Artillery as a tactical component of the military art of the Crimean Khanate (15th–16th centuries)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the use of artillery by the Crimean Tatar army, to establish the features of the tactics of using cannons on the battlefield, to clarify the reasons why artillery did not become widespread in the armies of the Khanate. The research methodology, in addition to adhering to the principles of objectivity and historicism, consisted in applying the comparative-historical method and the method of systemic analysis. Thanks to the comparative-historical method, the artillery of the Khanate and the military affairs of the Crimeans are compared with the analogues of the main opponents of the state – the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Muscovy. The systemic analysis made it possible to establish that the development of the artillery of the Crimean Khanate was influenced by such factors as the level of technological development, political, and economic factors. The scientific novelty lies in the consideration of the artillery of the Crimean Khanate as a separate component of its army, the analysis of the combat use of cannons in military conflicts with nomadic peoples (Circassians, Nogais), Muscovy, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland. Conclusions. It has been established that the Crimean Tatar artillery was a component of their military organization. The Khanate did not manufacture its own cannons, but used models obtained from the Ottoman Empire or captured in battle. The technological backwardness of the Crimeans compared to Muscovy, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland and other states of that time did not allow the Khanate to develop its artillery at the level of the aforementioned neighbors. It has been found that the Crimeans used artillery most effectively against nomadic peoples (Circassians, Nogais), who did not have their own artillery and were vulnerable to cannon fire. It has been proven that in military campaigns the Crimean Tatars used at most several dozen “art systems”, the vast majority of which were light cannons. It has been established that light cannons were ineffective when storming fortresses and wagenburgs. The Crimeans were unable to build powerful wagonburgs, similar to those formed by the Cossacks and Muscovites, due to the lack of a large number of massive carts. It has been proven that the development of the artillery of the Khanate was at odds with the main tactics of the Crimeans – the use of light cavalry, maneuverable bow combat. That is, the cannons limited the maneuverability and mobility of the Crimean Tatar army.