Osprey Men-at-Arms 188 : Polish Armies (2) 1569-1696

The 17th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was almost as varied as modern America. Alongside Slavs lived Lithuanians and other Balts, Germans, Tatars, Armenian merchants, Jewish traders, and even a remarkably large populations of Scots settlers - as many as 37,000 according to a recent estimate. This variety of cultures had a strong influence on the Polish army. Alongside the predominantly Polish and Lithuanian 'winged' hussars served numerous foreigners from both within and outside the Commonwealth: Tatars and Cossacks, Wallachians, Transylvanians, Moldavians, Hungarians, Serbians and Albanians; and from the West, French, Italians, Dutch, Walloons, Swedes and Scots. The strongest influence of all, however, came from the 'Holy Roman Empire' - the loose association of states now called Germany. Richard Brzezinski's companion book to Men-at-Arms 184 : Polish Armies (1) 1569-1696 completes his examination of Polish armies from 1569-1696. Whereas the first book dealt with the sections of Polish armies organised in the Eastern European manner, this one discusses the so-called 'Foreign Autorament' of the army organised after Western models. It also considers the Royal Guard, magnates' private armies, armies of the cities, and the Tatars and Cossacks in Polish service; and also briefly explores methods of warfare in Poland. Numerous illustrations and photographs populate the text, including eight full page colour plates by Angus McBride.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Foreign Autorament
• The Royal Guard
• Private Armies
• Town and City Forces
• Tatars
• The Zaporozhian Cossacks
• Warfare in Poland
• The Plates