Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Encyclopedia
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz was a famous Lithuanian
military commander (from 1601 Field Hetman
, from 1605 Grand Hetman
) and one of the most prominent noblemen of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
.
n rooted castellan
of Vilnius
and Krystyna Zborowska, daughter of famous aristocratic family from Polonia Maior (Wielkopolska). After being educated at the Vilnius University
he went abroad to learn the science of war, fighting in the Spanish
service under Alva
, and also under Maurice of Nassau. In 1593 he married the wealthy Zofia Mielecka, by whom he had one son who predeceased him. His first military service in Poland
was against the Nalyvaiko Cossack uprising
as lieutenant to hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski, and he subsequently assisted hetman Jan Zamoyski
in his victorious Wallachian campaign.
Honours and dignities were now showered upon him. In 1599 he was appointed the Elder of Samogitia
, and in 1601 Field Hetman
(commander-in-chief) of the Lithuania
army.
Chodkiewicz's first claim to fame were his victories in 1600 during the Moldavian Magnate Wars
, where he defeated Turks
and their allies, serving under the command of the Polish Chancellor and Hetman
Jan Zamoyski
. A year later, in 1601, he accompanied Zamoyski north, to Latvia
, where he commanded Lithuanian army in a victorious battle of Kokenhausen
in the war against Sweden for possession of Livonia
. He was appointed acting commander in chief of Lithuania after Zamoyski's return to Poland in 1602. Chodkiewicz, despite inadequate supplies and little support from the Commonwealth Sejm
(parliament
) and King Sigismund III
, brilliantly distinguished himself, capturing fortress after fortress and repulsing the duke of Södermanland
, afterwards Charles IX
, from Riga
. In 1604 he captured Dorpat (Tartu
), defeated the Swedish generals at Biały Kamień in 1604, and was rewarded with the rank of Grand Hetman
(supreme commander) of Lithuania
's army. Criminally neglected by the diet, which turned a deaf ear to all his requests for reinforcements and for supplies and money to pay his soldiers, Chodkiewicz nevertheless more than held his own against the Swedes. His crowning achievement was the great victory near the Dvina
River in the Battle of Kircholm
(modern Salaspils
, Latvia
) on September 27, 1605, when with barely 4000 troops, mostly the famous heavy hussars, he annihilated a threefold larger Swedish army; for which feat he received letters of congratulation from the Pope
, all the Catholic potentates of Europe, and even the sultan of Turkey
and the shah of Persia
.
Yet this great victory was virtually fruitless, owing to the domestic dissensions which prevailed in the Commonwealth during the following five years. Chodkiewicz's own army, unpaid for years, abandoned him en masse in order to plunder the estates of their political opponents, leaving the hetman to carry on the war as best as he could with a handful of mercenaries paid out of the pockets of himself and his friends. Chodkiewicz was one of the few magnates who remained loyal to the king, and after helping to defeat the Sandomierz rebellion (rokosz
) against the Grand Duke of Lithuania and Polish king in 1606-1607, a fresh invasion of Livonia by the Swedes recalled him thither, and in 1609 once more he relieved Riga
besides capturing Pernau.
Meanwhile the war with Russia
broke out (the Dimitriad wars), and Chodkiewicz was sent against Moscow
with an army of 2,000. Moreover, the diet neglected to pay for the maintenance even of this paltry 2,000, with the result, that they mutinied and compelled their leader to retreat through the heart of Russia to Smolensk
. Not till the crown prince, Władysław arrived with tardy reinforcements did the war assume a different character, Chodkiewicz opening a new career of victory by taking the fortress of Dorogobuzh
in 1617. During that campaign, among many officers under Chodkiewicz's command, was future hetman, Stanisław Koniecpolski.
The Dimitriads had no sooner been ended by the treaty of Deulino than Chodkiewicz was hastily dispatched southwards to defend the southern frontier against the Turks
, who after their victory at the Cecora
had high hopes of conquering Poland altogether. An army of 160,000 Turkish veterans led by Sultan
Osman II
in person advanced from Adrianople towards the Polish frontier, but Chodkiewicz crossed the Dnieper in September 1621 and entrenched himself in the fortress of Chocim right in the path of the Ottoman advance. During the battle of Chocim
for a whole month the Commonwealth hetman resisted the sultan's 200-thousand army, repelling all its assaults till the first fall of autumn snow compelled Osman to withdraw his diminished forces. But the cost of victory was dearly paid for by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A few days before the siege was raised the aged Grand Hetman died in the fortress on September 24, 1621.
Lithuanian
Lithuanian may refer to:* Lithuanian cuisine* Anything related to Lithuania* Anything related to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania* The Lithuanian people* The Lithuanian language...
military commander (from 1601 Field Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
, from 1605 Grand Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
) and one of the most prominent noblemen of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
.
Biography
He was the son of Jan Hieronymus Chadkievič, RutheniaRuthenia
Ruthenia is the Latin word used onwards from the 13th century, describing lands of the Ancient Rus in European manuscripts. Its geographic and culturo-ethnic name at that time was applied to the parts of Eastern Europe. Essentially, the word is a false Latin rendering of the ancient place name Rus...
n rooted castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and Krystyna Zborowska, daughter of famous aristocratic family from Polonia Maior (Wielkopolska). After being educated at the Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
he went abroad to learn the science of war, fighting in the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
service under Alva
Alva
- People :*A. Shanker Alva , Indian politician and lawyer*Bartolomé de Alva , Novohispanic mestizo secular priest and Nahuatl translator*Jeevaraj Alva , Indian politician...
, and also under Maurice of Nassau. In 1593 he married the wealthy Zofia Mielecka, by whom he had one son who predeceased him. His first military service in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
was against the Nalyvaiko Cossack uprising
Severyn Nalyvaiko
Severyn Nalyvaiko was a leader of the Ukrainian Cossacks who became a hero of Ukrainian folklore. He led the Nalyvaiko Uprising. The Decembrist poet Kondraty Ryleyev wrote a poem about him.-Biography:...
as lieutenant to hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski, and he subsequently assisted hetman Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski , was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, magnate, 1st duke/ordynat of Zamość. Royal Secretary since 1566, Lesser Kanclerz ) of the Crown since 1576, Lord Grand-Chancellor of the Crown since 1578, and Grand Hetman of the Crown since 1581...
in his victorious Wallachian campaign.
Honours and dignities were now showered upon him. In 1599 he was appointed the Elder of Samogitia
Eldership of Samogitia
The Duchy of Samogitia had been the administrative unit of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1422 . Between 1422 to 1441 it was known as the Eldership of Samogitia...
, and in 1601 Field Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
(commander-in-chief) of the Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
army.
Moldavian Magnate Wars
The Moldavian Magnate Wars refer to the period at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century when the magnates of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth intervened in the affairs of Moldavia, clashing with the Habsburgs and the Ottoman Empire for domination and influence over the...
, where he defeated Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and their allies, serving under the command of the Polish Chancellor and Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski , was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, magnate, 1st duke/ordynat of Zamość. Royal Secretary since 1566, Lesser Kanclerz ) of the Crown since 1576, Lord Grand-Chancellor of the Crown since 1578, and Grand Hetman of the Crown since 1581...
. A year later, in 1601, he accompanied Zamoyski north, to Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, where he commanded Lithuanian army in a victorious battle of Kokenhausen
Battle of Kokenhausen
The Battle of Kokenhausen was a major battle opening the Polish–Swedish War . It took place on the 23 June 1601 near Koknese in Livonia . In the battle, Polish forces defeated the Swedish relief force and captured the besieging force, relieving the Polish garrison...
in the war against Sweden for possession of Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
. He was appointed acting commander in chief of Lithuania after Zamoyski's return to Poland in 1602. Chodkiewicz, despite inadequate supplies and little support from the Commonwealth Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
(parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
) and King Sigismund III
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, brilliantly distinguished himself, capturing fortress after fortress and repulsing the duke of Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, afterwards Charles IX
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
, from Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. In 1604 he captured Dorpat (Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
), defeated the Swedish generals at Biały Kamień in 1604, and was rewarded with the rank of Grand Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
(supreme commander) of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
's army. Criminally neglected by the diet, which turned a deaf ear to all his requests for reinforcements and for supplies and money to pay his soldiers, Chodkiewicz nevertheless more than held his own against the Swedes. His crowning achievement was the great victory near the Dvina
Dvina
Dvina may refer to:* Daugava river, also known as "Western Dvina", a river in Russia, Belarus, and Latvia.* Northern Dvina, a river in northern Russia.* R-12 Dvina, a theatre ballistic missile from the Soviet Union....
River in the Battle of Kircholm
Battle of Kircholm
The Battle of Kircholm was one of the major battles in the Polish-Swedish War of 1600-1611. The battle was decided in 20 minutes by the devastating charge of Polish-Lithuanian cavalry, the Winged Hussars...
(modern Salaspils
Salaspils
Salaspils is a town in Latvia, the administrative centre of Salaspils municipality. The town is situated on the northern bank of the Daugava River 18 kilometers to the south-east of the city of Riga.-History:...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
) on September 27, 1605, when with barely 4000 troops, mostly the famous heavy hussars, he annihilated a threefold larger Swedish army; for which feat he received letters of congratulation from the Pope
Pope Paul V
-Theology:Paul met with Galileo Galilei in 1616 after Cardinal Bellarmine had, on his orders, warned Galileo not to hold or defend the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus. Whether there was also an order not to teach those ideas in any way has been a matter for controversy...
, all the Catholic potentates of Europe, and even the sultan of Turkey
Ahmed I
Ahmed I or Ahmed Bakhti was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617.-Biography:...
and the shah of Persia
Abbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
.
Yet this great victory was virtually fruitless, owing to the domestic dissensions which prevailed in the Commonwealth during the following five years. Chodkiewicz's own army, unpaid for years, abandoned him en masse in order to plunder the estates of their political opponents, leaving the hetman to carry on the war as best as he could with a handful of mercenaries paid out of the pockets of himself and his friends. Chodkiewicz was one of the few magnates who remained loyal to the king, and after helping to defeat the Sandomierz rebellion (rokosz
Rokosz
A rokosz originally was a gathering of all the Polish szlachta , not merely of deputies, for a sejm. The term was introduced to the Polish language from Hungary, where analogous gatherings took place at a field called Rákos....
) against the Grand Duke of Lithuania and Polish king in 1606-1607, a fresh invasion of Livonia by the Swedes recalled him thither, and in 1609 once more he relieved Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
besides capturing Pernau.
Meanwhile the war with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
broke out (the Dimitriad wars), and Chodkiewicz was sent against Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with an army of 2,000. Moreover, the diet neglected to pay for the maintenance even of this paltry 2,000, with the result, that they mutinied and compelled their leader to retreat through the heart of Russia to Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. Not till the crown prince, Władysław arrived with tardy reinforcements did the war assume a different character, Chodkiewicz opening a new career of victory by taking the fortress of Dorogobuzh
Dorogobuzh
Dorogobuzh is a historic town and the administrative center of Dorogobuzhsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, straddling the Dnieper River to the east of Smolensk and west of Vyazma. Population:...
in 1617. During that campaign, among many officers under Chodkiewicz's command, was future hetman, Stanisław Koniecpolski.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, who after their victory at the Cecora
Battle of Tutora (1620)
The Battle of Ţuţora was a battle between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Ottoman forces , fought from 17 September to 7 October 1620 in Moldavia, near the Prut River.- Prelude :Because of the failure of Commonwealth diplomatic mission to Constantinople, and violations of the Treaty of...
had high hopes of conquering Poland altogether. An army of 160,000 Turkish veterans led by Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Osman II
Osman II
Sultan Osman II or Othman II was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1618 until his death on 20 May 1622...
in person advanced from Adrianople towards the Polish frontier, but Chodkiewicz crossed the Dnieper in September 1621 and entrenched himself in the fortress of Chocim right in the path of the Ottoman advance. During the battle of Chocim
Battle of Khotyn (1621)
The Battle of Khotyn was a battle fought between a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army and an invading Ottoman Imperial army. Here, for a whole month , the Commonwealth forces halted the Ottoman advance...
for a whole month the Commonwealth hetman resisted the sultan's 200-thousand army, repelling all its assaults till the first fall of autumn snow compelled Osman to withdraw his diminished forces. But the cost of victory was dearly paid for by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A few days before the siege was raised the aged Grand Hetman died in the fortress on September 24, 1621.