Army of all times and peoples divided and subdivided into different kinds of troops.Cavalry (horsemen) - is a special kind, where the vehicles used fighter riding a horse.The word "horse" comes from the Latin "kaballus", which means "horse."Accordingly, the Russian word "horse" is a carbon copy of the etymological concept, its translation into our language.
value
to the active use of mobile mechanical weapons (such as tanks), the cavalry - it is terrible and strong, often - fearsome, the army that helped win more than one ancient battle.Since the cavalry has a high maneuverability, the ability to quickly cover a fairly large pieces of terrain, it is often used to achieve the element of surprise in battle.In an era of technological progress it is, of course, lost its original significance, replaced by, for example, a mobile motorized brigade.But during the Second World War cavalry still used in the guerrilla movement, and even in the fighting, along with infantry and artillery.
Classification
Since its emergence cavalry was divided into heavy and light.Light was designed to conduct intelligence activities and guard service.Armament - light spears, javelins, bows, sabers and swords.Heavy cavalry - a striking force to achieve a power attack.For example, the knight was armed with heavy spears and swords.And the knights themselves (and, often, their horses) were clad in armor multikilogram.Knight's cavalry had an awesome view.From one look at the opponent a desire to retreat.However, the main drawback of heavy cavalry was its slowness and lack of maneuverability, which, of course, played with it a cruel joke in some battles (for example, in a battle with Russian crusaders known as the Battle of the Ice).
first horse cavalry
initially appears as irregular troops still in the ancient world: China.India, Egypt.And before her appearance used chariots, using horses.So in the Persian army before our era, the cavalry - it is the main branch, which has been divided into light and heavy cavalry, which uses a variety of weapons.And in ancient Greece was held in Athens cavalry detachment of more than a thousand riders.The Macedonian army conquered half the world, the cavalry also took last place, and decides the fate of almost all the battles in Asia.
