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Chapter 1401 Confused
Rodionov was in his thirties, with a square head and face, and his whole body was broad and imposing. When he was on horseback, he looked like a tabletop, and when he dismounted, he looked like a door panel. He exuded a fierce and unruly aura. What was even more infuriating was his mouth, which demeaned his Cossack compatriots in the Zaporizhzhia camp as fishermen.

In the 17th century, the Cossack community was geographically divided into two main settlements: Zaporozhye and the Don River region. While there was cooperation, there was also conflict between the two sides; generally, they lived their own lives without interfering with each other.

However, if we divide them by identity, we have to divide them into three main groups: registered Cossacks, unregistered Cossacks, and Don Cossacks.

The Don Cossacks are a relatively simple group; they were Cossack people living in the Don River basin. This region was within Russian territory, so they naturally pledged allegiance to the Tsar.

Meanwhile, the Don Cossacks had their own administrative bodies and leaders, known as the All-Army Rada and Ataman. Their total strength was around 2, organized into several regiments or detachments, with centurions below them. The Tsar granted them a high degree of autonomy and rarely interfered with them except when fighting for Russia.

Registered and unregistered Cossacks actually came from the same group: the Zaporozhye Cossacks. This region was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Polish nobility and the Tsar differed in their approach to the Cossack community, neither wanting ethnic autonomy within their territory.

Thus, the two sides fought back and forth for many years. The Polish nobles tried their best to stop it, while the Zaporozhye Cossacks tried their best to win it over. Neither side would give way, and both sides suffered casualties.

As the international landscape changed, or rather, as the Russian Empire grew stronger, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth faced increasing external pressure and had to compromise with the Cossacks within its borders, proposing a compromise: registration.

Polish nobles allowed up to 6000 Cossacks to register within the country and exercise autonomy under the administration of Polish authorities. These Zaporozhye Cossacks who accepted the government were known as the registered Cossacks.

They consisted of six regiments, each with approximately 1000 men. Each regiment was further divided into several platoons of 6 men, each commanded by a centurion. The supreme commander of the army was called the Hetman, and was appointed by the Polish authorities.

However, there are tens of thousands of Cossacks who have lived in the Zaporozhye region for a long time. The remaining people cannot disappear immediately, so they continue to live as before and continue to use the previous management model.

When the price is right, they will fight alongside the registered Cossacks for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but when the terms cannot be agreed upon, they will turn against the Polish rulers.

Unregistered Cossacks did not recognize the Hetman's leadership; they had their own parliamentary system called the Kulun. The supreme military commander elected by the Kulun was called the Ataman, and below him were regiments and centurions, with a total strength of between 2 and 3 men.

In general, the distinction between registered and unregistered Cossacks was a scheme devised by the Poli Federation leadership to divide the Zaporozhye Cossack community, but it was ineffective. Not only did it serve no purpose, it also backfired, setting the stage for the later Cossack uprising.

Why did the word "fisherman" become a derogatory term? This has to do with the lifestyle of the Zaporigeans and the Don Cossacks.

The Don River, a vast river in the southern part of the Russian Empire, eventually flows into the Sea of ​​Azov. The Zaporizhzhia region also has an estuary of the Dnieper River, similarly bordering the northern shore of the Sea of ​​Azov.

As the saying goes, "Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water." Every group of people living near rivers or the sea is adept at utilizing water. The Zaporizhzhia Cossacks had both a large river and the sea, so there was no reason for them not to use them. In fact, the Cossacks were not only elite cavalrymen who moved swiftly like the wind, but also adept at naval warfare, moving freely on the water. However, they rarely engaged in fishing, preferring to plunder ships from the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. Being called fishermen was tantamount to calling them cowards.

"Rodionov, keep your mouth shut. Now the Zaporizhzhia and the Don Cossacks are one army, and we also have to fight the Poles and the Crimeans. Remember, from the day we left the Don until we win this war, there is only one enemy: the Ming Empire!"

If he were still fighting in his homeland, Katoskin would not have restricted the speech and behavior of his subordinates at all. But this time, being hired to fight was very different from the past. It was no longer just a matter of Don Cossacks and the Tsar's army. There were also Zaporozhye Cossacks, Poles and Crimeans to be added. In order to win, some changes had to be made.

“I understand, Commander Katoshkin… but I still don’t understand why the Cossacks are fighting for the Poles and Crimeans. How can we be sure they won’t stab us in the back during our charge?”

Rodionov readily agreed, but his bewildered look clearly showed he didn't understand at all. Fortunately, Cossacks valued brotherhood, and even when facing superiors, they were allowed to question and vent their frustrations.

"...Ataman will take care of everything! I'm going to wait for the main force at the back. You stay here and set up camp. Drink less alcohol and keep your eyes wide open!"

Despite Rodionov's impetuous nature, his questions were so pointed that Katoshkin couldn't find suitable answers for a while. After hesitating for a long time, he could only resort to invoking the commander-in-chief of the Northern Theater as a pretext.

Even he himself couldn't understand why the Tsar suddenly allied with the Poles and then turned against the Ming Empire.

For nearly a decade, Russia and the Ming Empire maintained a facade of non-interference, but in reality, they engaged in numerous collusion activities. They built factories and constructed large ships, and every year hundreds of Ming engineers and technicians were sent to Russia to provide assistance. The Don Cossacks even sent men to act as bodyguards.

Furthermore, the fortresses in the south defending against the Crimean Khanate were also partially reinforced by Ming Dynasty craftsmen. It must be said that the things they made were excellent; they didn't even break when directly hit by cannon fire.

With the addition of small cannons that could accompany cavalry on long-distance raids, the Don Cossacks gradually gained the upper hand in their battles against the Crimean Khanate's cavalry in recent years, and the southern border region was no longer a slave-hunting ground where they could come and go as they pleased.

Two years ago, the Don Cossacks launched a surprise attack on Azov, a major trading town at the mouth of the Don River, with 4000 troops and won, completely driving the Ottomans and Crimeans out of the Don River basin.

Holding this city would grant control of the Don River's passage into the Sea of ​​Azov, a highly advantageous position for the Cossacks living in the region. From then on, the Don Cossacks, in addition to relying on the Russian Empire, could also access the Black Sea and the Mediterranean via the Sea of ​​Azov, greatly expanding their living space.

The Ottomans were naturally unwilling to let the Cossacks run rampant, and it is said that they had gathered tens of thousands of troops, preparing to join forces with the Crimean Khanate to retake Azov in one fell swoop.

(End of this chapter)