Cavalry is a mounted military force that historically played an important role in conflicts and colonies. The word comes from the Latin caballus, meaning “horse”. There were three basic classes: light, heavy, and archer. Cavalry troops engaged in intelligence gathering and exploiting weaknesses along enemy lines. By World War I, cavalry was obsolete due to the use of automatic weapons and mines. However, the tradition is maintained for parades and reviews, and police forces still use horses. Modern cavalry units use modern equipment such as helicopters.
A cavalry is a mounted military force. Historically, cavalry has played an important role in many conflicts and the establishment of colonies. In the modern era, the word is used to describe a light, highly mobile military force that performs many of the same functions. Many armies also retain small numbers of horses and trained soldiers for ceremonial duties.
The word comes from the Latin caballus, for “horse”. In France, it evolved into a knight, a skilled rider and fighter, and when the word was adopted into English, it became “chivalry.” There were three basic classes: light, heavy and archer. Light cavalry rode with minimal armor and focused on mobility and speed. Heavy used heavy armor, designed for effectiveness in battle, while archers used bows and arrows. Some armies also had a lance division, a mounted force that rode with lances.
The origins of cavalry are ancient and warriors on horseback have been documented for centuries. In the Middle East, the development of saddles and stirrups to control horses led to the widespread adoption of these animals for military use, and the trend spread to Europe. Both Ancient Greece and Rome had cavalry forces, which could be devastating against a dismounted enemy. The horses used have varied over the centuries, depending on region and trends in armor, but tend to be strong, agile, and hardy.
In addition to riding across the battlefield, cavalry troops also engaged in intelligence gathering and exploiting weaknesses along enemy lines. By using the horses to create a solid wedge, the members could break lines and demoralize the foot soldiers. They could also take the form of dragoons, troops that participated in battle but fought on foot. Dragoons were highly mobile strike forces, organized like infantry but with rapid strike capabilities.
As the 19th century transitioned into the 20th, it began to become apparent that chivalry might be obsolete. By World War I, this was cleared up, as mounted troops were not effective against automatic weapons, mines, and other weapons widely used in warfare. Continuing to use these troops would have been tantamount to suicide, and as a result, their use in battle was discontinued.
Although the cavalry no longer exists as a mounted military unit, the tradition has been maintained for parades and reviews. Police forces also continue to use horses in much the same way as cavalries. Many of the light, efficient military units called cavalry today once had mounted soldiers, switching to modern equipment such as helicopters as the face of warfare changed.
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