M'ti 





!'^ 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



The Cavalry Service from the Time of Napoleon 



TILL 1854. 



During the period which elapsed between the close of 

 the great wars of the Revolution and the introduction 

 of rilled firearms, that is to say from Waterloo until the 

 Crimean war, there were no great campaigns, and no 

 marked improvements in the military art. 



The most important conflicts of that period were the 

 campaigns of 1828-1829, between Russia and Turkey, 

 the Polish Insurrection of 1830-1831, the wars of the 

 French in Algiers, and of the English in India. In the 

 details of these campaigns we find but little change in 

 the system of cavalry operations. There are however 

 a few points that may be briefly touched upon. 



A certain degree of activity in the organisation of the 

 cavalry in Russia marked the early part of the reign of 

 the Emperor Nicholas. There seem to have been two 

 epochs in the reorganisation of the cavalry in this reign. 

 Two dragoon divisions were changed into a hussar 

 division and a lancer division, and the whole cavalry 

 force was much diminished, the reduction being based 

 on economical grounds. After the ^olish war of 1831, 

 the cavalry came to be more valued, and they were 

 much increased, all the regiments being raised to eight 

 squadrons, and reserves provided. ' 



In 18.46 a war took place between Russia and Persia. 

 The most important action was fought at Elizabethpol, 



' Ivanhoff, 228, 229. 



