Part of a series of articles on
Cossacks
Cossack hosts
Don · Ural · Terek · Kuban · Orenburg ·Astrakhan · Siberian · Baikal · Amur · Semirechye · Ussuri
Other groups
Azov · Black Sea · Bug · Caucasus Line · Danube (Sich)· Danube (Host) · Hetmanate · Tatar Cossacks · Nekrasov · Turkey · Jewish Cossacks · Zaporozhia
History of the Cossacks
Colonisation of Siberia · Khmelnytsky Uprising · Treaty of Hadiach · Bulavin Rebellion · Pugachev's Rebellion · 1st Cavalry Army · Decossackization · Betrayal of the Cossacks · XVth SS Cossack Cavalry Corps · 1st Cossack Division
Famous Cossacks
Andrei Shkuro · Bohdan Khmelnytsky · Ivan Mazepa · Ivan Sirko · Pyotr Krasnov . A Cossack host or Cossack voisko (Казачье войско kazachye voysko, sometimes incorrectly translated as Cossack Army) was an administrative Don Cossacks (Донские казаки were Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. The Ural Cossack Host was a Cossack host formed from the Ural Cossacks -- those cossacks settled by the Ural River. Terek Cossack Host (Терское казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1577 from free Cossacks who resettled from Volga to Kuban Cossacks (Кубанские кaзаки Kubanskiye Kаzaki) are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. The Orenburg Cossack Host ( Оренбургское казачье войско) a part of the Cossack population in pre- Revolutionary Russia Astrakhan Cossack Host ( Астраханское казачье войско in Russian) was a Cossack host of Imperial Russia drawn from the Siberian Cossacks were Cossacks who settled in the Siberian region of Russia since the end of the 16th century Baikal Cossacks were Cossacks of the Transbaikal Cossack Host (Забайка́льское каза́чье во́йско a Cossack host formed in 1851 The Amur Cossack Host ( Амурское казачье войско in Russian) a Cossack host created in the Amur region and Primorye Semirechye Cossask Host (Семиреченское казачье войско was a Cossack host in Imperial Russia, located in Semirechye Oblast (today Ussuri Cossack Host (Уссури́йское каза́чье во́йско was a Cossack Host in Imperial Russia, located in Primorye south of Azov Cossack Host (Азовское Казачье Войско was a Cossack host that existed on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov, between 1832 and 1862 Black Sea Cossack Host (Черноморское казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1787 in Southern Ukraine from former Zaporozhians The Buh Cossack Host (Бузьке козацьке військо (Бугское казачье войско was a Cossack host which used to be located along the Caucasus Line Cossack Host (Кавказское линейное казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1832 in the Northern Caucasus. The Danubian Sich (Задунайська Сiч Задунайская Сечь was a fortified settlement ( Sich) of Zaporozhian Cossacks who settled The Danube Cossack Host (Дунайское Казачье Войско was an Imperial Russian Cossack Host formed in 1828 prior to the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829 The Hetmanate or officially Viysko Zaporozke (Гетьманщина Het’manshchyna; Військо Запорозьке Viys’ko Zaporoz’ke Nağaybäk ( plural Nağaybäklär Russian: Нагайбаки are an ethnoconfessional group in Russia. Nekrasov Cossacks, Nekrasovite Cossacks, Nekrasovites, Nekrasovtsy ( Некрасовцы Некрасовские казаки Казаки-некрасовцы Cossacks in Turkey refers to descendants of a group of Don Cossacks who had lived in the territory of the Republic of Turkey until they migrated in 1962 Background Of the different branches of Cossacks the only one that would allow Jews into their society were the Cossacks of The Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожці Zaporozhtsi,were Cossacks who lived in Zaporizhia, in Central Ukraine The history of the Cossacks spans several centuries Early history The origins of the first Cossacks are uncertain The Russian conquest of Siberia took place in the 16th century when the Siberian Khanate had become a loose political structure of Vassalages which were becoming The term Khmelnytsky Uprising (also Khmel'nyts'kyi/Chmielnicki Uprising or Khmelnytsky / Chmielnicki Rebellion) refers to a Rebellion or The Treaty of Hadiach (ugoda hadziacka was a Treaty signed on September 16 1658 in Hadiach (Hadziacz Hadiacz Гадяч between representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian The Bulavin Rebellion is the name given to a violent civil uprising in Imperial Russia between the years 1707 and 1708 Pugachev's Rebellion (or the Cossack Rebellion) was the largest peasant Revolt in Russia 's history The 1st Cavalry Army (Первая конная армия was the most famous Red Army сavalry formation Decossackization is a term used to describe Lenin 's Bolsheviks policy of the systematic elimination of the Cossacks as social groups The Betrayal of the Cossacks, also known as The Tragedy of Drau and The Massacre of Cossacks at Lienz refers to the forced repatriation of Cossacks The 15th SS Cossack Cavalry Corps was a German cavalry corps during World War II. The 1st Cossack Division (1 Kosaken-Kavallerie-Division is a Russian Cossack division within the German World War II Army Andrei Grigoriyevich Shkuro (Shkura ( Russian: Андрей Григорьевич Шкуро ( Шкура) Ukrainian: Шкуро Андрій Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmel'nyts'kyi (Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький commonly transliterated as Khmelnytsky; known in Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (Іван Степанович Мазепа historically spelled as Mazeppa; 20 March 1639 &mdash 2 October Ivan Sirko ( Ukrainian: c. 1610 &ndash 1680 was a Cossack military leader Koshovyi Otaman of the Zaporozhian Host and author of Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov ( Петр Николаевич Краснов in Russian) ( September 22 (10 old style) 1869 — January 17 Stenka Razin · Yemelyan Pugachev · Yermak Timofeyevich
Cossack terms
Ataman · Hetman · Papakha · Plastun · Shashka · Stanitsa
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The Cossacks (Russian: Каза́ки́, Kazaki; Ukrainian: Козаки́, Kozaky; also known as Polish: Kozacy, originally derived from Turkic Qazaqlar) of martial people living in the southern steppe regions of Eastern Europe and Asia. For the place in Azerbaijan see Stepan Razin Azerbaijan. Stepan (Sten'ka Timofeyevich Razin ( Russian: Степан (Стенька Yermak redirects here For the ship see Icebreaker Yermak. Yermak Timofeyevich ( Russian: Ерма́к Тимофе́евич Ataman (variants wataman, vataman, otaman, Cyrillic: атаман (Russian ватаман (Russian regional отаман (Ukrainian was Hetman was the title of the second highest military commander (after the Monarch) used in 15th to 18th century Poland, Ukraine and Grand Papakhi (ფაფახი transliterated Papakhi; папаха папа́ха; papakh transliterated Papakha) is a Georgian Wool Plastun or plastoon ( Ukrainian, пластун was originally a Cossack of dismounted scouting and Sentry Military The Shashka is a special kind of Sabre, a very sharp single edged single handed and guardless Sword. Stanitsa (стани́ца pronounced stah-nee-tsah; станиця stanytsia) is a village inside a Cossack host (voisko (ru казачье Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Most historians agree that the Cossack people were of mixed ethnic origins, descending from Russians, Ukrainians, Tatar Turks and other warriors who settled or passed through the vast Steppe that stretches from Asia to southern Europe. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups The Cossacks themselves make up a Cossack host, which allows to distinguish individual Cossack groups by their location, history, traditions and even military roles. A Cossack host or Cossack voisko (Казачье войско kazachye voysko, sometimes incorrectly translated as Cossack Army) was an administrative

Although several theories exist on the formation of Cossacks, towards the end of the 14th century two Cossack hosts emerged: one on the Don river and the other on the lower Dnieper river. The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast For the rocket see Dnepr rocket. For other uses see Dnieper (disambiguation. Joined by numerous Ruthenian migrants who left the adjacent northern states of Moscow and Lithuania. The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje By the start of the 16th century they swelled into large militant states. The Don Cossack Host, allied with the Tsardom of Russia, began a systematic conquest of conquering and colonizing lands to secure her borders on the Volga, the whole of Siberia, the Yaik and the Terek Rivers. Don Cossacks (Донские казаки were Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The Ural (Урал Kazakh: Жайық, Jayıq or Zhayyq) known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through The Terek River (Терек თერგი Tergi; Терек Terek, Chechen, Терк Terk) is a major River in the

The Dnieper Cossacks of Ukraine formed the Zaporozhian Sich. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожці Zaporozhtsi,were Cossacks who lived in Zaporizhia, in Central Ukraine Initially allied with Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the increasing social and religious pressure by the Commonwealth caused the Cossacks of Ukraine to proclaim a Hetmanate and to initiate a rebellion under Bohdan Khmelnytsky in the mid-17th century. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Hetmanate or officially Viysko Zaporozke (Гетьманщина Het’manshchyna; Військо Запорозьке Viys’ko Zaporoz’ke The term Khmelnytsky Uprising (also Khmel'nyts'kyi/Chmielnicki Uprising or Khmelnytsky / Chmielnicki Rebellion) refers to a Rebellion or Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmel'nyts'kyi (Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький commonly transliterated as Khmelnytsky; known in Afterwards the Treaty of Pereyaslavl with the Russia ensured that Poland would never recover from the defeat. The Treaty of Pereyaslav (Pereiaslav was concluded in 1654 in the Ukrainian city of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi (Pereyaslav The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547

In the 18th century the rising Russian Empire's expansion ambitions relied on ensuring the loyalty of the Cossacks, and this caused tension with their traditional independent lifestyle, resulting in rebellions led by Stenka Razin, Kondraty Bulavin and Yemelyan Pugachev. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya For the place in Azerbaijan see Stepan Razin Azerbaijan. Stepan (Sten'ka Timofeyevich Razin ( Russian: Степан (Стенька The Bulavin Rebellion is the name given to a violent civil uprising in Imperial Russia between the years 1707 and 1708 In extreme cases whole Hosts could be dissolved as was the fate of the Zaporozhian Sich in 1775. Zaporizhian Sich (Запорізька Січ Zaporiz'ka Sich) original Slavonic name "Zaporizhska Sich'" was the center of the Dnieper Cossacks Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a By the end of the 18th century, the Cossacks became a special social estate (sosloviye) that served as border guards on national and internal ethnic borders as was in the case of the Caucasus War, regularly supplied men to any conflict such as the numerous Russo-Turkish Wars. Social estates in the Russian Empire were denoted by the term soslovie ( sosloviye) which approximately corresponds to the notion of the Estate of the realm The Caucasian War of 1817–1864 also known as the Russian conquest of the Caucasus was an invasion of the Caucasus by the Russian Empire ended with the Russo-Turkish War may refer to one of the following conflicts between Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire: Russo-Turkish War (1568–1570 In return they would enjoy a vast social autonomy. This caused them to form a streotypical portrayal of 19th century Russian Empire abroad and her government domestically.

During the Russian Civil War Cossack regions became the main centres for the Anti-Bolshevik White movement, a portion of whom would form the White Emigre. The Russian Civil War (1917–1923 was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed The White movement (Beloie Dvijenie Белое движение whose military arm is known as the White Army (Belaia Armia Белая Армия or White Guard At the hands of the Red Army and after its victory, the Cossack lands were subjected to famine, and suffered extensive repressions that were relaxed only in the mid-1930s. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Decossackization is a term used to describe Lenin 's Bolsheviks policy of the systematic elimination of the Cossacks as social groups During the Second World War Cossacks fought for both the Soviet Union and collaborated with Nazi Germany. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Betrayal of the Cossacks, also known as The Tragedy of Drau and The Massacre of Cossacks at Lienz refers to the forced repatriation of Cossacks Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers After the Collapse of the Soviet Union, the Cossack lifestyle blossomed in Russia. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 Many fought in Post-Soviet Conflicts and there are special units in the Russian Military wholly made of them. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (UTC (Вооружённые Си́лы Росси́йской Федера́ции Transliteration Vooruzhyónniye Síly Rossíyskoy Federátsii Russian Cossacks also have a parallel civil administration and police duties in their homelands and are now an integral part of Russian society. There are also Cossack organizations in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other countries. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Ukrainian Cossacks 2.1.1 Conflicts with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 2.2 Russian Cossacks 2.2.1 Don, Terek and Yaik 2.3 In the Russian Empire 2.4 After the Russian Revolution 2.5 Second World War 2.6 Modern times 3 Russian Cossacks 4 Organization 4.1 Settlements 5 Popular image 6 Terminology 6.1 Cossacks in Russia 7 Uniform 8 See also 9 Notes and references 10 Further reading 11 External links

Etymology

The name entered the English language via French Cosaque, which was a translation from the Polish, which was derived from the Ukrainian Kozak (In Russian Kazak). It is originally a Turkic word, qazaq, which means "adventurer" or "free man". The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Qazaq may refer to Kazakhs Qazaq Afghanistan ^[1][2][3] Cossacks (Qazaqlar) were also border keepers in the Khanate of Kazan. The Kazan Khanate (Казан ханлыгы|Qazan xanlığı|قازان خانليغى Russian: Казанское ханство tr: Kazanskoe khanstvo

History

Main article: History of the Cossacks

It is not clear when the Slavic people started settling in the lower reaches of major rivers such as the Don and the Dnieper. The history of the Cossacks spans several centuries Early history The origins of the first Cossacks are uncertain The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast For the rocket see Dnepr rocket. For other uses see Dnieper (disambiguation. It is unlikely it could have happened before the 13th century, when the Mongol hordes broke the power of the Cumans and other Turkic tribes on that territory. Cumans (Кумани Byzantine: Kuman or Cuman, Kunok Turkic: Kumanlar) were a nomadic Turkic people who inhabited a It is known that they inherited a lifestyle that persisted there long before, such as those of the Turkic Cumans and the Circassian Kassaks (also spelled Kassogs)^[4]

Proto-Cossack groups most likely came into existence within the territories of today's Ukraine in the mid-13th century. Cumans (Кумани Byzantine: Kuman or Cuman, Kunok Turkic: Kumanlar) were a nomadic Turkic people who inhabited a Circassia, also known as Cherkessia in Russian is a region in Caucasia. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. In 1261 some Slavic people living in the area between the Dniester and the Volga were mentioned in Ruthenian chronicles. The Dniester (Дністер translit Dnister; Nistru is a river in Eastern Europe. Historical records of the Cossacks before the 16th century are scant. It is known that Don Cossacks in 1380 gave the icon of Virgin Mary to the Dmitry Donskoy. In the 15th century, the Cossack society was described as a loose federation of independent communities, often forming local armies, entirely separate from the neighbouring states (of, e. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" g, Poland, Grand Duchy of Moscow or the Khanate of Crimea). The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea (Qırım Hanlığı|قريم خانلغى Крымское ханство - Krymskoye khanstvo; ^[5]

By the 16th century these Cossack societies merged into two independent territorial organisations as well as other smaller, still detached groups.

• The Cossacks of Zaporizhia, centred around the lower bends of Dnieper, inside the territory of modern Ukraine, with the fortified capital of Zaporozhian Sich. Zaporizhia, also referred to as Zaporozhye (Запоріжжя translit Zaporizhian Sich (Запорізька Січ Zaporiz'ka Sich) original Slavonic name "Zaporizhska Sich'" was the center of the Dnieper Cossacks They were formally recognised as a state, the Zaporozhian Host, by a treaty with Poland in 1649.
• The Don Cossack State, on the river Don, separating the Grand Duchy of Moscow from the Nogai states, vassals of the Ottoman Empire. The Nogai Horde was a confederation of Turkic nomads that occupied the Pontic-Caspian steppe from about 1500 until pushed south by the Russians during the 17th century The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The capital of the Don Cossack State was Cherkassk, later moved to Novocherkassk. Starocherkasskaya (Старочерка́сская formerly Cherkassk (ru Черка́сск is a village ( Stanitsa) in Aksaysky Novocherkassk (Новочерка́сск is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Tuzlov River and on

Less well-known are the Polish Cossacks (Kozacy) and the Tatar Cossacks (Nağaybäklär). Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Nağaybäk ( plural Nağaybäklär Russian: Нагайбаки are an ethnoconfessional group in Russia. The name 'Cossacks' was also given to a kind of light cavalry in the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Light cavalry refers to lightly-armed and armored troops mounted on Horses, as opposed to Heavy cavalry, where the riders (and sometimes the horses are heavily armored

Ukrainian Cossacks

Main article: Zaporozhian Host

The Cossacks of the Zaporozhian Host, who lived on the steppes of Ukraine, are another well known group of Cossacks. The Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожці Zaporozhtsi,were Cossacks who lived in Zaporizhia, in Central Ukraine Their numbers increased greatly between the 15th to 17th centuries, led by poor Ruthenian boyar-nobility, merchants and runaway peasants from Poland-Lithuania. This article refers to the aristocratic title of boyar. For the Boyar caste of India, see Boyar (caste. The Zaporozhian Cossacks played an important role in European geopolitics, undergoing a series of conflicts and alliances with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish As a result of the Khmelnytsky Uprising in the middle of the 17th century Zaporozhian Cossacks managed to briefly create an independent state, which later became the autonomous Cossack Hetmanate, a suzerainty under protection of the Russian Tsar but ruled by the local Hetmans for half a century. The term Khmelnytsky Uprising (also Khmel'nyts'kyi/Chmielnicki Uprising or Khmelnytsky / Chmielnicki Rebellion) refers to a Rebellion or The Hetmanate or officially Viysko Zaporozke (Гетьманщина Het’manshchyna; Військо Запорозьке Viys’ko Zaporoz’ke Suzerainty (ˈsjuːzərənti RP or /ˈsjuːzəreɪnti/ RP) (/ˈsuːzərənti/ GA) is a situation in which a Region or people is a Hetman was the title used by commanders of the Ruthenian (Ukrainian Dnieper Cossacks from the end of the sixteenth century In the later half of the 18th century the Zaporozhian Host was dissolved by the Russian authorities. The Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожці Zaporozhtsi,were Cossacks who lived in Zaporizhia, in Central Ukraine Some of Cossacks' descendants have moved to the Danube delta region and Kuban, although after 1828 most of the Danubians have moved to Russia as well, first to the Azov and later to the Kuban. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Kuban ( Кубáнь) is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe Although today the Kuban Cossacks and their descendents do not consider themselves Ukrainians, their local dialect and folklore preserved the Ukrainian influence and many historians consider their predecessors, the Dnieper Cossacks, as founders of what became a modern Ukrainian nation. Kuban Cossacks (Кубанские кaзаки Kubanskiye Kаzaki) are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens

Some historical documents of that period refer to those states as sovereign nations with unique warrior cultures, whose main source of income was derived from the pillaging of their neighbours. They were renowned for their raids against the Ottoman Empire and its vassals, although they did not shy away from pillaging other neighbours. A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, Their actions increased tension along the southern border of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Kresy), which resulted in almost a constant low-level warfare taking place in those territories for almost the entire existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The term Kresy, meaning Outskirts or Borderlands, was first used to define the Polish eastern frontier The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic

Conflicts with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

After being asked in 1539 by the Grand Duke Vasili III of Russia to restrain the Cossacks, the Ottoman Sultan replied: "The Cossacks do not swear allegiance to me, and they live as they themselves please. Vasili III Ivanovich (Василий III Иванович, also Basil) ( March 25[[ 479]] – December 3[[ 533]] Moscow was the Grand Prince of Moscow Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings " In 1549, Czar Ivan the Terrible replied to a request of the Turkish Sultan to stop the attacks of the Don Cossacks, stating, "The Cossacks of the Don are not my subjects, and they go to war or live in peace without my knowledge. " Similar exchanges passed between Russia, the Ottoman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, each of which tried to exploit Cossack warmongering for its own purposes. Cossacks for their part were mostly happy to plunder everybody more or less equally, although in the 16th century, with the dominance of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth extending south, the Zaporozhian Cossacks were mostly, if tentatively, regarded by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as their subjects. The Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожці Zaporozhtsi,were Cossacks who lived in Zaporizhia, in Central Ukraine ^[6] Registered Cossacks were a part of the Commonwealth army until 1699. Registered Cossacks (Реєстрові козаки Reyestrovi kozaky, Polish: Kozacy rejestrowi) is the term used for Ukrainian Cossacks

Around the end of the 16th century, relations between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire, which were not cordial to begin with, were further strained by increasing Cossack aggressiveness. From the second part of the 16th century, Cossacks started raiding Ottoman territories. The Polish government could not control the fiercely independent Cossacks, but since they were nominally subjects of the Commonwealth, it was held responsible for the raids by their victims. Reciprocally, the Tatars living under Ottoman rule launched raids into the Commonwealth, mostly in the sparsely inhabited south-east territories. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Cossack pirates, however, were raiding wealthy merchant port cities in the heart of the Ottoman Empire, which were just two days away by boat from the mouth of the Dnieper. For the rocket see Dnepr rocket. For other uses see Dnieper (disambiguation. By 1615 and 1625, Cossacks had even managed to raze townships on the outskirts of Istanbul, forcing the Ottoman Sultan to flee his palace. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ( Turkish: Osmanlı Hanedanı) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922 beginning with [1] Consecutive treaties between Ottoman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth called for both parties to keep the Cossacks and Tatars in check, but enforcement was almost non-existent on both sides. In internal agreements, forced by the Polish side, Cossacks agreed to burn their boats and stop raiding. However, boats could be rebuilt quickly, and the Cossack lifestyle glorified raids and booty. During this time, the Habsburg Empire sometimes covertly employed Cossack raiders to ease Ottoman pressure on their own borders. Habsburg Monarchy (alternatively Habsburg Empire) refers to the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor Many Cossacks and Tatars shared an animosity towards each other due to the damage done by raids from both sides. Cossack raids followed by Tatar retaliation, or Tatar raids followed by Cossack retaliation were an almost regular occurrence. The ensuing chaos and string of retaliations often turned the entire south-eastern Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth border into a low-intensity war zone and led to escalation of Commonwealth-Ottoman warfare, from the Moldavian Magnate Wars to the Battle of Cecora and Wars in 1633–1634. 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 The Battle of Ţuţora (also known as Battle of Cecora) was a battle between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (assisted by Moldavian troops and

Cossack numbers expanded with peasants running from serfdom in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground Attempts by the szlachta to turn the Zaporozhian Cossacks into serfs eroded the Cossacks' once fairly strong loyalty towards the Commonwealth. Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal Cossack ambitions to be recognised as equal to the szlachta were constantly rebuffed, and plans for transforming the Polish-Lithuanian Two-Nations Commonwealth into Three Nations (with the Ruthenian Cossack people) made little progress due to the Cossacks' unpopularity. Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita Trojga Narodów Commonwealth of Three Nations The Cossack's strong historic allegiance to the Eastern Orthodox Christianity put them at odds with the Catholic-dominated Commonwealth. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Tensions increased when Commonwealth policies turned from relative tolerance to suppression of the Orthodox church, making the Cossacks strongly anti-Catholic, which at the time was synonymous with anti-Polish.

The waning loyalty of the Cossacks and the szlachta's arrogance towards them resulted in several Cossack uprisings against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the early 17th century. Finally, the King's adamant refusal to cede to the Cossack's demand to expand the Cossack Registry was the last straw that prompted the largest and most successful of these: the Khmelnytsky uprising that started in 1648. Registered Cossacks (Реєстрові козаки Reyestrovi kozaky, Polish: Kozacy rejestrowi) is the term used for Ukrainian Cossacks The term Khmelnytsky Uprising (also Khmel'nyts'kyi/Chmielnicki Uprising or Khmelnytsky / Chmielnicki Rebellion) refers to a Rebellion or The uprising became one of a series of catastrophic events for the Commonwealth known as The Deluge, which greatly weakened the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and set the stage for its disintegration 100 years later. The Deluge ( Polish: Potop, full Polish name is Potop Szwedzki Deluge''' is the name commonly assigned in the History The rebellion ended with the 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav in which Cossacks pledged their loyalty to the Russian Tsar with the latter guaranteeing Cossacks his protection, recognition of Cossack starshyna (nobility) and the autonomy under his rule, freeing the Cossacks from the Polish sphere of influence. The Treaty of Pereyaslav (Pereiaslav was concluded in 1654 in the Ukrainian city of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi (Pereyaslav Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. Starshina, or Starshyna (старшина́ старши́на from старший starshyi, "senior" had a number of meanings all related to the position ^[7] The last, ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to rebuild the Polish-Cossack alliance and create a Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth was the 1658 Treaty of Hadiach, which was approved by the Polish King and Sejm as well as by some of the Cossack starshyna, including Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky. The Treaty of Hadiach (ugoda hadziacka was a Treaty signed on September 16 1658 in Hadiach (Hadziacz Hadiacz Гадяч between representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian Hetman was the title of the second highest military commander (after the Monarch) used in 15th to 18th century Poland, Ukraine and Grand Ivan Vyhovsky ( Ukrainian: Іван Виговський Polish: Iwan Wyhowski (?-1664 was a Hetman (or otoman) of the Ukrainian ^[8] The starshyna were, however, were divided on the issue and the treaty had even less support among Cossack rank-and-file; thus it failed.

Under Russian rule the Cossack nation of the Zaporozhian Host was divided into two autonomous republics of the Grand Duchy of Moscow: the Cossack Hetmanate, and the more independent Zaporizhia. The Hetmanate or officially Viysko Zaporozke (Гетьманщина Het’manshchyna; Військо Запорозьке Viys’ko Zaporoz’ke A Cossack organisation was also established in the Russian colony of Sloboda Ukraine. Sloboda Ukraine (Слобiдська Україна translit Slobids'ka Ukrayina, Слободская Украина translit These organisations gradually lost their autonomy, and were abolished by Catherine II by the late 18th century. Catherine II, called Catherine the Great (Екатерина II Великая Yekaterina II Velikaya;) reigned as Empress of Russia for 34 years The Hetmanate became the governorship of Little Russia, Sloboda Ukraine the Kharkiv province, and Zaporizhia was absorbed into New Russia. Little Russia, sometimes Little or Lesser Rus’ ( Malorossiya; Mala Rus’) was the name applied to parts of the territory of modern-day Kharkiv Oblast (Харківська область translit Kharkivs’ka oblast’; also referred to as Kharkivshchyna - Харківщина Novorossiya (Новоро́ссия literally New Russia) is a historic area now mostly located in southern Ukraine, in southern Russia, in Bessarabia In 1775 the Zaporozhian Host was dissolved and high ranking Cossack leaders were granted titles of nobility (dvoryanstvo). The Russian Nobility (Дворянство Dvoryanstvo) arose in the 14th century and essentially governed Russia until the October Revolution Most of the Zaporozhians resettled to colonise the Kuban steppe which was a crucial foothold for Russian expansion in the Caucasus. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Some however ran away across the Danube (territory under the control of the Ottoman Empire) to form a new host before rejoining the others in the Kuban. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj

During their stay there, a new host was founded which by the end of 1778 numbered around 12000 Cossacks. Their settlement at the border with Russia was approved by the Ottoman Empire after the Cossacks officially vowed to serve the Sultan. Yet the conflict inside the new host of the new loyalty, and the political manoeuvres used by the Russian Empire, led to a split in the Cossacks. After a portion of the runaway Cossacks returned to Russia they were used by the Russian army to form new military bodies that also incorporated Greek Albanians and Crimean Tatars. However after the Russo-Turkish war of 1787–1792, most of them were incorporated into the Black Sea Cossack Host which moved to the Kuban steppes. The Russo–Turkish War of 1787–1792 involved a futile attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to Russia in the course of the previous Russo–Turkish Black Sea Cossack Host (Черноморское казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1787 in Southern Ukraine from former Zaporozhians Most of the remaining Cossacks that stayed in the Danube delta returned to Russia in 1828 and created the Azov Cossack Host between Berdyansk and Mariupol. Azov Cossack Host (Азовское Казачье Войско was a Cossack host that existed on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov, between 1832 and 1862 Berdyansk (Бердянськ translit Berdyans’k, Бердянск Berdyansk) is a Port City in the Zaporizhia Oblast Mariupol or sometimes Mariupolis (mariˈupʌlʲ Маріуполь Мариу́поль Μαριούπολη formerly known as Zhdanov ( Ukrainian and In 1860 all of them were resettled to the North Caucasus and merged into the Kuban Cossack Host. Kuban Cossacks (Кубанские кaзаки Kubanskiye Kаzaki) are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia.

Russian Cossacks

Don, Terek and Yaik

According to some historians, the earliest traces of Cossacks on the Don River trace back to the 13th century. The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast

In the Russian Empire

From the start, relations of Cossacks with the Tsardom of Russia were very much varied, at times this involved combined military operations, and at others there were famous Cossack uprisings. The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 One particular example was the dissolution of the Zaporozhian Host, which took place at the end of the 18th century. The divisions of the Cossacks within was clearly visible between those that chose to stay loyal to the Russian Monarch and continue the service (who later moved to the Kuban) and those that chose to continue their pro-mercenary role and ran off the Danube delta. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj

Nevertheless by the 19th century, the Russian Empire managed to fully annex all the control over the hosts and instead rewarded the Cossacks with privileges for their service. At this time the Cossacks were actively participating in many Russian wars. Although Cossack tactics in open battles were generally inferior to those of regular soldiers such as the Dragoons, nevertheless Cossacks were excellent for scouting and reconnaissance duties, as well as undertaking ambushes. A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially

The Cossack sense of being a separate and elite community gave them a strong sense of loyalty to the Tsarist government and Cossack units were frequently used to suppress domestic disorder, especially during the widespread worker and peasant unrest of 1905–06. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan The Imperial Government depended heavily on the perceived reliability of the Cossacks, although by the early twentieth century their separate communities and semi-feudal military service were increasingly being seen as obsolete. In strictly military terms the Cossacks were not highly regarded by the Russian Army Command, who saw them as less well disciplined, trained and mounted than the hussars, dragoons and lancers of the regular cavalry. Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary A lancer ( Uhlan) was a type of Cavalryman who fought with a Lance. ^[9] The Cossack qualities of initiative and rough-riding skills were not always fully appreciated. As a result, Cossack units were frequently broken up into small detachments for use as scouts, messengers or picturesque escorts.

When revolution came in February 1917, the Cossacks appear to have shared the general disillusionment with Tsarist leadership and the Cossack regiments in Saint Petersburg joined the uprising. While only a few units were involved, their defection (and that of the Konvoi) came as a stunning psychological blow to the Government of Nicholas II and sped his abdication.

At the end of the 19th century, the Cossack communities enjoyed a privileged tax-free status in the Russian Empire, although having a military service commitment of twenty years (reduced to eighteen years from 1909). The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Only five years had to be spent in full time service, the remainder of the commitment being spent with the reserves. In the beginning of the twentieth century Russian Cossacks counted 4. 5 million and were organised into separate regional Hosts, each comprising a number of regiments.

After the Russian Revolution

In the Civil War that followed the Russian Revolution, the Cossacks found themselves on both sides of the conflict. Many officers and experienced Cossacks fought for the White Army, and some of the other ones joined the Red Army. Following the defeat of the White Army, a policy of Decossackization (Raskazachivaniye) took place on the surviving Cossacks and their homelands since they were viewed as potential threat to the new regime. Decossackization is a term used to describe Lenin 's Bolsheviks policy of the systematic elimination of the Cossacks as social groups This mostly involved dividing their territory amongst other divisions and giving it to new autonomous republics of minorities, and then actively encouraging settlement of these territories with those peoples. This was especially true for the Terek Cossacks land. Terek Cossack Host (Терское казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1577 from free Cossacks who resettled from Volga to According to Michael Kort, "During 1919 and 1920, out of a population of approximately 3 million, the Bolshevik regime killed or deported an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Cossacks". ^[10] Including 45 thousand Terek Cossacks. ^[11] The Cossack homelands were often very fertile, and during the collectivisation campaign many Cossacks shared the fate of kulaks. Kulaks ( Russian: кула́к kulak " Fist ", by extension "tight-fisted" were a category of rich Peasants in later The famine of 1933 hit the Don and Kuban territory the hardest. Nevertheless, in 1936, under pressure from former Cossack descendants, it was decided to reintroduce Cossack forces into the Red Army.

Second World War

During the Second World War Cossacks found themselves on both sides of the conflict again. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including While most historians agree that the majority of the Russian Cossacks fought in the ranks of the Red Army, a substantial number of them also served with the Nazis. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya This can be explained by harsh repressions that many of them suffered under Stalin's policy of Collectivization and Decossackization. Collective farming is an organization of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise Decossackization is a term used to describe Lenin 's Bolsheviks policy of the systematic elimination of the Cossacks as social groups Like other peoples of the USSR, who suffered persecution under Stalin, many Cossacks dreaming of autonomy greeted the advancing German army as liberators. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[12][13][14]

While the core of the Nazi collaborators was made up of former White Army refugees, many rank-and-file Cossacks defected from the Red Army to join the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer). The White movement (Beloie Dvijenie Белое движение whose military arm is known as the White Army (Belaia Armia Белая Армия or White Guard The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( As early as 1941, the first Cossack detachments, created out of prisoners of war, defectors and volunteers, were formed under German leadership. The Dubrovski Battalion formed of Don Cossacks in December 1941 was reorganised on July 30, 1942 into the Pavlov Regiment, numbering up to 350 men. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Cossacks were successfully utilized for anti-partisan activity in the rear of the German army. ^[13]

The Cossack National Movement of Liberation was set in the hope of creating an independent Cossack state, Cossackia. It was not until 1943 that the 1st Cossack Division was formed under the command of General Helmuth von Pannwitz, where Cossack emigrees, like Andrei Shkuro and Pyotr Krasnov, took leading positions. The 1st Cossack Division (1 Kosaken-Kavallerie-Division is a Russian Cossack division within the German World War II Army Helmuth von Pannwitz ( October 14 1898 &ndash January 16, 1947) was a German General who distinguished himself as Andrei Grigoriyevich Shkuro (Shkura ( Russian: Андрей Григорьевич Шкуро ( Шкура) Ukrainian: Шкуро Андрій Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov ( Петр Николаевич Краснов in Russian) ( September 22 (10 old style) 1869 — January 17 The 2nd Cossack Division under command of Colonel Hans-Joachim von Schultz, formed in 1944, existed only for a year, as both Cossack divisions were transferred into Waffen-SS and merged into XVth SS Cossack Cavalry Corps in 1945. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" The 15th SS Cossack Cavalry Corps was a German cavalry corps during World War II. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The Corps contained regiments of different Cossack groups: Don, Kuban, Terek and Siberian Cossacks. Don Cossacks (Донские казаки were Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. Kuban Cossacks (Кубанские кaзаки Kubanskiye Kаzaki) are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. Terek Cossack Host (Терское казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1577 from free Cossacks who resettled from Volga to Siberian Cossacks were Cossacks who settled in the Siberian region of Russia since the end of the 16th century At the end of the war in 1945, they surrendered to the British Army in Austria, hoping to join the British to fight Communism. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based There was little sympathy at the time for a group who were seen as Nazi collaborators and who were reported to have committed atrocities against resistance fighters in Eastern Europe. They were accordingly handed over to the Soviet Government. Operation Keelhaul was a program carried out in Austria by British and American forces in May and June 1945 that decided the fate of up At the end of the war, British commanders repatriated between 40 to 50 thousand Cossacks, including their families, to the Soviet Union. An unknown number were subsequently executed or imprisoned. Reportedly, many of those punished had never been Soviet citizens. This episode is widely known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks. The Betrayal of the Cossacks, also known as The Tragedy of Drau and The Massacre of Cossacks at Lienz refers to the forced repatriation of Cossacks

The majority of the Cossacks fought in the ranks of the Red Army on the Southern theatre of the front, where open steppes made them ideal for frontal patrols and logistics. A Cossack detachment marched in Red Square during the famous 1945 victory parade. Red Square ( Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad) is the most famous City square in Moscow, and arguably one of the most

Modern times

Following the war, Cossack units, along with cavalry in general, were rendered obsolete and released from the Soviet Army. In the post-war years many Cossack descendants were thought of as simple peasants, and those who lived inside an autonomous republic usually gave way to the particular minority and migrated elsewhere (notably, to the Baltic region).

In the Perestroika-enlightened USSR of the late 1980s, many successors of the Cossacks became enthusiastic about reviving their national traditions. (Перестройка) is the Russian term (now used in English for the economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev In 1988 the USSR passed a law which allowed formation of former hosts and the creation of new ones. The ataman of the largest, the All-Mighty Don Host, was granted Marshal rank and the right to form a new host. The Cossacks have taken an active part in many of the conflicts that took place afterwards: Transdniester, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Kosovo and Chechnya. Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Abkhazia (Аҧсны Apsny აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti Абха́зия Abhazia) is a De facto South Ossetia ( or; Хуссар Ирыстон Xussar Iryston; Южная Осетия Yuzhnaya Osetiya; სამხრეთი ოსეთი Samxreti The Chechen Republic (ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk Чече́нская Респу́блика Chechenskaya Respublika; Нохчийн Республика Noxçiyn Respublika While their impact on the outcome of the conflict rarely garnered mass-media attention, they were recognised for their high morale and bravery.

At the same time many attempts were made to increase the Cossack impact on Russian society and throughout the 1990s many regional authorities agreed to hand over some local administration and policing duties to the Cossacks. However in April 2005, Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a bill "On the State Service of the Russian Cossacks" (O gosudarstvennoy sluzhbe rossiyskogo kazachestva) to the State Duma, which was passed at the first reading on May 18, 2005. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the first time in decades the Cossacks were recognized as not only a distinct ethnocultural entity but also as a potent military force. Although their full ambition to administer wholly the territory stretching from Transdniester all the way along the steppe to the Ural River might be distant, the bill made a significant step towards achieving it. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced The Ural (Урал Kazakh: Жайық, Jayıq or Zhayyq) known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through ^[15]

Russian Cossacks

The native land of the Cossacks is defined by a line of Russian/Ruthenian town-fortresses located on the border with the steppe and stretching from the middle Volga to Ryazan and Tula, then breaking abruptly to the south and extending to the Dnieper via Pereyaslavl. This area was settled by a population of free people practicing various trades and crafts.

These people, constantly facing the Tatar warriors on the steppe frontier, received the Turkic name Cossacks, which was then extended to other free people in northern Russia. The oldest reference in the annals mentions Cossacks of the Russian city of Ryazan serving the city in the battle against the Tatars in 1444. In the 16th century, the Cossacks (primarily those of Ryazan) were grouped in military and trading communities on the open steppe and started to migrate into the area of the Don (source Vasily Klyuchevsky, The course of the Russian History, vol. Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky (Василий Осипович Ключевский in Voskresnskoye Village Penza Governorate, Russia –, Moscow) dominated 2).

Cossacks served as border guards and protectors of towns, forts, settlements and trading posts, performed policing functions on the frontiers and also came to represent an integral part of the Russian army. Khutor or hutor (ху́тор khutor; ху́тiр khutir) is usually taken to refer to a single- homestead Rural settlement ( Rostov Oblast (Росто́вская о́бласть Rostovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located in the The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (UTC (Вооружённые Си́лы Росси́йской Федера́ции Transliteration Vooruzhyónniye Síly Rossíyskoy Federátsii In the 16th century, to protect the borderland area from Tatar invasions, Cossacks carried out sentry and patrol duties, observing Crimean Tatars and nomads of the Nogai Horde in the steppe region. The Mongol invasion of Europe from the east took place over the course of three centuries from the Middle Ages to the Early modern period

The most popular weapons used by Cossack cavalrymen were usually sabres, or shashka, and long spears.

Russian Cossacks played a key role in the expansion of the Russian Empire into Siberia (particularly by Yermak Timofeyevich), the Caucasus and Central Asia in the period from the 16th to 19th centuries. Yermak redirects here For the ship see Icebreaker Yermak. Yermak Timofeyevich ( Russian: Ерма́к Тимофе́евич Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Cossacks also served as guides to most Russian expeditions formed by civil and military geographers and surveyors, traders and explorers. In 1648 the Russian Cossack Simeon Dezhnev discovered a passage between North America and Asia. Cossack units played a role in many wars in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries (such as the Russo-Turkish Wars, the Russo-Persian Wars, and the annexation of Central Asia). The Russo-Turkish wars were a series of wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire during the 16th 17th 18th 19th and 20th centuries

During Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, Cossacks were the Russian soldiers most feared by the French troops. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon himself stated "Cossacks are the best light troops among all that exist. If I had them in my army, I would go through all the world with them. "^[16] Cossacks also took part in the partisan war deep inside French-occupied Russian territory, attacking communications and supply lines. A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation These attacks, carried out by Cossacks along with Russian light cavalry and other units, were one of the first developments of guerrilla warfare tactics and, to some extent, special operations as we know them today. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc

Western Europeans had had few contacts with Cossacks before the Allies occupied Paris in 1814. As the most exotic of the Russian troops seen in France, Cossacks drew a great deal of attention and notoriety for their alleged excesses during Napoleon's 1812 campaign.

Organization

In early times, Cossack bands were commanded by an ataman (later called hetman). Hetman was the title of the second highest military commander (after the Monarch) used in 15th to 18th century Poland, Ukraine and Grand He was elected by the tribe members at a Cossack rada, as were the other important band officials: the judge, the scribe, the lesser officials, and even the clergy. Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly" borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" (council and later passed The ataman's symbol of power was a ceremonial mace, a bulava. The bulawa (buława булава булава bulava) was a Ceremonial mace or baton carried by a Hetman, an officer of the highest

After the split of Ukraine along the Dnieper River by the Polish-Russian Treaty of Andrusovo, 1667, Ukrainian Cossacks were known as Left-bank Cossacks and Right-bank Cossacks.

The ataman had executive powers and at time of war he was the supreme commander in the field. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative power was given to the Band Assembly (Rada). A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The senior officers were called starshyna. In the absence of written laws, the Cossacks were governed by the "Cossack Traditions," the common, unwritten law. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society

Cossack society and government were heavily militarized. The nation was called a host (vois’ko, translated as 'army'), and subdivided into regimental and company districts, and village posts (polky, sotni, and stanytsi). A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel.

Each Cossack settlement, alone or in conjunction with neighboring settlements, formed military units and regiments of light cavalry (or mounted infantry, for Siberian Cossacks) ready to respond to a threat on very short notice.

Settlements

Russian Cossacks founded numerous settlements (called stanitsas) and fortresses along troublesome borders such as forts Verny (Almaty, Kazakhstan) in south Central Asia, Grozny in North Caucasus, Fort Alexandrovsk (Fort Shevchenko, Kazakhstan), Krasnovodsk (Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan) Novonikolayevskaya stanitsa (Bautino, Kazakhstan), Blagoveshchensk, towns and settlements at Ural, Ishim, Irtysh, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Anadyr (Chukotka), and Ussuri Rivers. Stanitsa (стани́ца pronounced stah-nee-tsah; станиця stanytsia) is a village inside a Cossack host (voisko (ru казачье Almaty ( Алматы; formerly known as Alma-Ata ( Алма-Ата) also Verniy, (Верный is the largest city in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Grozny (Гро́зный Соьлж-ГIала Sölƶ-Ġala or Соьлжа-ГIала Sölƶa -Ġala sometimes referred to as ce Джовхар-ГIала This article is about the town of Fort-Shevchenko For the nearby city of Aktau formerly Shevchenko see Aktau. Türkmenbaşy is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea. Türkmenbaşy is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Blagoveshchensk (Благове́щенск is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Amur Oblast, located 7985 km east of The Ural (Урал Kazakh: Жайық, Jayıq or Zhayyq) known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through Ishim River (Иши́м Kazakh: Esil) is a River running through Kazakhstan and Russia. Irtysh (Иртыш; Kazakh: Ertis / Эртiс; Иртеш|İrteş; Chinese: Erqisi / 额尔齐斯河) a River in Siberia Ob River (Обь also Obi, is a major river in West Siberia, Russia, the country's fourth longest Yenisei (Енисе́й is the greatest River system flowing to the Arctic Ocean, and at 5539 km (3445 mi is the fifth longest river in the world Anadyr (Ана́дырь is a River in the extreme northeast of Siberia, Russian Federation. The Chukchi Peninsula, Chukotski Peninsula or Chukotsk Peninsula ( Russian: Чукотский полуостров at about 66° N 172° W is the northeastern The Ussuri River is a River in the east of Northeast China and south of the Russian Far East. A group of Albazin Cossacks settled in China as early as 1685. The Albazinians (Russian албазинцы Traditional Chinese: 阿爾巴津人 Simplified Chinese: 阿尔巴津人 are approximately 250 modern descendants of China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Although Cossacks are sometimes regarded as xenophobic, some Cossacks readily adapted to the cultures and customs of nearby peoples (for example, the Terek Cossacks were heavily influenced by the culture of North Caucasian tribes) and frequently married local residents (other non-Cossack settlers and natives) regardless of race or origin, sometimes setting aside religious restrictions. ^[17] War brides brought from distant lands were also common in Cossack families. One of the Russian Volunteer Army commanders, General Bogaevsky mentions in his book one of his Cossacks unit's servicemen, Sotnik Khoperski, who was Chinese by origin and brought from Manchuria during the Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905 as a child, adopted and raised by a Cossack family. For the British Volunteer Army see Volunteer Army (British. For voluntary military service see Volunteer military. The Russo-Japanese War (日露戦争 Romaji: Nichi-Ro Sensō Русско-японская война Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna;, 10 February 1904 – 5 September ^[18]

Popular image

Cossacks have long appealed to romantics as idealizing freedom and resistance to external authority, and their military exploits against their enemies have contributed to this favourable image. For others they have been a symbol of repression because of their role in suppressing popular uprisings in the Russian Empire, as well as their assaults against Jews.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many have begun seeing Russian Cossacks as defenders of Russian sovereignty. Cossacks not only reestablished all of their hosts, they also took over police and even administrative duties in their homelands. The Russian military also took advantage of the patriotic feelings amongst the Cossacks and as the hosts become increasingly larger and more organised, has in past overturned some of its surplus technology to them. On par with that the Cossacks also play a large cultural role in the South of Russia. Since the whole rural population of the Rostov, Krasnodar and Starvropol territories as well as the Autonomous republics of the Northern Caucasus consists almost exclusively of Cossack descendants (amongst the ethnic Russian population) the region was always known, even in the Soviet times for its high discipline, low crime and conservative sentiments, like having one of the highest rates of religious attendance and literacy rates. Rostov (Росто́в Old Norse: Rostofa is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden The result was that, amongst Russian youth, Cossacks began to represent order and, in some cases, hope, especially when compared with the presently unpopular Russian Army.

In Ukraine where the Cossackdom represents historical and cultural heritage, some people have been attempting to recreate the images of Ukrainian Cossacks. Traditional Ukrainian culture is often tied in with the Cossacks and the Ukrainian government actively supports these attempts. The traditional Cossack Bulava is one of its national symbols and the island of the Khortytsia, where the Zaporozhian Sich once existed, has been restored. Great Khortytsia Island (Хортиця Хортица Khortitsa) is a large island on the Dnieper which played a vital role in the history of Ukraine Zaporizhian Sich (Запорізька Січ Zaporiz'ka Sich) original Slavonic name "Zaporizhska Sich'" was the center of the Dnieper Cossacks

Literary reflections of Cossack culture abound in Russian, Ukrainian and Polish literatures, particularly in the works of Nikolai Gogol, Taras Shevchenko, Mikhail Sholokhov, Henryk Sienkiewicz's book With Fire and Sword. This article is about literature from Russia For the song by Maxïmo Park, see Our Earthly Pleasures. Ukrainian literature refers to Literature written in the Ukrainian language. Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. The majority of Polish literature was written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Никола́й Васи́льевич Го́голь Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol;; Микола Васильович Гоголь Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (Тарáс Григóрович Шевчéнко ( &ndash) was a Ukrainian Poet, Artist and humanist. Michail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov ( Russian: Михаи́л Алекса́ндрович Шо́лохов mʲɪxɐˈil əlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈʂoləxəf ( – With Fire and Sword (Ogniem i mieczem is a Historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884 Most of Polish Romantic literature deals with themes about the Cossacks.

Cossacks are also portrayed in Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game. Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets The Charge of the Light Brigade is an 1854 Narrative poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson about the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle Richard Edward Connell Jr ( October 17, 1893 &ndash November 22, 1949) was an American author and journalist best known for his "The Most Dangerous Game" or "The Hounds of Zaroff" is a Short story by Richard Connell. "

Because of their long military history, Cossacks feature as prominent special military units in various strategy games, including Age of Empires III, Medieval II: Total War, Civilization III, and most notably Ukrainian GSC Game World's Cossacks: European Wars and its expansions. Age of Empires III (also called AOE III) is a real-time strategy (RTS game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Medieval II Total War, the indirect sequel to 2002 's Medieval Total War and the fourth game in the critically acclaimed Total Sid Meier's Civilization III is a turn-based strategy Computer game by Firaxis Games, the sequel to Sid Meier's Civilization II GSC Game World is a Kiev -based computer game developer. Founded in 1995 in Kiev, Ukraine it released titles such as Cossacks European Wars Cossacks European Wars is a Real-time strategy Computer game for Windows that was released on April 24 2001

Cossacks are also a popular school mascot, including the International Academy of St. Petersburg, Russia, for example. International Academy of St Petersburg Russia, abbreviated IA or "'IASP'" is an International Christian school located in St

The popular image of the Cossacks as heroic freedom and resistance fighters has been mythologized over time [J. Keaton A History of Warfare London 1993]. Clausewitz, a regimental officer of the Prussian 34th Infantry Regiment, who later became famous with the publication On War was convinced that the Moscow fire of 1812 was the result of the disorder and the habit the Cossacks had of first thoroughly pillaging and then setting fire to all the houses before the enemy could make use of them. [R. Parkinson, Clausewitz London 1970, pp 175-6] He was revolted by such Cossack habits of riding down stragglers at the point of a lance, selling prisoners to the peasants for cash and stripping the unsaleable ones to the bare skins for the sake of their rags. Clausewitz, who was present at the time of the great retreat of the French 1812, told his wife he had witnessed ghastly scenes. . . . If my feelings had not been hardened it would have sent me mad. Even so it will take many years before I can recall what I have seen without a shuddering horror.

In the Charge of the Light Brigade, a watching Russian officer reported that frightened by the disciplined order of the mass of [British] cavalry bearing down on them, [the Cossacks] did not hold but wheeling to their left began to fire upon their own troops in an effort to clear their way of escape. When the Light Brigade had been driven out of the Valley of Death by the Russian artillery, the first to recover, reported another Russian officer, were the Cossacks and true to their nature they set themselves to the task at hand - rounding up riderless English horses and offering them for sale. [A. Seaton, The Horsemen of the Steppes London 1985 p. 54]

Terminology

Cossacks in Russia

In the Russian Empire, the Cossacks were organised into several voiskos (hosts), which lived along Russian borderland, or internal borders between Russian and non-Russian peoples. Each host had its own leadership and regalia as well as uniforms as well as ranks. However by the late 19th century the latter were standardised of the example of the Imperial Russian Army. Following the 1988 law, which allowed the hosts to reform and the 2005 one that legally recognised the hosts as a combat service the ranks and insignia were kept but on all military tickets that are standard for the Russian Army they are given bellow.

Ataman	Komandir	Commander
Modern Cossack rank	Equivalent modern Russian Army	Equivalent foreign rank
Kazak	Ryadovoy	Private
Prikazny	Yefreitor	Corporal
Mladshy Uryadnik	Mladshy Serzhant	Junior Sergeant
Uryadnik	Serzhant	Sergeant
Starshy Uryadnik	Starshy Serzhant	Senior Sergeant
Mladshy Vakhmistr	Mladshy Praporshik*	Junior Warrant Officer
Vakhmistr	Praporshchik	Warrant officer
Starshy Vakhmistr	Starshy Praporshchik	Senior Warrant Officer
Podkhorunzhy	Mladshy Leitenant*	Junior Lieutenant
Khorunzhy	Leitenant	Lieutenant
Sotnik	Starshy Leitenant	Senior Lieutenant
Podyesaul	Kapitan	Captain
Yesaul	Mayor	Major
Voiskovy Starshyna	Podpolkovnik	Lieutenant-Colonel
Kazachy Polkovnik	Polkovnik	Colonel
Kazachy General**	General	General

*Rank Presently absent in the Russian Army
**The application of ranks Polkovnik and General is only stable for small hosts. Ataman (variants wataman, vataman, otaman, Cyrillic: атаман (Russian ватаман (Russian regional отаман (Ukrainian was Sotnik (со́тник) was a Military rank in Russian Strelets Troops ( 1600s) and Imperial Cossack cavalry (since For the town in Armenia see Ovuni. Yesaul, or Osaul ( Turkic: yasaul ="chief" есау́л) a Large hosts are divided into divisions and consequently the Russian Army sub-ranks General-Mayor, General-Leitenatant and General-Polkovnik are used to distinguish the Atamans' hierarchy of command, with the Supreme Ataman having the highest rank available. In such a case the shoulder insignia will have a dedicated one, two and three star alignment as normal in the Russian Army otherwise it will be blank.

The same can be said about the colonel ranks as they are given to atamans of regional and district status. The lowest group—stanitsa, is commanded by Yesaul. If the region or district lacks any other stanitsas then the rank polkovnik is applied automatically but with no stars on the shoulder. As the host continue to grow, starless shoulder batches are becoming increasingly rare.

In addition to all that, the Supreme Ataman of the largest Don Cossack Host, is officially titled as Marshal and consequently wears insignia that is derived from the Russian/Soviet Marshal ranks, including the diamond Marshal Star. Don Cossacks (Донские казаки were Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. This is because the Don Cossack Supreme Ataman is recognised as the official head of all Cossack armies (including those outside the present Russian borders). He also has the authority to recognise and dissolve new hosts.

Uniform

Cossacks were expected to provide their own uniforms. While these were sometimes manufactured in bulk by factories owned by the individual Host, garments were often handed down or cut out within a family. Individual items might accordingly vary from those laid down by regulation or be of obsolete pattern. Each Host had its own distinctive uniform colourings.

For most Hosts the basic uniform comprised the standard loose fitting tunics and wide trousers typical of Russian regular troops during the period 1881-1908. Orenburg (Оренбу́рг is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast in the Volga Federal District The Shashka is a special kind of Sabre, a very sharp single edged single handed and guardless Sword. However the Caucasian Hosts (Kuban and Terek) wore the very long, open fronted, cherkesska coats with ornamental cartridge loops and coloured beshmets (waistcoats), that epitomise the popular image of the Cossacks. Most Hosts wore fleece hats with coloured cloth tops in full dress with peaked caps for ordinary duties. The two Caucasian Hosts however appear to have worn high fleece caps on most occasions.

Until 1909 white blouses and cap covers of standard Russian army pattern were worn by the Cossack regiments in summer. The shoulder straps and cap bands were in the Host colour as detailed below. From 1910 to 1918 a khaki-grey jacket was worn for field wear with the blue or green breeches and coloured stripes of the dress uniform.

While most Cossacks served as cavalry, there were infantry and artillery units in several of the hosts. Three regiments of Cossacks formed part of the Imperial Guard, as well as the Konvoi—the tsar's mounted escort. The Imperial Guard regiments wore tailored Government issue uniforms which were of spectacular and colourful appearance. As an example, the Konvoi wore scarlet cherkesskas, white beshmets and red crowns on their fleece hats.

Host	Year est.	Cherkesska or Tunic	Beshmet	Trousers	Fleece Hat	Shoulder Straps
Don Cossacks	1570	blue tunic	none	blue with red stripes	red crown	blue
Ural Cossacks	1571	blue tunic	none	blue with crimson stripes	crimson crown	crimson
Terek Cossacks	1577	grey-brown cherkesska	light blue	grey	light blue crown	light blue
Kuban Cossacks	1864	grey-brown cherkesska	red	grey	red crown	red
Orenburg Cossacks	1744	green tunic	none	green with light blue stripes	light blue crown	light blue
Astrakhan Cossacks	1750	blue tunic	none	blue with yellow stripes	yellow crown	yellow
Siberian Cossacks	1750s	green tunic	none	green with red stripes	red crown	red
Baikal Cossacks	1851	green tunic	none	green with yellow stripes	yellow crown	yellow
Amur Cossacks	1858	green tunic	none	green with yellow stripes	yellow crown	green
Semiryechensk Cossacks	1867	green tunic	none	green with crimson stripes	crimson crown	crimson
Ussuri Cossacks	1889	green tunic	none	green with yellow stripes	yellow crown	yellow

*All details are based on the 1909-14 dress uniforms as portrayed in "Tablitsi Form' Obmundirovaniya Russkoi Armi", Colonel V. Don Cossacks (Донские казаки were Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. The Ural Cossack Host was a Cossack host formed from the Ural Cossacks -- those cossacks settled by the Ural River. Terek Cossack Host (Терское казачье войско was a Cossack host created in 1577 from free Cossacks who resettled from Volga to Kuban Cossacks (Кубанские кaзаки Kubanskiye Kаzaki) are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. The Orenburg Cossack Host ( Оренбургское казачье войско) a part of the Cossack population in pre- Revolutionary Russia Astrakhan Cossack Host ( Астраханское казачье войско in Russian) was a Cossack host of Imperial Russia drawn from the Siberian Cossacks were Cossacks who settled in the Siberian region of Russia since the end of the 16th century Baikal Cossacks were Cossacks of the Transbaikal Cossack Host (Забайка́льское каза́чье во́йско a Cossack host formed in 1851 The Amur Cossack Host ( Амурское казачье войско in Russian) a Cossack host created in the Amur region and Primorye Semirechye Cossask Host (Семиреченское казачье войско was a Cossack host in Imperial Russia, located in Semirechye Oblast (today Ussuri Cossack Host (Уссури́йское каза́чье во́йско was a Cossack Host in Imperial Russia, located in Primorye south of K. Shenk, published by the Imperial Russian War Ministry 1910-11.

See also

• History of the Cossacks
• Betrayal of the Cossacks
• Registered Cossacks
• Hetmans of Ukrainian Cossacks
• Nağaybäk, Tatar Cossacks
• Kosiński Uprising
• Dmytro Yavornytsky
• Cossack motorcycle
• Persian Cossack Brigade
• Tatar invasions
• Crimean Khanate
• Wild Fields
• Kossak (as a Polish family name)

Notes and references

Further reading

• H. Havelock, The Cossacks in the Early Seventeenth Century, English Historical Review, Vol. 13, No. 50 (Apr. , 1898), pp. 242-260, JSTOR
• "The Cossack Corps", General der Flieger Hellmuth Felmy, US Army Historical Division, Hailer Publishing, 2007 http://www.hailerpublishing.com/cossack.html

External links

• Cossack Site - eng., rus., spa., fre.
• Don Cossack (rus)
• Union of Cossacks - Official Cossack organisation.
• Cossackdom.com - history of Cossacks XV-XXI cent.
• History of Cossacks
• Cossack Navy 16th - 17th Centuries
• Cossack raids
• Cossack Stan (Russian)
• Cossacks during the Napoleonic Wars
• Zaporizhian Cossacks
• History of Ukrainian Cossacks at Encyclopedia of Ukraine
• Ukrainian Cossacks
• Cossacks in Wehrmacht (German newsreel)
• "THE UKRAINIAN REGISTERED COSSACKS"

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