Cavalry

Cavalry is a military arm whose troops fight mounted, traditionally on horseback. Its speed supports reconnaissance, rapid movement, pursuit, and shock action.

Cavalry charge: A mounted attack that uses a formation’s momentum to break or disrupt an opposing force. The charge concentrates cavalry’s speed and impact into a direct assault.
War horse: A horse bred, trained, or selected for military use. The war horse supplied cavalry’s mobility and carried its rider into combat.
Chariot: A lightweight, horse-drawn vehicle used in ancient warfare and transport. Chariots carried fighters before mounted cavalry became a major military arm.
Infantry: Military troops who fight primarily on foot. Infantry holds ground and fights dismounted, unlike cavalry’s defining mounted mobility.
Cavalry in the American Civil War: The mounted forces used by Union and Confederate armies between 1861 and 1865. The war showed cavalry serving as raiders, scouts, and increasingly dismounted fighters.
Reconnaissance: The gathering of information about an opposing force or area through observation and other military methods. Mounted troops could scout ahead and report enemy positions quickly.
Saddle: A supportive seat secured to an animal’s back for a rider. Saddle design affected a cavalryman’s stability and ability to fight mounted.
Scythians: A group of ancient Iranian-speaking nomadic peoples known for mobile pastoralism and mounted warfare. Scythian horse archers exemplify early steppe cavalry traditions.
Artillery: Large-caliber weapons and the military branch that operates them. Artillery attacks at range, while cavalry traditionally exploits speed and close engagement.
Cavalry in the Napoleonic Wars: The mounted forces employed in the European wars involving Napoleonic France from 1803 to 1815. Napoleonic armies used distinct cavalry types for scouting, shock, and pursuit.

Linked from 37 pages