FROM HORSES TO TANKS: THE EVOLUTION OF THE

CAVALRY BRANCH

Origins of the use of horses for military purposes

The first time that I told my family that I wanted to choose the Cavalry branch
something strange happened. My mother said: “But, do you like horses? You have
never been interested in them!”. I suddenly understood that the vast majority of
people does not link the ideas of cavalry and modern army. It is normal, because the
evolution of the branch that I chose was wide for many centuries.

The origins of the cavalry are related to the use of the horse as a tool. The rider
was able to see longer distances because he was higher than the rest of the soldiers.
This advantage, in conjunction with its high mobility, made the cavalryman a perfect
scout. The importance of the cavalry rose for centuries until the Dark Ages, when the
function of the cavalry was brighter than ever, being a key tool for every power in the
battlefield thanks to their mobility and suit of armour for both the horse and the rider.
This created an unstoppable force that marked the way of making the war for ages in
Europe.

The great change: The Second Industrial Revolution

Nevertheless, with the rise of the gunpowdered weapons, the cavalry units
started to perform a supporting role, but still key at the end of the battles because the
great synergy that existed between cavalry and infantry units. The use of these units
was gradually decreasing, until the breaking point marked by the Second Industrial
Revolution. The invention of the modern engine and the proliferation of automatic
weapons such as machines guns, condemned the ancient ways of the cavalry.

The brave cavalrymen tried to fight against these modernisation, but their
sabres had nothing to do against the armored plates of the new vehicles and the
accuracy and range of the new weapons. The last cavalry charge was performed
during the Second World War, when an italian cavalry regiment successfully broke
the Soviet siege around Stalingrad.

An old role on a new way: The tank

In spite of the fact that the classic way of performing its missions changed, the
cavalry branch was not dead. The same enemy that destroyed them became its best
ally. The roles that the cavalry adopted yesteryear were still necessary. So they
adapted the speed, mobility, flexibility and flow that had always characterized them
to a new mount: the tank.
 Different types of tanks were developed regarding the different requirements
that the modern battlefield had. Nowadays, it is common to see that each country has
successfully achieved some type of cavalry unit. From the French light regiments
composed of armored 4WD humvees to the Northamerican aerial units composed of
choppers, the primal concept of cavalry is still among us.

Differences between the use of tanks: Cavalry vs Infantry

Although these variants are present in some countries, the most common one is
the cavalry unit composed of heavy or light tanks. Here in Spain, we use a
combination of these two. Nevertheless, cavalry is not the only one that uses these
tools. The infantry branch is using them too, but the way that the two branches
develop their missions is very different.

On the one hand, infantry uses its tanks for close range combat, occupying
positions and attacking a wide range of objectives in a general way. On the other
hand, cavalry is more related to reconnaisance and surveillance missions, performing
attacks in very specific circunstances, like breaking throught an enemy flank; or
objectives that require a high-speed actuation, like raids. Moreover, the cavalry units
are well-known for being an extraordinary protection force in case of a withdrawal.

So,the cavalry role is similar to the original one, but with very modern and very
heavy horses. It could be said that cavalry can neither be created nor destroyed, it can
only be transformed.