113-532: A hussar was a member of a class of light cavalry , originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry regiments in European armies during the late 17th and 18th centuries. By the 19th century, hussars were wearing jackets decorated with braid plus shako or busby fur hats and had developed
226-592: A khorugv ("banner" or "squadron") of 300 men to serve on the Ottoman-Russian border. The squadron consisted of Christians from Hungary , Serbia , Moldavia , and Wallachia . In 1711, prior to the Pruth campaign , 6 regiments (4 khorugv's each) of hussars were formed, mainly from Wallachia. Two other khorugv , for guerilla warfare, were formed, one Polish and one Serbian, to battle the Ottomans. In 1723, Peter
339-572: A Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen I at Esztergom around the year 1000; his family (the Árpád dynasty ) led the monarchy for 300 years. By the 12th century, the kingdom became a European power. Due to the Ottoman occupation of the central and southern territories of Hungary in the 16th century, the country was partitioned into three parts: the Habsburg Royal Hungary , Ottoman Hungary , and
452-479: A Croatian-Hungarian nobleman, Nikola IV Zrinski , Ban of Croatia, accomplished an attack on an Ottoman military camp at Siklós. Suleiman I held off his attack of Eger for the time being, and began to set off towards Nikola IV Zrinski's fortress at Szigetvár . From 2 August to 7 September, the Ottoman forces had laid siege to the fortress with a force, at the least, of 150,000 against Zrinski's 2,300 defenders. While
565-637: A Transylvanian-Hungarian prince, was elected King of Poland in 1576, he reorganised the Polish–Lithuanian Hussars of his Royal Guard along Hungarian lines, making them a heavy formation, equipped with a long lance as their main weapon. Under his reign, the hussars replaced medieval-style lancers in the Polish–Lithuanian army, and they formed the bulk of the Polish cavalry . By the 1590s, most Polish–Lithuanian hussar units had been reformed along
678-580: A blurring of these distinctions in the British army, tradition remained strong in the cavalry arm of some other nations. As an example, the Imperial German army maintained a marked difference between the sizes and weights of the men and horses allocated to the hussar regiments that made up its light cavalry and those of the other two categories. The early weeks of World War I saw light cavalry attempting to continue its long established function of being
791-567: A brace of pistols, although these were often unavailable. A famous military commander in Bonaparte's army who began his military career as a hussar was Marshal Ney , who, after being employed as a clerk in an iron works, joined the 5th Hussars in 1787. He rose through the ranks of the hussars in the wars of Belgium and the Rhineland (1794–1798), fighting against the forces of Austria and Prussia before receiving his marshal's baton in 1804, after
904-551: A distinctive hussar uniform. Hussars throughout Europe followed a different line of development than the Polish hussars. During the early decades of the 17th century, hussars in Hungary ceased to wear metal body armour; and, by 1640, most were light cavalry. It was hussars of this "light" pattern, rather than the Polish heavy hussar, that were later to be copied across Europe. These light hussars were ideal for reconnaissance and raiding sources of fodder and provisions in advance of
1017-598: A first campaign in 1347–1348 and a second in 1350. He eventually signed peace with Joanna in 1352. Louis also waged wars against the Serbian Empire and the Golden Horde , restoring the Hungarian monarchs' authority over territories along the frontiers which had been lost during the previous decades. In 1370 Louis's uncle, Casimir III of Poland , died without male issue. Louis succeeded him, thus establishing
1130-406: A further five regiments, largely from Polish deserters. Three more regiments were raised for Prussian service in 1744 and another in 1758. While the hussars were increasingly drawn from Prussian and other German cavalrymen, they continued to wear the traditional Hungarian uniform, richly decorated with braid and gold trim. Possibly due to a daring and impudent surprise raid on his capital, Berlin, by
1243-505: A key role in mounted scouting, escorting, and skirmishing during the Napoleonic era. Light horse also served a function in major set-piece battles. While lacking the sheer offensive power of heavy cavalry, light cavalry were still extremely effective against unprepared infantry, cavalry, and artillery. All infantry commanders were forced to respect the danger any cavalry presented to their forces, and light cavalry were effective at changing
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#17327646653181356-511: A powerful Ottoman army. By 1541, the fall of Buda marked a further division of Hungary into three areas. The country remained divided until the end of the 17th century. In 1547, the Truce of Adrianople was signed between Charles V and Suleiman the Magnificent . Through this treaty, Ferdinand I of Austria and Charles V recognized total Ottoman control of Hungary, and agreed to pay to
1469-559: A prominent role as cavalry in the Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and Napoleonic Wars (1803–15). As light cavalrymen mounted on fast horses, they would be used to fight skirmish battles and for scouting. Most of the great European powers raised hussar regiments . The armies of France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia had included hussar regiments since the mid-18th century. In the case of Britain, four light dragoon regiments were converted to hussars in 1806–1807. The hussars of
1582-413: A renowned king who created many improvements in the Hungarian law system and who rebuilt the palaces of Buda and Visegrád. He brought materials from Austria and Bohemia and ordered the creation of the most luxurious building in all of central Europe. In his laws can be seen the traces of the early mercantilism . He worked hard to keep the nobility under his control. A great part of his reign was dedicated to
1695-442: A romanticized image of being dashing and adventurous. Several modern armies retain the designation of hussars for armored (tank) units . In addition, a number of mounted units survive which wear historical hussar uniforms on parade or while providing ceremonial escorts . Historically, the term derives from the cavalry of late medieval Hungary , under Matthias Corvinus , with mainly Serb warriors. Etymologists are divided over
1808-677: A second one in about 1700. Prussia followed suit in 1721 when Frederick the Great used hussar units extensively during the War of the Austrian Succession . France established a number of hussar regiments from 1692 onward, recruiting originally from Hungary and Germany, then subsequently from German-speaking frontier regions within France itself. The first hussar regiment in the French army
1921-439: A symbol of bravery, justice and purity. He also venerated his uncle, Saint Louis of Toulouse . On the other hand, he gave importance to the cults of the princesses Saint Elizabeth and Saint Margaret , which added relevance to the lineage inheritance through the feminine branches. Charles restored the royal power which had fallen into feudal lords' hands, and then made the lords swear loyalty to him. For this, he founded in 1326
2034-609: Is an 18th-century Hungarian dance and music genre. The name is derived from the German word werben that means, in particular, "to enroll in the army"; verbunkos means recruiter. The corresponding music and dance were performed during military recruiting, which was a frequent event during this period, hence the character of the music. The verbunkos was an important component of the Hungarian hussar tradition. Potential recruits were dressed in items of hussar uniform, given wine to drink and invited to dance to this music. The hussars played
2147-585: Is named Regimiento Acorazado de Caballería Pavía nr 4 (Cavalry armored regiment Pavia nr 4) and is garrisoned in Zaragoza (Spain). Sweden had hussars from about 1756 and Denmark introduced this class of cavalry in 1762. Britain converted a number of light dragoon regiments to hussars in the early 19th century. The Dutch Republic took a Bavarian regiment into service in 1745 (Regiment Frangipani). Several new regiments and corps were raised in 1747 and 1748, but eventually these existed only on paper. One regiment,
2260-562: The 2eme Regiment Chevaux-Legeres Lanciers of the Imperial Guard (The Red Lancers) after 1810; the 3rd was disbanded; the 2nd being incorporated into the French line as the 11eme Regiment. After regaining independence, the new Royal Netherlands Army raised two hussar regiments (nrs. 6 and 8). They were disbanded (nr. 8 in 1830), or converted to lancers (nr. 6 in 1841). In 1867, all remaining cavalry regiments were transferred to hussar regiments. This tradition remains to this day, with
2373-487: The Battle of Mohács , however in the mid-19th century out of a population of 14 million less than 6 million were Hungarian due to the resettlement policies and continuous immigration from neighboring countries. Major territorial changes made Hungary ethnically homogeneous after World War I . More than nine-tenths of the population of modern Hungary is ethnically Hungarian and speaks Hungarian as their mother tongue. Today,
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#17327646653182486-718: The Hungarian Chamber , was directly subordinated to the Court Chamber in Vienna . The Hungarian language reform started under the reign of Joseph II . The reform age of Hungary was started by István Széchenyi a Hungarian noble, who built one of the greatest bridges of Hungary, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge . The official language remained Latin until 1836, when Hungarian was introduced. Between 1844 and 1849, and from 1867 onward, Hungarian became
2599-475: The Order of Saint George , which was the first secular chivalric order in the world, and included the most important noblemen of the Kingdom. Charles married four times. His fourth wife was Elizabeth , the daughter of Władysław I of Poland . When Charles died in 1342, his eldest son by Elizabeth succeeded him as Louis I . In the first years of his reign, Louis was advised closely by his mother, making her one of
2712-749: The Order of the Dragon , which included most of the relevant monarchs and noblemen of that region of Europe at that time. This was just a first step for what was coming. In 1410 he was elected King of the Romans , making him the supreme monarch over the German territories. He had to deal with the Hussite movement, a religious reformist group that was born in Bohemia, and he presided at the Council of Constance , where
2825-600: The Ottoman Empire led by Suleiman the Magnificent annihilated the Hungarian army. In trying to escape, Louis II drowned in the Csele Creek. The leader of the Hungarian army, Pál Tomori , also died in the battle. Due to a serious defeat by the Ottomans ( Battle of Mohács ) the central authority collapsed. The majority of Hungary's ruling elite elected John Zápolya (10 November 1526). A small minority of aristocrats sided with Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor , who
2938-500: The Statenhuzaren ('States' Hussars') remained, but was disbanded in 1752. In 1784, two free companies of hussars were raised, which were taken into service after 1787 and would become two full regiments. These would be united into one regiment in 1795, which would be the 2nd Regiment of the Kingdom of Holland in 1806, with a 3rd Hussars being raised that same year, as well as a Guard Hussars Regiment. The Guard Hussars would become
3051-485: The siege turned into a victory for the Ottomans, it came at the cost of: 25,000 Ottoman soldiers and Suleiman I, who before the final battle of Szigetvár, due to natural causes of old age and illness. In the following centuries there were numerous attempts to push back the Ottoman forces, such as the Long War or Thirteen Years' War (29 July 1593 – 1604/11 November 1606) led by a coalition of Christian forces. In 1644
3164-714: The siege of Magdeburg which was led by Johann Tserclaes as well as the sieges of Heidelberg , Frankenthal , Manheim , Breitenfeld , Lützen , Nördlingen , Wittstock and Breitenfeld . Between 1746 and 1750, four Grenz Hussar (border) regiments were established: the Karlovac, the Varaždin, the Slavonian and the Syrmia Regiments. The Croatian-Slavonian Grenz Hussars took part in the campaigns of 1793–94 against Revolutionary France In 1751, Maria Theresa prescribed
3277-596: The "eyes and ears" of the respective main armies. However, despite some early success, the advent of trench warfare and aircraft observation quickly rendered this role obsolete, except to an extent in the Middle East in 1917, and in Eastern Europe where light cavalry mounted actions on a diminishing scale continued to occur until the revolution of 1917 took Russia out of the war. During the Vietnam War ,
3390-628: The 11th century, the Kingdom of Hungary became a Christian state , and Catholicism in the Hungarian Kingdom was a state religion . After his death, a period of revolts and conflict for supremacy ensued between the royalty and the nobles. In 1051 armies of the Holy Roman Empire tried to conquer Hungary, but they were defeated at Vértes Mountain . The armies of the Holy Roman Empire continued to suffer defeats;
3503-603: The 1750s Serbian and Slovakian Orthodox communities and refugees, plus Poles and Hungarians, provided non-Russian recruits for the expanding hussars who evolved into a semi-regular corps of frontier light horse. In 1759–60, three more Hussar regiments, were raised, the Yellow ( Želtiy ), the Macedonian ( Makedonskiy ) and the Bulgarian ( Bolgarskiy ). During and after Rákóczi's War of Independence , many Hungarians served in
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3616-640: The 17th century they were usually armed with swords , spears , javelins , or bows , and later on with sabres , pistols , shotguns , or carbines . Light cavalry was used infrequently by Ancient Greeks (who used hippeis such as prodromoi or sarissophoroi ) and Ancient Romans (who used auxiliaries such as equites Numidarum or equites Maurorum ), but were more common among the armies of Eastern Europe , North Africa , West Asia , Central Asia , and East Asia . The Arabs , Cossacks , Hungarians , Huns , Kalmycks , Mongols , Turks , Parthians , and Persians were all proficient horse archers . With
3729-503: The 8th Tank Regiment of the Argentinian Army. Light cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses , as opposed to heavy cavalry , where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses ) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily raiding , reconnaissance , screening , skirmishing , patrolling , and tactical communications . Prior to
3842-514: The Bohemians and Poles. After the king's death, in 1490, hussars became the standard form of cavalry in Hungary in addition to the heavy cavalry. Their role was limited to irregular warfare, raiding, securing, covering and reconnaissance of main regular forces. According to Antonio Bonfini , this lightly armed cavalry (expeditissimus equitatus) was not allowed to be part of the regular army, when
3955-667: The Carpathian Basin in 895 and established the Principality of Hungary (896–1000). The Hungarians led several successful incursions to Western Europe, until they were stopped by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor in Battle of Lechfeld . The principality was succeeded by the Christian Kingdom of Hungary with the coronation of St Stephen I (son of principal Géza. Originally called Vajk until baptized) at Esztergom on Christmas Day 1000. The first kings of
4068-661: The Emperor Napoleon's coronation. In the British Army , hussar cavalry were introduced at a later date than in other major European armies. Towards the end of the 18th century, British light dragoon regiments began to adopt hussar style accoutrements such as laced jackets, pelisses and sabretaches . In 1805, four light dragoon regiments were permitted to use the "hussar" name, initially in parentheses after their regimental title and adopted full hussar uniforms. British hussars were armed with, in addition to firearms,
4181-596: The Great formed a Hussar regiment exclusively from Serbian light cavalry serving in the Austrian army. On 14 October 1741, during the regency of Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna , four Hussar regiments, a Serbian ( Serbskiy ), a Moldavian ( Moldavskiy ), a Hungarian ( Vengerskiy ) and a Georgian ( Gruzinskiy ) were authorized. After the Russo-Turkish War (1735–39) , these Hussar regiments were converted to regular service, voluntarily enlisted and not conscripted as
4294-522: The Habsburg Empire, and its constitution was kept, even though it was only a formality. After the departure of the Ottomans, the Habsburgs dominated the Hungarian Kingdom. The Hungarians' renewed desire for freedom led to Rákóczi's War for Independence. The most important reasons of the war were the new and higher taxes and a renewed Protestant movement. Rákóczi was a Hungarian nobleman, son of
4407-537: The Habsburg army. Located in garrisons far away from Hungary, some deserted from the Austrian army and joined that of Prussia . The value of the Hungarian hussars as light cavalry was recognised and, in 1721, two Hussaren Corps were organised in the Prussian Army . Frederick II (later called "The Great") recognised the value of hussars as light cavalry and encouraged their recruitment. In 1741, he established
4520-644: The Habsburg-Ottoman border area. Croatian units were not inevitably referred as "Croats" but it was the most commonly used name. In the Thirty Years' War other designations used were Wallachen, Uskocken, Raitzen, Granitscharen, Insulaner, Wenden, Polen, Türken i Zigeuner . Amongst the Croatian hussars could be found other ethno-political groups, such as Hungarians, Serbs, Albanians, Romanians, Poles, Vlachs and Cossacks. Croatian hussars participated in
4633-603: The Hungarian generals Pal Werner and Ferenc Kőszeghy, who received the highest Prussian military order, the " Pour le Mérite "; General Tivadar Ruesh was awarded the title of baron; Mihály Székely was promoted from the rank of captain to general after less than fifteen years of service. While Hungarian hussars served in the opposing armies of Frederick and Maria Theresa , there were no known instances of fratricidal clashes between them. Verbunkos ( Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈvɛrbuŋkoʃ] ; other spellings are Verbounko, Verbunko, Verbunkas, Werbunkos, Werbunkosch, Verbunkoche)
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4746-549: The Hungarian nobility, Sigismund soon became victim of an attempt against his rule, and Ladislaus of Anjou-Durazzo (the son of the murdered King of Naples Charles II of Hungary) was called in and crowned. Since the ceremony was not performed with the Hungarian Holy Crown, and in the city of Székesfehérvár , it was considered illegitimate. Ladislaus stayed only few days in Hungarian territory and soon left it, no longer an inconvenience for Sigismund. In 1408 he founded
4859-785: The Hungarians acclaimed him as the "Second Founder of the Homeland", and the Hungarian Kingdom again became a considerable force in Europe. In 1260 Béla IV lost the War of Babenberg Succession, his army was defeated at the Battle of Kressenbrunn by the united Bohemian forces. However, in 1278, Ladislaus IV of Hungary and Austrian troops fully destroyed the Bohemian army at the Battle on the Marchfeld . The Árpád dynasty died out in 1301 with
4972-672: The King of Hungary and Archduke of Austria. In 1708, the Habsburgs finally defeated the main Hungarian army at Battle of Trencsén , and this diminished the further effectiveness of the Kuruc army. While the Hungarians were exhausted by the fights, the Austrians defeated the French army in the War of the Spanish Succession . They could send more troops to Hungary against the rebels. Transylvania became part of Hungary again starting at
5085-493: The Kingdom of Hungary Military Frontier , Croatian-Slavonian and the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia. One notable captain and chief officer of hussars was Petar Keglević . In 1578, Charles II took command of the Croatian and Slavonian Military Frontier and prepared written orders and rule of service for infantry (Haramije) and horsemen (hussars), using the Serbo-Croatian language. The oldest written trace of
5198-462: The Kingdom were extensively worked and soon Hungary reached a prominent standing in European gold production. The forint was introduced as a currency, replacing the denars , and soon after Charles's reforms were implemented, the economy of the Kingdom started to prosper again, having fallen into a parlous state following the Mongol invasion. Charles exalted the cult to Saint Ladislaus I, using him as
5311-411: The Ottoman and Wallachian troops at the Battle of Breadfield . The army of Hungary destroyed its enemies almost every time when Matthias was king. Matthias died without legitimate heir, and was thus succeeded by Vladislaus II Jagiellon (1490–1516), the son of Casimir IV of Poland . In turn, Vladislaus was succeeded by his son Louis II (1516–26). In 1526, at the Battle of Mohács , the forces of
5424-405: The Ottomans a yearly tribute of 30,000 gold florins for their Habsburg possessions in northern and western Hungary. On 1 May 1566, Suleiman I led an Ottoman invasion of Habsburg-controlled Hungary, the Ottoman forces of which was one of the most sizable armies he had led in his rule of 46 years. After reaching Belgrade and met with John II Sigismund Zápolya on 27 June, Suleiman I learned that
5537-485: The Ottomans and on various battlefields throughout Western Europe. Early hussars wore armor when they could afford it, as did the later Polish hussars. Hungarian hussars abandoned the use of shields and, at a later date, armor; becoming entirely light cavalry in the first half of the 17th century. Initially the first units of Polish Hussars in the Kingdom of Poland were formed around 1500. The Polish heavy hussars of
5650-699: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were far more manoeuvrable than the heavily armoured lancers previously employed. The hussars proved vital to the Polish–Lithuanian victories at the Orsza (1514), the Obertyn (1531) and the Battle of Vienna (1683). Over the course of the 16th century, hussars in Transylvania and Hungary became heavier in character: they had abandoned wooden shields and adopted plate-metal body armour. When Stephen Báthory ,
5763-459: The US Army converted parts of the 1st Cavalry Division for heliborne tactics with a concept known as air cavalry . Helicopters were used to insert troops and support them. They were also used for suppression fire, search and rescue, medical evacuation, scouting and resupply. This concept was first tested at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley . Modern tactics call for the use of gunships to dominate
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#17327646653185876-582: The Winter Campaign by Miklós Zrínyi burnt the crucial Suleiman Bridge of Osijek in eastern Slavonia , interrupting a Turkish supply line in Hungary. At the Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664) , Austrians and Hungarians defeated the Turkish army. After the Ottoman siege of Vienna failed in 1683, the Habsburgs went on the offensive against the Turks. By the end of the 17th century, they managed to invade
5989-521: The airspace and provide fire support while transport helicopters ferry ground forces and supply them. Light reconnaissance vehicles (LRV) are also being used by cavalry squadrons and infantry scout units for scouting, skirmishing, and providing light fire support. Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946. The Principality of Hungary emerged as
6102-576: The anarchy, then Otto III , who was forced to leave by the Kán family . Charles, remaining as the only candidate, was finally crowned King Charles I in 1310. His famous battle at Rozgony , described as "most cruel battle since the Mongol invasion of Europe " by the Chronicon Pictum , ended his war of reunification . He implemented considerable economic reforms and defeated the remaining nobility who were in opposition to royal rule, led by Máté Csák III . The kingdom of Hungary reached an age of prosperity and stability under Charles I. The gold mines of
6215-614: The army. In battle, they were used in such light cavalry roles as harassing enemy skirmishers , overrunning artillery positions, and pursuing fleeing troops. In many countries, the hussars and bosniaks actually retained their original Asiatic uniforms. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, many Hungarian hussars sought employment in other Central and Western European countries and became the core of similar light cavalry formations created there. Following their example, hussar regiments were introduced into at least twelve European armies by 1800. Bavaria raised its first hussar regiment in 1688 and
6328-415: The battles of Byczyna (1588), Kokenhusen (1601), Kircholm (1605), Kłuszyn (1610), Trzciana (1629), Chocim (1673) and Lwów (1675), the Polish–Lithuanian hussars proved to be the decisive factor, often against overwhelming odds. Until the 18th century, they were considered the elite of the Commonwealth's armed forces. Croatian hussar units, often designated simply as "Croats" , were raised from
6441-412: The campaigns of the Hungarian general, Artúr Görgey , forced the Austrians on the defensive. One of the most famous battles of the revolution, the Battle of Pákozd , was fought on 29 September 1848, when the Hungarian revolutionary army led by Lieutenant-General János Móga defeated the troops of the Croatian Ban Josip Jelačić . Fearing defeat, the Austrians pleaded for Russian help. The combined forces of
6554-400: The city of Fiume ), Regno d'Ungheria . In Austria-Hungary (1867–1918), the unofficial name Transleithania was sometimes used to denote the regions of the Kingdom of Hungary. Officially, the term Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen was included for the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary, although this term was also in use prior to that time. The Hungarians, led by Árpád , settled
6667-531: The colour of their uniform.) The three (later expanded to ten) Roșiori regiments were the regular units, while the Călărași were territorial reserve cavalry who supplied their own horses. These troops played an important role in the Romanian Independence War of 1877 , on the Russo-Turkish front. The Roșiori, as their Romanian name implies, wore red dolmans with black braiding while the Călărași wore dark blue dolmans with red loopings. Both wore fur busbies and white plumes. The Roșiori regiments were distinguished by
6780-455: The creator of these troops, commonly called Rác (a Hungarian exonym for Serbs). Initially, they fought in small bands, but were reorganised into larger, trained formations during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus. The medieval Hungarian written sources spoke disparagingly and contemptuously of the light cavalry and the hussars in general, and during battles the texts praised only the virtues, endurance, courage, training and achievements of
6893-422: The death of Andrew III . Subsequently, Hungary was ruled by the Angevins until the end of the 14th century, and then by several non-dynastic rulers – notably Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and Matthias Corvinus – until the early 16th century. When Andrew III's predecessor, Ladislaus IV , was assassinated in 1290, another nobleman was set up as titular King of Hungary: Charles Martel of Anjou . Charles Martel
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#17327646653187006-517: The decline of feudalism and knighthood in Europe, light cavalry became more prominent in the armies of the continent. Many were equipped with early firearms, as their predecessors had been with bows or javelins . European examples of light cavalry included stradiots , hobelars , hussars , chasseurs à cheval , cossacks , chevau-légers , uhlans , and dragoons . Armies of the ancient Roman-Germanic wars made use of light cavalry as patrolling squads, or armed scouts , and often had them in
7119-491: The deposition of the last king Charles IV in 1918, after which Hungary became a republic. The kingdom was nominally restored during the " Regency " of 1920–46, ending under the Soviet occupation in 1946. The Kingdom of Hungary was a multiethnic state from its inception until the Treaty of Trianon and it covered what is today Hungary , Slovakia , Transylvania and other parts of Romania , Carpathian Ruthenia (now part of Ukraine ), Vojvodina (now part of Serbia ),
7232-399: The derivation of the word hussar . Several alternative theories are summarised below: The hussars reportedly originated in bands of Serb warriors , crossing into southern Hungary after the Ottoman conquest of Serbia in the late 14th century. Regent-Governor John Hunyadi created mounted units inspired by the Ottomans. His son, Matthias Corvinus , later king of Hungary, is claimed to be
7345-429: The different colours of their cloth busby bags (yellow, white, green, light blue, light green, dark blue, light brown, lilac, pink and light grey according to regiment). The Regimentul 1 Roșiori "General de armată Alexandru Averescu" was formed in 1871, while the Regimentul 4 Roșiori "Regina Maria" was created in 1893. After World War I, the differences between the two branches of Romanian cavalry disappeared, although
7458-402: The end of the 17th century, and was led by governors. In 1711, Austrian Emperor Charles VI became the next ruler of Hungary. Throughout the 18th century, the Kingdom of Hungary had its own diet (parliament) and constitution, but the members of the Governor's Council ( Helytartótanács , the office of the palatine ) were appointed by the Habsburg monarch, and the superior economic institution,
7571-425: The enemy's flanks and rear. A hussar regiment under the command of Colonel Sigismund Dabasi-Halász helped win the Battle of Hohenfriedberg at Striegau on May 4, 1745, by attacking the Austrian combat formation on its flank and capturing all of its artillery. The effectiveness of the hussars in Frederick's army can be judged by the number of promotions and decorations awarded to their officers. Recipients included
7684-476: The exclusively used official language. The European revolutions of 1848 swept into Hungary, as well. The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 sought to redress the long suppressed desire for political change, namely independence. The Hungarian National Guard was created by young Hungarian patriots in 1848. In literature, this was best expressed by the greatest poet of the revolution, Sándor Petőfi . As war broke out with Austria, Hungarian military successes, which included
7797-450: The feast day of the first king Stephen I (20 August) is a national holiday in Hungary, commemorating the foundation of the state (Foundation Day). The Latin forms Regnum Hungariae or Ungarie ( Regnum meaning kingdom); Regnum Marianum (Kingdom of Mary ); or simply Hungaria , were the names used in official documents in Latin from the beginning of the kingdom to the 1840s. The German name Königreich Ungarn
7910-424: The fight with the Ottoman Empire, which started to extend its frontiers and influence to Europe. In 1396 was fought the Battle of Nicopolis against the Ottomans, which resulted in a defeat for the Hungarian-French forces led by Sigismund and Philip of Artois, Count of Eu . However, Sigismund continued to successfully contain the Ottoman forces outside of the Kingdom for the rest of his life. Losing popularity among
8023-446: The first union of Hungary and Poland . This lasted until 1382 when Louis himself died without male issue; his two daughters, Mary and Jadwiga , then ascended the thrones of Hungary and Poland respectively. Louis I of Hungary always kept good and close relationships with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg and finally proclaimed Charles's son Sigismund of Luxembourg to succeed him as King of Hungary. Sigismund became
8136-607: The front lines during regional battles. During the Punic Wars, one of Carthage's main advantages over Roman armies was its extensive use of Numidian light cavalry . Partly because of this, the Roman general Scipio Africanus recruited his own cavalry from Sicily before his invasion of Tunisia during the Second Punic War . Several types of light cavalry were developed and used in medieval armies. Light cavalry played
8249-457: The highly regarded 1796-pattern light-cavalry sabre . There were several Russian regiments of hussars by the time of Napoleonic Wars and extensive use was made of them. Although the Romanian cavalry were not formally designated as hussars, their pre-1915 uniforms, as described below, were of the classic hussar type. These regiments were created in the second part of the 19th century, under
8362-571: The hussars of Hungarian general András Hadik , Frederick also recognised the national characteristics of his Hungarian recruits and, in 1759, issued a royal order which warned the Prussian officers never to offend the self-esteem of his hussars with insults and abuse. At the same time, he exempted the hussars from the usual disciplinary measures of the Prussian Army , such as physical punishments including cudgeling . Frederick used his hussars for reconnaissance duties and for surprise attacks against
8475-520: The indicated strength. By 1741, the foreign hussars in Russian service had disbanded and reliance for light cavalry functions was again placed on the indigenous Cossack irregulars. In that year new hussar regiments were raised, now drawn from Orthodox Christian communities along the Turkish frontier. The newly raised Russian hussar units had increased to 12 regiments by the Seven Years' War . During
8588-501: The inequality of power relations, led by Francis II Rákóczi (II. Rákóczi Ferenc in Hungarian). Its main aims were to protect the rights of the different social orders, and to ensure the economic and social development of the country. Due to the adverse balance of forces, the political situation in Europe and internal conflicts the freedom fight was eventually suppressed, but it succeeded in keeping Hungary from becoming an integral part of
8701-532: The influence and meddling of the Holy Roman Empire in Hungary's affairs. At the time of the initial Ottoman encroachment, the Hungarians successfully resisted conquest. John Hunyadi was leader of the Crusade of Varna , in which the Hungarians tried to expel the Turks from the Balkans. Initially, they were successful, but later at the Battle of Varna , the Ottomans won a decisive if Pyrrhic victory . Wladyslaw III
8814-486: The kingdom were from the Árpád dynasty . He fought against Koppány and in 998, with Bavarian help, defeated him near Veszprém . The Catholic Church received powerful support from Stephen I, who with Christian Hungarians and German knights wanted a Christian kingdom established in Central Europe. Stephen I of Hungary was canonized as a Catholic saint in 1083 and an Eastern Orthodox saint in 2000. Around
8927-520: The knights. No wonder, since during the Middle Ages the Hungarian noble origin soldiers served exclusively as heavy armoured cavalry. The first hussar regiments comprised the light cavalry of the Black Army of Hungary . Under Corvinus's command, the hussars took part in the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1485 and proved successful against the sipahis (Ottoman cavalry) as well as against
9040-415: The last surviving hussar regiment ( Boreel's , 103rd and 104th reconnaissance squadrons) carrying on the tradition of all Dutch cavalry predecessors. Russia relied on its native cossacks along with kalmyks and other nomads to provide irregular light cavalry until the mid-18th century. In 1707, Apostol Kigetsch, a Wallachian nobleman serving Russian Emperor Peter the Great , was given the task to form
9153-504: The legendary heroine Ilona Zrínyi . He spent a part of his youth in Austrian captivity. The Kurucs were troops of Rákóczi. Initially, the Kuruc army attained several important victories due to their superior light cavalry. Their weapons were mostly pistols, light sabre and fokos . At the Battle of Saint Gotthard (1705) , János Bottyán decisively defeated the Austrian army. The Hungarian colonel Ádám Balogh nearly captured Joseph I ,
9266-480: The most influential personalities in the Kingdom. Charles had arranged the marriage of his second son, Andrew , with his cousin Joanna , the granddaughter of King Robert of Naples , in 1332. Robert died in 1343, bequeathing his kingdom to Joanna but excluding the claim of Andrew. In 1345, a group of noble Neapolitan conspirators murdered Andrew at Aversa . Almost immediately, Louis declared war on Naples , conducting
9379-520: The movement of enemy forces simply through their presence. In the aftermath of battles, light cavalry were used to press a victor's advantage or to screen retreating forces from further attack. As late as the early 1900s, most European armies still retained a nominal division of mounted troops according to the size and weight of the men, into light cavalry (raiding, reconnaissance, and screening), medium cavalry (offense or defense), and heavy cavalry (direct shock). While colonial warfare had led to
9492-501: The order of the battle was formed, but was placed outside it in quite separate groups and used to destroy, burn, kill and instil fear in the civilian population, while they rode ahead of the regular army. The 16th and 17th centuries saw a major change and during the Thirty Years' War they fought as light cavalry and increasingly used firearms , instead of more traditional weapons such as bows and spears . The Habsburg emperors hired Hungarian hussars as mercenaries to serve against
9605-401: The outside of such breeches, running up each outer side, was a row of buttons, and sometimes a stripe in a different colour. A shako or fur kolpac ( busby ) was worn as headwear. The colours of the dolman, pelisse and breeches varied greatly by regiment, even within the same army. The French hussar of the Napoleonic period was armed with a brass-hilted sabre , a carbine and sometimes with
9718-485: The period created the tradition of sabrage , the opening of a champagne bottle with a sabre. Moustaches were universally worn by Napoleonic-era hussars; the British hussars were the only moustachioed troops in the British Army—leading to their being taunted as being "foreigners", at times. French hussars also wore cadenettes , braids of hair hanging on either side of the face and held in place by pistol balls, until
9831-406: The practice was officially proscribed when shorter hair became universal. The uniform of the Napoleonic hussars included the pelisse , a short fur-edged jacket which was often worn slung over one shoulder in the style of a cape and was fastened with a cord. This garment was extensively adorned with braiding (often gold or silver for officers) and several rows of buttons. The dolman or tunic, which
9944-413: The precise terms of this relationship became a matter of dispute in the 19th century, it is believed that Coloman created a kind of personal union between the two kingdoms . The nature of the relationship varied through time, Croatia retained a large degree of internal autonomy overall, while the real power rested in the hands of the local nobility. Modern Croatian and Hungarian historiographies mostly view
10057-530: The principles of law. In 1241, Hungary was invaded by the Mongols and while the first minor battles with Subutai's vanguard probes ended in seeming Hungarian victories, the Mongols finally destroyed the combined Hungarian and Cuman armies at the Battle of Muhi . In 1242, after the end of the Mongol invasion, numerous fortresses to defend against future invasion were erected by Béla IV of Hungary . In gratitude,
10170-412: The relations between Kingdom of Croatia (1102–1526) and Kingdom of Hungary from 1102 as a form of a personal union , i.e. that they were connected by a common king. Also, one of the greatest Hungarian jurists and statesmen of the 16th century, István Werbőczy in his work Tripartitum treats Croatia as a kingdom separate to Hungary. Especially Arabic and Byzantine travelers from this time praised
10283-497: The remainder of the historical Kingdom of Hungary and the principality of Transylvania. For a while in 1686, the capital Buda was again free from the Ottoman Empire, with the aid of other Europeans. Rákóczi's War for Independence (1703–1711) was the first significant freedom fight in Hungary against absolutist Habsburg rule. It was fought by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives who wanted to put an end to
10396-507: The rest of the Russian army. They were on a level between regular and irregular cavalry. Hussars were recruited only from the nation indicated by the regiment's name, i.e., these regiments were national units in Russian service; all troops (including officers) were national, and commands were given in the respective languages. Each regiment was supposed to have a fixed organization of 10 companies, each of about 100 men, but these regiments were recruited from different sources, so they were less than
10509-473: The richness country, the dense pastures, the nicely cultivated lands, the plentiful animals in waters and forests. They said that the wheat is cheap, the markets are populous, the cities flourish and the folk are wealthy. Although it is hardly credible that they refer to all layers of society, the documents were inspired by the reality. In 1222 Andrew II of Hungary issued the Golden Bull which laid down
10622-663: The rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza , creator of Romania by the unification of Moldavia and Wallachia . Romania diplomatically avoided the word "hussar" due to its connotation at the time with Austria-Hungary , traditional rival of the Romanian principates. Therefore, these cavalry regiments were called " Călărași " in Moldavia, and later the designation " Roșiori " was adopted in Wallachia. (The word "călăraș" means "mounted soldier", and "roșior" means "of red colour" which derived from
10735-413: The same "heavy", Hungarian model. Due to the same resemblance, the Polish heavy hussars came with their own style, the Polish winged hussars or Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth winged husaria . In the Battle of Lubieszów , in 1577, the "Golden Age" of the husaria began. Up to and including the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Polish–Lithuanian hussars fought countless actions against a variety of enemies. In
10848-470: The second greatest battle was at the town now called Bratislava , in 1052. Before 1052 Peter Orseolo, a supporter of the Holy Roman Empire , was overthrown by king Samuel Aba of Hungary . This period of revolts ended during the reign of Béla I . Hungarian chroniclers praised Béla I for introducing new currency, such as the silver denarius, and for his benevolence to the former followers of his nephew, Solomon. The second greatest Hungarian king, also from
10961-474: The semi-independent Principality of Transylvania . The House of Habsburg held the Hungarian throne after the Battle of Mohács in 1526 continuously until 1918 and also played a key role in the liberation wars against the Ottoman Empire. From 1867, territories connected to the Hungarian crown were incorporated into Austria-Hungary under the name of Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen . The monarchy ended with
11074-474: The support of the Ottoman Sultan. A three-sided conflict ensued as Ferdinand moved to assert his rule over as much of the Hungarian kingdom as he could. By 1529 the kingdom had been split into two parts: Habsburg Hungary and the "eastern-Kingdom of Hungary". At this time there were no Ottomans on Hungarian territories, except Srem's important castles. In 1532, Nikola Jurišić defended Kőszeg and stopped
11187-608: The surname Husar in Croatia is from 1507 in Vinica where Petrus Hwzar (Petar Husar) was mentioned, in a document dated 1598 entitled "Regestum", mention was made of "hussar" at Lobor ("Castrum Lobor cum suis pertinentiis portiones magnificorum dominorum Joannis et Petri Keglyewich…“ Blasius Hwszar , Inq(uilinus)”. A second reference to "hussar" appeared in 1613 from Krapina ("desertum Joannes Huszar de vinea cb – qr j”). Croatian hussars were irregular light horsemen characteristic of
11300-456: The territory of Burgenland (now part of Austria ), Međimurje (now part of Croatia ), Prekmurje (now part of Slovenia ) and a few villages which are now part of Poland . From 1102 it also included the Kingdom of Croatia , being in personal union with it, united under the King of Hungary . According to the demographers, about 80 percent of the population was made up of Hungarians before
11413-676: The theologist founder Jan Hus , was judged. In 1419 Sigismund inherited the Crown of Bohemia after the death of his brother Wenceslaus of Luxembourg , obtaining the formal control of three medieval states, but he struggled for control of Bohemia until the peace agreement with the Hussites and his coronation in 1436. In 1433 was crowned as Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope and ruled until his death in 1437, leaving as his only heir his daughter Elizabeth of Luxembourg and her husband. The marriage of Elizabeth
11526-494: The titles of Roșiori and Călărași remained. Both types of cavalry served through World War II on the Russian front as mounted and mechanised units. In Argentina , the 'Regimiento de Húsares del Rey' was created in 1806 to defend Buenos Aires from the British 1806–1807 expeditions. After the revolution in 1810, it became the 'Regimiento Húsares de Pueyrredón' after its founder and first colonel, Juan Martín de Pueyrredón . Today, its traditions and historic name and uniform are kept by
11639-836: The unit fought the Battles of Bailén, Tudela, Velez, Talavera and Ocaña and the actions of Baza, Cuellar, Murviedro and Alaquàs. The Húsares de Pavía regiment also was involved in the Ten Years' War in Cuba , the Spanish–American War (1898), the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), and in the Ifni War (1958). Ifni was a Spanish colony in North Africa that was attacked by irregulars from Morocco. At present, this regiment
11752-481: The Árpád dynasty, was Ladislaus I of Hungary , who stabilized and strengthened the kingdom. He was also canonized as a saint. Under his rule Hungarians successfully fought against the Cumans and acquired parts of Croatia in 1091. Due to a dynastic crisis in Croatia, with the help of the local nobility who supported his claim, he managed to swiftly seize power in northern parts of the Croatian kingdom ( Slavonia ), as he
11865-527: Was Archduke of Austria , and was related to Louis by marriage. Due to previous agreements that the Habsburgs would take the Hungarian throne if Louis died without heirs, Ferdinand was elected king by a rump diet in December 1526. Although the borders shifted frequently during this period, the three parts can be identified, more or less, as follows: On 29 February 1528, King John I of Hungary received
11978-469: Was a claimant to the throne due to the fact that his sister was married to the late Croatian king Zvonimir who died without an heir. However, kingship over all of Croatia would not be achieved until the reign of his successor Coloman . With the coronation of King Coloman as " King of Croatia and Dalmatia " in Biograd in 1102, the two kingdoms of Croatia and Hungary were united under one crown. Although
12091-400: Was also decorated in braid, was worn under it. The hussar's accoutrements included a Hungarian-style saddle covered by a shabraque : a decorated saddlecloth with long, pointed corners surmounted by a sheepskin. On active service, the hussar normally wore reinforced breeches which had leather on the inside of the leg to prevent them from wearing due to the extensive time spent in the saddle. On
12204-610: Was arranged with the Duke Albert V of Austria , who was later crowned as King Albert of Hungary in 1437. The Hungarian kingdom's golden age was during the reign of Matthias Corvinus (1458–1490), the son of John Hunyadi . His nickname was "Matthias the Just". He further improved the Hungarian economy and practised astute diplomacy in place of military action whenever possible. Matthias did undertake campaigning when necessary. From 1485 until his death, he occupied Vienna, aiming to limit
12317-649: Was captured by the Spanish Cavalry. The Húsares de Pavía fought in Italy during the Nine Years' War (1692–1695) and the War of Spanish Succession , it was transferred back to Spain. In 1719, the regiment was sent again to Italy until 1746. Then, it served in campaigns against Algerian pirates and in the sieges of Oran and Algiers . During the Spanish War of Independence against Napoleon (1808–1814),
12430-578: Was decapitated during this battle. In 1456, John Hunyadi delivered a crushing defeat of the Ottomans at the Siege of Belgrade . The Noon Bell commemorates the fallen Christian warriors. In the 15th century, the Black Army of Hungary was a modern mercenary army, with the Hussars the most skilled troops of the Hungarian cavalry . In 1479, under the leadership of Pál Kinizsi , the Hungarian army destroyed
12543-595: Was the Hussars-Royaux (Royal Hussars), raised from Hungarian deserters in 1692. Spain disbanded its first hussars in 1747 and then raised new units of Húsares in 1795. The Húsares de Pavía were created in 1684 by the Count of Melgar to serve in Spanish possessions in Italy and were named after the Spanish victory over the French army at Pavia, south of Milan, Italy. During the battle, the King of France, Francis I ,
12656-404: Was the son of King Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary , the sister of Ladislaus IV. However, Andrew III took the crown for himself and ruled without inconvenience after Charles Martel's death in 1295. Upon Andrew's death in 1301, the country was divided between powerful lords hostile to each other. A coalition of some of these oligarchs first crowned Wenceslaus III , who quickly fled from
12769-612: Was used officially from 1784 to 1790 and again between 1849 and the 1860s. The Hungarian name ( Magyar Királyság ) was used in the 1840s, and then again from the 1860s to 1946. The unofficial Hungarian name of the kingdom was Magyarország , which is still the colloquial, and also the official name of Hungary. The names in the other native languages of the kingdom were: Polish : Królestwo Węgier , Romanian : Regatul Ungariei , Serbian : Kraljevina Ugarska , Croatian : Kraljevina Ugarska , Slovene : Kraljevina Ogrska , Slovak : Uhorské kráľovstvo , and Italian (for
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