Jamka, Adrian/Ruggeri, Raffaele (Illustr.) Renaissance Polish Armies 1492–1569

Against a backdrop of almost continuous warfare, the 80 years following 1492 saw a gradual transformation of the Polish armed forces from feudal militias into standing armies. The bloody struggle between Poles, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Muscovites, Cossacks, Turks and Tatars culminated in 1569 with the Union of Lublin, which united the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During this decisive phase of Polish military history, famous branches of the armed forces such as the Polish hussars were introduced and developed, and a tactical change was implemented with the introduction of foot and mounted small arms instead of crossbowmen. Drawing on numerous sources, the author explains the social and ethnic composition of the armies and their recruitment methods, their organisational structure and that of the various branches of the armed forces, their weapons, armour and equipment, their strategies and tactics, and life in the field. In this captivating book, specially commissioned illustrations and rare images are combined with well-researched text to bring this little-studied subject to life for an English-speaking audience.