The article analyses ordinary life of the Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania in the period between the beginning of the rule by the King of Poland
and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stanisław August Poniatowski, and until the
reforms by the Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792). In the period of interest it was a small
(up to 4,000 soldiers), independent army, made up from national contractors,
mostly cavalry detachments, the main unit being a flag of 30–100 soldiers, and the
so-called foreign contractors (cavalry, infantry and artillery), the main unit being
a company of 60–100 soldiers. In 1775–1777, division by contractors’ ethnicity
was replaced with the territorial divisions. The main changes took place in the
national cavalry, where two equally sized brigades of hussars and petyhorcy were
created, whereas majority of foreign contractors were reorganized into infantry.
Peace-time armed forces was an important factor for the Lithuanian public,
the ruling elite and the local communities. Army was not a tool for use in large
international politics, it was more of a current order preserving instrument. Army
supply system was based on the independent economic unit, governed by the unit
commander. Attempts by the Lithuanian Military Commission to impose greater
control gave insignificant results, although the reforms of 1775–1775 were able
to strengthen control of the treasury and procedures, making relationships more
visible and transparent, and the actual composition of the armed forces was very
close to the theoretical provisions. The economic weakness of the nation after the
First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and lack of correlation
between recovery of the treasury and army financing put bridles on the army,
preventing it from development and change. In spite of all 1764–1788 reforms,
the Lithuanian armed forces remained a stagnating institution, where routine and
established traditions dominated over novelty and change.
Keywords: Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, ordinary army life,
rule of Stanisław Poniatowski, Military Commission, Military Department of the
Permanent Council.
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