80-400: A sabre is a type of sword. Sabre , Sabres , saber , or SABRE may also refer to: Sabre A sabre or ( American English ) saber ( / ˈ s eɪ b ər / SAY -bər ) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the hussars ,
160-505: A Turkic source. In a more recent suggestion, the Hungarian word may ultimately derive from a Tungusic source, via Kipchak Turkic selebe , with later metathesis (of l-b to b-l ) and apocope changed to *seble , which would have changed its vocalisation in Hungarian to the recorded sabla , perhaps under the influence of the Hungarian word szab- "to crop; cut (into shape)". Though single-edged cutting swords already existed in
240-593: 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
320-637: 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
400-567: 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
480-552: 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
560-406: 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
640-630: A key scene in Doctor Zhivago . The sabre was later phased out in favour of the baton , or nightstick, for both practical and humanitarian reasons. The Gendarmerie of Belgium used them until at least 1950, and the Swedish police forces until 1965. Swords with sabre blades remain a component of the dress uniforms worn by most national army, navy, air force, marine and coast guard officers . Some militaries also issue ceremonial swords to their highest-ranking non-commissioned officers ; this
720-559: 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
800-446: 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
880-679: 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
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#1732772395805960-463: A slight curve, short, down-turned quillons , the grip facing the opposite direction to the blade and a sharp point with the top third of the reverse edge sharpened. The introduction of the sabre proper in Western Europe, along with the term sabre itself, dates to the 17th century, via the influence of the szabla type ultimately derived from these medieval backswords. The adoption of
1040-485: A specific type of sabre-like melee weapon, the szabla , was used. Richly decorated sabres were popular among the Polish nobility , who considered it to be one of the most important pieces of men's traditional attire. With time, the design of the sabre greatly evolved in the commonwealth and gave birth to a variety of sabre-like weapons, intended for many tasks. In the following centuries, the ideology of Sarmatism as well as
1120-720: A straight, single edged sword, and in the sixth century CE a longer, slightly curved cavalry variety of this weapon appeared in southern Siberia. This "proto-sabre" (the Turko-Mongol sabre ) had developed into the true cavalry sabre by the eight century CE, and by the ninth century, it had become the usual side arm on the Eurasian steppes. The sabre arrived in Europe with the Magyars and the Turkic expansion . These oldest sabres had
1200-609: 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
1280-585: 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,
1360-444: Is seen as an honour since, typically, non-commissioned, enlisted / other-rank military service members are instead issued a cutlass blade rather than a sabre. Swords in the modern military are no longer used as weapons, and serve only ornamental or ceremonial functions. One distinctive modern use of sabres is in the sabre arch , performed for servicemen or women getting married. The modern fencing sabre bears little resemblance to
1440-475: The 1896 Summer Olympics ) loosely based on the characteristics of the historical weapon, although in Olympic fencing, only cuts are allowed. The English sabre is recorded from the 1670s, as a direct loan from French, where sabre is an alteration of sable , which was in turn loaned from German Säbel , Sabel in the 1630s. The German word is on record from the 15th century, loaned from Polish szabla , which
1520-562: 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
1600-550: The Confederate side—eventually abandoned the long, heavy weapons in favour of revolvers and carbines . The last sabre issued to US cavalry was the Patton saber of 1913, designed to be mounted to the cavalryman's saddle. The Patton saber is only a saber in name as it is a straight, thrust-centric sword. A US War Department circular dated 18 April 1934 announced that the saber would no longer be issued to cavalry, and that it
1680-555: 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
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#17327723958051760-717: 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
1840-604: 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
1920-428: The 1930s onward. Where horse-mounted cavalry survived into World War II it was generally as mounted infantry without sabres. However the sabre was still carried by German cavalry until after the Polish campaign of 1939, after which this historic weapon was put into storage in 1941. Romanian cavalry continued to carry their straight "thrusting" sabres on active service until at least 1941. Sabres were commonly used by
2000-601: The Ancient world, such as the ancient Egyptian and Sumerian sickle swords , these (usually forward instead of backward curving) weapons were chopping weapons for foot soldiers. This type of weapon developed into such heavy chopping weapons as the Greek Machaira and Anatolian Drepanon, and it still survives as the heavy Kukri chopping knife of the Gurkhas . However, in ancient China foot soldiers and cavalry often used
2080-466: The Austrians and Hungarians. Le Marchant also developed the first official British military sword exercise manual based on this experience, and his light cavalry sabre, and style of swordsmanship went on to heavily influence the training of the infantry and the navy. The 1796 light cavalry sword was known for its brutal cutting power, easily severing limbs, and leading to the (unsubstantiated) myth that
2160-514: 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
2240-581: The British army in 1788 led to a brief departure from the sabre in infantry use (though not for light cavalry), in favour of the lighter and straight bladed spadroon . The spadroon was universally unpopular, and many officers began to unofficially purchase and carry sabres once more. In 1799, the army accepted this under regulation for some units, and in 1803, produced a dedicated pattern of sabre for certain infantry officers (flank, rifle and staff officers). The 1803 pattern quickly saw much more widespread use than
2320-554: The British in the Napoleonic era for light cavalry and infantry officers, as well as others. The elegant but effective 1803 pattern sword that the British Government authorized for use by infantry officers during the wars against Napoleon featured a curved sabre blade which was often blued and engraved by the owner in accordance with his personal taste, and was based on the famously agile 1796 light cavalry sabre that
2400-661: 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,
2480-600: The French put in an official complaint to the British about its ferocity. This sword also saw widespread use with mounted artillery units, and the numerous militia units established in Britain to protect against a potential invasion by Napoleon. Though the sabre had already become very popular in Britain, experience in Egypt did lead to a fashion trend for mameluke sword style blades, a type of Middle Eastern scimitar , by some infantry and cavalry officers. These blades differ from
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2560-597: 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
2640-537: 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
2720-645: 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
2800-603: 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)
2880-497: 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
2960-577: The Ottoman prototype, their blades, even when an expanded yelman was incorporated, tended to be longer, narrower and less curved than those of the true kilij. In the American Civil War , the sabre was used infrequently as a weapon, but saw notable deployment in the Battle of Brandy Station and at East Cavalry Field at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Many cavalrymen—particularly on
3040-487: 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
3120-584: The Polish fascination with Oriental cultures, customs, cuisine and warfare resulted in the szabla becoming an indispensable part of traditional Polish culture. The sabre saw extensive military use in the early 19th century, particularly in the Napoleonic Wars , during which Napoleon used heavy cavalry charges to great effect against his enemies. Shorter versions of the sabre were also used as sidearms by dismounted units, although these were gradually replaced by fascine knives and sword bayonets as
3200-699: 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 ,
3280-843: The United States Marine Corps; in this last capacity, it is still in such use at the present time. The American victory over the rebellious forces in the citadel of Tripoli in 1805, during the First Barbary War , led to the presentation of bejewelled examples of these swords to the senior officers of the US Marines . Officers of the US Marine Corps still use a mameluke-pattern dress sword. Although some genuine Turkish kilij sabres were used by Westerners, most "mameluke sabres" were manufactured in Europe; although their hilts were very similar in form to
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3360-615: 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
3440-476: 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
3520-462: The cavalry sabre, having a thin, 88 cm (35 in) long straight blade. Rather, it is based upon the Italian dueling saber of classical fencing. One of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing , it is a very fast-paced weapon with bouts characterized by quick footwork and cutting with the edge. The valid target area is from the waist up excluding the hands. The concept of attacking above
3600-408: The century went on. Although there was extensive debate over the effectiveness of weapons such as the sabre and lance , the sabre remained the standard weapon of cavalry for mounted action in most armies until World War I and in a few armies until World War II . Thereafter it was gradually relegated to the status of a ceremonial weapon , and most horse cavalry was replaced by armoured cavalry from
3680-723: 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
3760-402: The core of light cavalry formations created there. The Hungarian term szablya is ultimately traced to the northwestern Turkic selebe , with contamination from the Hungarian verb szab "to cut". The original type of sabre, or Polish szabla , was used as a cavalry weapon, possibly inspired by Hungarian or wider Turco-Mongol warfare. The karabela was a type of szabla popular in
3840-457: 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
3920-455: 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
4000-487: 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
4080-537: 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
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#17327723958054160-458: 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
4240-563: The historical types, with techniques based on historical records. Hussar 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
4320-571: 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
4400-575: 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
4480-584: 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
4560-415: 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
4640-518: The late 17th century, worn by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth nobility class, the szlachta . While designed as a cavalry weapon, it also came to replace various types of straight-bladed swords used by infantry. The Swiss sabre originated as a regular sword with a single-edged blade in the early 16th century, but by the 17th century began to exhibit specialized hilt types. In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (16th–18th century)
4720-399: The more typical British ones in that they have more extreme curvatures, in that they are usually not fullered, and in that they taper to a finer point. Mameluke swords also gained some popularity in France as well. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , himself carried a mameluke-style sword. In 1831, the 'Mameluke' sword became the pattern sword for British generals, as well as officers of
4800-503: 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
4880-401: 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
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#17327723958054960-486: 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
5040-406: 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
5120-437: The regulation intended due to its effectiveness in combat, and fashionable appeal. The most famous British sabre of the Napoleonic era is the 1796 light cavalry model, used by troopers and officers alike (officers versions can vary a little, but are much the same as the pattern troopers sword). It was in part designed by the famous John Le Marchant , who worked to improve on the previous (1788) design based on his experience with
5200-507: 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
5280-663: 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
5360-424: The sabre became widespread in Western Europe during the Thirty Years' War . Lighter sabres also became popular with infantry of the early 17th century. In the 19th century, models with less curving blades became common and were also used by heavy cavalry . The military sabre was used as a duelling weapon in academic fencing in the 19th century, giving rise to a discipline of modern sabre fencing (introduced in
5440-413: 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
5520-609: 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
5600-426: The sword and style of swordsmanship in British sources. The popularity of sabres had spread rapidly through Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, and finally came to dominance as a military weapon in the British army in the 18th century, though straight blades remained in use by some, such as heavy cavalry units. (These were also replaced by sabres soon after the Napoleonic era.) The introduction of 'pattern' swords in
5680-413: The term is connected to the employment of Hungarian hussar ( huszár ) cavalry by Western European armies at the time. Hungarian hussars were employed as light cavalry , with the role of harassing enemy skirmishers , overrunning artillery positions, and pursuing fleeing troops. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many Hungarian hussars fled to other Central and Western European countries and became
5760-494: 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
5840-836: 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
5920-494: The waist only is a 20th-century change to the sport; previously sabreurs used to pad their legs against cutting slashes from their opponents. The reason for the above waist rule is unknown, as the sport of sabre fencing is based on the use of infantry sabres, not cavalry sabres. In recent years, Saber fencing has been developing in Historical European Martial Arts , with blades that closely resemble
6000-402: 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
6080-649: 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),
6160-577: Was itself adopted from Hungarian szabla (14th century, later szablya ). The spread of the Hungarian word to neighboring European languages took place in the context of the Ottoman wars in Europe of the 15th to 17th centuries. The spelling saber became common in American English in the second half of the 19th century. The origin of the Hungarian word is unclear. It may itself be a loan from South Slavic ( Serbo-Croatian sablja , Common Slavic *sabľa ), which would ultimately derive from
6240-467: Was renowned for its brutal cutting power. Sabres were commonly used throughout this era by all armies, in much the same way that the British did. The popularity of the sabre had rapidly increased in Britain throughout the 18th century for both infantry and cavalry use. This influence was predominately from southern and eastern Europe, with the Hungarians and Austrians listed as sources of influence for
6320-647: 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 ,
6400-407: Was to be completely discarded for use as a weapon. Only dress sabers, for use by officers only, and strictly as a badge of rank, were to be retained. During the 19th and into the early 20th century, sabres were also used by both mounted and dismounted personnel in some European police forces. When the sabre was used by mounted police against crowds, the results could be devastating, as portrayed in
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