While these blog posts typically focus on covering individual moments or periods in history, sometimes there are concepts in history that transcend a single time in history, or in this case, a single century. When one thinks of Poland, the typical emotional response would be one of sympathy for a land that faced hundreds of years of foreign oppression and subjugation. Perhaps one would admire their hardiness and stubbornness, through the fact that no matter how many times they were conquered, they eventually shed blood for their independence. They might think of the multiple partitions Poland faced throughout their history between the Prussians and Russians, or perhaps Nazi Germany’s brutal invasion of the Poles, or even how Russia nearly made them into a puppet state and enforced communism in their government once they gained their independence once again. This is all fairly common knowledge, and one would be forgiven if they thought hardship and struggle encompassed all of Polish history, but they would still be wrong. There was a time when Poland was not just free, but was a global powerhouse. There was a time when Poland was not just respected by its neighbors, but feared (especially by the likes of Russia). There was a time when Poland dominated much of eastern Europe, and this is largely in thanks to the Winged Hussars.
The Polish Hussars originated in the 16th century, during a time of great expanse for Poland. During a time where England’s heavy cavalry shook western Europe with their armored horses adorned in metal, and a time when light cavalry was employed by much of central Europe in order to dominate skirmishes, the Polish Hussars were born as almost a combination of the two worlds. While their horses were only lightly armored, unlike the entire body of steel that English horses adorned, the true defense of the Hussars rested on the rider, adorned in armor that could withstand multiple slashes of a sword, and when warfare began to evolve, multiple shots of a musket as well (Ancient Origins, 2019).
The Hussars were a fearsome force to face, and while their combat skills were legendary, they had a single tool that gave them a great edge on their opponents: terror. Their charges relied on the polish riders being fearless, while the opposing forces needed to be shocked in fear, for their main purpose was to splinter their enemies and break their formations. Their legacy very much enforced this fear, but they had a unique element of their armor that assisted in this as well, that being their namesake, their wings (Ancient Origins, 2019). The Hussars were equipped with two metal wings attached to either their back or the back of their horses, metals wings which spread myths of flying polish cavalry across the lands, and wings that made hearts sink when the sun began to shine against them in the distance. The Polish Hussars were quite literally designed to be as awe-inspiring and cool as possible for the time, so that their appearance nearly won the fight before the first blood was shed (Ancient Origins, 2019).
The Polish Hussars gave Poland a tool to thrive with, but through political turmoil and the evolution of warfare, this tool began to grow less effective. The rise of guns in warfare, followed by the splintering of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, led to the Hussars growing less effective in battles, due to both a lack of realm stability and because they could not keep up with the times. While the Hussars are just a symbol now, they are a symbol of strength, a symbol of courage, and a symbol that Poland is more than just the land of the conquered (Kepa, 2017).
Citations:
Kepa, M. (2017, December 27). Poland’s Winged Knights: From Invincible Glory To Obsolescence. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://culture.pl/en/article/polands-winged-knights-from-invincible-glory-to-obsolescence.
The Winged Hussars: An Eerie and Flamboyant Cavalry That Devasted Their Enemies. (2019, March 25). Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/winged-hussars-0011655.
This post was very interesting! I went to Poland two summers ago to visit my sister, who was studying abroad there, and it was interesting to learn more about the country’s history. I was surprised to read about the Hussars and how they used the ability to intimidate their opponents to their advantage. The minimal gear shows that they are not afraid, and it implies that they are untouchable. This concept reminded me of how some sports, like boxing, are mostly mental, and if you are able to get inside of their heads, it can be powerful. Very well written!
These guys sound bad-ass, haha. I think it’s pretty interesting to see the evolution in Poland’s perception amongst its foreign neighbors, and the paradigm shift in them going from the hunters to the hunted. I wonder if there’s a big LARPing community there like how Americans have re-enactments of the (way less cool) civil war.
I love how you approached this topic. Instead of focusing what is well known to history, you decided to write about what was hidden behind the pages. This is important because history is never going to be full unless everything is included. I enjoy learning things about history. There are still a lot of things that I don’t know about. Your post proves that there is more to history than what is commonly known to the world. I also enjoyed reading about how the Hussars dominated their country. They seem like they were a major powerhouse that no one would want to mess with.