Redevelopment of the Army – Nobility Efforts for Revitalization of the Armed Forces During the Reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski

Abstract

This article is an attempt to summarize the overall view on military issues during the reign of Stanisław August Poniatowski. It discusses the institutional evolution of authorities responsible for supplying the army, the concepts of developing the army expressed by reputable publicists of the Age of Enlightenment, exemplifies the transformation process of the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth armed forces and represents direct implications of the actions initiated by the governing authorities.

The synthesis is based on a convenient chronological division: before The Great Sejm, during The Great Sejm proceedings and after The Great Sejm. The summary of this article consist of the author’s conclusions concerning the failure of actions undertaken to enlarge and modernize the army.