Osprey Men-at-Arms 236 : Frederick the Great's Army (1) : Cavalry

The Prussian army of King Frederick II, 'the Great', became so renowned as a result of its campaigns, principally during the Seven Years' War, that it was regarded as a model for many of the other armies of Europe. Its success was founded on the fact that it was led by one of the greatest commanders of history; and its quality was refined by Frederick's methods and leadership, which transformed what was in many cases unpromising material into an army generally unsurpassed in Europe. Whilst the infantry he inherited from his father was already in a state of great proficiency, the cavalry he found to be rather less so. it was, in fact, in a desperate state. Proficient only at ceremonial drill on foot, Frederick claimed they could not manage their horses and were commanded by officers totally ignorant of what was required of them in action. The reforms and training he instituted had remarkably rapid effects. Probably the most significant reason for the cavalry's improvement, and its later maintenance of high standards, was the calibre of men from which it was recruited. Most of the heavy cavalry were drawn from the independent peasantry, many of whom had experience of working with horses from their agricultural background; and although Frederick initially recruited Hungarians and similar wild elements for his hussars, he later experienced no difficulty in finding suitable recruits for the light cavalry, from the attractions of loot and the less restrained lifestyle of hussar service. In this first of two books exploring Frederick the Great's army, Philip Haythornwaite examines the organisation, tactics and uniform of his cavalry troops, backed by numerous illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Bryan Fosten.

Contents

• Introduction
• Heavy Cavalry
• Hussars
• Standards
• The Plates