| Description |
h Listen here ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D1ZvqCJPuo
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz was a military and political figure of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania. He belonged to an ancient magnate family and was a count of Bykhov area.
In 1605, Chodkiewicz achieved victory in the Battle of Kircholm, which inspired artists
and poets with its epic nature. The outcome of the battle was determined by the decisive
charge of the winged hussars. News of the victory over the Swedes spread throughout
Europe.
The forces of King Charles IX of Sweden consisted of 11,000 infantry, 2,500 cavalry, 11
cannons, several thousand German and Dutch mercenaries, and a few hundred Scots. The
army was primarily armed with firearms (two-thirds were pikemen, one-third musketeers)
and supported by artillery and cavalry, where each cavalryman was armed with two
pistols and a saber.
Hetman Chodkiewicz had around 4,500 soldiers in his army. He employed 700
mercenaries, including Tatars and Zaporozhian Cossacks, for reconnaissance and camp
security.
Just in two days Jan Chodkiewicz led his troops through difficult forest terrain for 80
kilometers and set up camp two miles from the city of Riga, near the village of Kircholm.
Karl IX, desiring to launch a surprise attack, advanced against the Lithuanian forces at
midnight on September 26th. However, heavy rainfall interrupted them, and the battle
began at dawn instead of during the night. Meanwhile, Chodkiewicz, who learned from
scouts about the movement of the Swedes, managed to rally his army and was prepared
for defense.
Before the start of the battle, the hetman addressed his soldiers, urging them to be
courageous and self-sacrificing. When he mentioned the numerical superiority of the
enemy, he received the response, "Attack, hetman, we will count the casualties
afterward."
The Swedish king's army was defeated by the winged hussars in just 20 minutes |