The armies of all times and nations were subdivided anddivided into different types of troops. Cavalry (cavalry) is a special genus, where riding horses were used as a fighter’s vehicle. The word "cavalry" comes from the Latin "caballus", which means "horse." Accordingly, the Russian word "cavalry" is an etymological tracing of the concept, its translation into our language.
Value
Before the active use of mobilemechanical weapons (for example, tanks), cavalry is a formidable and strong, often fearsome, army that helped win more than one battle of antiquity. Since the cavalry had high maneuverability, the ability to quickly overcome fairly large stretches of terrain, it was often used to achieve the surprise factor in battles. In the era of technical progress, it, of course, lost its original significance, giving way to, for example, mobile motorcycle brigades. But during the Second World War the cavalry was still used in the partisan movement and even in battles along with infantry and artillery.
Classification
Since its inception, the cavalry dividedon heavy and light. Light was intended for conducting intelligence activities and guard service. Armament - light spears, darts, bows, swords and swords. Heavy cavalry is a shock force to achieve the power of the offensive. For example, the knight was armed with heavy spears and swords. And the knights themselves (and, often, their horses) were chained into multi-kilogram armor. Knightly cavalry had an awesome look. From one glance, the enemy had a desire to retreat. However, the main drawback of heavy cavalry was its slowness and lack of maneuverability, which, of course, played a cruel joke on it in some battles (for example, in the battle of the Crusaders with the Russians, known as the Battle of the Ice).
First cavalry
Initially, cavalry emerges asIrregular troops still in ancient countries: China. India, Egypt. Before her appearance, war chariots were used using horses. So in the Persian army even before our era, cavalry is the main branch of the military, which was subdivided into light and heavy cavalry using various weapons. And in ancient Greece in Athens there was an equestrian detachment of more than a thousand horsemen. In the army of Macedon, which won half the world, the cavalry also took not the last place and decided the fate of almost all the battles in Asia.
