306 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period 111. 



Peter tlic Great, v/hile fully appreciating the value 

 of dragoons, also understood equally well the great 

 advantage of un eff'3ctive force of light cavalry. He 

 had large numbers of irregular horsemen in the 

 Cossacks, but desiring some regular light cavalry, he 

 ordered, in 1707, the organisation of 300 light horse, 

 composed of Hungarians, Servians, Moldavians, and 

 Wallachians. In 1711 he increased this force to eight 

 regiments. They v^ere soon reduced, however, as the 

 expense of maintaining them was very great. 



Peter's appreciation of the value of these light horse- 

 men was however so great, that in 1723 he again 

 authorized the formation of a corps of hussars, giving 

 land to those who had families, and to them all the 

 same pay as was given in the Austrian army at the 

 time. He had the intention also of raising a large 

 regular force of hussars, but it was never done till the 

 year 1740.' 



In 1721 the life-guard regiment of horse was 

 organised, and was composed of noblemen, the idea 

 being that the regiment should serve as a sort of school, 

 to teach and prepare the officers for the cavalry service. 

 This system was in operation for ni^e years. 



The light cavalry were employee, in outpost service, 

 and in the minor operations of a campaign, while the 

 dragoons were employed more for use on the field of 

 battle. The cavalry were generally placed on the flanks 

 of the army. On approaching the enemy the cavalry 

 usually attacked at once, and if checked, fell back upon 

 * the support of the infantry, who received the attack, 

 and if overmatched, retired in good order. The Kussian 

 troops at this period were not very proficient in 

 manoeuvring in the open field, but were very steady, 

 fought bravely in repelling an attack, and defended 

 fortifications with the most dogged pertinacity. Peter 

 the Great used this capacity of his troops with wonder- 

 ful skill, at the battle of Pultowa, where it will be 

 remembered he employed a number of detached redoubts 

 to strengthen his line of battle.'' 



1 Ivanhoff, 38. 2 Goudim Leffcovitch, 38. 



mg 



