Kavallerie one calls mounted military units. The word Kavallerie became toward end 16. Century to the equivalent French word cavalerie takes, which came out again from Italian cavaliere for riders.

One marks usually only with horse or camels mounted troops as Kavallerie; not however soldiers, who ride on other animals (e.g. war elephants). Furthermore the use of the term Kavallerie for a troop body presupposes that the completely outweighing number of this troop is mounted and is also kavalleristisch used. Therefore a mounted infantry or artillery officer is not e.g. Kavallerist, just as little as a mountain hunter, that uses its stretcher animal occasionally as a riding animal. Also the riding artillery does not rank therefore among the Kavallerie. The term rider army can include however all unit types of mounted soldiers of most diverse riding animals and branches of service.

History

In military tactics were mounted units up to the end 19. Century an important factor. They extended the tactical possibilities of an army uncommonly. The special to the Kavallerie was their mobility, speed and striking power.

The Kavallerie was one of the most important and at the same time strongest units of the antique ones, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Thus it played an important role also in the crusades. To in late 19. Century inside battles were delivered highly to Ross.

The most effective opponent of the Kavallerie in the Middle Ages were the Pikeniere, which tried with large lances to kill the horses. Therefore one protected in west and Central Europe since that 14. Century with a Rossharnisch in such a way specified from metal plates.

In Persia, Eastern Europe and Byzanz the Schlachtrosse was already protected starting from late ancient times with a union from shed or chain network. Probably the first horse arms in the antique central Asia developed.

Also today some regiments for tradition reasons still lead their old Kavallerie designations in many states, although they are equipped with modern armoured vehicles long. At the US army starting from 1964 for the war in Viet Nam from former (in the meantime motorized) Kavallerie regiments air landing federations with helicopters were set up; one held Kavallerie also here to the designation. Due to the breaks in German military history the assignment of a concrete federation tradition for the German Federal Armed Forces forbade itself. Their armored reconnaissance troop inherited the old gold-yellow collar mirror color of the Kavallerie however with the clearing-up as major task of the easy Kavallerie also.

Easy Kavallerie with elbow

The combination of humans, elbow, arrow and horse is a very effective weapon system, as many peoples had to experience to their disadvantage. To the well-known rider peoples the Hyksos and the Skythen belong oldest to us; most well-known probably are the Hunnen, Mongols, the North American Indians and the rider troops of the osmanischen realm (among other things Sipahis).

Equipment

The easy Reiterei of used small, fast and agile horses. The riders did not carry or only easy armament. The classical rider peoples used short, strong elbows of large Kraft and Reichweite. The so-called of the rider peoples consists of up to 16 glued wood and horn parts. The advantage of chords and horn exists in its higher ability to store and also again (to the arrow) deliver energy. The efficiency of such well built Kompositbogens with appropriate possible shaping is higher than a conventional elbow from wood, which would break immediately with identical layout. Mongolian and Turkish rider elbows had a Zuggewicht of on the average 75 Pound and shot particularly co-ordinated light arrows 500 to 800 m far. This was quite equal - against the opinion - in range and striking power the long elbow. By means of more particularly "more armor-piercingly" arrows it was for example possible for the Mongolian riders to penetrate also heavy arms.

Tactics

Rider armies could never get involved hostile troops on distance with arrows and had in close-in engagements. Slower opponents without effective long-range weapons were often chanceless. Thus the rider troops of the part ago realm in the battle destroyed the putting ions of the Crassus with Carrhae (53 v. Chr.). With their idea to central and Western Europe in 9. and 10. Those spread century Hungary as mounted elbow contactors fear and fright in the entire west and eastFrankish realm. Humans added at that time everyone father our the sentence: "and free us from the arrows that Hungary, oh gentleman!" (de sagittis Hungarorum libera nos, domine).

The large weaknesses of mounted elbow contactors were their space requirement and their light equipment. If they were close together to close combat with better armored opponents forced, they were usually subject. In addition they were not suitable for the participation in FE storages. Good rider troops needed many training and very good horses. The classical rider peoples such as Hunnen or Mongols lived practically on the horseback.

The battle of 1097 in the first crusade illustrates pro and cons mounted elbow contactors: It succeeded to the rider groups of the seldschukischen Sultans Kilij Arslan to encircle and fire at on distance an army of the cross drivers. The knights could oppose the arrow hail little. Reinforcement under Gottfried of Bouillon appeared sudden, and the Seldschuken saw itself for their part encircled. They could not flee no more and in close combat were destroying struck. The defeat of the Seldschuken with was so complete that the cross drivers could cross practically undisturbed Anatolien.

Articles in category "Kavallerie"

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