Wojsko kwarciane
Encyclopedia
Wojsko kwarciane (ˈvɔjskɔ kfarˈt͡ɕanɛ, quarter army) was the term used for regular army
units of Poland
(Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
). The term was used from 1562.
Wojsko kwarciane was formed from earlier obrona potoczna units.
The term "quarter" in the name of the army comes from the way taxes were paid for their upkeep: a quarter of income from the regal
s lands (królewszczyzny) was supposed to be used for that purpose. As monarchs usually lease
d their land to szlachta
(or merchants, or Jews) for short-term benefits, they didn't have direct control over cash flow and this often resulted in corruption and delayed payment of military wages. Military commanders (hetman
s) often had to pay the wages of wojsko kwarciane and hired mercenaries from their own purse. Sometimes disgruntled unpaid units formed confederacies (see konfederacja) in order to lawfully collect their wages by force.
The standing numbers of wojsko kwarciane varied by peacetime and wartime. On average during peacetime the army totalled about 2500 cavalry
.
It was a relatively small army when compared with other contemporary countries, especially considering the Commonwealth's huge area. In effect, Commonwealth armies were almost always stretched thin defending its territory from its aggressive neighbours (Sweden
, Russia
and Ottoman Empire
vassals).
In 1632 new quarter or royal taxes (dupla) was created to pay for artillery
units.
In 1652 wosko kwarciane was replaced with wojsko komputowe
.
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
units of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
). The term was used from 1562.
Wojsko kwarciane was formed from earlier obrona potoczna units.
The term "quarter" in the name of the army comes from the way taxes were paid for their upkeep: a quarter of income from the regal
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
s lands (królewszczyzny) was supposed to be used for that purpose. As monarchs usually lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
d their land to szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
(or merchants, or Jews) for short-term benefits, they didn't have direct control over cash flow and this often resulted in corruption and delayed payment of military wages. Military commanders (hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
s) often had to pay the wages of wojsko kwarciane and hired mercenaries from their own purse. Sometimes disgruntled unpaid units formed confederacies (see konfederacja) in order to lawfully collect their wages by force.
The standing numbers of wojsko kwarciane varied by peacetime and wartime. On average during peacetime the army totalled about 2500 cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
.
It was a relatively small army when compared with other contemporary countries, especially considering the Commonwealth's huge area. In effect, Commonwealth armies were almost always stretched thin defending its territory from its aggressive neighbours (Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
vassals).
In 1632 new quarter or royal taxes (dupla) was created to pay for artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
units.
In 1652 wosko kwarciane was replaced with wojsko komputowe
Wojsko komputowe
Wojsko komputowe is a type of military unit used in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 17th century and the 18th century.Until the mid-17th century, Polish forces were divided into permanent units and supplemental units , which were created in the time of military needs...
.
See also
- skarb rawski
- piechota łanowa
- piechota wybranieckaPiechota wybranieckaPiechota wybraniecka was a type of an infantry formation in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Formed in 1578. Consisted of "royal" peasants from not charged and revendicated royal lands....
- pospolite ruszeniePospolite ruszeniePospolite ruszenie , is an anachronistic term describing the mobilisation of armed forces, especially during the period of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The tradition of wartime mobilisation of part of the population existed from before the 13th century to the 19th century...