De Re Militari | Book Reviews
Richard Brzezinski
Polish Winged Hussar 1576-1775
Warrior 94. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2006. 64pp. US$17.95/CDN$25.95. ISBN 1-84176-650-X.
The Polish winged hussar was no doubt one of the most spectacular soldiers in the world, and still remains a symbol of pride to Poles. The first in the Polish army appeared in 1500, fought until the Great Northern War (1700-21) and was later employed as part of parade formations. The height of their actual military prowess was probably a series of victories at the beginning of the seventeenth century and the last great one that of Vienna in 1683 against the Turks. Their armour, worn even while western armies were abandoning it, had a blackened ‘half-lobster’ form which appeared spectacular to contemporaries. The main offensive weapon was a 4-5m long lance called kopia made of cheap and light wood. One of the more exotic elements of hussar attire was the use of leopard skin. However, most dramatic of all hussars characteristics were the wings worn on their back or on the saddle. Their purpose has been hotly debated. It is today a common notion that wings were a parade adornment, still we know from some sources that they were taken on campaign. Unfortunately, it is far from certain that they were worn in battle. Among the several theories on their purpose—a sort of campaign medals, a defence against sword cuts or lassoes—nearly all the accounts stated that the wings were worn in order to frighten the enemies and their horses.
A notable feature of Brzezinski’s work is his reassessment of some accepted facts concerning the Polish hussars. For instance, the theory that they began the charge in loose formation to close with the target is dismissed as against western cavalry doctrine. Moreover, the long lances were not such a weapon to allow the hussars to ride down enemy pikemen. As a matter of fact, it was almost always thanks to the help of infantry that the hussars achieved victory against pikemen.
The book provides some interesting sections about the organization of hussar companies and other technical topics, for instance logistics and camp life. Using many years’ painstaking research drawn from a great deal of different sources, Brzezinski offers a lucid book, accessible to the non-specialist and certainly worth a read for those interested in these legendary and fascinating warriors.