Formed in 1503, Poland’s hussars were made up of the nobility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One of their most distinctive features were wings that were attached to various parts of the riders’ armour or saddle. Their task during battle was to crash into the enemy and break up its ranks, which enabled other lighter formations of cavalry to then enter the fray. The hussars’ specific armaments, tactics and training enabled the Commonwealth to win a number of victories in battles with Russia, Sweden and the Ottomans.
Though a strong symbol of Polish martial prowess, the original hussars were in fact medieval Serbs, who, after their defeat at Kosovo Pole in 1389, fled to Poland in order to continue the fight against the Turks. The original Serb and Hungarian ‘Usars’ were light cavalry, and their main weapon was the lance. They did not use any protective armour and carried only wooden oval shields. After the reforms of King Stefan Batory, the hussars began to
