See also: Horses in warfare

War Military History

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Cavalry (from French cavalerie) were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Horses were first used in warfare over 5000 years ago The earliest evidence of the use of horses ridden in warfare dates War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units Military history is a Humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity Prehistoric warfare is War conducted in the era before Writing, and before the establishments of large social entities like States Historical warfare sets Ancient warfare is War as conducted from the beginnings of recorded History to the end of the ancient period Medieval Warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe technological cultural and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character Early Modern warfare is associated with the start of the widespread use of Gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive Industrial warfare is a period in the History of warfare ranging roughly from the start of the Industrial Revolution to the beginning of the Information Age Modern warfare, although present in every Historical period of Military history, is generally used to refer to the concepts, methods and Battlespace is a unified strategy to integrate and combine Armed forces for the Military theatre of operations, including air, information Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Information warfare is the use and management of information in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent Land warfare, sometimes also called ground combat is the term used to describe military operations eventuating in Combat that take place predominantly on the land surface of Naval warfare is Combat in and on Seas Oceans or any other major bodies of water such as large Lakes and wide Rivers History Space warfare is combat that takes place in Outer space, ie outside the Atmosphere. A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The US Department of Defense defines psychological warfare ( PSYWAR) as" The planned use of Propaganda and other Psychological actions Military tactics ( Greek: Taktikē, the art of organizing an army are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating This article is about the military strategy For the Israeli-Egyptian conflict see War of Attrition, for the game theoretical model see War of attrition (game Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Maneuver warfare, also spelled manoeuvre warfare, is the term used by military theorists for a concept of Warfare that advocates attempting to Total war is a conflict of unlimited scope in which a Belligerent engages in a total mobilization of all available resources at his disposal Trench warfare is a form of warfare where both combatants have fortified positions and fighting lines are static Military strategy is a National defence policy implemented by Military organisations to pursue desired strategic goals Derived from the Greek Economic warfare is the term for economic policies followed as a part of Military operations during Wartime The purpose of economic warfare is to capture Grand strategy is military Strategy at the level of movement and use of an entire Nation state or Empire 's resources A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Military Logistics is the art and science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces This article lists military technology items devices and methods Materiel (from the French "matériel" for equipment or hardware related to the word Material) is a term used in English to refer to the Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services The broad This is an index to articles listing Battles. List of battles (alphabetical gives a global list See also Military History Antiquity Albania Agron ( 250 BC - 230 BC) The first king to unite the Illyrian This is a list of missions operations and projects Missions in support of other missions are not listed independently A Siege is a prolonged Military Assault and Blockade on a City or Fortress with the intent of conquering by force or Attrition See also List of military writers. Friedrich von Bernhardi Ivan Bloch John Boyd, inventor of the OODA Loop This is a listing of lists of Wars, sorted by country date region and type of conflict This article lists and summarizes War crimes committed since the Hague Convention of 1907. There is a bewildering array of Weapons far more than would be useful in list form This is a list of military writers, alphabetical by last name French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. According to the Random House Dictionary, the term warrior has two meanings For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description The ComBat was an Aluminium Cricket bat and the subject of an incident that occurred at the WACA cricket ground in Perth in December 1979. The designation was not usually extended to any military force that used other animals, such as camels or mules. Infantry who moved on horseback but dismounted to fight on foot were in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries known as dragoons, a class of mounted troops which later evolved into cavalry proper while retaining their historic title. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially From earliest times cavalry had the advantage of improved mobility, an "instrument which multiplied the fighting value of even the smallest forces, allowing them to outflank and avoid, to surprise and overpower, to retreat and escape according to the requirements of the moment. " A man fighting from horseback also had the advantages of greater height, speed, and inertial mass over an opponent on foot.

In many modern armies, the term cavalry is often used for units that fill the traditional horse-borne light cavalry roles of scouting, screening, skirmishing and raiding. Light cavalry refers to lightly-armed and armored troops mounted on Horses, as opposed to Heavy cavalry, where the riders (and sometimes the horses are heavily armored Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Skirmishers are Infantry or Cavalry Soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops A raid can refer to either a military tactic, or a larger Grand Tactical or Operational warfare mission which require the execution of a plan where The shock role, traditionally filled by heavy cavalry, is generally filled by units with the "armored" designation. Shock tactics, shock tactic or Shock attack is the name of an offensive Maneuver in battle in which the attacking forces engage into Close combat Heavy cavalry is the late 19th century Misnomer for Cavalry troops that from the late 17th to late 19th centuries usually wore armour and were mounted on largest Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins 1.2 Ancient Greece and Macedon 1.3 Roman Republic and Early Empire 1.4 Late Roman Empire and the Migration Period 1.5 Arabs 1.6 Asia 1.6.1 Central Asia 1.6.2 East Asia 1.6.3 South Asia 1.7 European Middle Ages 1.8 Renaissance Europe 1.9 Eighteenth Century Europe and Napoleonic Warfare 1.10 19th century 1.11 19th-century Imperial Expansion 1.12 Cavalry's demise 1.13 Post World War I 1.14 World War II 1.15 Post World War II to present day 2 Light and heavy cavalry 3 Social status 4 On film 5 Some cavalry forces 6 Some contemporary horse cavalry officers 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links

History

Origins

Before the Iron Age, the role of cavalry on the battlefield was largely performed by light chariots. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples The chariot originated with the Sintashta-Petrovka culture in Central Asia and spread by nomadic or semi-nomadic Indo-Iranians ^[1]. Indo-Iranian originspng|thumb|300px|Archaeological cultures associated with Indo-Iranian migrations (after EIEC) Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Indo-Iranian peoples consist of the Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dardic and Nuristani peoples that is speakers of Indo-Iranian languages The chariot was quickly adopted by settled peoples both as a military technology and an object of ceremonial status, especially by the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt as well as Assyrian and Babylonian royalty. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and The Assyrians are an Ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital

The power of mobility given by mounted units was recognized early on, but was offset by the difficulty of raising large forces and by the inability of horses (then mostly small) to carry heavy armor. Cavalry techniques were an innovation of equestrian nomads of the Central Asian and Iranian steppe and pastoralist tribes such as the Persian Parthians and Sarmatians. Eurasian Nomads are a large group of peoples of the Eurasian Steppe. The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of Agriculture concerned with the raising of Livestock. A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran The Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae ( Old Iranian Sarumatah 'archer' Σαρμάτες

The photograph above right shows Assyrian cavalry from reliefs of 865-860 BC. At this time, the men had no spurs, saddles, saddlecloths, or stirrups. A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of Riding boots for the purpose of directing a Horse to move forward or laterally while riding Fighting from the back of a horse was much more difficult than mere riding. The cavalry acted in pairs; the reins of the mounted archer were controlled by his neighbour’s hand. Even at this early time, cavalry used swords, shields, and bows. The sculpture implies two types of cavalry, but this might be a simplification by the artist. Later images of Assyrian cavalry show saddlecloths as primitive saddles, allowing each archer to control his own horse.

As early as 490 BC a breed of large horses was bred in the Nisaean plain in Media to carry men with increasing amounts of armour (Herodotus 7,40 & 9,20). The Republican Guard (Garde républicaine is the Ceremonial unit of the French Gendarmerie. But large horses were still very exceptional at this time. Excepting a few ineffective trials of scythed chariots, the use of chariots in battle was obsolete in civilized nations by the time of the Persian defeat at the hands of Alexander the Great, but chariots remained in use for ceremonial purposes such as carrying the victorious general in a Roman triumph, for chariot racing. The Scythed chariot was a modified war chariot. A scythed chariot was a war chariot with a blade(s mounted on both ends of the Axle. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' A Roman triumph ( la [[wikttriumphus triumphus]], Old Latin la triumpus, attested as the exclamation la TRIVMPE in the Carmen Arvale; via The southern British met Julius Caesar with chariots in 55 and 54 BCE, but a century later, in the Roman conquest of Britain chariots were obsolete even in Britannia. During his Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar invaded' Britain twice in 55 and 54 BC. This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt.

Ancient Greece and Macedon

Main article: hippeis

Cavalry have played a relatively minor role in Ancient Greece, with conflicts decided by massed armored infantry. Hippeis is also an incorrect spelling for Hippies ' Hippeis was the Greek term for Cavalry. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca However, Thessaly was widely known for producing competent cavalrymen, and later experiences in wars both with and against the Persians taught the Greeks the value of cavalry in skirmishing and pursuit. Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Athenian author and soldier Xenophon in particular advocated the creation of a small but well-trained cavalry force; to that end, he wrote several manuals on horsemanship and cavalry operations. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca

The Macedonian kingdom in the north, on the other hand, developed a strong cavalry force that culminated in the hetairoi (Companion cavalry) of Philip II and Alexander the Great. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most The Companions ( εταιροι hetairoi) were the Cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon, and Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse In addition to these heavy cavalry, the Macedonian combined arms army also employed lighter horsemen called prodromoi for scouting and screening, as well as the Macedonian pike phalanx and various kinds of light infantry. In Ancient Greece, the Prodromoi (singular Prodromos were the skirmisher light Cavalry. The Army of ancient Macedon is considered to be among the greatest military forces of the ancient world Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a Skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of Infantry, harassing There were also the Ippiko (or "Horserider"), Greek "heavy" cavalry, armed with kontos (or cavalry lance), and sword. They wore leather armour or chainmail and hat. They were medium cavalry, rather as heavy cavalry. They were good scouts, skirmishers, and chasers.

The effectiveness of this combined-arms system was most dramatically demonstrated in Alexander's conquest of Persia, Bactria, and northwestern India. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Roman Republic and Early Empire

The cavalry in the early Roman Republic remained the preserve of the wealthy landed class known as the Equites --men who could afford the expense of maintaining a horse in addition to arms and armor heavier than those of the common legions. Landed property or landed estates is a Real estate term that usually refers to a property that generates income for the owner without the owner having to For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," As the class grew to be more of a social elite instead of a functional property-based military grouping, the Romans began to employ Italian socii for filling the ranks of their cavalry. The Roman military confederation (or confederacy or commonwealth) is a term devised by modern historians to denote the Roman Republic 's system of military At about the same time the Romans began to recruit foreign auxiliary cavalry from among Gauls, Iberians, and Numidians, the last being highly valued as mounted skirmishers and scouts. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources (among others Hecataeus of Miletus, Avienus, Herodot and Strabo The Numidians were semi-nomadic Berber tribes who lived in Numidia, in Algeria east of Constantine and in part of Tunisia and Morocco Julius Caesar himself was known for his admiration in his escort of Germanic mixed cavalry, giving rise to Cohorte Equitates. Early Emperors maintained an ala of Bataviand cavalry as their bodyguards until the unit was dismissed by Galba. Auxiliaries (from Latin: auxilia = "supports" formed the standing non-citizen corps of the Roman army of the Principate (30 BC&ndash284 AD The Batavians ( Latin Batavi) were a Germanic tribe originally part of the Chatti, reported by Tacitus to Servius Sulpicius Galba ( December 24, 3 BC &ndash January 15, 69) also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar

For the most part, Roman cavalry during the Republic functioned as an adjunct to the legionary infantry and formed only one-fifth of the showing force. This does not mean that its utility could be underestimated, though, as its strategic role in scouting, skirmishing, and outpost duties was crucial to the Romans' capability to conduct operations over long distances in hostile or unfamiliar territory. In some occasions it also proved its ability to strike a decisive tactical blow against a weakened or unprepared enemy. The term enemy combatant has historically referred to members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war Although it was not until the Late Imperial Period that Roman cavalry would play a major role in armed conflict.

After the Battle of Carrhae, the Romans learnt the importance of large cavalry formations from the Parthians and began to substantially increase both the numbers and the training standards of the cavalry in their employ, just as nearly a thousand years earlier the first Iranians to reach the Iranian Plateau introduced the Assyrians to a similar reform. The Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC was a decisive victory for the Parthian Spahbod Surena over the Roman general Crassus near The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern The Assyrians are an Ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. ^[2]

Late Roman Empire and the Migration Period

In the army of the late Roman Empire, cavalry played an increasingly important role. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Spatha, the classical sword throughout most of the 1st millennium which had originated among the Germanic peoples, was adopted as the standard model for the Empire's cavalry forces. The spatha was a type of straight Sword with a long point measuring between 0 The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic

The most widespread employment of heavy cavalry at this time was found in the forces of the Parthians and their Iranian Sassanid successors. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire Both, but especially the latter, were famed for the cataphract (fully-armored cavalry armed with lances) even though the majority of their forces consisted of lighter horse archers. A cataphract was a form of Heavy cavalry used by nomadic eastern Iranian tribes and dynasties and later Ancient Greeks and Romans. The West first encountered this eastern heavy cavalry during the Hellenistic period with further intensive contacts during the eight centuries of the Roman-Persian wars. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units At first the Parthians' mobility greatly confounded the Romans, whose armoured close-order infantry proved unable to match the speed of the Parthians. However, later the Romans would successfully adapt such heavy armor and cavalry tactics by creating their own units of cataphracts and clibanarii [1].

The decline of the Roman infrastructure made it more difficult to field large infantry forces, and during the fourth and fifth centuries cavalry began to take a more dominant role on the European battlefield, also in part made possible by the appearance of new, larger breeds of horses. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. The replacement of the Roman saddle by variants on the Scythian model, with pommel and cantle, was also a significant factor as was the adoption of stirrups and the concomitant increase in stability of the rider's seat. Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by Horses in the course of their use as domesticated Animals Saddles stirrups For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation. Armored Cataphracts began to be deployed in eastern Europe and the near East, following the precedents established by Persian forces, as the main striking force of the armies in contrast to the earlier roles of cavalry as scouts, raiders, and outflankers. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia

The late Roman cavalry tradition and the mounted nobility of the Germanic invaders both contributed to the development of mediaeval knightly cavalry.

Arabs

Early organized Arab cavalry under the Rashidun caliphate was a light cavalry armed with lance and sword, its main role was to attack the enemy flanks and rear. The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs ( ar الخلفاء الراشدون) is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history Light cavalry refers to lightly-armed and armored troops mounted on Horses, as opposed to Heavy cavalry, where the riders (and sometimes the horses are heavily armored The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear. Armor was relatively light. The Muslims' light cavalry during the later years of Islamic conquest of Levant became the most powerful section of army. The best use of this lightly armed fast moving cavalry was revealed at the Battle of Yarmouk (636 A. The Battle of Yarmouk ( معركة اليرموك, also spelled Yarmuk, Yarmuq or Hieromyax) comprised a series of engagements between the D) in which Khalid ibn Walid, knowing the importance and ability of his cavalry, used them to turn the tables at every critical instance of the battle with their ability to engage and disengage and turn back and attack again from the flank or rear. Khālid ibn al-Walīd (592-642 ( خالد بن الوليد) also known by Sunnis as Sayf-'ullah al-Maslul (the Drawn Sword of God, God's Withdrawn A strong cavalry regiment was formed by Khalid ibn Walid which included the veterans of the campaign of Iraq and Syria. Early Muslim historians have given it the name Mutaharrik tulai'a( متحرك طليعة ), or the Mobile guard. The Mobile guard ( متحرك طليعة), was a Light cavalry of Rashidun army during the Muslim conquest of Syria, that remained under the This was used as an advance guard and a strong striking force to route the opposing armies with its greater mobility that give it an upper hand when maneuvering against any Byzantine army. With this mobile striking force, the conquest of Syria was made easy. ^[3]

The Battle of Talas in 751 CE was a conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty over the control of Central Asia. The Battle of Talas in 751 CE was a conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty for control China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Chinese infantry were routed by Arab cavalry near the bank of the River Talas. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding

Later Mamluks were trained as cavalry soldiers. Mamluks were to follow the dictates of furusiyya, a code of conduct that included values like courage and generosity but also doctrine of cavalry tactics, horsemanship, archery and treatment of wounds.

Asia

Main article: Horse archer

Central Asia

The Indian literature contains numerous references to the cavalry forces of the Central Asian horse nomads like the Sakas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Pahlavas and Paradas. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Sakas ( English form of Old Iranian Sakā, Nominative plural masculine case; Ancient Greek Σάκαι, The Kambojas were a Kshatriya Tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in ( post-Vedic) Sanskrit and Pali literature "Yona" is a Pali word used in ancient India to designate Greek speakers The Pahlavas are a people mentioned in ancient Indian texts like the Manu Smriti, various Puranas the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Brhatsamhita The Paradas are a people mentioned in ancient Indian texts such as the Manu Smriti, various Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Numerous Puranic texts refer to an ancient invasion of India (16th c. For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" BC) ^[4] by the joint cavalry forces of these five nations, called five hordes (pañca. ganan) or Kśatriya hordes (Kśatriya ganah), which had captured the throne of Ayudhya by dethroning its Vedic king Bahu ^[5]

The Mahabharata, Ramayana, numerous Puranas and some foreign sources numerously attest that "Kamboja cavalry-troopers were frequently requisitioned in ancient wars". The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki All these sources also agree that the horses of the Sindhu and Kamboja regions were the finest breed. JAOS attests: "Most famous horses are said to come either from Sindhu or Kamboja; of the latter (i. e the Kamboja), the Indian epic Mahabharata speaks among the finest horsemen" ^[6]. Indian epic poetry is the Epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. Horsemen may refer to Cavalry Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Four Horsemen (football

Mahabharata (950 c BC) ^[7] speaks of the esteemed cavalry of the Kambojas, Sakas, Yavanas and Tusharas, all of whom had participated in the Kurukshetra war under the supreme commandership of Kamboja ruler Sudakshin Kamboj ^[8]. The Tocharians were the Tocharian -speaking inhabitants of the Tarim basin, making them the easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language in antiquity 'Among the Kshatriya Tribes who had participated in the Kurukshetra war, the Kambojas occupy a very prominent place Sudakshina Kamboja (सुदक्षिण is the third king of the Kambojas referred to in the Mahābhārata. Mahabharata and Vishnudharmotari Purana especially styles the Kambojas, Yavansa, Gandharas etc as "Ashva. yuddha. kushalah" (expert cavalrymen) ^[9]. In the Mahabharata war, the Kamboja cavalry along with that of the Sakas, Yavanas is reported to have been enlisted by the Kuru king Duryodhana of Hastinapura ^[10]. Kuru ( Sanskrit: कुरु was the name of an Indo-Aryan tribe and their kingdom in the Vedic civilization of India, and later a In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana (दुर्योधन is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Hastinapur (हस्‍तिनापुर (Hastinapura in Sanskrit) is a town and a Nagar panchayat

Herodotus (484 c BC- 425 c BC) ) attests that the Gandarian mercenaries (i. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient e. Gandharans/Kambojans of Gandari Strapy of Achaemenids) from the twentieth strapy of the Achaemenids were recruited in the army of emperor Xerxes I (486-465 BC), which he led against the Hellas. The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions ^[11]. Similarly, the men of the Mountain Land from north of Kabol-River equivalent to medieval Kohistan (Pakistan), figure in the army of Darius III against Alexander at Arbela with a cavalry and fifteen elephants. } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with Darius III ( Artashata) (c 380&ndash330 BC Persian داریوش Dāriūš dɔːriˈuːʃ was the last king of the Achaemenid Empire of Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Arbela may refer to An important city in ancient Israel located on the site of modern Irbid, Jordan The ancient name of the city of Arbil ^[12]. This obviously refers to Kamboja cavalry south of Hindukush.

The Kambojas were famous for their horses, as well as cavalry-men (asva-yuddha-Kushalah) ^[13]. On account of their supreme position in horse (Ashva) culture, they were also popularly known as Ashvakas, i. The Ashvakas or Ashvayanas, classically called the Asenes (Aseni are a very ancient people of north-east Afghanistan ( Nuristan) and the entire e. the "horsemen" ^[14] and their land was known as "Home of Horses" ^[15]. They are the Assakenoi and Aspasioi of the Classical writings, and the Ashvakayanas and Ashvayanas in Panini's Ashtadhyayi. The Ashvakas or Ashvayanas, classically called the Asenes (Aseni are a very ancient people of north-east Afghanistan ( Nuristan) and the entire The Ashvakas or Ashvayanas, classically called the Asenes (Aseni are a very ancient people of north-east Afghanistan ( Nuristan) and the entire Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean The Ashvakas or Ashvayanas, classically called the Asenes (Aseni are a very ancient people of north-east Afghanistan ( Nuristan) and the entire The Ashvakas or Ashvayanas, classically called the Asenes (Aseni are a very ancient people of north-east Afghanistan ( Nuristan) and the entire Pāṇini ( IAST: Pāṇini Dēvanāgarī: sa पाणिनि a Patronymic meaning "descendant of {{IAST|Paṇi}} " was an ancient The Assakenoi had faced Alexander with 30000 infantry, 20000 cavalry and 30 war elephants^[16]. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Scholars have identified the Assakenoi and Aspasioi clans of Kunar and Swat valleys as a section of the Kambojas ^[17]. Kunar may refer to Kunar Valley, Afghanistan Kunar Province, Afghanistan Kunar River, Afghanistan SWAT ( Special Weapons And Tactics) is an elite special operations tactical unit in American Police departments similar to the Taiwan Thunder Squad The Kambojas were a Kshatriya Tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in ( post-Vedic) Sanskrit and Pali literature These hardy tribes had offered stubborn resistance to Alexander (326 c BC) during latter’s campaign of the Kabul, Kunar and Swat valleys and had even extracted the praise of the Alexander’s historians. These highlanders, designated as "parvatiya Ayudhajivinah" in Panini's Astadhyayi ^[18], were rebellious, fiercely independent and freedom-loving cavalrymen who never easily yielded to any overlord ^[19].

The Sanskrit drama Mudra-rakashas by Visakha Dutta and the Jaina work Parisishtaparvan refer to Chandragupta's (320 C BC- 298 c BC) alliance with Himalayan king Parvataka. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Chandragupta may refer to Chandragupta Maurya, Indian king Mauryan Empire 322–293 BCE Chandragupta I, Indian king Gupta Empire 320-335 The Himalayan alliance gave Chandragupta a formidable composite army made up of the cavalry forces of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Kiratas, Parasikas and Bahlikas as attested by Mudra-Rakashas (Mudra-Rakshasa 2) ^[20]. These hordes had helped Chandragupta Maurya defeat the ruler of Magadha and placed Vhandragupta on the throne, thus laying the foundations of Mauryan Dynasty in Northern India. Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c Magadha (मगध formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas ( Sanskrit, "great countries" or regions in ancient India. The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military

The cavalry of Hunas and the Kambojas is also attested in the Raghu Vamsa play of Sanskrit Poet Kalidasa ^[21]. The Huna (also known as Indo-Hephthalites or Alchon) as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group who Raghuvamsa is believed to be a lineage of warrior kings tracing its ancestry to Surya. "Kalidasa" redirects here For the true bug Genus, see Kalidasa (insect. Raghu of Kalidasa is believed to be Chandragupta II (Vikaramaditya) (375-413/15 AD), of the well-known Gupta Dynasty. Chandragupta II (very often referred to as Vikramaditya or Chandragupta Vikramaditya) was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C

As late as mediaeval era, the Kamboja cavalry had also formed part of the Gurjara-Pratihara armed forces in 8th/10th centuries AD. They had come to Bengal with the Pratiharas when the latter conquered part of the province. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang Origin The Gurjar Pratiharas were one of the Agnikula clans of Rajputs according to a legend given in later manuscripts of Prithviraj Raso ^{[22][23][24][25][26]}

Ancient Kambojas were constituted into military Sanghas and Srenis (Corporations) to manage their political and military affairs, as Arthashastra of Kautiliya as well as the Mahabharata amply attest for us. The Arthashastra ( IAST: Arthaśāstra) is a Treatise on statecraft, economic policy and Military strategy which Chanakya Sanskrit: चाणक्य Cāṇakya) (c 350-283 BC was an adviser and a Prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor They are attested to be living as Ayuddha-jivi or Shastr-opajivis (Nation-in-arms), which also means that the Kamboja cavalry offered its military services to other nations as well. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking There are numerous references to Kambojas having been requisitioned as cavalry troopers in ancient wars by outside nations. A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered

Xiongnu or Hun, Tujue, Avars, Kipchaks, Mongols, Cossacks and the various Turkic peoples are also examples of the horse-mounted peoples that managed to gain substantial successes in military conflicts with settled agrarian and urban societies, due to their strategic and tactical mobility. The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family As European states began to assume the character of bureaucratic nation-states supporting professional standing armies, recruitment of these mounted warriors was undertaken in order to fill the strategic roles of scouts and raiders. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy The best known instance of the continued employment of mounted tribal auxiliaries were the Cossack cavalry regiments of Tsarist Russia. The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 In eastern Europe, Russia, and out onto the steppes, cavalry remained important much longer and dominated the scene of warfare until the early 1600s and even beyond, as the strategic mobility of cavalry was crucial for the semi-nomadic pastoralist lives that many steppe cultures led. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of Agriculture concerned with the raising of Livestock. ^[27]

Tibetans also had a tradition of cavalry warfare, in several military engagements early on with the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), including Emperor Taizong's campaign against Tufan in 638. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Emperor Taizong of Tang (r 626 - 649) the second emperor of Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, subjugated the Xianbei state

East Asia

Further east, the military history of China, specifically northern China, held a long tradition of intense military exchange between Chinese infantry forces of the settled dynastic empires and the mounted "barbarians" of the north. The recorded military history of China extends from about 1500 BC to the present day Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. The naval history of China was centered more to the south, where mountains, rivers, and large lakes necessitated the employment of a large and well-kept navy. The naval history of China dates back thousands of years with archives existing since the late Spring and Autumn Period ( 722 BC - 481 BC) about the Naval warfare is Combat in and on Seas Oceans or any other major bodies of water such as large Lakes and wide Rivers History

In 307 BC, King Wuling of Zhao, the ancient Chinese ruler of the former State of Jin territory, ordered his military commanders and troops to adopt the trousers of the nomads as well as practice the nomads' form of mounted archery to hone their new cavalry skills. King Wuling of Zhao (Traditional Chinese趙武靈王 Simplified Chinese 赵武灵王 (? - 295 BCE, reigned 325 BCE - 299 BCE) reigned in the State Jin ( Traditional Chinese: 晉 Simplified Chinese: 晋 Pinyin: Jìn was one of the most powerful states in the Spring and Autumn Period Trousers are an item of Clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth stretching across Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that ^[28] Soon afterwards the cavalry tactics employed by the State of Zhao forced their enemies in the other Warring States to adopt the same techniques in order to mount any effective attack against their swift movements on the battlefield. Zhao ( Pinyin: zhào Traditional Chinese: 趙 Simplified Chinese: 赵 was a Chinese State during The Warring States Period ( also known as the Era of Warring States covers the period from some time in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the ^[29]

The adoption of massed cavalry in China also broke the tradition of the chariot-riding Chinese aristocracy in battle, which had been in use since the ancient Shang Dynasty (c. The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples The four occupations or " four categories of the people " (Chinese 四民 pinyin simin) was a hierarchic social class structure developed in ancient The Shang Dynasty ( Chinese: 商[[wiktionary 朝|朝]] or Yin Dynasty ( 殷[[wiktionary 代|代]] was according to traditional sources the 1600 BC-1050 BC). ^[30] By this time large Chinese infantry-based armies of 100,000 to 200,000 troops were now buttressed with several hundred mounted cavalry in support or as an effective striking force. ^[29] The handheld pistol-and-trigger crossbow was invented in China in the 4th century BC;^[31] it was written by the Song Dynasty scholars Zeng Gongliang, Ding Du, and Yang Weide in their book Wujing Zongyao (1044 AD) that massed missile fire of crossbowmen was the most effective defense against enemy cavalry charges. A crossbow is a Weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles often called bolts The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Wujing Zongyao ( was a Chinese military compendium written in 1044 AD during the Northern Song Dynasty. ^[32]

On many occasions the Chinese studied nomadic cavalry tactics and applied the lessons in creating their own potent cavalry forces, while in others they simply recruited the tribal horsemen wholesale into their armies; and in yet other cases nomadic empires have proved eager to enlist Chinese infantry and engineering, as in the case of the Mongol Empire and its sinicized part, the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai The Chinese recognized early on during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) that they were at a disadvantage if lacking the amount of horses the northern nomadic peoples mustered in their armies. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Emperor Wu of Han (r. Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, 141 BC-87 BC) went to war with the Yuezhi for this exact reason, since the Yuezhi were hording a massive amount of tall, strong, Central Asian bred horses in the Hellenized-Greek region of Fergana (established a bit earlier by Alexander the Great). The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì Hellenization (or Hellenisation) is a term used to describe the spread of Greek culture. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Fergana or Farghana ( Uzbek: Farg'ona, Persian فرغانه, UniPers "Farqāna", Russian: Фергана Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Although experiencing some defeats early on in the campaign, Emperor Wu's war from 104 BC to 102 BC succeeded in gathering the prized tribute of horses from Fergana.

Cavalry tactics in China were enhanced by the invention of the saddle-attached stirrup by at least the 4th century, as the oldest reliable depiction of a rider with paired stirrups was found in a Jin Dynasty tomb of the year 322 AD. For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation. The Jìn Dynasty ( 265 – 420) one of the Six Dynasties, followed the Three Kingdoms period and preceded the Southern and Northern Dynasties ^[33][34][35] The Chinese invention of the horse collar by the 5th century was also a great improvement from the breast harness, allowing the horse to haul greater weight without heavy burden on its skeletal structure. A horse collar is a part of a Horse harness device used to distribute load around a Horse 's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plow ^[36][37]

The cavalry of Korea was first introduced during the ancient Korean kingdom Gojoseon. The history of Korea stretches from Lower Paleolithic times to the present Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom considered the first proper nation of the Korean people. Since at least the 3rd century BC, there was influence of northern nomadic peoples and Yemaek peoples on Korean warfare. The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that By roughly the 1st century BC, the ancient kingdom of Buyeo also had mounted warriors. The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. Buyeo, Puyŏ, or Fuyu was an ancient Korean kingdom located from today's Manchuria to northern North Korea, from around the 2nd ^[38] With contacts, military intercession, and sailed ventures to Korea, cavalry of Goguryeo were called Gaemamusa (개마무사, 鎧馬武士) and were similar to tanks in the age of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Goguryeo or Koguryo was an ancient Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula, southern Manchuria, and The Three Kingdoms of Korea ( refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula King Gwanggaeto the Great often led expeditions into Baekje, Gaya confederacy, Buyeo and against Japanese invaders with his calvalry. Baekje (18 BCE – 660 CE or Paekche, was a kingdom located in southwest Korea Gaya was a confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan Buyeo, Puyŏ, or Fuyu was an ancient Korean kingdom located from today's Manchuria to northern North Korea, from around the 2nd

The ancient Japanese of the Kofun period also adopted cavalry and equine culture by the 5th century AD. The written history of Japan begins with brief references in the 1st century AD Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts The is an era in the History of Japan from around 250 to 538 The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era The is an era in the History of Japan from around 250 to 538 The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era

South Asia

In the Indian subcontinent, cavalry played a major role from the Gupta Dynasty (320-600) period onwards. The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C Native Indian cavalry forces proved decisive in the defeat of nomadic invaders such as the White Huns, and the Mughal occupation met serious opposition from the excellent Maratha cavalry. The Huna (also known as Indo-Hephthalites or Alchon) as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group who The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most The Marāthās ( Marathi: mr मराठा also Mahrattas) form an Indo Aryan group of Hindu Warriors hailing mostly from the present-day India has also the oldest evidence for the introduction of toe-stirrups. For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation.

European Middle Ages

See also: Horses in the Middle Ages

Although Roman cavalry had no stirrups, their horned saddle allowed the combination of a firm seat with substantial flexibility. But the introduction of the wraparound saddle during the Middle Ages provided greater efficiency in mounted shock combat and the invention of stirrup enabled a broader array of attacks to be delivered from the back of a horse. A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load fastened to an animal's back by a girth. For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation. As a greater weight of man and armor could be supported in the saddle, the probability of being dismounted in combat was significantly reduced. In particular, a charge with the lance couched under the armpit would no longer turn into pole vaulting; this eventually led to an enormous increase in the impact of the charge. Pole vaulting is an athletic field event in which a person uses a long flexible pole (which today is usually made either of Fiberglass or Carbon fiber) Last but not least, the introduction of spurs allowed better control of the mount during the "knightly charge" in full gallop. In western Europe there emerged what is considered the "ultimate" heavy cavalry, the knight. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. The knights and other similarly equipped mounted men-at-arms charged in close formation, exchanging flexibility for a massive, irresistible first charge.

The mounted men-at-arms quickly became an important force in Western European tactics, although it is worth noting that Medieval military doctrine actually employed them as part of a combined-arms force along with various kinds of foot troops. Still, Medieval chroniclers tended to pay undue attention to the knights at the expense of the rank and file, and this has led early students of military history to suppose that this heavy cavalry was the only force that mattered on Medieval European battlefields--a view with hardly any grounding in reality. Massed English longbowmen triumphed over French cavalry at Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt, while at Gisors (1188), Bannockburn (1314), and Laupen (1339), foot-soldiers proved their invulnerability to cavalry charges as long as they held their formation. This article covers the battle during the Hundred Years' War. The Battle of Agincourt was an English victory against a larger French army in the Hundred Years' War. The Battle of Gisors ( September 27, 1198) was a skirmish fought in Courcelles-lès-Gisors, Oise, Picardie, part of the on-going fighting The Battle of Bannockburn ( Blàr Allt a' Bhonnaich in Gaelic (24 June 1314 was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence The Battle of Laupen ( of 1339 was fought between the Berne and its allies on one side and Habsburg together with Burgundian However, the rise of infantry as the principal arm had to wait for the Swiss to develop their pike squares into an offensive arm instead of a defensive one; this new aggressive doctrine brought the Swiss to victory over a range of adversaries, and their enemies found that the only reliable way to defeat them was by the use of an even more comprehensive combined arms doctrine as evidenced in the Battle of Marignano. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Pike Square (Gewalthaufen meaning crowd of force) was a military tactic developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 15th century for use by its Infantry Combined arms is an approach to Warfare which seeks to integrate different arms of a Military to achieve mutually complementary effects The Battle of Marignano was a battle fought during the phase of the Italian Wars (1494&ndash1559 called the War of the League of Cambrai, that took place on The introduction of missile weapons that were simpler to use, such as the crossbow and the hand cannons, also helped remove the focus somewhat from cavalry elites to masses of cheap infantry equipped with easy-to-learn weapons. A crossbow is a Weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles often called bolts The hand cannon ( Arabic: midfa; Chinese: 手[[wikt 銃|銃]] as it was called was the first handheld portable

This gradual rise in the dominance of infantry led to the adoption of dismounted tactics. From the earliest times knights and mounted men-at-arms had frequently dismounted to handle enemies they could not overcome on horseback, such as in the Battle of the Dyle (891) and the Battle of Bremule (1119), but after 1350s this trend became more marked with the dismounted men-at-arms fighting as super-heavy infantry with two-handed swords and poleaxes. The Battle of Brémule was fought in 1119 between Henry I of England and Louis VI (the Fat of France Poleaxe may refer to Poleaxe A polearm weapon from medieval times Pole-Axe an event from the television series Gladiators In any case, warfare in the Middle Ages tended to be dominated by raids and sieges rather than pitched battles, and mounted men-at-arms rarely had any choice other than dismounting when faced with the prospect of assaulting a fortified position.

Renaissance Europe

Ironically, the rise of infantry in the early 16th century coincided with the "golden age" of heavy cavalry; a French or Spanish army at the beginning of the century could have up to 50 percent of its numbers filled with various kinds of light and heavy cavalry, whereas in medieval and 17th century armies the proportion of cavalry seldom rose beyond twenty-five percent. Knighthood largely lost its military functions and became more closely tied to social and economic prestige in an increasingly capitalistic Western society. With the rise of drilled and trained infantry, the mounted men-at-arms, now sometimes called gendarmes and often part of the standing army themselves, adopted the same role as in the Hellenistic age - that of delivering a decisive blow once the battle was already engaged by either charging the enemy in the flank or attacking their commander-in-chief. A gendarme was a heavy Cavalryman of noble birth primarily serving in the French army from the Late Medieval to the Early Modern

From the 1550s onwards, the use of gunpowder weapons solidified infantry's dominance of the battlefield and began to allow true mass armies to develop. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Early Modern warfare is associated with the start of the widespread use of Gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive This is closely related to the increase in the size of armies throughout the early modern period; heavily armored cavalrymen were expensive to raise and maintain and it took years to replace a skilled horseman or a trained horse, while arquebusiers and later musketeers could be trained and kept in the field at a much lower expense in addition to being much easier to replace. The Arquebus (sometimes spelled harquebus, harkbus or hackbut; from Dutch haakbus, meaning "hook gun" is A musketeer (mousquetaire was an early modern type of Infantry Soldier equipped with a Musket. The Spanish tercio and later formations relegated cavalry to a supporting role. The Tercio (Also known as Tercio Español, literally " Spanish tercio " and from tercio meaning "one-third" The pistol was specifically developed to try and bring cavalry back into the conflict, together with manoeuvres such as the caracole. The caracole or caracol (from the Spanish caracol - " Snail " consists of a manoeuvre on Horseback in Dressage and previously The caracole was not particularly successful, however, and the charge (whether with sword, pistol, or lance) was remained as the primary mode of employment for many types of European cavalry, although by this time it was delivered in much deeper formations and with greater discipline than before. The demi-lancers and the heavily armored sword-and-pistol reiters were among the types of cavalry that experienced their heyday in the 16th and 17th centuries. " Demi-lancer " is a term used in 16th century military parlance to designate mounted men on unarmored horses armed with light Lances and wearing three-quarter or half-armors Reiters ( German: Reiter, or horserider shortened from the original “Schwarze Reiter”--literally "black riders" for the colour of their armour were These centuries also witnessed the high-water mark of the Polish winged hussars, a force of heavy cavalry that achieved great success against Swedes, Russians, and Turks alike. The Polish Hussars (Husaria were the main part of the Polish Army (and later the Polish-Lithuanian Army) between the 16th and 18th centuries "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

Eighteenth Century Europe and Napoleonic Warfare

Cavalry retained an important role in this age of regularization and standardization across European armies. First and foremost they remained the primary choice for confronting enemy cavalry. Attacking an unbroken infantry force head-on usually resulted in failure, 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. The Battle of Blenheim (referred to in some countries as the Second Battle of Höchstädt) fought on 13 August 1704 was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession The Battle of Rossbach (November 5 1757 took place during the Seven Years' War (1756 - 1763 near the village of Roßbach, in the Electorate of Saxony The Battle of Friedland ( June 14, 1807) saw Napoleon's French army decisively defeat Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven Miles The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Massed infantry was deadly to cavalry but also offered an excellent target for artillery. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Once the bombardment had disordered the infantry formation, cavalry were able to rout and pursue the scattered footmen. A rout is commonly defined as a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield resulting in the victory of the opposing party or following It was not until individual firearms gained accuracy and improved rates of fire that cavalry was diminished in this role as well. Even then light cavalry remained an indispensable tool for scouting, screening the army's movements, and harassing the enemy's supply lines until military aircraft supplanted them in this role in the early stages of World War I.

19th century

By the 19th century, European cavalry fell into four main categories:

• 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; Bavaria had the Chevaulegers; and Russia had Cossacks. Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary A lancer ( Uhlan) was a type of Cavalryman who fought with a Lance. Uhlans (in Polish: "Ułan" "Ulan" in German, from Turkish oğlan) were Polish light Cavalry armed with The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Britain had no cuirassiers (other than the Household Cavalry), but had Dragoon Guards regiments which were classed as heavy cavalry. Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the Cavalry of the Household Divisions a country’s most elite or historically In the United States Army, the cavalry were almost always dragoons. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The Imperial Japanese Army had its cavalry dressed as hussars, but fought as dragoons. The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary

In the early American Civil War the regular United States Army mounted rifle and dragoon regiments were reorganized and renamed cavalry regiments, of which there were six. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Over a hundred other federal and state cavalry regiments were organized, but the infantry played a much larger role in many battles due to its larger numbers and much easier recruitment. However cavalry saw a role as part of screening forces and in foraging and scouting. The later phases of the war saw the Federal army developing a truly effective cavalry force fighting as scouts, raiders, and, with repeating rifles, as mounted infantry. The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Mounted infantry were Soldiers who rode Horses instead of marching but actually fought on foot in the modern era with Muskets or Rifles but before

Post Civil War, as the volunteer armies disbanded, the regular army cavalry regiments increased in number from six to ten, among them the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment of Little Big Horn fame, and the African-American U.S. 9th Cavalry Regiment and U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The 9th Cavalry Regiment is a Cavalry regiment of the United States Army. These regiments, which rarely took the field as complete organizations, served throughout the Indian Wars through the close of the frontier in the 1890s.

19th-century Imperial Expansion

Cavalry 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). Irregular military refers to any non-standard military Being defined by exclusion there is a lot of variance in what comes under the term The Battle of Tel el-Kebir or el-Tal el-Kebir was between the Egyptian army led by Ahmed Urabi and the British military fought near Tel-el-Kebir At the Battle of Omdurman ( 2 September 1898) an army commanded by the British General Sir Horatio Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah 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 turn the tables and use the greater mobility of their cavalry to offset their relative lack of firepower compared to European forces. A flying column, in military organization is an independent corps of troops usually composed of all arms to which a particular task is assigned Imam Shamil (also spelled as Shamyl, Schamil, or Schamyl; 1797 &ndash March 1871) was an Avar political and religious The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans

The British Indian Army maintained about forty regiments of cavalry, officered by British and manned by Indian sowars (cavalrymen). See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. The legendary exploits of this branch lives on in literature and early films. Among the more famous regiments in the lineages of modern Indian and Pakistani Armies are:

• Governor General's Bodyguard (now President's Bodyguard)
• Skinner's Horse (now India's 1st Horse (Skinner's))
• Gardner's Lancers (now India's 2nd Lancers (Gardner's))
• Hodson's Horse (now India's 3rd Horse (Hodson's)) of the Bengal Lancers fame
• 6th Bengal Cavalry (later amalgamated with 7th Hariana Lancers to form 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry) now 18th Cavalry of the Indian Army
• Probyn's Horse (now Pakistani)
• Royal Deccan Horse (now India's The Deccan Horse)
• Poona Horse (now India's The Poona Horse)
• Queen's Own Guides Cavalry (now partitioned between Pakistan and India). At the Battle of Omdurman ( 2 September 1898) an army commanded by the British General Sir Horatio Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah The President's Bodyguard is an elite Household cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army. The Bengal Regiment is a term ascribed a large number of Regiments first raised for the British Indian Army. Origin The regiment began as Bengal irregular cavalry raised in Meerut and Cawnpore by Captain Liptrott The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own was a regular British Indian Army Cavalry regiment it was formed from the 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry, raised

Several of these formations are still active, though they now are armoured formations, for example Guides Cavalry in Pakistan. [2]

The French Army maintained substantial cavalry forces in Algeria and Morocco from 1830 until the Second World War. Much of the Mediterranean coastal terrain was suitable for mounted action and there was a long established culture of horsemanship amongst the Arab and Berber inhabitants. The French forces included Spahis, Chasseurs d' Afrique, Foreign Legion cavalry and mounted Goumiers. Sipahi ( Ottoman Turkish: ota سپاهی also transliterated as Spahi, Sepahi, and Spakh; traditionally rendered as Spahia The Chasseurs d'Afrique (literally Huntsmen of Africa although "African Light Horse" would be an alternative translation were a light Goumier is a term used for Moroccan soldiers who served in auxiliary units attached to the French Army, between 1908 and 1956

Cavalry's demise

At the beginning of the 20th century all armies still maintained substantial cavalry forces although there was contention over whether their role should revert to that of mounted infantry (the historic dragoon function). Following their experience of the South African War of 1899 - 1902 (where mounted Boer citizen commandos fighting on foot from cover proved superior to regular cavalry) the British Army withdrew lances for all but ceremonial purposes and placed a new emphasis on training for dismounted action. In 1908 the lancer regiments resumed this impressive but obsolete weapon. Between 1881 and 1910 the Imperial Russian Army converted all its line hussar, lancer and cuirassier regiments to dragoons with an emphasis on mounted infantry training. In 1910 they reverted to their historic roles, designations and uniforms.

In August 1914 all combatant armies still retained substantial numbers of cavalry and the mobile nature of the opening battles on both Eastern and Western Fronts provided a number of instances of traditional cavalry actions, though on a smaller and more scattered scale than those of previous wars. The Imperial German Cavalry, while as colourful and traditional as any in peacetime appearance, had adopted a practice of falling back on infantry support when any substantial opposition was encountered. These cautious tactics aroused derision amongst their more conservative French and Russian opponents but proved appropriate to the new nature of warfare. Once the front lines stabilised, a combination of barbed wire, machine guns and rapid fire rifles proved deadly to horse mounted troops. For the remainder of the War on the Western Front cavalry had virtually no role to play. The British and French armies dismounted many of their cavalry regiments and used them in infantry and other roles: the Life Guards for example as a machine gun corps; and the Australian Light Horse as light infantry during the Gallipoli campaign. Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both Cavalry and Mounted infantry. The German Army dismounted nearly all their cavalry in the West.

Some cavalry were retained as mounted troops behind the lines in anticipation of a breakthrough of the trenches that it seemed would never come. Unfortunately these cavalry forces looked upon the new tanks that began to appear late in the war with derision, thus they did not support tank attacks aggressively. This had unfortunate consequences as the tanks were able to achieve breakthroughs but did not have the reliable range to exploit them. Since the cavalry was not on hand to exploit the breakthroughs, history recorded no significant role for cavalry in mechanized warfare, and post war planning in the allied nations replaced horse cavalry with mechanized cavalry.

In the wider spaces of the Eastern Front a more fluid form of warfare continued and there was some use for mounted troops, and some wide-ranging actions were fought, again mostly in the early months and years of the war. ^[39] However, even here the value of cavalry was over-rated and the maintenance of large mounted formations at the front by the Russian Army put a major strain on the railway system, to little strategic advantage. ^[40].

In the Middle East mounted forces (British, Indian, Turkish, Australian, Arab and New Zealand) retained an important role, though of the mounted infantry variety.

Post World War I

In retrospect it was clear that by 1918 the advent of modern vehicles with effective mobility and armor such as tanks and armored cars had spelled the end of horse troops as the key mobile element of an army. Vehicles, derived from the Latin word vehiculum, are non-living Means of transport. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily This change was made even more necessary by the development of the machine gun and other weapons which could easily destroy cavalry formations. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. Military aircraft had taken over the light cavalry roles of scouting, screening, and harassment at roughly the same time. As a result horses became relegated to logistical roles, with few exceptions (see tachanka), and cavalry traditions and insignia were often inherited by the emerging armored formations and air forces. Logistics is the management of the flow of Goods, Information and other resources including Energy and people between the point of origin and the point The tachanka (тача́нка was a horse-drawn Machine gun platform usually a cart or an open wagon with a Heavy machine gun installed in the back

A combination of military conservatism in almost all armies and post-war financial constraints prevented the lessons of 1914-18 being acted on immediately. There was a general reduction in the number of cavalry regiments in the British, French, Italian and other Western armies but it was still argued with conviction (for example in the 1922 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannia) that mounted troops had a major role to play in future warfare. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc The 1920s saw an interim period during which cavalry remained as a proud and conspicuous element of all major armies, though much less so than prior to 1914.

The last major cavalry battle was the Battle of Komarów in 1920. The Battle of Komarów was one of the most important Battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War. Colonial warfare in Morocco, Syria, the Middle East and the North West Frontier of India provided some opportunities for mounted action against enemies lacking advanced weaponry. The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan.

Interestingly the post-war German Army (Reichsheer) was permitted a large proportion of cavalry (18 regiments or 16. The German Army ( Deutsches Heer) was the name given the combined armed forces of the German Empire, also known as the Imperial Army ( Reichsheer) or 4% of total manpower) under the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The US Cavalry abandoned its sabres in 1934 and commenced the conversion of its horsed regiments to mechanised cavalry, starting with the First Regiment of Cavalry in January 1933.

In the British Army, all cavalry regiments were mechanised between 1929 and 1941, redefining their role from horse to armoured vehicles to form the Royal Armoured Corps together with the Royal Tank Regiment. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC is currently a collection of ten regular Regiments mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR is an armoured regiment of the British Army.

The thirty-nine regiments of the Indian Army were reduced to twenty-one as the result of a series of amalgamations immediately following World War I. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based The new establishment remained unchanged until 1936 when three regiments were redesignated as permanent training units, each with six, still mounted, regiments linked to them. In 1938 the process of mechanism began with the conversion of a full cavalry brigade (two Indian regiments and one British) to armoured car and tank units. By the end of 1940 all of the Indian cavalry had been mechanised, receiving light tanks, armoured cars or 15cwt trucks. The last horsed regiment of the Indian Army (other than the Viceregal Bodyguard and some Indian States Forces regiments) was the 19th King George's Own Lancers which had its last mounted parade at Rawalpindi on 28 October 1939. This unit still exists (though in the Pakistan Army) with an armour TOE.

During the 1930s the French Army experimented with integrating mounted and mechanised cavalry units into larger formations. Dragoon regiments were converted to motorised infantry (trucks and motor cycles), and cuirassiers to armoured units; while light cavalry (Chasseurs a' Cheval, Hussars and Spahis)remained as mounted sabre squadrons. The theory was that mixed forces comprising these diverse units could utilise the strengths of each according to circumstances. In practice mounted troops proved unable to keep up with fast moving mechanised units over any distance.

World War II

While most armies still maintained cavalry units at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, significant mounted action was largely restricted to the Polish and Soviet campaigns.

A popular myth is that Polish cavalry armed with lances charged German tanks during the September 1939 campaign. This arose from misreporting of a single clash on 1 September near Krojanty, when two squadrons of the Polish 18th Lancers armed with sabres scattered German infantry before being caught in the open by German armoured cars^[41]. See also Polish cavalry. The Polish cavalry (kawaleria can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted Knights. A more correct term should be "mounted infantry" instead of "cavalry", as horses were primarily used as a means of transportation, for which they were very suitable in view of the very poor road conditions in pre-war Poland. Another myth describes Polish cavalry as being armed with both sabres and lances; lances were used for peacetime ceremonial purposes only and the primary weapon of the Polish cavalryman in 1939 was a rifle. Individual equipment did include a sabre, probably because of well-established tradition, but in the case of a melee combat this secondary weapon would probably be more effective than a rifle and bayonet. Moreover, the Polish cavalry brigade order of battle of 1939 included, apart from the mounted soldiers themselves, light and heavy machine guns (wheeled), anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapon, artillery, light and scout tanks, etc. The following is a standard Order of battle of the Polish cavalry Brigade in 1939

By the final stages of the war only the Soviet Union was still fielding mounted units in substantial numbers, some in combined mechanised and horse units. The advantage of this approach was that in exploitation mounted infantry could easily keep pace with advancing tanks. This approach was also taken because of the high quality of Russian Cossacks as horse cavalry. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern

Romanian, Hungarian and Italian cavalry had been dispersed or disbanded following the retreat of the Axis forces from Russia. Germany still maintained some mounted (mixed with bicycles) SS and Cossack units until the last days of the War. 18th Indian Cavalry Regiment (later 18 Cavalry of Indian Army), fought in a dismounted role, in Tobruk as part of 9th Australian Division. See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. The 9th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF The US 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS); a small mounted regiment of Philippine Scouts, fought the Japanese during the retreat down the Bataan peninsula, until it was effectively destroyed by January 1942. The 26th Cavalry Regiment (Philippine Scouts ( 26th CAV (PS) was part of USAFFE 's Philippine Department, during World War II. This page is about the military unit For the article on the youth movement please see Boy Scouts of the Philippines. All British cavalry had been mechanised since 1942 and the last horsed US Cavalry (the Second Cavalry Division) were dismounted in March 1944. Heraldry SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA Description On a yellow Norman shield with a green border a blue chevron below two eight-pointed

The final cavalry charge by British Empire forces occurred on 21 March 1942 when a 60 strong patrol of the Burma Frontier Force encountered Japanese infantry near Toungoo airfield in central Burma. Taungoo ( also known as Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northern end of the Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Sikh sowars of the Frontier Force cavalry, led by Captain Arthur Sandeman, charged in the old style with sabres and most were killed. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Sowar (सवार(ਸਵਾਰ(also Suwar in Hindustani and Persian) meaning 'The one who rides' in Persian, was originally a rank

The last substantive and successful classical cavalry charge of the war was probably that made by a cavalry unit of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) on the Eastern Front. The Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia ( Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) was a unit of the Italian Royal Army ( Regio The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign A charge by the 3rd Dragoons Savoia Cavalry Regiment of the Prince Amedeo Duke of Aosta Fast (Celere) Division was not only made, but it was successfully made. ^[42]

Post World War II to present day

The Soviet Army retained horsed cavalry divisions until 1955, and even at the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there was a separate horsed cavalry squadron in Kyrgyzstan. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya ^[43]

Several armored divisions of the modern United States Army retain the designation of "cavalry". Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact The United States also had "air cavalry" units equipped with helicopters, though that designation has fell out of use, with the term Air Assault coined for that mission and modern "cavalry" being retained for ground-based mobility. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An Air Assault is a Tactical or Operational manoeuvre of an Infantry unit Airlifted by Helicopters usually to fulfil an Aerial History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys.

While most modern "cavalry" units have some historic connection with formerly mounted troops this is not always the case. The modern Irish Defence Force (IDF) includes a "Cavalry Corps" equipped with Panhard armoured cars and Scorpion tracked combat reconnaissance vehicles. Panhard is now a French manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles The FV101 Scorpion is a British light Tank, part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked or CVR(T family The Irish Defense Force has never included horse cavalry since its establishment in 1922 (other than a small mounted escort drawn from the Artillery Corps when required for ceremonial occasions). However, the mystique of the cavalry is such that the name has been introduced for what was always a mechanised force.

Some engagements in late twentieth and early twenty first century guerrilla wars involved mounted troops, particularly against partisan or guerrilla fighters in areas with poor transport infrastructure. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Such units were not used as cavalry but rather as mounted infantry. Examples occurred in Afghanistan, Portuguese Africa and Rhodesia. The French Army used existing mounted squadrons of Spahis to a limited extent for patrol work during the Algerian War (1954-62) and the Swiss Army maintained a mounted dragoon regiment for combat purposes until 1973. Sipahi ( Ottoman Turkish: ota سپاهی also transliterated as Spahi, Sepahi, and Spakh; traditionally rendered as Spahia There were reports of Chinese mounted troops in action during frontier clashes with Vietnam in the mid 1970s. The Portuguese Army used horse mounted cavalry with some success in the wars of independence in Angola and Mozambique in the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1964 - 79 Rhodesian Bush War the Rhodesian Army created an elite mounted infantry unit called Grey's Scouts to fight unconventional actions against the rebel forces of Robert Mugabe and Joseph Nkomo. The Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Second Chimurenga or the Zimbabwe Liberation Struggle, was a war which lasted from July 1964 to 1979 and The Rhodesian Army was part of the Security Forces of Rhodesia. Grey's Scouts was a horse-mounted regiment of the former Rhodesian army and is now a regiment in the Special Forces of Zimbabwe. The horse mounted infantry of the Scouts were very effective and feared by their their opponents in the rebel African forces. In the 1978 to present Afghan Civil War there have been several instances of horse mounted combat. The Civil war in Afghanistan, also known as Afghan Civil War, began in 1978 and has continued

South and Central American armies maintained mounted cavalry later than those of Europe, Asia or North America. The Mexican Army included a number of horse mounted cavalry regiments as late as the mid 1990s and the Chilean Army had five such regiments in 1983 as mounted mountain troops (see Jane's "Armed Forces of Latin America" by Adrian J. English).

A number of armored regiments in the British Army retain the historic designations of Hussars, Dragoons, Dragoon Guards or Lancers. Only the Household Cavalry squadrons maintained for ceremonial duties in London are mounted.

Cavalry or mounted gendarmerie units continue to be maintained for purely or primarily ceremonial purposes by the United States, British, French, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, Chilean, Portuguese, Moroccan, Nigerian, Venezuelan, Brazilian, Peruvian, Paraguayan, Polish, Argentine, Senegalese, Jordanian, Pakistani, Indian, Nepalese, Spanish and Bulgarian armed forces. The Army of the Russian Federation has recently reintroduced a ceremonial mounted squadron wearing historic uniforms.

In the United States, the Horse Cavalry Detachment of the U. S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division is made up of active duty soldiers, still functions as an active unit, trained to approximate the weapons, tools, equipment and techniques used by the United States Cavalry in the 1880s. The 1st Cavalry Division ( "First Team") is a rapidly deployable heavy Armored division of the United States Army with base of operations ^{[44] [45]} In addition, the Parsons' Mounted Cavalry is a Reserve Officer Training Corps unit which forms part of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU, is a Coeducational public Research University located in College Station

The French Army still has regiments with the historic designations of Cuirassiers, Hussars, Chasseurs, Dragoons and Spahis. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary A Chasseur (a French term for "hunter" is the designation given to certain regiments of French light Infantry ( Chasseurs à pied A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially Spahis were light cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the indigenous populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Only the cavalry of the Republican Guard and a ceremonial fanfare (trumpeters) for the cavalry/armoured branch as a whole are now mounted. The Republican Guard (Garde républicaine is the Ceremonial unit of the French Gendarmerie.

In the Canadian Army, a number of regular and reserve units have cavalry roots, including The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal), the Governor General's Horse Guards, Lord Strathcona's Horse, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, and the South Alberta Light Horse. Land Force Command ( LFC) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal (RCH is a Primary Reserve Armoured Regiment of the Canadian Forces. The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured Reconnaissance Regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians (LdSH) is a regular Armoured Regiment of the Canadian Forces. The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD is an Armoured Regiment of the Canadian Army. The South Alberta Light Horse, or SALH is an armoured reconnaissance unit of the Canadian Forces Army Reserve based in Medicine Hat and Edmonton Of these, only the Governor General's Horse Guards maintains an official ceremonial horse mounted cavalry squadron. ^[46]

Both the Australian and New Zealand Armies follow the British practice of maintaining traditional titles (Light Horse or Mounted Rifles) for modern mechanised units. Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both Cavalry and Mounted infantry. However, neither country retains a horse mounted unit.

Today, the Indian Army's 61st Cavalry is reported to be the only remaining non-ceremonial horse-mounted cavalry in the world. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based ^[47]. It was raised in 1951 from the amalgamated state cavalry squadrons of Gwailior, Jodhpur, and Mysore. The 61st Cavalry together with the President's Body Guard parade in full dress uniform in New Delhi each year in what is probably the largest assembly of traditional cavalry still to be seen in the world. Both the Indian and Pakistan Armies maintain a number of armoured regiments with the titles of Lancers or Horse, dating back to the nineteenth century. A lancer ( Uhlan) was a type of Cavalryman who fought with a Lance. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae.

As of 2007 the Chinese People's Liberation Army employs two battalions of horse cavalry in Xinjing Military District for border patrol work (see China-Defense. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. com website).

Light and heavy cavalry

See also: Heavy cavalry and light cavalry

Historically, cavalry was divided into light, heavy cavalry and Horse archer. Heavy cavalry is the late 19th century Misnomer for Cavalry troops that from the late 17th to late 19th centuries usually wore armour and were mounted on largest Light cavalry refers to lightly-armed and armored troops mounted on Horses, as opposed to Heavy cavalry, where the riders (and sometimes the horses are heavily armored Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Darius III ( Artashata) (c 380&ndash330 BC Persian داریوش Dāriūš dɔːriˈuːʃ was the last king of the Achaemenid Empire of Heavy cavalry is the late 19th century Misnomer for Cavalry troops that from the late 17th to late 19th centuries usually wore armour and were mounted on largest The difference was mainly how much armor was worn by the mount and rider, and the active role they played in war.

Early light cavalry (like the auxiliaries of the Roman army) were typically used to scout and skirmish and to cut down retreating infantry and for defeating enemy missile troops. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Skirmishers are Infantry or Cavalry Soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops Heavy cavalry like the Byzantine Cataphract were used as shock troops — they would charge the main body of the enemy and in many cases, their actions decided the outcome of the battle. A cataphract was a form of Heavy cavalry used by nomadic eastern Iranian tribes and dynasties and later Ancient Greeks and Romans.

During the Gunpowder Age, armored cavalry began to approach obsolescence. Early Modern warfare is associated with the start of the widespread use of Gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive However, many units retained cuirasses and helmets for their protective value against sword and bayonet strikes and the morale boost these provide to the wearers. Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather from corium, the original breastplate being of Leather) the A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle By this time the main difference between light and heavy cavalry was their training; the former was regarded as a tool for harassment and reconnaissance, while the latter was considered best for close-order charges.

Since the development of armored warfare the distinction between light and heavy armor has persisted basically along the same lines. Armored cars and light tanks have adopted the reconnaissance role while medium and heavy tanks are regarded as the decisive shock troops. A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily Tank classification is a Taxonomy of identifying either the intended role or weight class of Tanks The classification by role was used primarily during Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Shock troops or assault troops are Infantry formations and their supporting units intended to lead an attack

Social status

From the beginning of civilization to the 20th century, ownership of heavy cavalry horses has been a mark of wealth amongst settled peoples. A cavalry horse involves considerable expense in breeding, training, feeding, and equipment, and has very little productive use except as a mode of transport.

For this reason, and because of their often decisive military role, the cavalry has typically been associated with high social status. In Sociology or Anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in Society (one's Social position) This was most clearly seen in the feudal system, where a lord was expected to enter combat armored and on horseback and bring with him an entourage of peasants on foot. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground If landlords and peasants came into conflict, the peasants would be ill-equipped to defeat armored knights.

In later national armies, service as an officer in the cavalry was generally a badge of high social status. For instance prior to 1914 most officers of British cavalry regiments came from a socially privileged background and the considerable expenses associated with their role generally required private means, even after it became possible for officers of the line infantry regiments to live on their pay. Options open to poorer cavalry officers in the various European armies included service with less fashionable (though often highly professional) frontier or colonial units. These included the British Indian cavalry, the Russian Cossacks or the French Chasseurs d' Afrique. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern The Chasseurs d'Afrique (literally Huntsmen of Africa although "African Light Horse" would be an alternative translation were a light

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries most monarchies maintained a mounted cavalry element in their royal or imperial guards. These ranged from small units providing ceremonial escorts and palace guards through to large formations intended for active service. The mounted escort of the Spanish Royal Household provided an example of the former and the twelve cavalry regiments of the Prussian Imperial Guard an example of the latter. In either case the officers of such units were likely to be drawn from the aristocracies of their respective societies.

On film

Some small sense of the noise and power of a cavalry charge can be gained from the 1970 film Waterloo, which featured some 2000 cavalrymen, some of them cossacks, in action. Waterloo was a Soviet - Italian film of 1970 directed by Sergei Bondarchuk and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It includes beautiful displays of the horsemanship required to manage animal and weapon in a large company at the gallop (unlike the real battle of Waterloo, where deep mud significantly slowed the horses)^[48]. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium A smaller filmic cavalry charge can be seen in The Lord of the Rings (2003); although the finished scene has substantial computer-generated imagery, raw footage and reactions of the riders are shown in the Extended Version DVD Appendices. This article is about the live-action movie which shares a title with a book, video game, and animated film. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics

Some cavalry forces

• Bayreuth Dragoons
• Blues and Royals
• Cataphract
• Chasseurs d'Afrique
• Companions
• Cossacks
• Cuirassier
• Dragoons
• Hakkapeliitta (Finnish cavalry of Thirty Years' War fame)
• Garde Républicaine
• Governor General's Horse Guards (Canada)
• Hussars
• Polish winged hussars
• Kalmyks
• Lancers
• Life Guards
• Light Horse (Australia)
• Mamluks
• Polish cavalry
• Savari (Italian North African)
• Savoia Cavalry
• Sipahi (Ottoman)
• South Alberta Light Horse (Canada)
• Spahi (French North African)
• Uhlans
• United States Cavalry

Some contemporary horse cavalry officers

• Brazil: Ataìde Barcelos Pereira, Regimento Osorio
• Canada: Akaash Maharaj, Governor General's Horse Guards
• France: Didier Courrèges, Cadre Noir
• Italy: Giulio Serafini, COMFOD 1
• UK: Harry Wales, Blues and Royals
• USA: Edwin Ramsey, 26th Cavalry regiment

See also

• Cavalry tactics
• Heavy Cavalry
• Light Cavalry
• Horses in warfare
• War elephant
• Tent pegging
• Ski warfare
• Cheval de frise
• Rohirrim
• See List of British Army regiments by year, for cavalry units: 1881, 1962, 1994
• Cavalry in the American Civil War
• Casimir Pulaski
• Order of the spur
• Charge of the Light Brigade
• Camel cavalry
• London lobsters - The English Civil War armoured cavalry unit formed and lead by Sir Arthur Haselrig. For much of history humans have used some form of cavalry for war Heavy cavalry is the late 19th century Misnomer for Cavalry troops that from the late 17th to late 19th centuries usually wore armour and were mounted on largest Horses were first used in warfare over 5000 years ago The earliest evidence of the use of horses ridden in warfare dates A war elephant is an Elephant trained and guided by humans for combat Tent pegging (sometimes spelled "tentpegging" or "tent-pegging" is a Cavalry sport of ancient origin and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines Ski warfare, the use of ski -equipped troops in War, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus The cheval de frise (plural chevaux de frise) was a Medieval defensive obstacle consisting of a portable frame (sometimes just a simple log covered with In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth, the Rohirrim were a Horse people, settling in the land of Rohan, named after them This is a list of British Army cavalry and infantry regiments that were created by Childers reforms in 1881, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms This is a list of British Regular Army regiments after the Army restructuring caused by the 1957 Defence White Paper: many regiments were amalgamated between 1958-60 Cavalry Household Cavalry Regiment and Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment The Life Guards The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards Cavalry in the American Civil War was a branch of army service in a process of transition For things named to honor Kazimierz Pułaski see Pulaski. Kazimierz Pułaski of Clan Ślepowron ( often written Casimir Pulaski The Order of the Spur is a Cavalry tradition within the United States Army. The Charge of the Light Brigade was a disastrous Cavalry charge led by Lord Cardigan during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October Camel cavalry, or camelry, is a generic designation for Armed forces using Camels as a Means of transportation. The London lobsters or just "Lobsters" were the name given to the cavalry unit of Sir Arthur Haselrig, a Parliamentarian who fought in the English Civil

Notes

References

• Ebrey, Walthall, Palais (2006). East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
• Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1999). The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43519-6 (hardback); ISBN 0-521-66991-X (paperback).
• Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.
• Peers, C. J. (2006). Soldiers of the Dragon: Chinese Armies 1500 BC-AD 1840. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.

External links

• Napoleonic Cavalry
• Cavalry tactics from Francis J. Lippitt's, A Treatise on the Tactical Use of the Three Arms - Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry (1865)
• Cavalry in Mass (U.S. report on Russian cavalry organization and operations in World War II)
• Italian Savoia Cavalry during World War 2
• Society of the Military Horse
• Gesellschaft der Freunde der Kavallerie (German)
• http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Reg-Arm.html
• A Horse is Worth More than Riches by Jason Hribal

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