Info on the GNW Valacher Regiment

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:44 pm

I've combed my sources for this one and come up blank, so does anybody have any info on the Valacher Regiment of Horse in the Swedish army during the GNW? The only reference I have for them was that they fought at Fraustadt in 1706.

hwiccee · Post by **hwiccee** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:47 am

Hi Rob,

The Valacher (it is often spelt in other ways too) were Polish light cavalry fighting with the Swedes. They had been in existance before 1706 but were made an offical regiment then. There size varied but they were normally about 1000 men strong, although they often operated as smaller groups. The unit at Fraustadt is part of the regiment, the rest is with Charles.

There basic job was scouting and Cossack/Polish light horse bashing, although they also fought in field battles.

They went with Charles 12th into Russia and fought in many of the battles there, including Poltava. After Poltava a few survivors made it back to Germany/Sweden and a small (50 to 100 men or less) group continued to fight on.

No one knows, AFAIK, what they actually looked like. Most likely they looked like Cossacks and other similar 'Eastern' light horse.

Hope this helps,

Nick

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:08 am

Cheers Nick. That works for me.

Post by **barr7430** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:21 pm

I seem to remember a listing on medieval POLISH army lists from WRG - 'Vlachs' - perhaps the same root Nick?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:14 pm

Probably from Wallachians, what we would now call Moldovans. It seems to be a generic term in medieval Eastern Europe for a 'barbarian'.

hwiccee · Post by **hwiccee** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:57 am

Yes indeed it comes from Vlach meaning Wallachian. But 'Wallachian' in this sense is a troop type, or at least it had been.

The 16th/17th century Poles had 'Tartar' and 'Wallachian' light horse units. Originally these were actually real Tartars/Wallachians. But by the GNW, and for a long time before, the terms had meant horse archer/light cavalry mainly firing =Tartar and light cavalry mainly meleeing = Wallachian.

So they are Wallachian in the sense of tactics/role not nationality.