Hetman

The rank of the Hetman is derived from the altmitteldeutschen name for the captain. The word Het main in the direct translation. The Hetman was the second highest military commander after the king between the 15th and 18th century in Poland and Lithuania, as well as the Cossacks called their military leaders initially also as hetman.

Poland - Lithuania

In 1581 January Zamoyski was appointed the first Hetman of the Polish crown. At his side was his deputy, the Feldhetman the Polish crown. Zamoyski was the first Hetman, who held the chief command of the entire Polish Army. The hetman was directly appointed by the King and had full power over the troops. Only when the king dwelt in the army, he had to give the command. As of 1581 the soldiers of the crown hetman swore the loyalty, not directly to the king. The Hetman belonged all capture and extorted ransoms. But it was forbidden to interfere in people consultations and the election of a king to attend.

This type of classification there were from 1581, both in Poland and in Lithuania. In 1792 the Hetmanwürden were lifted by the Polish Sejm.

There was a hetman, who dwelt in peace time at the court of the king and took care of the management and affairs of the military

• In Poland: Great Hetman of the ( Polish ) Crown (Polish hetman wielki koronny )
• In Lithuania: Great Hetman of Lithuania (Polish hetman wielki Litewski )

And his deputy, the Feldhetman, who had with small, mobile units, to defend the frontiers against the incursions including the Tatars.

• In Poland: Feldhetman the ( Polish ) Crown (Polish hetman polny koronny )
• In Lithuania: Feldhetman of Lithuania (Polish hetman polny Litewski )

Cossacks

In the Zaporozhian Cossacks in Ukraine, the hetman Supreme Otaman was called. His deputy was the Hetman. The Don Cossacks in Russia Tsardom of Commander in Chief Ataman was called.

For the first time a Cossack Hetman 1576 by ​​the Polish King Stephen Báthory appointed. This should better organize the Cossack soldiers and form a standing army. He was handed over as a sign of dignity, a baton, a seal and a banner for the Cossack army. After Russia in 1654 the Cossacks subdued, still a Hetman was appointed. This was under henceforth directly to the Tsar. After 1708 the Hetman Ivan Mazepa to the Swedish king Karl XII page. changed and the following year was defeated by the army of Tsar Peter I, the powers devolved the Hetman circumcised very strong. The site remained vacant until 1750. Alexei Grigoryevich Razumovsky was from 1750 to 1764, the last Hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. The Russian empress Catherine II abolished the Ukrainian commander dignity in 1764 and established a government with an eight Ministeren.