HAKKA PÄLLE! Gustavian Cavalry | The Army of Gustavus Adolphus

When Gustavus Adolphus became king, he had been left with a very bad army. If he wanted to beat up the Poles and their hussars, he needed a much better cavalry force.

Sources
The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (Vol 2) - Osprey Publishing
Trettioåriga Kriget - Wolke, Larsson, Villstrand
Gustav II Adolf och hans folk - Göte Göransson

0:00 Introduction
4:22 Recruitment
10:01 Equipment
13:29 How good were they really?
15:23 Outro

[thelordchancellor]

The feeling when you’re a Finnish cavalryman fighting for the Swedish king in Bavaria because the Bohemians threw their Austrian governors out of a window 14 years ago

I love the 30 Years War, it’s so delightfully weird

[Pyhantaakka]

Aulis J. Alanen described the Finnish cavalry:

“Our [Finnish] Hakkapelites cannot have been any sort of fine representatives. I should mention a parade of the Gustaf Adolf troops in the Thirty Years’ War, while the king still lived. At first went the blue, yellow, green etc. mercenaries of the regiment in their flashy gear. Then came, clothed so-so, bridles and baldricks repaired with birch bark and cord, legs hanging from the backs of their small, shaggy horses, cutlasses dragging on the ground, a troop of hollow-cheeked but stern-eyed men. When the Dutch ambassador inquired who they were, the last rider, a fat German Quartermaster [kuormastovääpeli] in charge of the cargo proudly replied “The royal Life Guards: Finnish, pärkkele!”

[peterhoulihan]

I'd love to see a video about the Finnish commander.

[Aurinkohirvi]

The Finnish horse, also called as Finnish Universal, is a hybrid of a workhorse and a riding horse. It is very strong, has big bones, very good stamina, is relaxed and brave: does not easily panic in battles. While workhorses on average can pull 80% of their weight, the Finnish horse by average pulls over 110%, and workhorse line even over 200% (according to Wikipedia). They also have long hair and can withstand harsh weathers, cold winters and they can manage with lower quality food. Plenty of advantages, despite not as tall and swift as Central European riding horses.

[dondouglass]

Adolphus clearly had a great intelligence based upon his ability to observe, critique and react to others tactics. This suggests he was someone whom has the ability to 'get the job done.'

[hurjaukko]

Hakkaa Päälle. That's the correct term

[okancanarslan]

great documentary. good insight about how structures of societies are reflected in their military.

[henrymajander]

In Stockholm, there is a Bible from Prague… in Finland, we have the vowels… Zchec say something like srz prz krk…, we say hääyöaie… Sorry for stealing all the vowels.

[jariquassdorf]

The correct spelling is: Hakkaa Päälle!
(Just a notice from a former Finnish Army NCO, Currently active in the Swedish Army)

[rachdarastrix]

I wish that in the magical offline world I had a suit of armor like that guy in the thumbnail.
Except instead of steel a metal that is only 1/3rd the strength of steel but also only 1/5th as heavy.
Then proceed to layer 5 plates together tight at the edges but in the hallow a cloth meshed with leather to further stop conclusionary.

[amtmannb.]

Very nice video with a lot of information. I like videos about commanders such as these from the Swedish cavalry. (We have enough about Wallenstein for example).

[javel]

I got to do my military service in Hämeen Ratsujääkäripataljoona, Tavastian Mounted Jäger battalion, traced its roots to Gustavus 12th. Battalion got closed in 2014. Also home of the 27th, finnish volunteers getting jäger training and experience during WW1 from germans, while being under russian imperial rule.

[RussiaDestroyer]

Finn descended from Tott family here. Big respecc for this vid 🫡

[Prof.P.P.P.Eräreikä]

Really want to play Age of Empires III Definitive Edition rn

[esah]

Just a couple of small notes. Plastic straws did not exist in Gustv Adolf's time, especially not the McDonald's variant depicted here.
The Hakkapeliittas' war cry in Finnish was "Hakkaa päälle!" ( ~Charge on them), not "Hakka Pälle" (spelling) or "Hakka päällä!" (~ with your head). 🤔

[patriciusvunkempen]

Cuirassier armor was LITERALY bulletproof, it was often shot with a partial charged pistol as a proof of being bullet resistent
also remember that low speed and large size of projectiles of the time meant that the penetrative capabilitys were tied to range
a regiment of cavalry only needs to get beyond a certain distance, after that distance they are close enough that the musketeers/arquebusiers cant reload fast enough/ willl break morale, and can storm in.
curassier armor thus is bulletproof for a certain distance.

[rickybuhl]

Superb. Though I may jokingly question how any man that comes from a long line of Finnish warriors, can be considered ordinary.

[sormiliha]

Going berserk was unlaful for few hundred years already before the age of Hakapelitta but they maybe still held in their ranks some of the old moods. Gustavus was already famous to not press the Finns too hard about Chrisitianity, the Finns being very adamant about the old gods. There is an old story where most of the army is having a mass, and the finns are instead sharpening their swords. Perhaps something that the at the time Finnish military tradition would have recognized as tributes to the thunder god.

[stilltoomanyhats]

3:20 I thought this was going to be a segue to a sponsorship.

[ingold]

3:40 - Prevalent in Germany in the time of Caesar too!