Poland was a knightly aristocratic parliamentary state, and although there were also kings, the nobility was very powerful. Therefore, although Poland looks at the large population, the national strength is strong. However, because of the decline of royal power and the dispersion of power, Poland's national strength has not been able to exert itself.

Later generations often debated whether it was better to centralize power or local autonomy, and Marin felt that it depended on the situation. If it's a time of peace, both are fine. However, in the event of war, it is certain that centralization is far superior to local autonomy.

This is because centralization can maximize the mobilization of the nation's strength to contend with the enemy. If the local government has too much power, it is easy to pull back its own people at critical times.

Moreover, it is more convenient for a centralized state to do great things. For example, building a high-speed railway or digging a canal can be easily solved. But if it's a decentralization, it's not easy. What the? Province A wants to dig a canal? However, if that canal does not pass through our province B, it will not do us any good...... So, veto...... Disagree, strongly disagree...... We're going to make trouble......

Therefore, if you want to do great things, you still have to concentrate power, so as to concentrate a lot of resources and do a few things well. If power is dispersed, there will be endless quarrels......

Of course, there were no future problems with the decentralization of power in Poland, and Marin did not care. Even, he would love to see that. Otherwise, Poland would have become a threat to Germany. And a wave of decentralization can reassure Germany a lot.

As a result of the decentralization of power, Poland was a feudal country with many traditional knightly families. In Poland, you want to form cavalry, as long as you have money and food to support, you can still recruit a lot of people. Because, the number of wandering knights in Poland is no less huge......

In Poland's foreign wars, the size of the cavalry was significant. Poland and Lithuania, the two basic friends, dispatched an army of 20,000 or 30,000 cavalry-based troops at every turn. Even a cavalry power such as the Teutonic Knights was defeated by the great armies formed by Poland and Lithuania. In the fateful Battle of Greenwald, Poland and Lithuania sent 39,000 men against the 27,000 men of the Teutonic Order.

At that time, Poland sent 42 squadrons of plate knights, and Lithuania 40 squadrons of knights. The number of a squadron of knights in Poland and Lithuania was generally 180 people. It can be seen that in the Battle of Greenwald, Poland and Lithuania dispatched about 7,560 and 7,200 plate knights respectively......

But under normal circumstances, it is unlikely that all the knights in the country will be recruited in each war. It's not that they can't be recruited, but there is not so much food and grass to feed all the knights...... Moreover, in each war, each knight family has a maximum of one knight, which is considered to have fulfilled the obligations of a courtier......

Therefore, whether it is Poland or Lithuania, their respective knight families should be more than 10,000. Otherwise, the two countries would not be able to take out so many plate knights to participate in the war.

In the siege of Vienna in 1683, King Sobieski of Poland led an army of 27,000 men, mainly cavalry. At that time, Sobiesky only brought Polish soldiers and horses, and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania had not yet had time for national mobilization.

This decisive battle was the lead of the Polish hussars, with a coalition of more than 70,000 people, more than 200,000 Turkish troops were defeated, and the security of Christendom was maintained.

Therefore, it is not worrying to let Simon choose the children of knights who have no inheritance as vassals in the knight families of Poland and Lithuania. After all, the knight families of the two countries may have exceeded 10,000. And each knight family can't have only one male, as long as there are more people, they can be recruited. Those knights who have no inheritance rights are also happy to find a lord to serve. If you can mix with the knight's estate, then you will make a lot of money...... After all, for those traditional knights, serving a certain monarch and obtaining knightly fiefs is their lifelong goal......

Except, of course, for the children of the Italian nobility. The commercial atmosphere in that place was so strong that the children of the nobility had gone to work as merchants, and no one was willing to fight. The reason why Italian mercenaries developed was that the children of the knights who did business were unwilling to fight, and paid to hire people to serve the feudal king instead of them...... Then the profession of Italian mercenary developed......

And Germany is different, Germany is because there are too many wars on this side, and there are not enough cannon fodder soldiers to consume. Then, there were people who were not afraid of death to earn this money, and only then did German mercenaries develop...... In addition, the German princes were poor and could not afford to give fiefs, so they liked to use mercenary groups that did not want fiefs. As long as you give a few commissions, it can be sent away, which is much more cost-effective than giving fiefdoms......

But that's just the case in Germany, after all, Germany is divided into two or three hundred vassal states, and the princes' own fiefs are already very small, so how can there be extra land to divide among their subordinates? So, I had to hire mercenaries who only needed salaries......

But Simon's side is different, because of the harassment of the Crimean Khanate and Cossack bandits, the vast black land of Ukraine has not been developed. Want a fief? As long as you can hold on, you are not afraid of being harassed by the enemy......

……

How big is Ukraine? In later generations, Ukraine had 600,000 square kilometers. Moreover, most of it is fertile black soil, which is extremely suitable for agriculture. At one time, it was the largest granary of the Soviet Union of the Red Empire. Not only that, Ukraine is also extremely rich in coal and iron resources, and it is properly a country with the potential to become a world power.

However, because the leaders of Ukraine after independence are determined to be licking dogs of the West, they are arguing with Maozi every day, but they are not good at developing the economy. So, blind in vain so good conditions. Director Zhang Da regretted this in the war, and if the leader was reliable, he would definitely be another big country with developed industry and agriculture......

But now, the black soil of Ukraine is full of weeds, and it is also part of the steppes of Eastern Europe, where wind-blown grass and cattle and sheep are low. It is probably because every winter the weeds turn into dead grass, fall into the soil and rot, and accumulate from generation to generation, so that the fertile black soil of Ukraine is born......

To be honest, if it weren't for Ukraine's poor access to the sea and easy to be blocked by the Turkish Strait, Marin would have wanted to go to Ukraine for development.

Like the hair of later generations, the Black Sea Fleet has a hairy use? Even the Turkish Straits are blocked. Even if there are aircraft carriers in the Black Sea, they can only laugh at themselves in the Black Sea, a "huge inland lake......

Therefore, later generations of Ukraine will sell the Varyag to China. Because, they know that aircraft carriers are of little use in the Black Sea, and they can't just sail out of the Turkish Straits. It's like Huaxia bought the Varyag, which was also blocked in the Turkish Strait for two years before it was allowed to pass......

……

It is precisely because Ukraine does not have a good outlet to the sea that Marin, who is bent on great navigation, did not think about the development of the past. However, it would be a pity to waste such good land there. Therefore, Marin only operated Simon to be a lord in the past and develop the local area. Of course, it is also to provide yourself with population and cattle and sheep. After all, the conditions for raising livestock in the Ukrainian steppes are too good......

But it's obviously not very easy to mix up over there, not to mention the murderous Crimean Khanate to the south. Even those Ukrainian Cossacks in the steppes are not good stubble. In this chaotic and disorderly era, those who can mix on the grassland are not good people. Otherwise, there will be no bones left that will be eaten sooner or later.

In later generations, in a society governed by the rule of law, people went to the grassland and met enthusiastic herdsmen, delicious roasted whole sheep, and mare's milk wine...... But in this era, why don't you go to the grassland casually? Come on, come on, eat me with a knife...... Roasted whole lamb? It's almost ...... to kill you and roast you.

……

However, Marin asked Simon to form several regiments of Polish hussars, which is only a plan for now. Even, Sigmunt I, the pioneer of the Polish hussars, is still trying to explore the construction of the Polish hussars, and the scale is not large.

Therefore, Simon must first have his own forces. As for the hussar regiment, it had to be formed slowly. After all, as a knight's son, no one is a fool, and he won't be fooled by your few words.

Adler went to County Wicklow on the island of Ireland, and the reason why so many wandering knights came to vote was because everyone knew that there were no opponents on the island of Ireland who could fight, so they enthusiastically signed up. But the Ukrainian steppes are different, that is the world of ruthless people. It's dangerous to go over there.

Therefore, Simon first needs to prove that he can gain a foothold in the ruthless Ukraine, and then he can recruit people.

To do this, Marin had to first provide Simon with an army to gain a foothold in the Ukrainian steppes. Wait until Simon has a firm foothold there, and then recruit heroes from all walks of life to serve him......

……

Based on Simon's current situation, Marin believes that his first goal is to complete the defense of the city of Kyiv so that it will not fall easily. Therefore, this requires first and foremost a force that is good at defending the city.

And if we talk about the experience of defending the city...... Marin thought about it for a moment and found that the most experienced was actually the Italian mercenary......

Why? Because the Italian mercenaries are weak......

If you are strong, you will directly fight the enemy in the wild. Only the weak army will retreat into the city and rely on the city walls to defend it......

Therefore, looking at Europe, the most experienced in defending the city turned out to be Italian mercenaries...... It seems that the anti-shelling fort was built by the Italians......

And Simon is currently in urgent need of an army that is good at defending the city, several legions of the Beihai Kingdom, Marin is unwilling to give, they are all veterans, they have experienced the baptism of war, and they are too precious. Moreover, Marin was also worried that the princes or the French would attack the North Sea Kingdom......

So, after thinking about it, Marin decided - to spend money to hire a group of Italian mercenaries to help defend the city of Kyiv first. They are experienced in defending the city and can help Simon a lot in the early stages.

But it is not enough to count on the Italian mercenaries, because they are also experienced in defending the city, and nothing else. Therefore, Marin also planned to equip Simon with some German mercenaries. In addition, there will be Polish mercenaries and even Polish wandering knights in the future......

Such a complex ethnic composition is comparable to that of the French Foreign Legion in later generations......

Therefore, Marin decided to name this newly formed legion to protect Kyiv "Foreign Legion"......