Grand Duchy of Warsaw/Księstwo Warszawskie (Army)

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KsięstwoWarszawskie


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History

Księstwo Warszawskie was created on the very same day as its commanding regiment, the 1st Chevau-léger regiment of Grand Duchy of Warsaw. At one point we have joined/merged the 1st corp, today better known as European Army. But due to certain reasons we were forced to leave EU and from now on we are completely independent army.​

Few nations in the last 200 years have seen more military action than the Poles. In the 18th century, as in the 20th, the Polish lands regularly provided an arena for Europe's wars. In the 19th century, they supplied the armies of three martial empires with numberless recruits and conscripts. Yet no European nation has reaped fewer rewards for the sweat and blood expended. As often as not, the Polish soldier has followed foreign colors. ... It is sad fact, but Poland has been obliged by circumstances to act as one of Europe's principal nurseries of cannon-fodder. ... Private armies abounded. ... Poland-Lithuania was not short of soldiers. Vast numbers of indigent petty noblemen filled the ranks of a military caste of proportions unequelled in Europe. But their contempt for state service, their preoccupation with private wars and vendettas, their perpetuation of the myth of the 'Noble Host', their dislike of drill, their obsession with cavalry to the detriment of all other branches of warfare, and their opposition to the idea of raising an 'ignoble army' of peasant conscripts, put them at a marked disadvantage in relation to all their neighbours. ... By 1781, the ratio of trained soldiers in the service of the state to the adult male population had reached 1:472. The derisory statistic compared with:
- 1:153 in France
- 1:90 in Austria
- 1:49 in Russia
- 1:26 in Prussia.
Here was a fine paradox indeed. Europe's most militarized society was incapable of defending itself. ... From 1765 to 1831, constant attempts were made to develop Polish military potential to a level commensurate with that of the neighbouring countries. ... The revival began in 1765 with the founding of the Cadet Corps, a military college designed to raise a new generation of officers in the spirit of patriotism and enlightement. ... The artillery corps was refounded; the cavalry was reorganized ... By 1788, when the Great Sejm first voted for a standing army of 100,000 men, the capacity to realize this goal undoubtedly existed. ... The Napoleonic episode initiated three decades of strong French influence. If the impact of the Legions was mainly psychological, the introduction of 6-year conscription in 1807, affecting every man in the Duchy of Warsaw between 21 and 28 years of age, brought military experience and training to the broad mass of the population. Napoleonic strategy and tactics of surprise and attack were well matched to memoirs of the Polish nobility's fighting habits and to legends of Tarnowski and Sobieski." (Davies - "God's Playground. A History of Poland." Vol II, p 26:cool:

In 1797 in Italy was formed a Polish Legion, fighting for France against Austria. There is hardly a more touching chapter in the world's history than the story of the Polish Legions. The Poles hoped that by fighting on the French side against Austria, Russia and Prussia, the contries that had partitioned Poland they could free their country. Two years after the last dismemberment of Poland, a Polish army was formed, in Polish uniforms, under Polish command, decorated with French cockades and wearing on the eppaulets the inscription: "Gli uomini liberi sono fratelli." (Free men are brethren.) The Polish soldiers without the state sung their battle-song: "Poland has not perished yet, as long as we are alive" and fought in numerous battles and campaigns alongside the French.
General Dabrowski The Polish Legion under General Dabrowski fought with Bonaparte in his earliest campaigns in Italy. These were the beginnings of Polish forces of Napoleonic period. These legions however were never used for purposes related to Polish independence. Some were posted to pacification duties in occupied Italy and in 1802-3 were drafted with the expedition sent to crush the rebellion of Negro slaves on Santo Domingo. They died in their thousands from swamp fever. In 1801 at Luneville, Napoleon made peace with his enemies and all agitation on the Polish Question was terminated. In Polish aristocratic circles, the prospect of a French alliance was clouded by the associated threat of social revolution. Soem aristocrats were laying plans of their won for the restoration of a united Poland under the aegis of the new Tsar of Russia, Alexander I.

There was rivalry within the officers and generals between those who had served in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and those who had joined Polish units in French service. The former often felt the latter had put self interest before patriotic duty, while the latter scorned the former as military amateurs. The rivalry had been largely healthy, and there had in fact been considerable interchange between the two. Chlapowski writes: "It was marvelous to be back in Warsaw. ... there was a great difference between these new regiments and the Polish Guard and Vistula Legion, with which I had recently been in Spain. As well as Col. Krasinski, the entire staff of the Polish Guard Lighthorse were experienced officers ... The Vistula Legion still had officers from Dabrowski's Italian Legion and even Kniaziewicz's Legion of the Rhine. Nearly all the NCOs were older men, so training was steady, severe, and regular. It wasn't like that in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw. The infantry was admittedly first class, but the cavalry still needed a lot of work. ... The artillery had only very few qualified officers, but the gunners were quite well trained. The whole army was learning and its excellent spirit, liveliness and cheerful confidence bade well for the future."

Polish officers and generals communicated in Polish and French language. The troops were organized after the French model and used much of its terminology. Chlapowski writes: "Our drill regulations were provided by General Dabrowski, translated from the French. Knowing the Prussian system, it was easy for me to learn these new regulations, which were far simpler and much better suited to the conduct of war



Regiments

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1ps
1ps is one of oldest cavalary regiment in MM/NW community dating back all the way to old MM. It has around 80 members and around active 20-30 members, it has recently won cavalry tournament. Link to thread: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,225484.msg5411268.html#msg5411268

4psk
4psk is a newly created dragoon regiment, as of now they only have 6  active members, but their numbers grow daily



Contact details

Ksiaze_Jozef.jpg


If you wish to arrange a battle between your regiment and any of our regiments or if you wish to simply talk with any of our officers us feel free to add brudna_ryba_PL, Bohdan, wodzu93 or Forbes on steam​
 
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