Jan III Sobieski

Among other commanders, he stood out with his extraordinary ability to combine the traditional old Polish art of war with military innovations borrowed from the West. He was also able to use the experience of opponents and predecessors. At first, however, nothing foreshadowed his dizzying career.

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The future monarch was not idle. He participated in the campaigns of Zborowska, Berestecki, Zwaniec, Ochmatów and Cudnów... In the period from October 1655 to March 1656, he also had the opportunity to see the Swedish army, considered the best in Europe at that time.

He took part in the ragged war against George II Rakocz in 1657 and - a year later - in the siege of Toruń.

He gained experience under the supervision of such commanders as Stefan Czarniecki and Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski. At the side of the former, observing the Tatars, he learned maneuver tactics. At Beresteczko, Cudnów and Warsaw, he could see the effects of cooperation of various types of weapons (cavalry, infantry and artillery). It was also then that he learned to appreciate the firepower of infantry and artillery. So when in 1666 the king entrusted him with the field hetman of the crown, it seemed that Sobieski was well prepared to command the army.

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Sobieski spent almost his entire military life fighting against one enemy – the Ottoman Empire (and its ally – the Cossacks). However, his greatness was proved not only by his victories. Under his supervision, the army of the Republic of Poland underwent serious changes related to the specificity of the wars it conducted.

Jan Sobieski highly valued hussar banners on the battlefield - they were his favorite type of weapon. Therefore, from 1673, he systematically increased their numbers and sought to increase the combat value of this heavy-armed cavalry. He did this by modernizing its armament, including replacing the heavy half-armor (composed of a breastplate, backplate and many additional elements with a total weight of up to 15 kilograms) with only a breastplate with leather straps crossed on the back. During his time, karacena half-armour (steel scales fixed on a leather base) became popular as it was more useful in combat conditions.

Cossack banners in chain mail weighing from 4 to 7 kilograms and with new weapons, 2 meters long spears, became a serious support for the hussars. Thanks to this, they were an effective weapon in the fight against the Turks and Tatars. A soldier of the Cossack cavalry (now armored) equipped with protective armor, firearms and polearms was an important strike element of the army of the Republic of Poland at that time. Light cavalry, i.e. Tatar and Wallachian flags, were also equipped with spears.
Throughout his career as commander-in-chief, Sobieski perfected the handling of both cavalry masses and smaller groups of cavalry. In his tactics, there were clearly visible tendencies to shallow the ranks of the banners to three ranks in the hussars and two in the other types of cavalry, as well as to bold and offensive strikes. With time, he also popularized the way of fighting with squadrons (composed of several infantry or cavalry companies) and operating in parties - larger groups of cavalry.

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The victories on the battlefields are the best proof of Jan Sobieski's outstanding commanding talent. As a theoretician, he was the creator of excellent, though sometimes underestimated, strategic plans. He also proved himself as an organizer and leader of large-scale mobilization preparations of the Polish army.

In the art of operations, he used original solutions depending on the current circumstances. They were offensive or offensive in nature, and their aim was to destroy the enemy's living forces. He was able to use both the advantages of the Polish cavalry, which was characteristic of the old Polish school of war, as well as the cooperation of various types of troops. To a large extent, it was he who developed the ideas of operating groups of troops (patches and communications) and separating the army on a tactical scale. To this must be added the synchronization of activities and the effective use of reserves.

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The culmination of the military career of the Lion of Lechistan was the Vienna operation, during which he earned this famous nickname. In practice, he demonstrated the finest elements of the Polish army and thus proved that he is an excellent commander. With unprecedented intuition, he devised a battle plan, taking advantage of the terrain and knowledge of the enemy. He focused on the greatest strengths of the soldiers under his command - the stubbornness of infantry, the firepower of artillery and cavalry charges. The result was one of the greatest victories in history, which decided the fate of Europe.

The entire publication and other sources can be found in the Polish Digital Equestrian Library (click)

Author: Dr. Piotr Kroll, employee of the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw.

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