Cavalry (from French cavalerie) were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest (after infantry) and most mobile of the combat arms. A soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations such as cavalryman or trooper.
The designation of cavalry was not usually extended to any military force that used other animals, such as camels or mules. Infantry who moved on horseback, bu...
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Cavalry (from French cavalerie) were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest (after infantry) and most mobile of the combat arms. A soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations such as cavalryman or trooper.
The designation of cavalry 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 known in the 17th and early 18th centuries as dragoons, a class of mounted troops which later evolved into cavalry proper while retaining their historic title.
From earliest times cavalry had the advantage of improved mobility, making it 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...
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