Editing Hakkapeliitta

{{Short description|Finnish light cavalry that served during the Thirty Years' War}}
{{About||the tyre brand|Nokian Tyres}}

[[Image:Finland, Hakkapeliitta, semi-postal, 1940 issue.jpg |right|thumb|Hakkapeliitta featured on a 1940 [[semi-postal]] Finnish postage stamp]]
[[File:Dankaerts-Historis-9344.tif|thumb|Finnish cavalry crossing the river Lech in the [[Battle of Rain]], Thirty Years' War, 1632. [[Matthias Merian]] in Danckerts ''Historis'', 1642.]]
'''Hakkapeliitta''' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]] {{plural form|{{Wikt-lang|fi|hakkapeliitta|hakkapeliitat}}}}) is a historiographical term used for a [[Finns|Finnish]] [[light cavalry]]man in the service of King [[Gustavus Adolphus]] of Sweden during the [[Thirty Years' War]] (1618 to 1648). {{Wikt-lang|en|Hakkapeliitta|italic=-}} is a 19th-century Finnish modification of a contemporary name given by foreigners in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and variously spelled as Hackapelit, Hackapelite, Hackapell, Haccapelit, or Haccapelite. These terms were based on a [[Finnish language|Finnish]] [[battle cry]] {{Wikt-lang|fi|hakkaa päälle}} ({{lit|strike upon [them]}}; {{langx|sv|hacka på}}), commonly translated as {{gloss|Cut them down!}}

The {{lang|fi|hakkapeliitta}}-style cavalry was first used during the [[Polish-Swedish Wars]] of the late 16th century. In the early 17th century the cavalry led by the Field Marshal [[Jacob De la Gardie]] participated in campaigns against [[Poland]] and [[Russia]].  The Hakkapeliitta cavalry men led by Field Marshal [[Gustav Horn, Count of Pori|Gustaf Horn]] were vital to the Swedish victories in [[Germany]] during the Thirty Years' War.

The Finnish military march [[Hakkapeliittain Marssi]] is named after hakkapeliittas.

==Tactics==
The Hakkapeliitta were well-trained [[Finnish people|Finnish]] light [[cavalry]]men who excelled in [[skirmishing]], [[raid (military)|raiding]] and [[reconnaissance]], as well as in pitched battles. The greatest advantage these lightly armored horsemen had were the speed and ferocity of their [[charge (warfare)|charge]]. They were equipped like the typical [[harquebusier]] light cavalry of their era; armed with a [[broadsword]] and two [[wheellock]] pistols and protected by a [[buff coat]] and a [[lobster-tailed pot helmet|pot helmet]].  A steel [[breastplate]] was often worn as well. They would attack at a full [[Horse gait|gallop]], the troopers on the front rank firing their pistols at near-contact distance and the whole formation crashing through the enemy at sword point. The horses themselves were another weapon, as they were used to trample enemy [[infantrymen]]. The [[horse]]s used by the Hakkapeliitta were the ancestors of the modern [[Finnhorse]]; they were strong and durable.<!--1) they were tiny (130 cm behind the saddle) 2) they were not a breed exactly 3) see [[Finnhorse]] to see why I would not call them Finnhorses either--><ref name="talaskivi"/><ref name=Historiallisia/>

== Organization ==
The Swedish army then had three cavalry [[regiment]]s from Finland:
*[[Nyland and Tavastehus County Cavalry Regiment]] ({{langx|sv|[[Nylands och Tavastehus läns kavalleriregemente]]}})
*[[Åbo and Björneborg County]] Cavalry Regiment  ({{lang|sv-fi|[[Åbo och Björneborgs läns kavalleriregemente]]}})
*[[Viborg and Nyslott County]] Cavalry Regiment ({{lang|sv-fi|[[Viborgs och Nyslotts läns kavalleriregemente]]}})

Their most famous commander was [[Torsten Stålhandske]] (surname meaning {{gloss|steelglove}}), who was commissioned as a lieutenant-colonel with the [[Nyland and Tavastehus Cavalry Regiment]] in 1629 and led it for the first time in the Thirty Years' War. The original provincial regiments ({{lang|sv-fi|landskapsregementen}}) had been raised by splitting the old Grand regiments ({{lang|sv-fi|Storregementen}});  also "Land regiments" ({{lang|sv-fi|landsregementen}}), organized by [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustavus Adolphus]] at the end of the 1610s, forming 21 infantry and eight cavalry regiments as written in the Swedish [[Instrument of Government (1634)|constitution of 1634]].<ref name="talaskivi"/><ref name=Historiallisia/>

== Notable battles ==
[[File:Glaubwürdiger Bericht und Erzehlung Was etwa von der vorm Jahr den siebenden Septemb. Ausschnitt 1.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Lützen (1632)|battle of Lützen]]]]
[[File:Schlacht Noerdlingen Mattaeus Merian.png|thumb|The [[Battle of Nördlingen (1634)|battle of Nördlingen]]]]
The main battles in which the Hakkapeliitta took part during the Thirty Years' War were:

*[[Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)|Breitenfeld]] in 1631
*[[Battle of Rain|Lech]] in 1632
*[[Battle of Alte Veste]] in 1632
*[[Battle of Lützen (1632)|Lützen]] in 1632
*[[Battle of Nördlingen (1634)|Nördlingen]] in 1634
*[[Battle of Breitenfeld (1642)|Leipzig]] in 1642 (also known as the ''Second Battle of Breitenfeld'' or the ''First Battle of Leipzig'')
*[[Battle of Jankau|Jankau]] in 1645

200 Hakkapeliitta were also part of the army which King [[Karl X Gustav]] of Sweden led across the frozen Danish straits in the winter of 1658, which enabled him to conquer [[Skåneland]] from [[Denmark]] in the [[Treaty of Roskilde]]. Many Finnish soldiers served under the Swedish Empire.<ref name=Historiallisia>{{Cite web|url=http://historiallinenyhdistys.fi/muinaiset_sivut/arviot2001/jtl.htm |title=Historiallisia Arvosteluja 24/2001: Sadan vuoden sotatie |trans-title=Historical [book] reviews 24/2001: Sadan vuoden sotatie|last1=Karasjärvi |first1=Tero |access-date=December 25, 2009 |language=fi |quote=Hakkapeliitat eivät myöskään saavuttaneet mitään kummoisempaa mainetta Euroopan sotakentillä. Hyvin harvat aikalaislähteet mainitsevat erityisesti suomalaiset sotilaat [...]}}</ref> During the era of the [[Swedish Empire]] of the 17th century, the Finnish cavalry was constantly used in [[Germany]], [[Bohemia]], [[Poland]], and [[Denmark]]. Parts of the cavalry were stationed in [[Estonia]] and [[Livonia]].<ref name="talaskivi">Talaskivi 1977, pages 77–81</ref><ref name=Historiallisia/>

==In popular culture==
* The Bearkillers, a protagonist faction in [[S.M. Stirling]]'s [[The Emberverse series|Emberverse series]], uses the Hakkapeliitta battle cry.
* The module of the [[Advanced Squad Leader Modules#Hakkaa Päälle|Advanced Squad Leader]] board game system, depicting the Finnish forces in World War II, is titled ''Hakkaa Päälle!''
* [[Nokian Tyres]] and its predecessor firms have made a snow tire called Hakkapeliitta since 1936.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/john-dunlop-charles-goodyear-tires-1991641 |title=John Dunlop, Charles Goodyear, and the History of Tires |last=Bellis |first=Mary |date=23 January 2021 |website=ThoughtCo. |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>
* Hakkapeliitta's feature in [[Eric Flint]]'s ''[[1632 series|1632]]'' novel series as one part of [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustav II Adolf]]'s armies.
* The song "Rex Regi Rebellis" by Finnish metal band [[Turisas]] describes the adventures of the Hakkapeliitta and includes the battle cry {{lang|fi|Hakkaa päälle pohjan poika!}} {{gloss|mode=def|''Strike them down, son of the North!''}}.
* The Hakkapeliitta is included in the video game [[Age of Empires III]] as a mercenary unit, under the name hackapell. When [[Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition]] released, the Hackapell mercenary was removed and replaced with a more generic "Harquebusier" unit. This is due to the introduction of a full Swedes civilization, who can field non-mercenary Hakkapelit from the Stable. While historically the Hakkapeliitta are light cavalry, until Patch 13.27885 of the ''Knights of the Mediterranean'' expansion, the game classifies them as Ranged Heavy Cavalry. Thereafter, Hakkapeliitta are correctly classified as Light Cavalry, albeit still primarily a ranged unit.
* In [[Civilization V]], the Hakkapeliitta are a unique unit of the Swedish Empire under [[Gustavus Adolphus]].
* Hakkapeliitta is the only unique unit of the Swedish Empire's unit roster in the strategy game [[Empire: Total War]].
*In the Anime [[Jormungand (manga)|Jormungand]], [[Sophia Valmer]] use this war cry before engaging in hand to hand combat situation with knives, in episode 12 of the first season.
<gallery>
Image:Tott.jpg|[[Åke Henriksson Tott]]'s tomb in the [[Cathedral of Turku]]
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://www.abc.se/~m9541/midifil/finryt.mid Midi tune]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050408070939/http://aapinen.ath.cx/~perinnesoittokunta/mp3/30-vuotisen%20sodan%20marssi.mp3 Orchestral mp3 version] (archived link, 8 April 2005) by the [https://web.archive.org/web/20060401052941/http://ratsuvaen-perinnesoittokunta.fi/ Finnish Cavalry Tradition Band](archived link, 10 April 2006)

[[Category:Military history of Finland]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Sweden]]
[[Category:Cavalry]]
[[Category:Thirty Years' War]]
[[Category:Swedish military personnel of the Thirty Years' War]]
[[Category:Finnish expatriates in Germany]]
[[Category:Finnish military personnel]]