The Commonwealth was formed at the Union of Lublin of 1569 from the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The armies of those states differed from the organization common in western Europe, as … See more

At its heyday, the Commonwealth comprised the territories of present-day Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia. It was engaged in the struggles along most of its borders, with only the Western border with the Holy Roman Empire's … See more

Due to a lack of centralized logistical system, the Commonwealth's armies were encumbered by large baggage trains. To some degree, this was turned into an advantage with the … See more

With the growing influence of foreign powers in the Commonwealth, the Russian-dominated Silent Sejm of 1717 declared that the size of the Commonwealth's military should be 24,200 (18,000 from Poland and 6,200 for Lithuania). Due to … See more

Organization
When the Commonwealth was formed, there was little practical difference between the Polish and Lithuanian armed forces but they were … See more

The Commonwealth Navy was small and played a relatively minor role in the history of the Commonwealth. Despite having access to the Baltic Sea, neither Poland nor Lithuania had any significant navy throughout their histories. In the 16th century, as Poland … See more

• History of the Polish Army
• Royal Guards (Poland)
• Kosynierzy
• National Cavalry
• Szabla See more