среда, 13 июля 2011 г.

Strength of the Polish cavalry in 1767

In K. Gorski's study about Polish cavalry I found interesting data about weakness of the Polish cavalry in 1767

National cavalry (p.139)
Pay attention, that instead of "Pulk" are "Partya". I don't find a date of this change. I appreciate if somebody can share with me detailed information about it.

Foreign cavalry/Dragoons (p. 140)

5 комментариев:

  1. Partya was some sort of 'regional pułk' based on part of Poland/Lithuania where banners were stationed. Process started at the between 1667-1670+ (give or take) and banners from different 'pułki' were initally mixed in such 'partie'. Later on such 'partie' became more permanent.
    Very low strenght in units is in big part due to so called 'towarzysze sowici' - companions who were not present in their units but only left (in theory) their retinue.

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  2. I think this compilation might not include regiments of cavalry that returned from Saxon service between 1764-66, future IV & V pulki strazy przedniej - ''uhlan'' regiments of Jozef Bielak & Murza Korycki.
    Partia - according to famous Polish researcher Wielhorski - in 18th century 'partie' were the budding 'divisional' (dywizje) organizations established within the reforms of 1717, for they not only included 'kontuszowa' (husarze, pancerni, lekka jazda) cavalry but also dragoon cavalry, and often artillery. In 1773 the reform of Commonwealth military , after the Partition of Poland between Russia, Prussia and Austria, de jure and actually turned 'partie' into divisions (actual number of all ''kontuszowa'' cavalry was 2100 in 1773). Please note that Polish archives (from Lviv, Vinus, Warsaw and 'Kresy' in general etc) underwent a sort of Holocaust between 1917-45 and we do not have many documents available to Gorski, who actually was very imprecise many times over in his study of our cavalry. There is still some archvies in Russian possession as we speak, so perhaps there is more there?

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  3. I couple of months ago I placed a report of a Russian spy about Polish army in 1756:
    http://rusmilhist.blogspot.com/2010/12/polish-lithuanian-army-in-1756-report.html#more
    I revised the original text & put data into a table. Original report includes division of the national cavalry into 4 Pulks: Royal, Crown Prince & both hetmans. So, probably Poles turned to Partya instead of Pulk after August's death?

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  4. In XVIII century partia combined 'kontuszowa' (national) cavalry, foreign cavalry/infantry and sometimes artillery while 'pulk' did not do that. As you see from your examples - naturally cavalry was divided into pulks, and pulks into choragwie (banners). It was 60 years long administrative army organization, instituted within 1717 reforms that were trying to modernize the army and created partia. The 1773 reform did away with 'partia' as large army 'tactical unit' and instituted a new 'old' dywizja 'division,' (dywizje existed already in XVII century) but pulk or regiment as small tactical unit grouping one kind of command remained. Choragwie were replaced by szwadron , and cavalry regiments combined into Brygada (Brigades). - again Wielhorski is the best source on the National Cavalry between 1717-95, then Gembarzewski and then Gorski. There is also splendind work by prof.Herbst on Kosciuszko Uprising army, on Armia Koronna (Crown or Polish army)by Kszysztof Bauer,, and a joint work by many scholars on the Kosciuszko uprising army and its battles etc.
    Here I, bachmat66, am discussing the Polish Tatar/Uhlan regiments within the Saxon army http://www.historycy.org/index.php?showtopic=64827 nota bne they took part in that famous Hungarian Hadik's raid on Berlin that caused the Prussian capital to be sacked for the first time

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  5. Dario, thank you for the sources, I will try to find them.
    Many-many years ago I made a note about Saxon Uhlans 1733-63 for Nec Plaribus Impar site. I will update it & put in the blog

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