Transformation of Polish Military Administration in the First Half of Seventeenth Century – Ideas and its Realization

In: Open Military Studies, Band 2, Heft 1, S. 1-11

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe article aims to present some proposal of transformation of Polish military administration in the first half of the seventeenth century and its realization in the form of successful attempt to establish the office of Master of Ordnance (starszy nad armatą) and failed rehearsal to regulate the question of food supply for Polish army stationing on the south-eastern border.MethodologyThe author has examined manuscript and printed narrative, normative and treasury sources. He compared the results with existing historiography concerning this topic.Principal findings/ResultsAffected by the negative results of war against Sweden between 1621 and 1629, Polish and Lithuanian noble elite agreed to establish new office of Master of Ordnance with new tax to finance artillery on condition that King's domain would be burdened by it. At the same time, the diet rejected all proposals tended to transform the system of food supply for army defending the south-eastern border of Poland, especially establishing new taxes and officials.Conclusions/SignificancesIt was widely expected from the King to prepare the defence of the country from his own sources. Many nobles, especially from western part of the Commonwealth shared the aversion for new taxes dedicated to the defence of the southern border against Tatars' raids, while inhabitants of Ruthenia or Ukraine were not going to pay new taxes alone and suffer the presence of the troops at the same time. The creation of the office of master of ordnance shows clearly that change in military administration was possible, if the nobility was convinced that reforms were necessary and saw the option to pay for it from King's coffer, in which case the complaints of the opponents were gladly dismissed. It seems that in the case of army supply too many parliamentarians and their electors did not see the sufficient need for a change and rejected the idea to burden the possessors of King's estates by new tax.