246 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period III. 



first organised by Prince Maurice of Nassau in the wars 

 in the Netherlands. Prince Maurice, who was one of 

 the ablest generals of his age, and is recognised as one 

 of the regenerators of the military art, was unable to 

 procure the horses suitable for lancers, and the attack of 

 that arm requiring open and firm ground, while the seat 

 of war in the Netherlands was generally broken and 

 enclosed, he considered the weapon useless, and abandoned 

 it in his army.^ 



He organised instead a force of horsemen more lightly 

 armed, but still protected by cuirasses, and armed with 

 long-stocked pistols, and cut-and-thrust swords. When 

 charged by the Spanish lancers, Maurice had trained his 

 horsemen to fire a volley, and then opening out quickly 

 from the centre, to fall sword in hand upon the flanks 

 of the advancing enemy. Being much more lightly 

 equipped, and capable of more rapid movement, this 

 manoeuvre was generally successful.^ 



This was a variation from the practice of the German 

 Reitres, who usually fell back to reload after firing. 

 Henry IV. is said to have won the battle of Ivry in 

 1590 through the Reitres, in retiring after having de- 

 livered their fire, being unable tc find openings in the 

 second line through which to make vieir way to the rear. 

 The result was that they rushed in confusion upon the 

 main body of heavy lancers which the Duke of Mayemie 

 was leading up to the charge, and throwing them into 

 disorder, destroyed the solidity and force of their onset. 



The cavalry organised by Prince Maurice were called 

 cuirassiers, from the cuirass, which was their principal 

 defence.^ They were a very effective body, and con- 

 tributed mainly to his victories. This type of horsemen 

 has been maintained with slight modifications in most 

 of the armies of Europe down to the present time, the 

 sword, however, assuming the principal position, the 

 pistol being retained simply as an auxiliary weapon. 



In the reign of Henry IV. of France there arose also 

 the practice of attaching fifty carabins to each company 

 of light horse (pistoliers or cuirassiers being then con- 



1 Rocqimncoiirt, i. 31.3. ^ Beamish, 328. " Ibid. 329. 



