Cuirassier regiments once played a decisive role in most of the battles that took place in Europe. They are known for their victories, for example, under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. Who is this cuirassier? Is this a replacement for chivalry or a radically new branch of service?
Cavalry
Cuirassier is a part of the cavalry, which is a branch of the army, moving on horseback. The term "cavalry" itself is translated from Latin as "horse". The use of such a unit in battle had many advantages. Therefore, even in the second half of the nineteenth century, it played a decisive role in most of the battles. The advantages of armored cavalry with firearms and melee weapons are as follows:
- high mobility;
- maneuverability;
- swiftness;
- power;
- covering long distances in a short time.
The cavalry consisted of cuirassiers, hussars, dragoons. These units performed various functions in the troops. So, in the Russian army, the hussars were part of the light cavalry. They were supposed to leadintelligence and guard service. Dragoons served in the line cavalry. The cuirassiers were classified as heavy. They should have closed the attack.
In other countries, units were classified according to the weight of the horse. So, in light cavalry, the weight of horses did not exceed 500 kg. They were ridden by hussars. The average meant the presence of horses whose weight was in the range of 600 kg. They were led by dragoons. In the heavy cavalry there were horses whose weight ranged from 600 to 800 kg. It was on them that the cuirassiers, as well as the carabinieri, rode.
The type of heavy cavalry
Who is a cuirassier? The meaning of the word in literal translation from French means "latnik". A similar kind of troops appeared in the sixteenth century. It was created to compensate for the small number of knights' cavalry. At the same time, the cuirassiers were dressed in relatively inexpensive armor, which covered only two-thirds of the body. They began to be called cuirassiers.
Cuirassier armor
Since a cuirassier is someone who wears a cuirass, it's worth learning more about the evolution of this armor. At first, armor differed from knights only in the absence of leggings. In addition, they did not have protection for the legs and feet. This allowed to significantly reduce the cost of lat. This fact was liked by many poor nobles.
The first cuirassier armor weighed about 30 kilograms. There were also cheaper analogues, the mass of which did not exceed 12 kg. They had a similar set. The difference between them was the quality of the metal, its thickness, andstill in the degree of luxury finishes.
If desired, a warrior could purchase not a full set of armor, but only a bulletproof cuirass. This option was chosen by those who could not afford expensive armor, or those who did not want to wear 30 kg. The bulletproof cuirass could have been supplemented with whiter lighter components: plate gloves, shoulder pads, leg guards, helmet.
Cuirassier weapons
Cuirassier is part of the cavalry. Therefore, in battle, he used both firearms and cold weapons. The first variety included pistols and muskets. What served as heavy cavalry weapons? Broadsword - this was the blade of the cuirassier. From German and Hungarian, the word is translated as "sword" or "dagger". It was a chopping-piercing tool with a straight blade up to 100 cm long. The broadsword could have different sharpening: one-, one-and-a-half and two-sided (in the first samples). He was something between a saber and a sword, combining their qualities.
It was the cuirassiers who began to use broadswords in Western Europe from the end of the sixteenth century. In order to pierce a metal breastplate (cuirass), a heavy and long blade was needed. Such was the broadsword. There was a Scottish version of this weapon. It appeared at the end of the sixteenth century, spreading throughout the UK. The length of the broadsword was 75-90 cm. Its blade was quite wide. Sharpening one-sided or two-sided. Such a broadsword was often used with a round shield.
In Russiathe blade appeared under Peter the Great. It was used by dragoon regiments, and after its appearance, by cuirassiers. The blades were factory-made in Russia, and they were also imported from abroad. The weapon, 85 cm long, had a straight point. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the blade became single-edged. Under Catherine II, the monogram "E II" under the crown was engraved on it. Broadswords remained part of the armament of cuirassiers until they were reformed. After that, the blades remained only in a few military units. They could only be seen in parades.
Cuirassiers in Russia
The history of the existence of cuirassiers in Russia began in 1731. Field Marshal Kh. A. Munnich proposed to reorganize the dragoon regiment into a cuirassier one. A couple of years later, these parts of the army cavalry began to be used in the Russian army as the main striking force. The number of cuirassier regiments in Russia was constantly changing either up or down. Since 1860, the existing regiments were reorganized into dragoon ones. Only four guard units of cuirassiers were left.
