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Hetman (from Czech: hejtman, German: Hauptmann) was the title of the second highest military commander (after the king) used in 15th to 18th century Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, known from 1568 to 1795 as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A variant of the name, ataman, was also used among Ukrainian Cossacks since the 16th century.
Hetmans of Poland and Lithuania
First title of Grand Crown Hetman was created in 1505. The tile of hetman was given to the leader of army and till 1581 hetman existed only during the specific campaigns and wars. After that, it became a permanent title (as all the titles in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it couldnt be taken away unless treachery was proven (from 1585). Hetmans were not paid for their job by the Royal Treasury. Hetmans were main commanders of the military forces, second only to the monarch in the army's chain of command.
From the end of 16th century there were two hetmans in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and two hetmans in crown of the Polish Kingdom: Field hetman and Great Hetman, altogether 4. For a short period there was also an office of Royal Court Hetman, but it never gained much influence. Field hetmans were also called Frontier Hetmans, since they did the same job as commanders of frontier garrisons before the title of hetman was introduced.
Each hetman received a hetman's mace as the symbol of his postition (it was added to his coat of arms). Less common was a horse-tail ensign.
Hetman's competences and priviliges, first officially described in 1527 in the act of nomination for Jan Tarnowski included:
- enlistment and organisation of proffesional army, mercenaries
- supervision of registered Cossacks and atamans, who were chosen by Hetmans for 2-year terms.
- creation and promotion of officers at will
- chosing the places where the army units were to draw supplies from (that could become a severe burden of cities/nobles that were disliked by hetman)
- suprvising the flaw of army's finances (including the solider's wages)
- full control over military juridiciary (with penalty of death during wars), they could also issue regulation for the army (hetman's articles)
- hetmans were required to listen to complains of all civilian personnel against soldiers misdeeds and were required to compansate them.
- hetmans had certain competences in Foreging Affairs, they could send their own emissaries to countries from East and Middle East (Ottoman Empire, Moldavia, Crimean Chanate, Wallachia). It was resoned that the distance to capital was too large and situation in that regions always unstable to wait for all desicions to be made in Cracow or Warsaw
- the most improtant of hetmans function was the planning and carrying out of military campaigns.
The hetman had NO right to order forces of the royal court, royal guard, units equipped by the cities, towns, etc., or private individuals, although during wars they often voluntarely pledged their obedience to him. Hetmans had no control over the navy.
Hetman usually had no DIRECT control over pospolite ruszenie, but they could give orders to regimentars who commanded the pospolite ruszenie.
Grand Hetmans usually were in command of the professioal and mobilised army and during peace time stayed at the capital involved in politcs, guarding the interst of the army and planning campaigns.
Field Hetmans were subordinates of Grands and when on the same battlefield commanded the merceneries and artilery. During peace times they usually were deployed on the Eastern and Suthern borders of the Commonwealth, and commanded all local forces against constant skirmishes and small invasions of Ottoman Empire and its vassals.
Hetman main aides included:
- pisarz polny - field writer; documentation, chancellory, finances; kept accounts of people, equipment and fortifications (army's chancellary). He was in charge of paying soldiers wages.
- straznik - guardian; security; supervised the scout forces during movement and camping and commanded the front guard (however, if both hetmans were present, field one acted as Great Guardian (pol. Wielki Straznik)).
- obozny - camp leader; camp and transport organisation; were responsible for choosing the current camping place for the armies, building the camps, logistics and security inside the camps.
- szpitalny - medic; medical services
- profos - military juridiciary
- brabanmajster - logistics
- regimentars (pol: regimentarz) - second in command in the event hetman was killed or taken prisoner; regimantrz could also be chosen by the king for given period of time when hetman was not available, or unformally assumed this function of the command in chief when no hetman or monarch was present nearby (for example the commander of pospolite ruszenie was usually called regimantar.
Most of those aides also had a Field/Great and Crown/Lithuanian add-ons to their title, depending on what hetman they were serving with.
While hetmans were considered to be among the highest ranking officials in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they HAD NO RIGHT to sit in the Senat. They could be a members of the Sejm if they had another function that allowed to join that position or were elected as a representatives of local szlachta.
In the plans of reconstruction of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from dual into triple state (Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth), the hetman was to be a head of the Ruthenian part, consisting of three Ukrainian voivodships.
Several new military titles were created after the 1635, changing some of hetman's responsibilites:
- 1637 – General of Artillery (responsible for artillery forces, their logistics and such)
- 1670s – General of Logistics, General of Medics, General of Finances
- General of Inspections controlled the combat readiness of troops, however it is unclear when they were created (besides the phrase ‘in 17th century’).
The reform in 1776 limited the powers of the hetmans.
Hetmans of Ukrainian Cossacks
At the end of 16th century commander of the Cossacks were also called Hetmans (or atamans). From 1648 Bohdan Khmelnytsky uprising, Hetman was the head of the Cossack state. Cossack hetmans had very broad powers and acted as heads of the Cossack state, their supreme military commanders, the top legislators (by issuing administrative decrees).
After the split of the Ukraine along the Dnieper River by the Polish-Russian Treaty of Andrusovo 1667, Ukrainian Cossacks (and Cossack Hetmans) are known as Left-bank Cossacks and Right-bank Cossacks.
In Russia, the office of Cossack Hetman was abolished by Catherine II of Russia in 1764.
External reference
Encyclopedia of Ukraine (http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com)
pl:Hetman
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