# Wojsko kwarciane

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Regular army of Poland–Lithuania

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***Wojsko kwarciane*** (Polish pronunciation: [\[ˈvɔjskɔ kfarˈt͡ɕanɛ\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Polish), *Quarter Army*, Latin: *quartanus* or *quartianus miles*) was the term used for regular army units of the [Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth](/source/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth).[1][2] The name was used in 1562–1652.

## Formation

*Wojsko kwarciane* was formed from earlier *[obrona potoczna](/source/Obrona_potoczna)* units.[3]

### Name

The term "quarter" in the name of the army ([Polish](/source/Polish_language): *kwarta*) comes from the type of the tax paid for their upkeep ([*kwarta* tax](/source/Kwarta_tax)): a quarter of income from the crown lands (*[królewszczyzny](/source/Kr%C3%B3lewszczyzny)*) was supposed to be used for that purpose. As monarchs usually [leased](/source/Lease) their land to *[szlachta](/source/Szlachta)* (or merchants, or Jews) for short-term benefits, they didn't have direct control over cash flow and this often resulted in corruption and delayed payment of military wages. Military commanders ([hetmans](/source/Hetman)) often had to pay the wages of *wojsko kwarciane* and hired mercenaries from their own purse. Sometimes disgruntled unpaid units formed [confederations](/source/Confederation_(Poland%E2%80%93Lithuania)) in order to lawfully collect their wages by force.

## History

The standing numbers of *wojsko kwarciane* varied by peacetime and wartime. On average, the peacetime army totalled about 2,500 [cavalry](/source/Cavalry). Besides this, there were the supplemental units raised for wartime, which were called [*wojsko suplementowe*](/source/Wojsko_suplementowe).

It was a relatively small standing army when compared with other contemporary countries, especially considering the Commonwealth's huge area. Commonwealth armies would almost always be stretched thin to defend its territory from its aggressive neighbours ([Kingdom of Sweden](/source/Kingdom_of_Sweden_(1523-1611)), [Tsardom of Russia](/source/Tsardom_of_Russia), the [Ottoman Empire](/source/Ottoman_Empire) and its [vassals](/source/Vassal_and_tributary_states_of_the_Ottoman_Empire)).

In 1632 new quarter or royal taxes (*dupla*) was created to pay for [artillery](/source/Artillery) units.

In 1652 *wojsko kwarciane* was replaced with [*wojsko komputowe*](/source/Wojsko_komputowe).

## See also

- [skarb rawski](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skarb_rawski&action=edit&redlink=1) [[pl](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/skarb_rawski)]

- [*piechota wybraniecka*](/source/Piechota_wybraniecka) ([*piechota łanowa*](/source/Piechota_%C5%82anowa))

- [*pospolite ruszenie*](/source/Pospolite_ruszenie)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENolan2008383_1-0)** [Nolan 2008](#CITEREFNolan2008), p. 383.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMichta199021_2-0)** [Michta 1990](#CITEREFMichta1990), p. 21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFrost2000_3-0)** [Frost 2000](#CITEREFFrost2000).

## Sources

- [Frost, Robert I.](/source/Robert_I._Frost) (2000). [*The Northern Wars: War, State, and Society in Northeastern Europe, 1558–1721*](https://www.google.lt/books/edition/The_Northern_Wars_1558_1721/CPVoAAAAMAAJ). New York: [Longman](/source/Longman). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-582-06430-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-582-06430-0).

- [Michta, Andrew A.](/source/Andrew_A._Michta) (1990). [*The Red Eagle: The Army in Polish Politics, 1944–1988*](https://archive.org/details/redeaglearmyinpo0000mich/page/20/mode/2up?q=%22Wojsko+kwarciane%22). [Hoover Institution Press](/source/Hoover_Institution_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8179-8861-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8179-8861-0).

- [Nolan, Cathal J.](/source/Cathal_J._Nolan) (2008-07-30). [*Wars of the Age of Louis XIV, 1650–1715: An Encyclopedia of Global Warfare and Civilization*](https://archive.org/details/warsofageoflouis0000nola). [ABC-CLIO](/source/ABC-CLIO). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-313-35920-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-313-35920-0).

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