178 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period n. 



result upon the military art. Although the deficiencies 

 in their system of war were clearly shown at every stage 

 of the struggle, there was no systematic effort made to 

 remedy them. It is one of the most curious features of 

 the Crusades, that no great military reformer arose to 

 rectify the errors and to reorganise the armies of the Cross 

 so as to chain success to their banners. Never was the 

 necessity for reform in the military forces more clearly 

 manifested, never were armies taught their weak points 

 by more direct and more bitter experience, never was 

 there a better opening for a great genius to have effected 

 extraordinary results. The required reorganiser did not 

 appear, however, and nothing more strongly proves the 

 absolute hold that chivalry had obtained in the minds 

 of all classes. 



Although the Crusades had proved so strikingly the 

 inability of cavalry to act upon every description of 

 ground, although they had shown so plainly that cavalry 

 alone could not perform all the numerous and varied 

 duties required of an army in the field and were not 

 suited for every emergency of war, yet many years elapsed, 

 and many campaigns were fought, before the infantry 

 service regained its proper relative position in armies. 



Before proceeding further in detailing the gradual re- 

 vival of the infantry service, it will be in place here to 

 say a few words with reference to the cavalry of other 

 nations, not connected with either chivalry or the 

 Crusades, but who cannot be altogether overlooked. 



SECTION II. — CAVALRY OF RUSSIA AND POLAND DURING 

 THE PERIOD OF THE CRUSADES. — [NVASION OF THE 

 MONGOLS, &C. 



Ancient Sarmatia was but little known to the Greeks 

 and Romans, and fabulous stories of countries where con- 

 tinued night existed, and other legends of like value, are 

 the only references we find in early history to that portion 

 of Europe.' Later on we obtain scanty details of infor- 

 mation as to the wandering tribes that moved about the 

 great plains of that country. The emigration, union, and 



' Karamsin, i. 2, 3. 



