History of Cossacks

 

About the same time, when piracy have flourished in the Caribbean, a very similar phenomenon flourished in what is now Ukrainian steppes. Cossack "golden age" not only coincided with that of pirates but had a lot more in common with the latter than was initially apparent.

To begin with a little bit of background. In 17th century a peculiar territorial anomaly emerged in the Steppes of Ukraine. The reason for that anomaly were Crimean Tatars. Tatars were semi-nomadic people who often went on raids to pillage villages and capture people into slavery. The northern states of Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia could reasonably stop them in more forested areas further north, but in open steppe Tatars were unbeatable. Nipping the problem in a bud was also impossible, as Tatars enjoyed protection of then superpower, the Ottoman Empire.

That produced a peculiar situation where both Commonwealth and Russia wish to expand south but could not be due to constant Tatar raids. On the other hand, Tatars did not wish to settle the steppes at all, preferring to keep it as a playground for nomadic side of their lifestyle. Ottomans too had no interest in settling the area beyond the vert coast of the Black Sea. 

This situation produces a situation where a very large and fertile swathe of land remained completely uninhabited for a period of several centuries. Later it will be called Wild Field or Wild steppes. The borders of this land went from approximately Uman - Old Kodak fortress - city of Kharkiv in the north all the way to coastal cities of Kara and Aq Kerman (modern Ochakiv and Bilhorod Dnistrovski) together with Dzhankoy in Crimean Peninsula. Western border was Dnistro River and there was no Eastern border as steppe continued all the way to modern China.

Such a large and lawless area attracted all sorts of people who later became known as Cossacks. The name came from a Turkic word qazaq, which means wanderer. It shares ethimology with modern Kazakh and Kazakhstan. However, while modern Kazakhs are descendants of the originally nomadic Turkic people, Cossacks were the polar opposite of that: originally sedentary people who adopted nomadic lifestyle to survive in the steppe.

Steppe was dangerous of sedentary lifestyle, such as agriculture. A prominent home with large fields around it will be easy to stop many miles away and thus could easily become a target of a raid. A single Cossack with nothing but horse and their weapons much less so. Even if they were to be spotted, they could just hop on their horse and ride away. It would be nigh pointless to chase them down across the near endless steppe.

Final ingredient that sparked the age of Cossacks were domestic pressures in the north. Population grew; free lands were running short and aristocratic class kept increasing burdens on common peasants, making them ever poorer. One way to get away from ever encroaching greedy nobility was to flee south and live freely as Cossack.

That is how first Cossacks came to be. Those from Russia tended to flee to the steppe for good. Some of those from Commonwealth were instead seasonal Cossacks, living in the steppe during the summer then returning home for winter. 

At first, they were on their own, roaming the steppe, hunting and occasionally robbing careless travellers. However, ss time went, they became ever more numerous. It became necessary to somehow share the steppe. At the same time, it became possible for Cossacks to band together and start raiding just like Crimean Tatars did.

Eventually a several Cossack Hosts Emerged: Zaporozhian, Don, Kuban and Yaik ones. They were centered around major rivers as rivers provided Cossacks with water and a form of protection from both Tatars and their own governments. Zaporozhian host (Sich) was located on Khortytsia Island in the middle of Dnipro River. River provided a good defence from strictly land-based Tatars. Other Cossack hosts were in less immediate danger and likely just settled along the river.

Hosts were government in a surprisingly democratic manner. There were certain differences in governance between hosts, but they government mostly as follows: Each host was divided into several Kurins, each 100 homes large. Each Kurin will elect two officials: a Kurenniy, who will be in charge of living arrangements, and a Sotnik, who will command them in battle. In turn all Kurenniys will elect Koshevoy who will manage living arrangements for the entire host, akin to a quartermaster. Likewise, Sotniks will elect Hetman (Ataman in Don and other eastern hosts) who will be overall military commander.

Elections were held every year. To get elected Hetman, one must often propose a lucrative raid target together with a plan on how to succeed in plundering it asunder and returning safely with all the loot. Hetman that poorly performed in their role could lose their head at the end of their tenure if Cossacks vote to punish him. Other roles were less ambitious and dangerous in consequences. They mostly required to convince fellow Cossacks they could trust you.

In fact, the CGPGrey video about pirates actually closer to how Cossacks governed themselves rather than pirates.

Cossack outfits too varied between hosts. Zaporozhians wore, vyshivankas with sharovary and cut their hear in an iconic oseledets fashion: bald with a single long strand of hair. They also had colourful coats and a fur hat with upward bent brim and feathers. Don Cossacks instead wore a North Caucasus style outfit: large black fur coat with extended shoulders (I think it's called Cherkeska) and a tall square black fur brimless hat, called papakha. 

Overtime Cossacks became quite notorious. They raided, plundered and then returned back to their fortified island host of Khortytsia. Once they managed to even plunder Constantinople itself.

Unlike Tatars, who would only plunder Christians in the north, as they had obligations to the Ottomans, Cossacks would more often target Muslims. Most Cossacks were Christian and would rather avoid targeting fellow Christians from countries they have recently fled.

Some of their raids were so daring, they managed to even get Ottoman Empire concerned about the damage they are causing. Ottoman Sultan even send Zaporozhian Cossacks a letter, demanding allegiance to him, just like they demand of Crimean Tatars. Zaporozhian Cossacks famously responded with a letter full of scornful insults. There is even a painting dedicated to that event.

Just like Spanish, Ottomans brought Cossack issue to rulers of Commonwealth and Russia. Their response was that Cossacks were independent outlaws, often wanted by authorities of the countries in question, and that neither ruler had any control over what Cossacks do.

In fact, aristocrats in Russia were very much on the Ottoman side of the issue for their own reasons. Russian peasants who disliked working for their aristocratic landlords, would often steal a horse and flee south to become a Cossack. That led to drain on both workforce and horses. Aristocrats too often petitioned Tsar to deal with Cossacks somehow, only to hear the same response of what could they do about it?

Decline of Cossacks came much later than that of pirates. However, by the end of 18th century Russia eclipsed in power both Commonwealth and Ottomans. In a series of wars, Russia conquered all the areas around the Wild Fields.

From their new position of power, Russia decided to pressure Cossacks into allegiance to Russia, just like Ottomans demanded some time before. In their demands Russia actually went further than Ottomans, expecting not only allegiance but also right to appoint Cossack leaders as well.

Zaporizhians refused just like they did before. Russian response was fast and decisive: Russia brough artillery and levelled Khortytsia fortifications to the ground. Zaporozhian Cossacks tried to reorganise themselves on Danube River instead, but eventually Russia got there too and destroyed Zadunaiska Sich as well.

Don Cossacks instead accepted Russian government demands. That allowed them to continue well into 19th and even 20th century. In this subordinated to Russia period, Atamans or Koshevoys were not elected. Instead Koshevoy Ataman (dual role) was appointed by Tsar out of officers of Russian army with no connection to Cossacks. Tsars also insisted that Cossacks stop admitting any new runaway peasants into their ranks and instead return them to their owners.

Despite these changes, life of ordinary Cossacks remained autonomous enough and unique Cossack culture and even dialect further developed in that time.

In this new role, Cossacks eventually became known as an elite cavalry of Russian Empire, that managed to distinguish itself in various battles in Europe. Cossack recreations in modern Russia try to recreate this version of Cossacks.

Final end of Cossacks came from October Revolution. Cossacks mostly fought for White Army, that lost Civil War. Bolsheviks eventually dissolved Don Cossacks and integrated them into broader society as part of wider reform program. 

Some Cossacks managed to escape to the West and later fought in RoA on the side of Nazis, hoping to restore Cossack autonomy and culture. Nazis lost and members of RoA were suppressed. 

In modern times Ukraine likes to take pride in exploits of Zaporozhian Cossacks. In Ukraine Zaporozhian Cossacks are part of national spirit, character and heritage. Iconic Zaporozhian Cossack outfits are often worn as a patriotic statement.  

Separately from Ukraine, there are Don Cossack revival attempts in Russia, that instead aim to recreate Don Cossacks in their 19th century version of loyal to the Tsar elite cavalrymen. 

Truth About Piracy

  

I often cite CGPGrey videos about various topics, including the one about piracy. 

While pirate video is rather relevant to the times we live in now and issues we face, its actually very inaccurate about realities of Golden Age of Piracy. So, I decided to write here about actual history of piracy.

To begin with a little bit of background. Spanish and Portuguese were first to discover and colonize new world. Treaty of Tordesillas divided it among themselves precisely to avoid information leaking to other kingdoms of Europe. Thus, by the time French and English found out about Americas, Spanish already hogged up and garrisoned pretty much everything of value with only few small barren islands in the Caribbean remaining unclaimed.

To make matters worse, Spanish found a lot of silver in the area and begun mining it. Seeing how Spanish ship all that silver in loaded to the brim galleons, got Frech and English really upset with envy. However soon they figured out a simple solution to this problem, just steal the silver. After all trip from Maracaibo in Spanish Main to Sevilla in Spain is long and perilous, and Spanish shipped their silver completely unguarded, so if it will get lost to pirates they will not even find out when and how. Thus, piracy was born.

First pirates were probably members of French and English navy, who hoisted the black flag to avoid getting their kingdoms entangled if something went wrong. The money they made from captured Spanish silver was so huge, soon everyone started doing it and piracy boom begun.

The amounts of silver, Spanish shipped was so huge, French and English navies soon found themselves short of personnel and ships, so they began recruiting volunteers, private captains with ships and crews. Soon private crews started plunder Spanish shipping on the high seas. These privateers (or corsairs in French terminology) came from all walks of life and were actively encourage and supported by French and English governments.

To give privateers assurances of support and at the same time entitle government to the fraction of what they could plunder, French and English issued so called "letters of marque and reprisal". These papers could make anyone a sort of "private" member of the navy, thus in theory guaranteeing them protection of French or English crown as well as entitle them to be treated as prisoners of war in the event of capture by the Spanish. Most importantly however they allowed them to access to ports of the issuing country. When in some peace treaties you see phrase "prohibit unrestricted issue of letter of marque and reprisal", it is about this practice.

French issued these letters to pretty much anyone with a ship and a crew without asking it how they obtained ship or the money. That is how French colony of Tortuga became known as pirate haven. Colony economy consisted entirely of taxing the booty, these privateers would bring.

English instead prefer their own traders. Back then it was possible to form fully legal joint stock company for the purpose of pirating. Such company could openly sell its stock on London stock exchange to raise money to buy a ship, hire crew and then go to the new world to plunder on high seas.

From legal perspective this privateering was considered capturing prizes of war and legal documents refer to it in such terms. Letters of marque were legal vehicle that allowed law to treat piracy as legitimate combat. That is how famous pirates, like Sir Francis Drake got their knighthood and other forms for recognition from government.

Eventually however Spanish got a gist of what is going on and threatened France and England with war if they do not stop this piracy. Unfortunately for Spanish, profits from piracy were so huge, French and English would rather stay in perpetual war than stop the plunder.

Thus, Golden age of Piracy truly begun. All sorts of ships and crews would steal Spanish silver and then turn it over to French or English on Tortuga or Jamaica, who offered them full support, assistance in repair and resupply and so on.

On their end Spanish refused to recognise letters or marque as legitimate prove of military status, threatening pirates with noose if they got caught. They also ramped up security of their treasure fleets, making it harder to for pirates to plunder them. 

Finally Spanish eventually found out where pirate friendly French and English ports in the new world were located and sent their armada to level both Port Royal and Tortuga to the ground. That did not stop the piracy however as when Spanish left, French and English simply came back and rebuild.

This is how majority of all pirate crews operated. Sure, there were occasional rouges who attacked everyone and port in wilderness, but these were rare. They make for a good story, but not for a good career option, as rouge pirates would pretty much always end up caught by one or other side and executed.

On the other hand, privateering was a way to riches and even social advancement. It was a business that people who counted money for living would invest into. Yes, there was risk that Spanish will capture you, but back then risk of perishing in a storm was likely higher.

Plunder-fest would occasionally come to a pause when French or English needed an alliance with Spanish for some war in Europe. On such occasion governors of Tortuga and Port Royal will instruct privateers to halt attacks on Spanish. Pirates would temporarily turn to other activities such as cutting wood in Belize. However, once that war will be over, the pirating will resume.

The definitive end of Golden Age of Piracy unexpectedly also came from Europe. War of Spanish Succession eventually placed French Bourbons on the throne in Spain. That turned France from enemy into a friend of Spain. 

Not willing to further damage now friendly Spain, France begun cracking down on piracy. Near overnight Tortuga turned from pirate heaven into a hostile port.

Pirates fought back and re-established themselves in New Providence on Bahamas. This time they were actually independent and unaffiliated with any power. Their settlement flew black flag. However, that was short lived.

England did not want to be at war with both France and Spain to continue the plunder. England also found new way of making money in the new world, running sugar and cotton plantations, using West African slave labor. Finally French likely offered them something like share of profits from Spanish treasure fleets, if they turn on pirates.

Times were changing and safety of shipping routes were more important that theoretical booty from occasional daring raid. 

All that sealed fate of piracy in the Caribbean. Eventually, now cozy and friendly with each other, the three kingdoms went on to destroy New Providence. England later colonised it to deny pirates any free land to base themselves on. Age of Piracy came to an end only to be remembered in fiction.