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Medieval Polish Armies 966-1500
Medieval Polish
Armies 966-1500
WITOLD SARNECKI, born in
Poland in 1974, gained his
master's thesis in art history
at Jagiellonian University,
Cracow, in 1997, and special-
izes in historical military art.
He currently lives in the town
of Novy Sacz, where he
catalogues artefacts for
a monument preservation
bureau and serves as a guide
at the District Museum. This
is his first contribution to
Osprey's military list.
CONTENTS
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
3
• The first Christian kingdom, 10th century
• The Division in the Provinces, 12th-14th centuries
• The Jagiello dynasty and the expansion of the Polish-Lithuanian
kingdom, 14th-16th centuries
CHRONOLOGY
6
ORGANIZATION OF POLISH ARMIES
9
• Castellanies, household troops and levies, 10th century
• Rise of heavy cavalry and knight service, llth-12th centuries
• The reforms of Casimir the Great, 14th-15th centuries: cavalry
and infantry levies - urban militias - mercenaries - firearms
• Response to the Eastern threat, 16th century: heavy and light
cavalry - the 'Old Polish Array'
ARMS AND ARMOUR
19
DAVID NICOLLE worked in
the BBC Arabic service for a
number of years, before going
'back to school', gaining an
MA from the School of
Oriental and African Studies,
London, and a doctorate from
Edinburgh University. He later
taught world and Islamic art
and architectural history at
Yarmuk University, Jordan. He
has been a prolific author of
Osprey titles for many years.
• The Early Period, 10th-12th centuries: helmets - shields -
mail - swords - axes - spears - bows
• The Middle Period, 12th-14th centuries: swords - polearms -
bows and crossbows - armour: plate elements and 'great helms'
• The Late Period, 14th-16th centuries: soft armours and coats-of-
plates - 'white harness' - swords and sabres - daggers -
war-hammers and maces - firearms
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
39
PLATE COMMENTARIES
42
INDEX
48
GERRY EMBLETON has
been a leading illustrator
and researcher of historical
costume since the 1970s,
and has illustrated and
written Osprey titles on a
wide range of subjects over
more than 30 years. He is
an internationally respected
authority on 15th- and
18th-century costumes
in particular.
Men-at-Arms • 445
Medieval Polish Armies
966-1500
W Sarnecki & D Nicolle • Illustrated by Gerry Embleton
Series editor Martin Windrow
First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Osprey Publishing,
Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford 0X2 OPH, UK
443 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, USA
Artist's note
Readers may care to note that the original paintings from which the
colour plates in this book were prepared are available for private
sale. All reproduction copyright whatsoever is retained by the
Publishers. All enquiries should be addressed to:
© 2008 Osprey Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study
research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should
be addressed to the Publishers.
The Publishers regret that they can enter into no correspondence
upon this matter.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978 1 84603 014 7
Edited by Martin Windrow
Page layout by Alan Hamp
Index by Glyn Sutcliffe
Typeset in Helvetica Neue and ITC New Baskerville
Originated by PPS Grasmere Ltd
Printed in China through Worldprint
08 09 10 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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MEDIEVAL POLISH ARMIES
c.960-1525
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
P
OLAND BECAME A Christian country in AD 966, and in military
terms the state was unified under the rule of Prince Mieszko I.
However, the new kingdom was constantly threatened by
numerous enemies, and consequently Mieszko and his successors were
obliged to recognize the Western or German Emperors - later known as
the Holy Roman Emperors - as their overlords. At the same time they
often continued to find themselves in conflict with neighbouring
German feudal lords, as well as with the Emperors themselves. Other
foes during these early centuries included the pagan tribes of
Pomerania; the Russians, including those now identified as Belarussians
and Ukrainians; and the Bohemians (Czechs).
Such conflicts were partly in defence of the newly
formed Kingdom of Poland, and partly wars of
conquest or expansion by the Poles themselves.
In military terms this period was typified by units
of professional household troops called the
druzhina, who were supported during wartime by
local militias or woye.
The next period of Polish history is known as
the Division in the Provinces, and lasted from
1138 to 1320. This long era of fragmentation
was characterized by a decline of part-time
militias in favour of professional - or at least,
better-trained - household and local troops. It
was upon these that the rulers of Poland now
relied. It was also during this period, from the
mid-12th to early 14th century, that a true Polish
knightly class emerged as part of a gradually
developing feudal system of government and
social organization. Furthermore, in 1154-55
the crusading military orders - the Hospitallers
and Templars - gained their first footholds on
Polish soil. Later in this notably turbulent
period the Teutonic Knights joined the older-
established military orders, arriving on the
scene in 1226, almost simultaneously with the
foundation of the specifically Polish Brethren of
Dobrzyn (Knights of Christ). Then came the
Mongol invasions, with raids deep into Europe
that culminated in the battle of Liegnitz/
Legnica in 1241.
Detail from 'David and Goliath'
on an embossed chalice, dating
from c.1175-1200. Note the
sword passing through a slit in
the left hip of the mail hauberk,
and the kite-shaped shield.
(Abbey of Tzemeszno)
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