Cavalry

:This article is about cavalry, mounted soldiers. Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the biblical hill Calvary.

Dominance and decline

The decline of the Roman infrastructure made it more difficult to field large infantry forces, and during the second and third centuries cavalry began to take a more dominant role on the battlefield, also in part made possible by the appearance of new, larger breeds of horses. The replacement of the insubstantial Roman saddle by variants on the Scythian model, with pommel and cantle, was significant too.

Related Topics:
Second - Third centuries - Saddle

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New armored Cataphracts were deployed in eastern Europe and the near Middle East, notably in Persian forces, as the main striking force of the armies, whereas earlier cavalry had to be consigned to the flanks.

Related Topics:
Europe - Middle East - Persia

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The introduction of the stirrup allowed for even heavier cavalry. As a greater weight of man and armor could be supported in the saddle, the almost-certainty of being dismounted in combat was reduced. In the initial charge a lance could be 'set' rather than held over-head—leading to an enormous increase in the impact of a charge. In western Europe there emerged the very heaviest cavalry, the knight—exchanging much of the mobility advantage for a massive, irresistible first charge.

Related Topics:
Stirrup - Lance - Knight

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Knights remained a dominant military force in western Europe until the rising population and improved political sophistication revived infantry. Technological changes made infantry more effective, initially highly disciplined pikemen and skilled longbowmen could counter a cavalry charge—if they held their formation and the enemy obliged with a head-long charge. Massed English longbowmen triumphed over French cavalry at Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt. While at Gisors (1188), Bannockburn (1314), and Laupen (1339), foot-soldiers proved they could stand up to cavalry charges. The Swiss-developed pike square became a key advance in resisting cavalry—although eventually numbers would tell (Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs). The introduction of less effective but simpler missile weapons, like the crossbow, was additionally decisive. A top-quality 15th century army could be 50 percent cavalry, but by the 1520s this proportion had fallen below 25 percent. Knighthood quickly became associated with land ownership and senior positions in the feudal social structure.

Related Topics:
Pikemen - Longbowmen - Crécy - Poitiers - Agincourt - Gisors - Bannockburn - Laupen - Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs - Crossbow - Feudal

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From the 1550s, the use of gunpowder weapons solidified infantry's dominance of the battlefield, and began to allow true mass unskilled armies to develop. Arquebusiers and later musketeers, the Spanish tercio and later formations, relegated cavalry to a supporting role—although the pistol was specifically developed to try and bring cavalry back into the conflict, together with manoeuvres such as the caracole.

Related Topics:
Arquebusier - Musketeer - Tercio - Pistol - Caracole

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However, cavalry still had a role to play, even if it was to only counter enemy cavalry. Attacking an unbroken infantry force head-on was usually unsuccessful, but the extended linear formations were vulnerable to flank or rear attacks. Cavalry was important at Blenheim (1704), Rossbach (1757), and Friedland (1807), remaining a significant factor throughout the Napoleonic Wars. And while massed infantry was deadly to cavalry, it was an excellent target for artillery—and once formations were broken, cavalry was essential and deadly in the harry and rout of the scattered infantry. It was not until individual firearms gained accuracy and improved rates of fire that cavalry was diminished in this role as well.

Related Topics:
Blenheim - 1704 - Rossbach - 1757 - Friedland - 1807 - Napoleonic Wars - Artillery - Rout

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By the Nineteenth Century, European cavalry fell into four main categories:

Related Topics:
Nineteenth Century - Europe

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• Cuirassiers, heavy cavalry
• Dragoons, originally mounted infantry but later regarded as medium cavalry
• Hussars, light cavalry
• Lancers or Uhlans, light cavalry armed with lances

There were cavalry variations for individual nations as well: France had the chasseurs à cheval; Germany had the Jäger zu Pferd; and Russia had Cossacks. Britain had no cuirassiers (other than the Household Cavalry), but had Dragoon Guards regiments which were classed as heavy cavalry. In the United States Army, the cavalry were almost always dragoons. The Imperial Japanese Army had its cavalry dressed as hussars, but fought as dragoons.

Related Topics:
France - Germany - Russia - Cuirassier - Household Cavalry - United States Army - Dragoon - Imperial Japanese Army - Hussar

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These forces found new success in Imperial operations (irregular warfare), where modern weapons were lacking and the slow moving infantry-artillery train or fixed fortifications were often ineffective against native insurgents (unless the natives offered a fight on an equal footing, as at Tel-el-Kebir, Omdurman, etc). Cavalry "flying columns" proved effective, or at least cost-effective, in many campaigns—although an astute native commander (like Samori in western Africa, Shamil in the Caucasus, or any of the better Boer commanders) could use the added mobility (but reduced firepower) against European forces.

Related Topics:
Irregular warfare - Tel-el-Kebir - Omdurman - Flying column - Samori - Shamil - Caucasus - Boer

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In the American Civil War regular cavalry was significantly absent, but it continued to play a role as part of screening forces and in foraging and scouting.

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Asia

In eastern Europe, Russia, and out onto the Steppes cavalry remained important much longer and dominated the battlefield until the early 1600s, because of long distances and better tactics. Huns, Mongols and Cossacks are examples of succeeding horse-mounted peripheral peoples successful in military conflicts with Western civilizations, due to their strategic and tactical mobility.

Related Topics:
Steppes - 1600s

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After defeats, Westerners quickly adopted Eastern cavalry tactics; one of the most famous examples is Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. As European nation-states became established, they were keen to recruit border peoples to serve in formal roles in national armies. For instance, Cossack cavalry regiments were an important part of the Imperial Russian Army until the Revolution, and some even served in the Red Army.

Related Topics:
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden - Cossack - Red Army

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