   thumb|right|300px|position of both armies prior to polish cavalry charge the battle of kircholm (27 september 1605, or 17 september in the old style calendar then in use in protestant countries) was one of the major battles in the polishâswedish war. the battle was decided in 20 minutes by the devastating charge of polishâlithuanian cavalry, the winged hussars. the battle ended in the decisive victory of polishâlithuanian forces, and is remembered as one of the greatest triumphs of commonwealth cavalry. == history == === eve of the battle ===  on 27 september 1605, the commonwealth and swedish forces met near the small town of kircholm (now salaspils in latvia, some 18&nbsp;km. south east of riga). the forces of charles ix of sweden were numerically superior and were composed of 10,868 menfrost, r.i., 2000, the northern wars, 1558â1721, harlow: pearson education limited, isbn 980582064294 and 11 cannons. the swedish army included two western commanders, frederick of luneburg and count joachim frederick of mansfield, with a few thousand german and dutch mercenaries and even a few hundred scots. the polish crown declined to raise funds for defence, although great hetman of lithuania chodkiewicz promised to pay out army wages fro
17th_century_in_Latvia Battles_involving_Poland Battles_involving_Sweden Battles_involving_the_Grand_Duchy_of_Lithuania Conflicts_in_1605