no she’s full on from Poland. We met on an IB server in high school since we were both in the program during Covid. Strange story I’m aware lol
Really nice. Just one point Walny or as it was called Hufiec Walny was not a type of cavalry it was more an organization unit that orgin back to middle ages. It would normally gather few smaller units horagiew/regiment.
I don’t think that he does sieges. The only sieges that he’s ever done to my knowledge are Serguntum and Nola as they were needed for the Hannibal series.
The Valny were the classic late medieval cavalry with full body armour clad head to toe and equipped with heavy sturdy lances. They acted as the first line shock cavalry units. The hussars were then newly invented units probably inspired by Hungarian deployments, their riders protected as they always were using only half armour covering only the upper body and equipped with lighter lances. They rode as the second line in support of the Valny (Walny = shock/thrust/smash). Later in the century they completely replaced the Valny since musket fire improved, so body armour became less effective and cavalry came to rely on speed by closing in the distance as fast as possible between them and the infantry. Their lances also became longer to deal with the pikemen. As the now top elite cavalry they likely now also got the Valny's bigger faster horses.
Hey I just wanted to come by and say that I can’t believe the TH-cam algorithm never recommended your channel before now. For the past 5 days I have been binge-listening to a lot of your videos. The narration sounds so perfect and feels like I am playing Stronghold Crusader back in my young days; making this even more interesting to listen to! Thank you very much HistoryMarche for these perfect historic videos, from a history lover 🙏🏼
Interesting. I think Suleiman decided to take this opportunity to test Poland's military capability. "Let's see how they deal with this guy. OK. I see. It seems they are still strong." "Get out of here, Rares, how dare you offend my best friend the King of Poland who can clearly defend himself."
Great video @HistoryMarche! Keep it up! There was only one small misunderstanding regarding the "valny" cavalry. "Huf walny" was simply one of the two bodies of force in the Old Polish Order, "huf" or "hufiec" being equivalent to the English term "battle" meaning a formation of up to several individual banners (as in lance --> banner --> battle). So the main or the rearguard battle was referred to as "huf walny" which was preceded by a vanguard battle (huf czelny) while the flanks were protected by while their flanks were protected by "auxiliary battles" (hufce posiłkowe). Otherwise, the video is right on the money.
I knew you would show up here and explain it better than I could (or other commenters, who already wrote about it when I saw the video), so I refrained from writing about it.
Quite amazing how the Polish heavy cavalry were able to defeat Moldavian heavy cav seemingly twice the number. And Jan Tarnowski must have had a really great defensive position - it would be awesome if we had more information on the actual terrain and stuff.
At that time, the Polish cavalry were not "hussar" yet, but had a mixed composition, and their main breaking force were professional soldiers in full Milanese armour. Only in the next rows were the hussars in lighter armor and with longer lances, and in the last rows were horse archers. There were differences between the "banners": some had more armored cavalrymen than archers, others vice versa.
A good defense is a good offense. The Roman and Greek generals of old were known for their fortifications because of how much of a force multiplier they were in battles.
If you know your enemy and yourself you shall win all your battles, if you know yourself but not your enemy for every battle you win, you will lose another one. Tarnowski knew himself and his enemy, but the enemy only knew it's own strength.
"Old Polish device" - a battle array of cavalry, which was formed at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The center of the array was formed by the heavy-armed cavalry, appearing in two huffers: Czelny (front) and the Walny (rear). On the wings, i.e. in the so-called auxiliary huffers, light-armed riding occurred. Hence "valny" ("walny") is the name of one of the hufs.
I could only dream in EU4 that as small country as Moldavia as Ottoman vassal not only i can declare war on my own but also having 20000 cavalry when in game you could barely have 6000 infantry (because cavalry are expensive) unless you expand and become bigger nation assuming you survive either Ottoman or Poland
This is the lie of the King of Moldavia. When he became under the control of the Ottomans, he had 20,000 soldiers and defeated the Poles, killing 70,000 soldiers.
@@Saladyn88 What is your source for this claim? Poland-Ottoman relations was very well until devastating Cossack and Tatar raidings to each other. Ottoman vassal states (Wallachia, Transylvania, Moldovia and Crimea) are always largely autonomous, being able to wage war without Ottomans' permission.
The defeat of the army of Hospodar Petryło by Hetman Jan Tarnowski is called in Poland "a battle - a work of art"… Huf Walny (General Corps) consisted of heavy-armed knight cavalry not Hussars.
Fun fact: Bogdan III was tricked into giving Pokuttia to Sigismud in 1506 as a gift for his soon to be wife, the sister of Sigismund. The wedding never happened but Sigismund claimed Pokuttia so probably Petru Rares considered the arrangement void and proceeded to retake it.
Great video, but the title is wrong. The Winged Hussars did not exist then, they were formed only in the 1570s. The light Hussars which existed then played a very minor role in this battle.
![True Size of a Byzantine Army [c. 900 AD] 3D DOCUMENTARY](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jE48hMEGlPI/mqdefault.jpg)
🚩 Claim your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: try.magellantv.com/historymarche. Start your free trial TODAY so you can watch “The Great Commanders” and the rest of MagellanTV’s history collection: www.magellantv.com/series/the-great-commanders
Map of ottoman empire is incomplete
I don`t know why U showed Poland and Litva-separate in 1529
@@adammielniczek7584 Thats difficult topic until Lublin Union relation was pretty lose
Nice video, although that's not how you say my name :D
@@krismr6277 I wudnt call them loose;English and Scotts - I wud call them loose but we and Lithuania,even if situation sometimes was not great ,we were togheter since Jadwiga and Jagiello,yet if U don`t know history very well,U cud think that on this map Poland and Grand Duchy were completely separate countries,wich was not d case.
It's amazing how much of a powerhouse Poland was
Yep... but it was LONG time ago ...
@czoncZ here's a surprising fact
Sobieski saved viennna in 1683
But while austria, Russia and Prussia partitioned Poland
The Ottomans denied the Partition of the Commonwealth.
History is weird sometimes 🤔
@czoncZ it's kinda like France, that always was and still Is baller as fuck, but got railed hard in ww2, and that's all anyone remembers, not any of their dominant eras, or even their current badassery of the GIGN, such a shame
And still is.
Poland still is, Putin would be very foolish to extend his war past Ukraine.
What a masterful defensive battle plan well executed. Truly amazing
Chess masterpiece.
What's even more amazing is the Polish army's professionalism when compared with the Moldavian counterparts. Even though the arquebusiers were engaging in a forest, fighting off a cavalry charge with only 850 men is still no small feat. The Valny cavalry fighting in rotation and switching exhausted horses on the front row with fresh ones on the back mid-battle is even unthinkable.
But this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough.
So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871!
What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry.
But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East.
It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon.
By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
@@GreatPolishWingedHussars Biggest rant from someone who complained about the slightest shit ever
Finally Polish history going through to wider audiences after years of obscurity, thank you. Was really interesting to watch.
Exactly, westerners only know Agincourt and King Richard and Battle of Bosworth Field.
You know weirdly enough my interest in Poland came from my friend who was Polish and had a beautiful sister, we all went to the same Catholic church, me having Spanish descent.
Sadly nothing came of it but I was always fascinated by Poland's history originally from Jan Sobieski's victory over the Ottomans, then much later defeating the Red Army in the Russian civil war, and now Poland being a major contributor to holding up Ukraine and a good ally of the USA.
Poland is awesome!
@Shinobiwan I'm no polish but my interest in Poland came from the early hungarian hussars which were called the Ràs (meaning rascians or modern day serbians since a big aprt of them where from serbia) as I'm From serbia and as I was following the history behind the hussars I obviously stumbled upon the winged hussars and I was directly mesmerised by them, and soon enough I started learning more about them, the combats they were in and polish history in general so yes Poland is awsome
@@Charles_Kos_TutorNonsense
@@Charles_Kos_TutorWesterners - you mean English- and why shouldn’t we know about our own history rather than Polish - do Poles know about Bosworth ? - idiotic
It's nice to see Jan Tarnowski getting some attention. Even here in Poland, he is quite overshadowed by later great hetmans, like Żółkiewski, Chodkiewicz or Sobieski. I imagine he is nearly completely unknown in the wider world.
The video looks really slick and it's clear that there was some effort made to correctly pronounce Polish names and other terms. There are some issues, starting with the title itself being a bit anachronistic, but other viewers (like one Jak00bSpyr) already addressed them all at length in their comments.
Edit: Also Kamil Szadkowski now. He always makes great comments under videos related to early modern Polish military and warfare.
Fun fact: Jan Tarnowski also wrote a treatise about warfare _Consilium rationis bellicae_ among other works.
HistoryMarche is the absolute best at these type of battle animations. Very keen attention to detail and tremendous effort put into getting names and pronunciations correct.
Sorry Stanislaw Koniecpolski was """BETTER""' best Hetman/General/Commander that the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth ever had in the 16th and 17th Century, Zolkiewski and Chodkiewicz died in combat or after battle, the first losing at Cecora, a Battle that he should never had entered , heavily outnumbered and bad terrain against defense, due to his age he became """OVER CONFIDANT""" , yes Koniecpolski was there but young still learning and not too much experience, plus he was not in charge of the Army Zolkiewski was, Chodkiewicz wore himself out suffering too many injuries, during Khotyn, not as decisive like Koniecpolski s against the Swedes, specially when his opponent was none other than Gustavus Adolphus, the Ottomans and Russians had nothing compared to that Military Genius.
@Richard Rykala Yes, Stanisław Koniecpolski was also a great commander, I definitely could have included him. Plus, he managed to achieve all that despite having some sort of speech impediment (probably stuttering), which makes it even more impressive.
@@Artur_M. Thank you for your Reply. I am 50/50 as you can see by my last name, %50 Polish and %50 Finnish. The most accurate answer to that is that in one of the Swedish Wars with Poland during the 17th Century,( Possibly 1650s ) a Finnish soldier became """POW""" possibly a Cavalryman since the majority of the Swedish Cavalry at that period were Finnish. Finnland doesn,t have good land to farm so he didn,t go back when the war was over and was tired of constant wars after wars so he married a Polish woman have a better quiet life and here I am. What was told from my family. Our family is from the Rzeszow area of Poland closer towards the Carparti . During WW2 my fathers farm and forest was right on the demarcation line where Germans and Soviet soldiers met and on his land they accidently fought each other and he saw dead Germans,Soviets and Polish within a few yards from each other in the woods. Yes !!! Its to bad how the Polish Commonwealth did something that neither other Military Powerhouses could do and never recognized, with even great Generals Commanders Leaders ,Tactics,Technology,Professionally Trained Soldiers, Like the Swedes under Charles XII, later France under Napoleon and last Germany under Hitler, actually defeat the Russians in Battle, End the War ,take Moscow and finally having the Crown of Czar offered to the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, too bad Sigismund took bad advice, should of just let his son Wladislaw take the conversion to Orthodox in public, while privately remain Catholic. To bad he didn,t have a Cardinal Richelieu give him advice. A skilled Diplomat would of used """DECEPTION""" popular at Royal Courts at that time, made the Russian Boyars show that Wladislaw agrees to convert thereby receiving the crown of Czar of All Russia, but in reality he does not, see how that works! Than change the name to with the addition of Russian Commonwealth to the Polish and Lithuanian. Things would of been better in Russia, pretty good chance communism would never had existed. Some things I would of changed in that Polish Lithuanian Constitution. Being the biggest Power in Europe , you will have to have a Standing Royal Army, the Szalachta were always worried about paying $$$$$$$$, so I would create my own personal Business,Production advanced Technology on Royal Land, get the taxes from there for the Army etc . I also would of made the Peasants semi-independent, own their own house and small plot of land,sell their products to pay small taxes, with a land mass that large the last thing you want to anger the peasants and have a Peasant Uprising. I call Russia,s Time of Troubles, Polish Lithuanian Lost Opportunity☹☹
Thanks for sharing, esp that bit about Consilium rationis bellicae
Love for Moldova from Poland ❤️
Greetings from Krakow:)
Long live, Moldova, from Poland! You are the be(a)st!
Moldova is in Romania,don't confuse with 1991 Republic of Moldova which is a russian invention!
We love the Poles and Hussars, the brave and honorable people of Europe. Salutations from your Turkish friends.
Thanks. By the way, this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough.
So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871!
What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry.
But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East.
It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon.
By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
De onorabili ce erau dadeau pe afara ! Un neam prea mandru pentru binele sau si destul de nerecunoscator !
@@mariuszamfirescu5390 Poland owes no one gratitude!
@@GreatPolishWingedHussarsHere is the yap award
Tarnowski's plan was quite good, and the man had nerves of steel to stand his ground under artillery fire, especially while walking around the fortified encampment to calm his men down. Absolute beast of a commander, with absolute beasts under his command.
Lion with lions
To byli zaprawieni w bojach żołnierze z wieloletnią służbą doświadczenie a poza tym dowódca to mistrz strategii
you say that bcs he isnt on muslim side
Greetings from Morocco i have a good experience with polish people
poland have great mountain climbers also
Morocco --- Poland. Greetings from Poland (not poland). Polish (not polish)
@@alexpaulrubinstein2582 chill man why u getting work up over a lower case n shit
@@612ent7 I'm not getting work up, but If someone knows how to write the name of their country with a capital letter because they have respect for their country, then they should write about other countries with a capital letter (if they respect them). Chill man.
@@alexpaulrubinstein2582 nah man I get u but that’s not how u ask someone to correct something n how’s it a disrespect this ain’t a fucking government letter to your president so chill
@@612ent7 he act like the king of England when he meet jack Sparrow
Tarnowski was also recognized as the first theorist of modern art of war in Poland as the author of the study "Consilium rationis bellicae"
You had me at Winged Hussars . I watch everything about them
even Sabaton?
@@coreyholt6145absolutely!
@@terry7907 THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARIVVED COMING DOWN THE MOUTAINSIDE
Now I have to listen to Sabaton again…oh well lol
Winged hussars didn't fight in this battle. They were introduced to the Polish military about 50 years later.
When the winged hussars arrived
A cry for help in time of need, await relief from holy league
60 days of siege, outnumbered and weak
Sent a message to the sky, wounded soldiers left to die
Will they hold the wall or will the city fall
Dedication
Dedication
They're outnumbered 15 to one
And the battle's begun
Then the winged hussars arrived
Coming down the mountainside
Then the winged hussars arrived
Coming down they turned the tide
Sabaton are shit.
Storm clouds. Fire and steel.
Death from above
Make the enemy kneel
Shining armor and wings
Death from above
It’s an army of kings
Storm clouds. Fire and steel.
Death from above
Make the enemy kneel
Shining armor and wings
Death from above
It’s an army of kings
We remember
In September
When the Winged Hussars arrived!
For this video to *not* have a Sabaton reference would be a crime.
@@lyanoka362 not boring at all its really cool and is a nice poem
@@BuriedFlame Especially when the video's name literally is, "When the Winged Hussars arrive..."
What a master class in defense and offense by the Polish commander!
Interesting thing.
In Topkapi museum is only one painting that's:
"Polish diplomatic envoy in front of Suleyman the Magnificient"
We were enemies, but had respect each to other for centuries.
Turkey as one and only country never accepted partition of Poland.
Why I have a great respect for Turks is that altough we fought against each other more than once, I don't recall any significant event when they treated us with needless ruthlessness. Of course, the wars were brutal and horrible things happened, but they didn't massacre civilians or torture prisoners. Of all the enemies Poland fought over the centuries, Turks always struck me as the most honorable.
Greetings to Turkiye.
We also respect Poland. They were repeatedly invaded by their neighbors (even by the Austrians) but stood up each time. Greetings from Turkiye
It's true and we respect Turkey for that.
The Ottomans did not accept the destruction of Poland because they were afraid that the Russians, English and French would do the same to them. However this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough.
So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871!
What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry.
But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East.
It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon.
By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
WOW their armor is so shiny but of course they polish it well
l...shouldn't laugh at this but u got a chuckle
Polish humor right there
@@reeyees50 To brighten your day
not funny at all since its a obvious joke
@@momentomori5263 jokes dont brighten my day
When the Sabaton fans arrive.
Coming down the mountain side
We turned the tide
A cry for help in time of need, await relief from holy league
60 days of siege, outnumbered and weak
Sent a message to the sky, wounded soldiers left to die
Will they hold the wall or will the city fall
Dedication
Dedication
They're outnumbered 15 to one
And the battle's begun
Then the winged hussars arrived
Coming down the mountainside
Then the winged hussars arrived
Coming down they turned the tide
As the days are passing by and as the dead are piling high
No escape and no salvation
Trenches to explosive halls are buried deep beneath the walls
Plant the charges there and watch the city fear
Desperation
Desperation
It's a desperate race against the mine
And a race against time
Then the winged hussars arrived
Coming down the mountainside
Then the winged hussars arrived
Coming down they turned the tide
Cannonballs are coming down from the sky
Janissaries are you ready to die?
We will seek our vengeance eye for an eye
You'll be stopped upon the steps of our gate
On this field you're only facing our hate
But back home the sultan's sealing your fate
We remember
In September
That's the night Vienna was freed,
We made the enemy bleed!
Storm clouds, fire and steel!
Death from above make their enemy kneel!
HELL YEAH
Heck yeah, ‼️
AND THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!!!!
So, some minor mistakes revolving around XVI-XVII century Polish military.
"Valny" is not really a term used to describe Polish heavy cavalry. "Valny", or rather "huf walny" was a part of the formation in the "Old Polish order" ("Stare urządzenie polskie"). The formation consisted of two support forces, known in Polish as "huf posiłkowy", located on the flanks and made out of light cavalry, the center consisted of another two units, the frontal unit, ("huf przedni") and the aforementioned "huf walny", which can be translated as the main unit, the general-assault unit. Both were made out of heavy cavalry, hence the mistake it seems.
Polish heavy cavalry at that time was called "Kopijnicy" or "jazda kopijnicza", which can be translated to simply "lancers" or "lancer cavalry", even though I always found it irritating that in English there is no proper equivalent of the word "kopia", meaning a long disposable polearm designed for one use only, after which it was broken and thrown away, used in the late Middle Ages by knights and by the Winged Hussars up to the XVIII century. The English only has a word "lance", which is awful, becouse in Polish we distinguish a kopia from a lance, a much shorter polearm, basically a cavalry spear, not ment for one-time use, and used up to XX century.
And there were no "winged hussars" at that time either. Hussars were still a type of light cavalry, an elite force to be sure, but still they were not the heavy cavalry known in popculture until king Batory's refroms in the second half of XVI century.
@@imreadam9118 There is no such a thing as "fake hussars".
And if we talk about so-called Polish Winged Hussars, they were heavy cavalry by all means, both by equipment, as they were armored and heavily armed, and their role as shock-cavalry.
@@imreadam9118 I don't think we understand each other properly.
In XVI century, hussars were recognised as a foreign military unit, also known simply as "the Hungarian cavalry", becouse they were indeed recruited from among Hungarians, were equipped and fought exactly their style.
However, since king Batory's reforms, these hussars evolved into something completely different, as part of the Polish army the Huszars evolved into Husaria. They were equipped completely different, their role and tactics on the battlefield were also different. They simply evolved into another unit, the husaria ORIGINATED from the Hungarian Huszar's, but it's wrong to call them "fake" - they were something completely else, they were then recruited from among the Polish nobles and this is why they could be recognised as a Polish military unit. In English people call them simply Hussars and used the term for both the XVI century Hungarian light cavalry and XVII century Polish heavy cavalry, becouse they have no better term or don't want to use their original names in native languages of each nation.
And the Hungarian hussars evolved similarily, as they themselves originated from the Serbian Rác cavalry, were originally recruited from among them, and during the wars with Turkey they adapted some Turkish tactics and pieces of equipment, like their characteristic shields.
Btw. the Hajducy infantry is also known in Poland as "piechota węgierska", the Hungarian infantry, as they were brought to Poland by Stephen Batory.
@@jak00bspyr72 To add to your comment - the process of taking an effective foreign unit and to later polonize it and integrate it's tactical value with some changes here and there was an extremely popular thing at least in Poland back in the day.
The same goes with the "rajtars" (german Reiters) and plenty of "German infantry" that as far as i am aware didn't had their own specific names. A lot of our military from late XVI and then XVII was adaptive and inspired by foregin units. Even the hussars were not always used in the same way, when fighting the Tatars for example they were not using lances (kopie) at all, instead they would have a couple of pistols and a sabre as fighting the light, fast skirmish cavarly was not that effective with lances - and also adopt a completly different style of cavarly charge and movement.
PS. Also, Hajducy became a polish infantry as well, changing and adapting their gear and tactics slightly to suit the polish military better, there is a very detailed chapter about those changes and adaptation of foreign units in the book "Wojsko polskie w drugiej połowie XVII wieku" by Jan Wimmer, dunno if english version of the book exist but it shows how foregin units are polonize.
Edit - also if we want to generalize that a specific unit comes from a different country therefore it's "fake" then you know that Knights are therefore french/german and every other country that had knights had "fake" knights, right?
@@imreadam9118 So the French, Russian, Prussian, Austrian, Polish, and dozens of other countries with Hussar units throughout military history did not ACTUALLY have any light cavalry, because anything other than Hungarian was fake and imaginary and did not exist?
OK, I will use your exact same logic. You are speaking English right now, but you are probably not from England, so you are fake and imaginary and you do not exist. Neither do I, I did not write this comment and I do not exist because I am speaking English and I am not from England.
Well, it's fantastic. I'm from Obertyn, my mother line came frome there. We oll heard something abot this battle, but I never expected to see someone made a video about it. Well done! Amazing job, as always!
Jan Amor Tarnowski was (as far as I recall) also the author of a "war-manual" (I forgot the Latin title) that until the times of Napoleon & von Clausewitz was one of the "must - to read" books for every major Commander & General in both Eastern & Western Europe - a book mandatory for lecture in Military Schools & Academies (like the Royal French ones) - out there for something like 200 years after his (Tarnowski's) death. I know for a fact Henry of Bourbon (later Henry the IVth - King Of France - had one copy in his possession) as well as Prinz Eugene of Savoy or "Prinz Eugen", as the Austrians&Germans called him - had another copy, too. ...can't recall the damn name!...
PS. ...it was "CONSILIUM RATIONIS BELLICAE" - that was the title of his book! - first printed in 1558 in Tarnòw! (had to "google it back" out!) - sorry! 😄 Thanks for the (great video)!
Troughout that period of history, Polish army had always been small, but very surprisingly effective. Quality over quantity.
Yes, that's right but this video is nonsense for several reasons! First! It is wrong not to show Lithuania as part of Polish territory. Because at the time of this battle, Lithuania had been part of the Polish Empire for more than 100 years. That's why The Polish King Sigismund I was also Grand Duke of Lithuania, as in fact all Polish kings were Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Poland took over Lithuania, which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear, as well as many other aspects. One of these other aspects which also makes the Polish rule over Lithuania clear was the treaty of Krewo in 1385 for the Polish-Lithuanian Personal Union which also determined that the Polish kings should always rule over Lithuania as Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Polish authority over Lithuania also show clearly the fact that the Polish king decided the foreign policy of the entire empire. As the example shows when the Polish king decided, after Poland's final victory against the Teutonic Order in 1466, on the peace treaty for the Second Peace of Thorn, which of course also applied to Lithuania. I could mention various other aspects that show why it is nonsense not to show Lithuania as part of the Polish territories in the video, but what I have mentioned should be enough.
So contrary to the historical truth, Lithuania is incorrectly shown not united with Poland and in addition, another nonsense is also shown which also completely contradicts the historical truth because the various small German states west of Poland are shown as one state. It's ridiculous on the one hand to show Poland without the Lithuanian territories and on top of that to show the nonsense of an unified German state that didn't exist. This is ridiculous, because the video suggests that allegedly there was a united German state located west of Poland. But that is nonsense that contradicts historical truth. In fact, the German small states were actually permanently at war with each other, so that a unified could not arise! 1000 years they killed each other in wars. One of the highlights was the Thirty Years' War. In order to fight the other small German states, various small German states have repeatedly allied themselves with non-German states as well as in the Thirty Years' War. At most, one could call this a military alliance. But even that is actually wrong, because within a military alliance the allies do not fight each other all the time! A completely ridiculous and stupid nation that was in a civil war for 1000 years and only managed to found a united German state in 1871. It was only in 1871 that the first permanent unified German state emerged. That is why the Germans are also known as the late nation. Because the first unified German state was only founded in 1871!
What is also absurd about the video is the fact that even though the Winged Hussars are mentioned in the title, the Hussars are actually not mentioned in the video. Withal the Polish winged hussars were a really interesting aspect of the battle. Because that was actually the first battle in which REAL semi-heavy hussars cavalry were involved. REAL Hussars, because in battles before there were troops involved that were called Hussars, but that was unarmored light cavalry, not semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars. In the context of the origin of the Polish winged hussars, is often claim that the semi-heavy cavalry known as the Hussars emerged from the Serbian light cavalry. But it is also incorrect to claim that a mercenary Serbian light cavalry was some kind of prototype of the Polish Winged Hussars. Because the only thing the hussars inherited from these Serbian light cavalry mercenaries was the name "Hussars". The word hussar probably comes from the Serbian "usar" for warrior on horseback. However, the oldest surviving written mention of hussars in Poland is from 1500 regarding mercenary light Serbian cavalry. It should be noted that Polish sources often used 'Serbian' to denote mercenaries that fought in a particular style and not just those from Serbia. These included Tatars, Moldavians, Transylvanian and Wallachian troops. So first cavalry units called Hussars in Poland were mercenary units of exiled Serbian warriors who came to Poland via Hungary. The name was then also applied to Polish units of light cavalry.
But the hussars did not develop from this light cavalry, but from the heavy cavalry that existed long before. Like the first cuirassiers of other European armies, the Polish hussars developed from fully armored man-at-arms, also known as knights. Almost certainly that the Polish Hetman (military commander), nobleman, patron of culture and art, military theorists, strategist, builder, chronicler and statesman Jan Tarnowski reformed the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry. This is clarified by the battle of Obertyn in 1531 which the video is about in which Jan Tarnowski was in command as hetman against the Moldovans, in which both the heavy Polish cavalry and the semi-heavy Hussars cavalry with reduced armor fought. In this battle the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used as shock cavalry, which broke like also the heavy cavalry through the ranks of the Moldovans like a roller. So in this battle the semi-heavy hussars and the heavy cavalry were successful as shock cavalry. Tarnowski had the same positive experience with the semi-heavy hussars three days before the Battle of Obertyn in the Battle of Gwoździec. Because Tarnowski won the Battle of Gwoździec against the Moldovans in which for the first time the semi-heavy hussars with reduced armor with lances were used effective and successful as shock cavalry, which broke through the ranks of the Moldovans. He also successfully used heavy cavalry in this battle. However in in these two battles, Tarnowski was obviously testing whether his assumption was correct, that semi-heavy cavalry with reduced armor could due to their better maneuverability and higher speed be even more effective as shock cavalry than heavy cavalry. For this purpose he also formed the semi-heavy cavalry before the battle. Tarnowski knew from his experience in previous battles that even light cavalry with lances protected with shields could be suitable as shock cavalry. Like in the for Poland victorious Battle of Khotyn in 1509 against Moldova in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances resulted in the Polish victory. He also had a similar positive experience with light cavalry in the for Poland victorious Battle of Wiśniowiec in 1512 against the Crimean Khanate in which Tarnowski took part as a young cavalry company commander, where the shock attack of the light mercenary cavalry with shields and lances under his command resulted in the Polish victory. He obviously also learned from his experience in the for Poland victorious Battle of Orsha in 1514 against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, where he also commanded as a young man a cavalry company and where Polish light cavalry with shields and lances were successful as shock cavalry. Whereby the heavy cavalry with lances was also relevant in all this battles. Therefore, it was only logical to think that semi-heavy cavalry protected with half-armor with lances instead of light cavalry with shields would have to be much more effective as shock cavalry. So it was obvious to him that in order to increase the maneuverability and speed increase of the heavy cavalry it was necessary to reform it into a semi-heavy cavalry. Apparently he also had light hussars cavalry equipped with half-armor instead of shields and integrated them into the semi-heavy cavalry, which emerged from the heavy cavalry, which is why the name Hussars was than transferred to the new semi-heavy cavalry. What the light cavalry also brought with them to the new semi-heavy hussars cavalry were also composite bows in the Tatric style. So also the semi-heavy hussars cavalry used these bows in the 16th century before firearms were introduced in the 17th century. The semi-heavy hussars cavalry also adopted the wings like the bow from the light cavalry primarily to protect against Tatar lasso attacks and to intimidate the enemy's horses and soldiers. In the heavy cavalry, mostly noblemen fought, which remained the in same way by the semi-heavy hussars cavalry. In the light cavalry against it not only nobles fought, but actually all social classes and there were even mercenary light cavalry in which certainly not only nobles fought. From which it is also evident that the semi-heavy hussars cavalry evolved from the heavy cavalry and not from the light cavalry. At first some hussars also wore mail armors that was as light as it was Breastplates that were mostly used.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
Because of his outstanding intelligence one can also assume that Jan Tarnowski also had the idea for the particularly long hollow lances of the Polish winged hussars, which was one of the decisive reasons for the superiority of the hussars. The effectiveness of the lance was further increased by a loop attached to the saddle. The saddle and with it the horse took up the whole force of the impact of the lance, because the lancet knob was in a loop. The loop was connected to the satellite. So that the lance with the whole weight of the horse formed a unit! Thus the power of the horse was transferred directly to the lance. That was a huge advantage over a lance that was only wedged under the elbow. For longer advances or parades, special holders for the lance were attached to the saddles. The hussars of saddles, had an oriental style but were deeper, to provide proper support to the rider's back, especially at the moment of lance impact. The extremely long hollow lances ans this saddles with the loops were the technological superiority of the Polish winged hussars which made the hussars so superior against any enemy troops. The iron discipline, very good training and and excellent tactics were the other decisive factors for the clear superiority of the Polish hussars. The special hollow composite lance up to 6 m long, which is called kopia in Polish was the hussars primary weapon and was much longer than the old knights lances as well as being much lighter due to their hollow construction. The kopia lance was also much longer than the lances of the other cavalries of the time. The much longer reach was especially useful against pikemen with always shorter pikes. The Hussars were the only cavalry who successfully attacked Pike Formations head-on! Of course they would rather flank the pikemen but if that was not possible, the hussars could also attack pikemen head-on and defeat them with a shock attack. Each lance had a approx. 2.5 m silk pennon with the colors of the unit which, together with the noise of the galloping horses' hooves and the smoking wings, created an intimidating sound effect. The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! The production of this lances was state secret that was never broken! In any case, no other nation made such hollow lances. Polish hussars trained also by targeting with their lances, at full gallop small rings. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. Although this was just one of the very efficient training methods. Through this kind of training the lance attacks of the hussars were amazingly precise. So the hussars were able to aim on specific unprotected body parts of the enemy or to kill the horses of the cavalry. Because the infantrymen were often crowded together not infrequently two enemies were pierced on impact, sometimes even three or more. A Hussar once killed six musketeers at the impact in one thrust. Mostly, panic arose after the impact and the remaining fleeing enemies were then cut down with sabers or fleeing infantrymen protected with metal armored were cut down with war hammers or fleeing infantrymen protected with gambesons were cut down with the heavy palasz (a type of broadsword). In fact, the hussars also used two other types of non-hollow lances, so that the Hussars in the fight used depending on the type of enemies three lances of different lengths. In any case, very well trained and with technologically superior lances, the semi-heavy hussars cavalry became the elite branch of the Polish army.
I continued the comment with more interesting information below.
In any case, in the video Jan Tarnowski needs to be given much more credit in the video. Because the reform of the Polish heavy cavalry into the Hussar semi-heavy cavalry was not Tarnowski's only achievement. Because Tarnowski not only reformed the heavy cavalry into hussar semi-heavy cavalry, but as Grand Crown Hetman he reformed the entire Polish army away from the medieval structures. Tarnowski received a comprehensive, classical, humanistic education, including military training. Tarnowski also developed, among other things, horse artillery and improved and reformed field hospitals, headquarters services, and field sappers. He founded also the city of Tarnopol in 1540 as a Polish military base and fortress. Today the city has 225,000 inhabitants. He was one of the first Europeans to do the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was the custom of a traditional trip through Europe, undertaken by noble young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. He visited also the Middle East, including Syria and Egypt, where he made also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and in 1518 became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. But his Grand Tour turned into a war tour because he traveled also to Portugal from where he took part in an attack against the Moors in North Africa alongside the Portuguese King Manuel I. For his bravery in the fight against the Moors he was knighted by King Manuel I of Portugal. In fact, he was then also hired as a mercenary commander in the Middle East.
It is often claimed that Polish king Stefan Batory developed the Polish winged hussars. But this claim is wrong, because even before the coronation of of the Transylvanian István Báthory to the Polish king, there was a hussar semi-heavy cavalry in the Polish army. This also illustrates the fact that King Batory sent instructions to the commanders of the Hussars regarding his reforms. But if there were such commanders of the hussars, then there must have already been hussars. However, the very capable Polish King Stefan Batory standardized more the hussars' equipment and improved also some other aspects. His reform also includes higher levels of training as well as higher salaries and additional benefits for those who served for longer periods. It is very likely that Batory's reform to the hussars also introduced the for the hussars characteristic Hungarian style lobster-tailed szyszak helmet which had its origins in the hungarian sisak helmet. Before that, the hussars wore different types of helmets. This is no joke but this reform also includes Hungarian style clothing for the hussars. But that wasn't a problem because there was already a fashion for Hungarian clothing in Poland at that time. So the Hussars wore when they don't wear armor a Hungarian style coat which was called "czuha" derived from Hungarian "csuha". The hussars also wore away from the battlefield a Hungarian style cap known in Poland as "magierka" derived from Magyars another term for the Hungarians. Because of the popularity of the hussars this cap became fashionable among the entire Polish nobility. But even in battle, the hussars wore Hungarian style clothing such as the kontusz, derived from the Hungarian köntös. That was a type of robe whose cut enabled the free movement of the arm when handling a weapon.
By the way, there is a widespread misconception that only the Polish army used armored lancers after the Middle Ages. But that is wrong, because also other European armies still successfully used armored lancers. For the French and Burgundians continued to use gendarme heavy cavalry well into the 16th century after the Middle Ages which wore a complete suit of armour with enclosed helmet with full protection for the face and charged on horseback with the heavy lance. The gendarmes even still used horse armour, like knights in the late Middle Ages. In England and Holland, the demi-lancers as heavy lance cavalry, were also still used in the 16th century. Demi-lancers were cavalrymen who in contrast to gendarmes rode on unarmored horses, wore less armor with three-quarters plate armor and light open helmets. But the demi-lancers were still much more heavily armored than the later cuirassiers. The demi-lancers, like the Polish hussars, used pistols in contrast to the gendarmes! The demi-lancers, like the gendarmes were still used in the early 17th centuries. Although the demi-lancers and gendarmes were also shock cavalry like the polish hussars but these cavalry was by far not as dangerous and effective as the polish hussars because the Polish hussar cavalry was the best cavalry of all times.
@@GreatPolishWingedHussars bro its just mesmerizing to read your big comment with tons of info
Wish i cld be also like you
@@GreatPolishWingedHussarslearn summarizing, Jesus Christ
Similar to Sweden. Quality over quantity
I see some people are curious about how and why the Moldovan army was so (relatively) big. So here are some bullet points explaining the structure of Moldovan armies to the best of my knowledge:
- Total amount of Moldovan troops in the first half of the XVI century is estimated to reach 30 thousand men (10% of the Moldovan population)
- Moldovan forces were divided into two main categories, the peasant and noble levy referred to as The Great Army and a mix of professional and semi-professional private troops owned by the ruler and wealthiest magnates called The Small/Lesser Army
- The most important part of the Small Army were the Curteni roughly equivalent to what in Slavic countries was referred to as druzhina, so the personal retinues of feudal lords. The most elite of them were the Curteni Domnului - the personal retinue of the Voivode of Moldova counting up to 3 thousand men, mostly cavalry
- Among the voivode's private troops, there were also so-called Joldul, mercenaries recruited mainly from Serbs, Hungarians, Poles, and Germans.
- Up to 70% of the Moldovan army was recruited from peasant levies, like Hinsarii - peasant light cavalry, formed ad hoc, not receiving any pay aside from a share of the loot and exemptions from taxes
- Another example of such formations were the Slujitori. Militia organized around administrative districts Slujitori were mostly recruited from peasants (witezi, vatagi). Each such unit was commanded by Mare Vatag. Slujitori did not receive any land or monetary payment in exchange for their service. Instead, they were provided with a variety of benefits and services by the local population.
- As you might imagine, the armament and level of training of the Moldovan soldiers varied greatly most however were poorly armed and had little formal training. Locally produced aketons were the most common form of armour, while spears, javelins, clubs, bows, and scythes constituted the majority of offensive arms. Despite this contemporary sources note that Moldovan peasant levies were not to be trifled with especially when encountered in their native terrain, hills, and mountains
If someone notices any mistakes feel free to correct me and fill in the gaps.
Grrat breakdown, though I have to admit, I find it a bit hard to believe such a force to be deployed in one place, who defended the rest of the country?
@@transylvanian8437 Who would dare to attack Ottomans? Garrisons and locals were quite enough to keep peace I guess and there seemed to be no threat from neighours.
Do you have any sources on this which you can help me with? I would love to study fruther, thanks!
Nowadays In that northern region called Botosani County there is a village called Joldesti. I didn't have any idea of its etymology (to be frank it never crossed my mind). Upon searching further about this subject I found out that there is an old meaning to the word in romanian: to work for next to nothing. "Jold" seems to be derived from the polish žołd or magyar zsold which would have meant "pay" or "feudal tribute". An old derivation of the word "Jold" is "Joldunar" which is closely related to the german word for mercenary: "Söldner". There we can draw a parallel with the modern day English word "Soldier" as we know that the English language is heavily influenced by old german and norse languages.
I come to the conclusion that "žołd" meaning "pay" became "a worthless job" in this region due to the poor conditions people of the time had to live with while serving a subjugated voivode.
Entonces dime tú,que pareces muy bien informado, cómo ha podido Stefan el Grande en frente a 40 000 moldavianos destruir un ejército de 120 000 turcos en la batalla de Vaslui,y Moldavia era un pequeño Principado,y para saber era el primo de Vlad Tepes, Drácula,así que nada,pero Pocutia ha sido vendida a Moldavia desde los tiempos de la batalla de Grunwald,y los moldavianos han ayudado con tropas y dinero Alós reyes polacos,ke siempre kerian más,un pueblo ke no entiende nada de la historia,esos son los polacos,provocan las guerras y luego piden ayudas,como ahora en el nombre de un orgullo desmesurado.y a pagar otros para ellos.
Thanks for making these videos! The Winged Hussars never cease to amaze me!
Excellent military history clip-Poland has had to face many serious challenges throughout history and the nation has persevered with courage to this day
I love polish history as I am polish, and just it’s history is so rich.
....and written by those that won. I doubt VERY much that only few hundred Polish died. Same for the battle with Sweden. If it's too good to be true.....
The cannons lost to the Poles were captured in 1529 from Ferdinand of Habsburg's army, defeated at Feldioara, in Transylvania. The wheel of history always turns.
"Amor Patriae Nostra Lex"
Love of the fatherland is our law
- Polish Hussar Motto
Like France, many people forget how powerful Poland was before the World Wars
Before partition. And the powerfulness was the main reason for partition.
Each country couldn't declare war alone, so they jumped on Poland from every side, cowards.
So true
Great work History Marche as always. You never fail to deliver. Been studying European and Roman military history for over 50 years. Thank you once again.
Thank you for more polish battles!^^
I’m American but my girlfriend is polish so I love when you post these. I feel closer to her when learning her country’s history
She’s Polish-American i am assuming
I dated a Polish girl for about a year before I left for college. She is a very beautiful and cool chick.
I later actually married a girl that is half Polish (Poles are kind of rare around my area, so this is notable). We have a daughter, so this piqued my interest in Poland's history as well.
@@russkayaimperiya4918 no she’s full on from Poland. We met on an IB server in high school since we were both in the program during Covid. Strange story I’m aware lol
Awesome, as a polish Im greatfull for your work. We had a great leaders back then.
Really nice. Just one point Walny or as it was called Hufiec Walny was not a type of cavalry it was more an organization unit that orgin back to middle ages. It would normally gather few smaller units horagiew/regiment.
This was just brilliant tactical strategy. Absolutely amazing.
I had never heard of this battle. Thank you for an enlightening story.
This guy has an amazing voice. Brings me back to when I played Age of Empires
I would like to see the Battle of Byczyna 1588, Battle of Khotyn 1621 and Battle of Khotyn 1673.
I don’t think that he does sieges. The only sieges that he’s ever done to my knowledge are Serguntum and Nola as they were needed for the Hannibal series.
@bastiat In fact, he covered the 1621 battle of Khotyn already.
Many people here in America have a no clue about there people history. I am proud to have Lithuanian/Polish Background.
Another incredible video! We love this channel!
Brilliant tactic, the battle deserves to be shared in the 21 century. Thanks for making such a video ❤
Fascinating and so well done. Kudos on pronouncing the Polish names!
The Valny were the classic late medieval cavalry with full body armour clad head to toe and equipped with heavy sturdy lances. They acted as the first line shock cavalry units. The hussars were then newly invented units probably inspired by Hungarian deployments, their riders protected as they always were using only half armour covering only the upper body and equipped with lighter lances. They rode as the second line in support of the Valny (Walny = shock/thrust/smash). Later in the century they completely replaced the Valny since musket fire improved, so body armour became less effective and cavalry came to rely on speed by closing in the distance as fast as possible between them and the infantry. Their lances also became longer to deal with the pikemen. As the now top elite cavalry they likely now also got the Valny's bigger faster horses.
there was no mistake and no miscalculations, just pure strategic genius
Dude ultra ultra ultra good quietly,voice over was amazing map was great great ultra quality just hate I missed the live stream as I had school.
Awesome video about fascinating and lesser known period of european history. Great job, keep it up!
Oh man this channel makes me realize how there are many brilliant strategist there were in those times
Hey I just wanted to come by and say that I can’t believe the TH-cam algorithm never recommended your channel before now.
For the past 5 days I have been binge-listening to a lot of your videos. The narration sounds so perfect and feels like I am playing Stronghold Crusader back in my young days; making this even more interesting to listen to!
Thank you very much HistoryMarche for these perfect historic videos, from a history lover 🙏🏼
Winged hussars being the badass for centuries
Interesting. I think Suleiman decided to take this opportunity to test Poland's military capability. "Let's see how they deal with this guy. OK. I see. It seems they are still strong." "Get out of here, Rares, how dare you offend my best friend the King of Poland who can clearly defend himself."
The Sabaton reference is enough to force me to watch this video
Same here 👍🤘
So true this is the power of sabaton
Everybody's gangsta until the Winged Hussars show up!
Coming down the mountain side.
Great video @HistoryMarche! Keep it up! There was only one small misunderstanding regarding the "valny" cavalry. "Huf walny" was simply one of the two bodies of force in the Old Polish Order, "huf" or "hufiec" being equivalent to the English term "battle" meaning a formation of up to several individual banners (as in lance --> banner --> battle).
So the main or the rearguard battle was referred to as "huf walny" which was preceded by a vanguard battle (huf czelny) while the flanks were protected by while their flanks were protected by "auxiliary battles" (hufce posiłkowe).
Otherwise, the video is right on the money.
I knew you would show up here and explain it better than I could (or other commenters, who already wrote about it when I saw the video), so I refrained from writing about it.
@@Artur_M. Funny, because I was initially searching through the comment section to see if you already explained it.
@@kamilszadkowski8864 Aw, thank you! 😊
@@kamilszadkowski8864 I wondered how to translate these terms in English, you did a great job actually. Need to write them down.
I was looking for both of you gentelmens, like always. Pozdrawiam serdecznie
Poland still has warrior's who'll fight for what's right today, respect to Poland.👍
To prawda👍⚔️🇵🇱
Jebac bandere tak
Thank you for the video. Glory Primus Res Publica ! Wiwat Polska!
As always a fine production, and you'll see me in the next one!
Quite amazing how the Polish heavy cavalry were able to defeat Moldavian heavy cav seemingly twice the number. And Jan Tarnowski must have had a really great defensive position - it would be awesome if we had more information on the actual terrain and stuff.
People often forget how much of a Military might Polska was back in the day. Great upload!
Jeszcze raz będziemy 😉 potęgą.
That was one of the most amazing tactics for such an outmanned army
brilliant just brillliant
a real quality vs quantity battle, outnumbered 4 to 1 still won a decisive victory, very impressive.
It was almost impossible for Moldovan Principality to mobilize 20k for a campaign outside the country, so I would see those numbers with distrust.
@@ARPADOKK I think i've read somewhere that they were unofficially supported by Ottomans to see the self-defence capabilities of Poland
Always a great source of military history. Thank you!
A very informative video! Thank you for explaining things so clearly
These are excellent historical videos! I wish our leaders knew history better. Thank you...
You know it's gonna be a good video when the Hussars are involved
Well done.The 16th and 17th century Eastern Europe was the scene of many interesting and unknown battles. Thank you for this video.
CENTRAL EUROPE ❗❗❗❗❗
Great job, nice to see you exploring diverse areas and eras 😊
As always great episode 👍🙂
The maps you are making are just getting better and better
Thank You from Poland/Lechia/Lechistan.
At that time, the Polish cavalry were not "hussar" yet, but had a mixed composition, and their main breaking force were professional soldiers in full Milanese armour. Only in the next rows were the hussars in lighter armor and with longer lances, and in the last rows were horse archers. There were differences between the "banners": some had more armored cavalrymen than archers, others vice versa.
I see Hussars i click like
A good defense is a good offense.
The Roman and Greek generals of old were known for their fortifications because of how much of a force multiplier they were in battles.
this is a sacrifice to the algorithm 💥..
love your vids
An excellent introduction by( history Marche)....channel ... Polish commander orchestrated battlefields correctly with accurate mobilized of troops
Sacriface for the algorythm - so funny ;D Very good video! Hope more animations could be possible soon!
Oh yeah, been waiting for this battle!
If you know your enemy and yourself you shall win all your battles,
if you know yourself but not your enemy for every battle you win, you will lose another one.
Tarnowski knew himself and his enemy, but the enemy only knew it's own strength.
"Old Polish device" - a battle array of cavalry, which was formed at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The center of the array was formed by the heavy-armed cavalry, appearing in two huffers: Czelny (front) and the Walny (rear). On the wings, i.e. in the so-called auxiliary huffers, light-armed riding occurred. Hence "valny" ("walny") is the name of one of the hufs.
'Never tell me the odds.' was typical approach of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth commanders long before Han Solo :) Kircholm, Klushino, Khotyn, etc.
Another great video. Many thanks
Polish Pride! 🇵🇱 ❤
dawaj!
Polska♥️
POLSKA
The Polish people have a lot to be proud of.
Polish ale! 🤣
Wow, that's pretty damn impressive what they managed to achieve against their (admittedly haughty) enemy.
Good content. Enjoyed the extended caption info and to the point narration combination.
Awesome video ! Can’t stop watching your channel !!
I could only dream in EU4 that as small country as Moldavia as Ottoman vassal not only i can declare war on my own but also having 20000 cavalry when in game you could barely have 6000 infantry (because cavalry are expensive) unless you expand and become bigger nation assuming you survive either Ottoman or Poland
This is the lie of the King of Moldavia. When he became under the control of the Ottomans, he had 20,000 soldiers and defeated the Poles, killing 70,000 soldiers.
@@عليياسر-ذ5ب ?what
Actually Moldavian Voyvoda couldn't do it by himself. The sultan sponsored him unofficialy to test Poland capabilities to self defense.
@@عليياسر-ذ5ب Lol you didnt defeat anyone losers
@@Saladyn88 What is your source for this claim? Poland-Ottoman relations was very well until devastating Cossack and Tatar raidings to each other. Ottoman vassal states (Wallachia, Transylvania, Moldovia and Crimea) are always largely autonomous, being able to wage war without Ottomans' permission.
Absolute perfect battlefield execution
The defeat of the army of Hospodar Petryło by Hetman Jan Tarnowski is called in Poland "a battle - a work of art"… Huf Walny (General Corps) consisted of heavy-armed knight cavalry not Hussars.
Fun fact: Bogdan III was tricked into giving Pokuttia to Sigismud in 1506 as a gift for his soon to be wife, the sister of Sigismund. The wedding never happened but Sigismund claimed Pokuttia so probably Petru Rares considered the arrangement void and proceeded to retake it.
You forgot to say that Bogdan 3 after this trick burned all south Poland and besieged Lvov.
"Walny" was not an elite unit but formation on the battlefield. It was simply the main part of the army engaging the enemy.
Great video, but the title is wrong. The Winged Hussars did not exist then, they were formed only in the 1570s. The light Hussars which existed then played a very minor role in this battle.
When I’m restless and cannot sleep….these videos man!
A long legacy of Polish cavalrymen indeed.
These videos are so enthralling, thankyou
These Husseit wagons were supercool I guess, very interesting period militarily speaking. Lots of innovation.
Glory and great victory for my nation! Thank you for this video. We shall be Empire Again!
troll
WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!🗡☠️🇨🇭
That's the first time i hear about Tarnovsky. The man was a fucking genius.
Great Work as always!
Great vid! as always!
Appreciate that. Cheers KHK!
AND THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED. I like playing Poland in civ 6.
this was an interesting one.... thanks!
Grettings from Poland
This was nice to watch after waking up. Great video.