Fall Weiss - destruction of the 2nd Polish Republic September-October 1939

 Salvete Omnes,

Today we, Polonians* around the world, observe the anniversary of the 'tragic death' of the 2nd Polish Republic- caused by the horrible invasion of Poland by Hitler's Germany (aided by Slovakia) and Soviet invasion on Sept., 17, 1939. The German invasion had a code name - Fall Weiss (Case White)

Artur Szyk pinxit

Soviet-German meetings in 1939

Polish city of Lwow, defended by the Polish army and civilians, was surrounded by both actors- the Red Army and Wehrmacht 

.

German army in 1939  still used hundreds of thousands of horses, mostly in wagon trains and for the field artillery. There were also 18 German cavalry regiments. 

the beginning of atrocities and genocide - the German army killing of Polish prisoners of war

Today, I read some Hitler's speeches -  one from the 22nd of August 1939 (day before the Ribbentrop-Molotov or Soviet -German past was made public) and  one from the 1st of September 1939. 

By the way, Robert Forczyk wrote a very good book on the military history of the German invasion of Poland - and I did a post about it -  Case White The Invasion of Poland, 1939.

*Polonians -  the XVI-XVII century English name for the Polish people eg Fynes Moryson .

Valete

Horses the Polonians ''adorne with rich Furres and skinnes'

Salve,
back in the saddle again, so to speak, and let me start with a little excerpt from Fynes Moryson, that is from his rather merry recounting of his travels across Europe and Turkey, in this framgnet he is telling us his observations about Polish Kingdom and the inhabitants, i.e., Polonians -
 

Shakespeare’s Europe. Unpublished chapters of Fynes Moryson’s Itinerary Being a Survey of the Condition of Europe at the end of the 16th Century. edited by Charles Hughes, London 1903. p 83.  

The Polonians are a warlike nation, valiant, and actiue, but 

all their strength consists in their horse, whereof they haue so 

great number, as some affirme they can bring a hundred thou- 

sand horse into the feild, and one Prouince of Lituania, can 

bring 70 thousand, and king Stephen in the last age had 40. 

thousandmin his Army. Of these horsmen, some are called 

Hussari,mwho are armed with long speares, a sheild, a Carbine 

or short gunn, and two short swords, one by the horsmans syde, 

the other fastned vnder the left syde of his sadle. The light 

horsmen called Cosachi are armed with short swords, Jauelin, 

bowes and arrowes, and a Coat of maile and the whole Country 

of Poland being playne, this great body of horsmen must needs 

be a powerfull strength to the kingdome. The horses are of 

small stature, but of no lesse agility, then those of the Turkes 

and singuler in boldnes for any seruice of warr. Yet are they 

all made Gueldens; And the gentlemen are not prouder of any 

thing, then of their horses and horsmanshipp professing to 

weare long garments, as Commodious for horsmen, that they 

may cast their vpper garment vppon their horses when they 

are heated with running. And for this Cause many haue their 

bridles (Which are alwayes snafles by Which the horses are 

easily turned) sett with studds of gold or siluer, sometymes 

having gold Chaynes, and like ornaments at the cares of their 

horses, and Commonly paynting the mayne and taile yea the 

whole body, excepting the back of their horses with light 

Coulors, as Carnation and the like, therein seeming ridiculous, 

that whereas art imitates nature, these Coulors are such as are 

most vnnaturall for horses. They haue guilded stirropps as 

also spurrs which are some handfull long at the heele. Not 

only soldiers but Ambassadors and their gentlemen, haue the 

hinder part of their horse couered with the wings of an Eagle, 

or skinn of a Tyger, or leopard or some like ornament, either 

for beauty, or to seeme more terrible, as in generall all haue 

them couered, some lesse, some more richly. The Polonian 

horsmen restraine the incursions of the feirce Tartars, and 
seeme so bold to the Turkes, as they haue no hart to invade 
Poland;
Neither can the Moscouites indure their assault, how- 

soeuer for feare of their Tyrant, they must be prodigall of their 

bloud. The Polonians haue no care to fortify Cittyes professing 

nothing more to be disgracefull then to fly from their enemyes, 

and vaunting to defend their Country with their owne brests, 

not with walled Townes which they lesse desyre to fortify lest 

their kings should vsurpe power ouer them by giving the 

keepingnof such places to their deuoted seruants.

 Fynes Moryson, An Itinerary Containing His Ten Yeeres Travell
through the Twelve Dominions of Germany, Bohmerland, Sweitzerland,
Netherland, Denmarke, Poland, Italy, Turky, France, England, Scotland
& Ireland. edited by Charles Hugher. Glasgow 1908.  v.4, p. 68.

       Poland aboundeth with beasts, aswell wild as tame, and yeeldeth excellent horses, not great, but quicke and stirring. Neither doe the Gentlemen more delight in any thing, then in their horses, so as they hang gold chaines and Jewels at their eares, and paint them halfe over with exquisite colours, but in that uncomely, that they are not naturall for horses, as the Carnatian colour, and their hinder parts they adorne with rich Furres  and skinnes of Lions and Leopards and the like, aswell to terrifie their enemies, as to adorne and beautifie their horses.        

...

enjoy
ps
 original spelling as in the Moryson's writings

Moryson's bits and pieces on travel in XVII century part II

Salve,
today is the great  national holiday for all Poles around the globe - anniversary of the battle of Warsaw 1920

..

Returning to the stories of travel told by our master Fynes Moryson here we have one about traveling in Turkey, note cantering horses, no ambling and trotting etc :

.

Turkey. * [edited some of the spelling a wee little bit] -

In the Turkish Empire [Ottoman Empire] they travel not, as we do, sometimes one man alone, sometimes two, three, or more consorts, at pleasure ; but as thieves there go in troops to spoil, so Merchants for their security, join together till they have some two or three hundred Cammels, loaded with goods, and a convenient number of men to attend them. And this Company is called vulgarly a Carravane. to which passengers join themselves, for their better safety. This Company, to avoid the heat of the Sun, useth to begin their journey in the evening, and to continue the same till two hours after Sun-rise, resting all the day in Tents : And every man carries his own meat, or provides it by the way. ''Malem'' signifies one, that leades Merchants goods ; and ''Muccaro'' signifies him that looks to the beasts, and to the loading of them, and these Men let Cammels, Horses, and Mules, to passengers, for the whole journey, at reasonable rates, and do wait upon the passengers to feed the beasts, and to load them, as also to buy and dress meate for the Men. Myself and my Brother Henry, in our journey from Tripoli in Syria to Haleppo [Aleppo], paid nine Pyastri for two Asses to ride upon, and for their meat [foodstuffs and fodder] and for some tributes (vulgarly Cafars [infidels]) of twenty Meidines or there-abouts, due by the way. And in our journey from Haleppo to Constantinople, we paid to our Muccaro bearing the charge of the beasts meat, seventy and one Pyastri, for a Horse and a Mule to ride upon, and for a Cammel to carry our provisions, of Bisket, Wine, Damaske Prunes, and some such comfortable things : For we pitched our Tents near Villages or Cities, from whence we bought Egges, Hennes [pultry], and Ryce, as wee needed them, and sometimes had opportunity to supply that which we had consumed, of those provisions which we carried with us. One Cammel will bear a passenger, and good store of necessary provisions with him, but the pace thereof is very harde, and shaketh the body of the Ryder, the hinder parts of the Cammel being higher then the fore parts. The Horses either go a foot-pace, or gallop, but are not taught the paces of ambling or trotting : yet in regard that in these journies the passenger goes slowly, following loaded Cammels, their Horses are easy enough to ride upon. The Mules naturally have easy and slow paces, and are most commodious, especially for sick men. 

Besides these Caravans, a passenger may light upon other commodities of taking his journey, namely, when Bashaes or Turkish Governours are recalled from their Governements, and return with their families to Constantinople. For these Magistrates are often changed in Turkey, and so these commodities of passage are frequent. Only the passenger must bee commended to the protection of this Basha or Governour, which upon a small present or gift he will easily undertake, and swear by his head, touching it (as their manner is to swear), that he will bring him safely to his journyes end. And the passenger who together with this caution, hath a Janizare to protect and guide him, shall need to fear no danger, so as he receive this Janizare from an Ambassadour, Consull, or Christian Merchant, who will ask account of the passengers safety from the Janizare at his return. 

They have a third commodious way for journeys, in the company of a Troop of Horse,

vulgarly called ''Cassenda''), which often carries the Turkes Treasure up to Constantinople. And not only the chief of this Troop, upon a small gift, will protect any passenger, but also this course of all others is most commodious for journies, because they ride a good pace, being not troubled with loaded Cammels, and so come speedily unto their journies end.

..
* images from Wikipedia  Orientalist painters page and by Josef Brandt. In my previous post on Ottoman Turks I included various period images, including images of travelers etc, so do explore.

Moryson's bits and pieces on travel in XVII century part I

Salve,

 English gentleman Fynes Moryson (died AD 1630) wrote the following opus magnum:

''An itinerary vvritten by Fynes Moryson gent. first in the Latine tongue, and then translated by him into English: containing his ten yeeres travell throvgh the tvvelve domjnions of Germany, Bohmerland, Sweitzerland, Netherland, Denmarke, Poland, Jtaly, Turky, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Divided into III parts'' (1908 edition), 

 

In the chapter of book III - Of the fit meanes to travell, and to hire Coaches and Horses. - he  wrote about traveling in Europe during the 

early 1600s (1605-17), talking about peculiarities of each region, horses, lodging, costs, dangers and, 

many other interesting aspects

I will start with Poland :), eventually add German Countries, Italy, Turkey, France, and England, Scotland and Ireland.:

 ''
  Poland for the most part (or almost all) is a plaine Countrie, fit for the passing of coches, which may be hired in Cities, and are like to those of Germany.  From Dantzke[Gdańsk] to Crakaw[Cracow, Kraków] (being ten dales journey) a coach may be hired for some 44 German guldens. My selfe paid there for my part six guldens, leaving the Coach after foure dales journey, because the horses were tired. And for my diet two of those dayes upon our guides reckoning, my part came to two guldens, but I am sure he deceived us. In one Citie by the way, five of us paid 2 dollers for one supper, but my selfe after passing alone, commonly dined in villages for 2 or 3 grosh, and supped for 4 or 6 grosh. They use to carry a bed in the Coach, and to sit upon it in the day time, for otherwise no beds are to be found, but onely in great Cities, which are very rare. And they who will have wine, must also carry it with them, for it is not to be had but onlie in great Cities. Our Horses (as I said) being tired, we left our Coach, and by the Kings letter or warrant granted to one of our company, we tooke up horses, and that for small prices, namely, one or two Grosh for a Polish or Dutch mile [ Polish mile was about 7,18 kilometers in XVII century].

  But the Polonians for the most part ride on horsebacke, and the most convenient and frugall course for passengers, is to buy horses and sell them in Italy after their journey, neither shall they want horsemen to beare them company from City to City : but he that is a horse-man, cannot carrie his bed, & so must have patience to rest upon a bench, til he shall find beds upon the confines of Germany. In the meane time his long horsmans coat (which the Polonians & Hungarians generally use) may (with straw) make his lodging more convenient, especially if it be lined with Woolves skinnes, or like furres, for the Winter time. Neither shall he neede to feare any cold, since the Polonians use hot stoves (as the Germans have), and do also lodge all the family therein at night upon straw and benches. Horsemeate will cost some two or three grosh at noone, and some foure or five grosh at night.

''

*
original spelling of early 1600s English
Paintings by Józef Brandt and Jan Brueghel