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Poczet
Poczet (, "fellowship" or "retinue"; plural ''poczty'') was the smallest organized unit of soldiers in the and later also the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army from the 15th until the 18th century. The name of a medium or heavy-cavalry soldiers in poczet was pocztowy. In the cavalry, each poczet was commanded by a Companion or Armoured companion. Several Poczets were combined to form larger units like a Banner (the equivalent of a Western Company). In this context the poczet is the equivalent of the medieval Lances fournies. Pocztowy was an assistant and subordinate of the Companion, in some respects similar to more ancient knight's servant - page or squire. He was armoured like his superior, but fought in the second or third line and was responsible for guarding his back and flanks in a battle. See also * Offices in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth This article discusses the organizational and administrative structure of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Polish–Lith ...
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Armoured Companion
Armoured companion (Polish: ''Towarzysz pancerny'' , plural: ''towarzysze pancerni'') was a medium-cavalryman in 16th to 18th century Poland, named after their chainmail armor. These units were the second-most-important (and successful) cavalry in the Polish-Lithuanian army, after the hussars. Most ''pancerni'' were recruited from the middle or lower classes of the Polish (or Lithuanian) nobility. They were organized into companies, with each company (Polish: '' chorągiew'' or '' rota'') consisting of 60 to 200 horsemen. Arms They used chainmail or bechter armour to protect the upper body, vambrace sometimes with gauntlets, secretes (rarely lobster-tailed pot helmets), buckler shields, Polish sabre, reflex bow, gunpowder weapons, (such as flintlock pistols, arquebus or muskets, and early carabines). Earlier companies would sometimes be equipped with a horseman's pick, a short spear, or a lance. During the rule of king John III Sobieski, polearms became compulsory. During ...
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Companion (military Rank)
Companion (Polish: ''Towarzysz'' ), plural: ''towarzysze'') was a junior cavalry officer or knight-officer in the army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 16th century until its demise in 1794. Name During the 20th century, ''towarzysz'' assumed the same meaning as the Russian ('' tovarishch'', "comrade"), with the military meaning fading in use. Use of cultural expressions such as '' pan'' ("sir") was frowned upon and the communist regime encouraged use of ''towarzysz'' ("companion") or '' obywatel'' ("citizen"). Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth In the military of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, (until the 1775 AD reforms) companion was usually a noble who served in the Army for a period of time, usually less than 5 years, as a horseman with his mounted retainers (cavalry) and ''free servants'' (hussars, cossack – Armoured companion, Petyhorcy, Hajduk), or with none or one retainer and very few free servants (light cavalry e.g. Wallachian, Lisowczyks, Li ...
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Banner (cavalry)
Chorągiew (; literally: "banner") was the basic administrative unit of the Polish and Lithuanian cavalry from the 14th century. An alternative name until the 17th century was '' Rota''. 14th to 17th centuries Between the 14th and 17th century the ''Chorągiew'' was composed of smaller sub-units – the ''Poczet''. Types of ''Chorągiew'' were: * Chorągiew ziemska (District banner), formed by knights of a district. * Chorągiew rodowa (Clan banner), formed by clans. * Chorągiew nadworna (Court banner), formed by troops of the King. 15th century (2nd half) to 18th century (1st half) In the cavalry, since the second half of the 15th century until the first half of the 18th century, a ''Chorągiew'' was formed according to the "companion system" (system zaciągu towarzyskiego). See: '' Towarzysz'' (companion). Types of ''Chorągiew'' were: * Chorągiew husarska (Hussar banner), formed by Hussars. * Chorągiew lekka ("Light" banner), formed by light-cavalry. * Chorągiew pan ...
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Lances Fournies
The lance fournie (French: "equipped lance") was a medieval equivalent to the modern army squad that would have accompanied and supported a man-at-arms (a heavily armoured horseman popularly known as a "knight") in battle. These units formed companies under a captain either as mercenary bands or in the retinue of wealthy nobles and royalty. Each lance was supposed to include a mixture of troop types (the men-at-arms themselves, lighter cavalry, infantry, and even noncombatant pages) that would have guaranteed a desirable balance between the various components of the company at large; however, it is often difficult to determine the exact composition of the lance in any given company as the available sources are few and often centuries apart. A lance was usually led and raised by a knight in the service of his liege, yet it is not uncommon in certain periods to have a less privileged man, such as a serjeants-at-arms, lead a lance. More powerful knights, also known as a knight banner ...
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Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army
The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (which is under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior (Lithuania), Ministry of the Interior in peacetime) becomes part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. A special security department handles VIP protection and communications security. The purpose of the Lithuanian Armed Forces are to be the principal deterrent against any security threat to the nation. Lithuania's defence system is based on the concept of "total and unconditional defence" mandated by Lithuania's ''National Security Strategy''. The goal of Lithuania's defence policy is to prepare their society for general defence and to integrate Lithuania into Western security and defence structures. The Ministry of National Defence (Lithuania), Ministry of National Defence is responsi ...
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Company (military Unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are formed of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure. Usually several companies are grouped as a battalion or regiment, the latter of which is sometimes formed by several battalions. Occasionally, ''independent'' or ''separate'' companies are organized for special purposes, such as the 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company or the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company. These companies are not organic to a battalion or regiment, but rather report directly to a higher level organization such as a Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters (i.e., a corps-level command). Historical background The modern military company became popularized during the reorganization of the Swedish Army in 1631 under King Gustav II Adolph. For administrative purposes, the infantry was divided into companies consist ...
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Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Greek ''hippeis'' and '' hoplite'' (ἱππεῖς) and Roman '' eques'' and ''centurion'' of classical antiquity. In the Early Middle Ages in Europe, knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors. During the High Middle Ages, knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility. By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior. Often, a knight was a vassal who served as an elite fighter or a bodyguard for a lord, with payment in the form of land holdings. The lords trusted the knights, who were skilled in battle on horseback. Knighthood in the Middle Ages was closely linked with horsemanship (and especially the joust) from its origins in th ...
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Page (occupation)
Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young male servant * Page (wedding attendant) People with the name * Page (given name) * Page (surname) Places Australia * Page, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Division of Page, New South Wales * Pages River, a tributary of the Hunter River catchment in New South Wales, Australia * The Pages, South Australia, two islands and a reef **The Pages Conservation Park, a protected area in South Australia United States * Page, Arizona, a city * Page, Indiana * Page, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a neighborhood * Page, Nebraska, a village * Page, North Dakota, a city * Page, Oklahoma, an unincorporated community * Page, Virginia * Page, Washington, a ghost town * Page, West Virginia, a census-designated place * Page Airport (disambiguati ...
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Squire
In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a "squire", and still later, the term was applied to members of the landed gentry. In contemporary American usage, "squire" is the title given to justices of the peace or similar local dignitaries. ''Squire'' is a shortened version of the word ''esquire'', from the Old French (modern French ), itself derived from the Late Latin ("shield bearer"), in medieval or Old English a ''scutifer''. The Classical Latin equivalent was ("arms bearer"). Knights in training The most common definition of ''squire'' refers to the Middle Ages. A squire was typically a young boy, training to become a knight. A boy became a page at the age of 7 then a squire at age 14. Squires were the second step to becoming a knight, after having served as a page. Boys s ...
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Offices In The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
This article discusses the organizational and administrative structure of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a confederative aristocratic republic of the period 1569–1795, comprising the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and their fiefs. The Commonwealth was governed by the Parliament (Sejm) consisting of the King, the King-appointed Senate (Voivodes, Castellans, Ministers, Bishops) and the rest of hereditary nobility either in person or through the Lower Sejm (consisting of deputies representing their lands). The nobility's constitutional domination of the state made the King very weak and the commoners (burgesses and peasants) almost entirely unrepresented in the Commonwealth's political system. Classification The Commonwealth's administrative system was a pre-bureaucracy. In terms of Max Weber's tripartite classification of authority, it was, as with other contemporary monarchies, largely based on "traditional domina ...
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Polish Cavalry
The Polish cavalry ( pl, jazda, kawaleria, konnica) can trace its origins back to the days of medieval cavalry knights. Poland is mostly a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment. The knights and heavy cavalry gradually evolved into many different types of specialised mounted military formations, some of which heavily influenced western warfare and military science. This article details the evolution of Polish cavalry tactics, traditions and arms from the times of mounted knights and heavy winged hussars, through the times of light uhlans to mounted infantry equipped with ranged and mêlée weapons. Early medieval times The first Polish cavalry was created by the Duke of Polans - Mieszko I, who united the West Slav tribes in the area of modern Poland. It's noted in the manuscript of Abraham ben Jacob who traveled in 961–62 in Central Europe. He wrote that the drużyna of Mieszko I had 3000 men, who were paid by the duke. The Pri ...
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