The Horse Cavalry Reign - Essay Example

Horse cavalry was particularly very popular among the Romans and they regarded it as an insurance policy, which was expensive but very useful to have around. Romans had access to the finest horses in the World and their cavalrymen hand-picked powerful horses from these, to be ridden in warfare. On the other hand, nomadic culture war tactics relied heavily on horse cavalry. Europeans preferred powerful horses to be ridden in warfare, while Poland and Hungry preferred fast and agile war horses which were capable of moving rapidly across the battlefield. (Barrington et al 1768).

The horse cavalry reign supreme on the battlefield for thousands of years for various reasons. The horses used in warfare were mounted with heavy military equipment to be carried to the battlefield. Chainmail and plate armor were very heavy and were mounted on medium-sized horses which were capable of effectively carrying it along with average-sized men. Apart from being directly involved in combat, horses were also used to transport food and other materials to the war front. In old days, road networks were limited and most battlefields consisted of large flat plains and therefore, these areas were only accessible through horses. In addition, the formation of a tight line of horsemen on the battlefield prevented the enemy forces from charging and proved to be an effective defense tactic. . (The U.S. Horse Cavalry Association Roster.1990).

From the early 1900s onwards, the drive for tactical innovation and modernization led to new war strategies being employed. New military equipment was introduced such as the heavy water-cooled Maxim sMG34 machine guns which could be mounted on cars. On the other hand, extensive metalled road networks started to establish around the world, which meant that scout cars or bicycle troops could be used for rapid movement which is essential during a war. Following this, regiments were instructed to use motorized scout car platoons instead of horse cavalry. Another reason, for decline of horse cavalry reign was that it was more expensive to maintain than motorized cavalry. On the other hand, during World War I, 8 million horses died on the waterfront because they were gunned down by the enemy forces. Keeping this in view, many historians consider the invention of gunpowder the reason for the demise of horse cavalry. In addition to advances in military techniques, barbed-wire obstacles and trenches which were becoming increasingly popular rendered the effectiveness of horse cavalry. With the advent of new military weapons, the mortality of war horses increased dramatically and therefore the supreme reign of horse cavalry reached an end. (The U.s. Horse Cavalry Association Roster.1920). Read More