Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry & Dragoon Tactics

Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry & Dragoon Tactics cover

Description

During the Napoleonic Wars the supreme battlefield shock weapon was the heavy cavalry - the French cuirassiers, and their British, Austrian, Prussian and Russian counterparts. Big men mounted on big horses, the heavy cavalry were armed with swords nearly a metre long, used for slashing or thrusting at their opponents; many wore steel armour, a practice revived by Napoleon. They were tasked with smashing a hole in the enemy's line of battle, with exploiting a weakness, or with turning a flank. Their classic manoeuvre was the charge; arrayed in close-order lines or columns, the heavy cavalry would begin their attack at the walk, building up to a gallop for the final 50 metres before impact.
Illustrated with diagrams, relevant paintings and prints and specially prepared colour plates, this is the first volume of a two-part study of the cavalry tactics of the armies of Napoleon and those of his allies and opponents. Written by a leading authority on the period, it draws upon drill manuals and later writings to offer a vivid assessment of how heavy cavalry actually fought on the Napoleonic battlefield.

Table of Contents

Introduction /Weaponry and equipment, and how they affected tactical deployment – heavy regiments; medium regiments /Theoretical doctrine, and training – formations, and tactics /Actual battlefield deployments – their success or failure /Leadership /Logistics – procurement, supply and care of horses /Bibliography

Product details

Published Jul 23 2013
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 64
ISBN 9781849087100
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 28 b/w; 25 col
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Elite
Short code ELI 188
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Philip Haythornthwaite

Philip Haythornthwaite is an internationally respe…

Illustrator

Adam Hook

Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his wo…

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