French cavalry during World War I played a relatively minor role in events. As mounted combatants proved highly vulnerable to the firepower of infantry and artillery, the various units of this arm essentially carried out auxiliary missions during the "Great War" (from 1914 to 1919), even if the beginning of the conflict corresponded to its peak in terms of mounted manpower.
Mainly deployed on the Western Front, the French cavalry took part in operations in the summer of 1914, mainly carrying out reconnaissance and patrol missions. Cavalrymen soon began to fight systematically dismounted, firing their rifles. From autumn 1914 onwards, trench warfare led to a sharp decline in the role of cavalry: some regiments abandoned their horses, forming "dismounted cavalry divisions" and taking part in combat as infantrymen. The resumption of the maneuver warfare in 1918 restored the cavalry's usefulness as mounted infantry.
Several other cavalry regiments were sent to the other theaters of operations of the First World War, where they were sometimes much more useful on horseback than on foot: in the Maghreb, the Balkans, and the Middle East.
Finally, this period also saw the beginning of mechanization, with the French cavalry receiving a number of self-propelled machine guns for the first time.
Pre-war situation The French army included several types of cavalry units, whose names, weapons, and uniforms were inherited. The cuirassiers and dragoons form the heavy cavalry, while the chasseurs à cheval and hussards belong to the light cavalry. Added to these are the chasseurs d'Afrique and spahis, the light cavalry of the African army. The differences between heavy and light cavalry concern the horses (Anglo-Normans on the one hand, and Anglo-Arabs or barbs on the other), the size of the riders (large in the heavy cavalry, small in the light cavalry),The height of the riders was theoretically to be between 1.59 and 1.68 metres in the light cavalry for a weight limited to 65 kg, in the dragoons between 1.64 and 1.74 m for no more than 70 kg and the cuirassiers between 1.70 and 1.85 m with a maximum of 75 kg. For farriers, saddlers, armourers and tailors of the light regiments, the minimum height was lowered to 1.56 m. and the service expected (the heavy cavalry is expected to face the opposing cavalry in pitched battles, while the light cavalry is responsible for small-scale warfare).
Between 1872 and 1913, a succession of laws altered the length of military service and the method of recruitment, which had an impact on the training of cavalrymen: in 1872, the length of service was set at five years and the drawing of lots was maintained; in 1889, the length was reduced to three years; Finally, the law of March 21, 1905, reduced the length of service to two years, while the drawing of lots was abolished. This last law posed a problem for cavalry management, who felt they needed more time to train their riders. In 1913, the three-year law increased the length of military service by one year, which satisfied them. Cavalry recruitment has traditionally been a little unusual: the proportion of cadres, i.e. officers and non-commissioned officers, is much higher than in the infantry;For example, in Libourne in the 18th military region, the 15th Dragoons and part of the 57th RI were stationed: at the beginning of August 1914, the cavalry regiment had a total of 32 officers (4.5% of the total number of personnel) and 59 non-commissioned officers (8.3%) for 619 brigadiers and cavalrymen, compared to 60 officers (1.8%) and 179 non-commissioned officers (5.4%) for 3,039 corporals and soldiers in the infantry regiment. a larger proportion of the workforce is made up of career soldiers;In the event of enlistment, the volunteer has the choice of his assigned weapon, as well as a bonus of 125 F and a high pay of 0.4 F per day after two years of service. and many descendants of the former nobility are to be found in the cavalry.The proportion among officers of those with a noble-sounding name would be 10% in the infantry and 20% in the cavalry.
Armament and uniforms
All cavalrymen are armed with sabers, straight-bladed in the heavy cavalry and curved-bladed in the light cavalry.The French cavalry used several models of sabres in 1914: the 1854 model (straight blade one metre long) transformed 1882 (shortened to 950 mm for the cuirassiers, or a mass of 1.34 kg without the scabbard, and to 925 mm for the dragoons, or 1.32 kg) for the heavy cavalry; the 1822 model (curved blade of 920 mm) transformed 1884 (shortened to 870 mm and to a single strap on the scabbard to be worn in the saddle) and the 1822 model transformed 1883 (straight blade shortened to 870 mm, or 1.080 kg) for the light cavalry. The 1882 and 1896 model sabres, considered not strong enough, were only used for training. The officers are theoretically equipped with the model 1896 and model 1822/1882 sabres respectively, but as they arm themselves at their own expense, they often obtain their supplies from private suppliers who only take inspiration from the regulatory models. The use of the spear in French cavalry had been abolished in 1871, but since 1890 this weapon has been distributed once again to all dragoon regiments, in response to the replacement of German uhlans' spears in 1889. Light cavalry also received the spear from 1913 onwards: a dozen hussar and chasseur regiments obtained it before going on the campaign.
In heavy cavalry, the rider's head is protected by a metal helmet with a crest, while the nape of the neck is protected by a floating mane. Cuirassiers have the particularity of wearing a cuirass,The Cavalry Committee and its president, General de Galliffet, had recommended in their 1881 report the abolition of the cuirass, an abolition applied until 1883 for half of the regiments (those with even numbers). weighing eight kilograms, which provides effective protection from edged weapons, but not from shrapnel or bullets. From 1900 onwards, all heavy cavalry had to wear the dark blue cloth tunic (the cuirassiers' collar and facing tabs are madder, while those of the dragoons are white), madder pants (piped in dark blue), and the bluish iron-gray coat.
For the light cavalry, the breeches were made of madder cloth, and the tunic of sky-blue cloth (the dolman with brandenburg was gradually replaced from 1900 onwards), intended to blend into the landscape background, as previous wars had demonstrated the benefits of a little camouflage. Experiments were carried out to find an even less conspicuous field outfit: the "reseda" color (a dark green) was tried out in 1911 by the 12th chasseurs garrisoned at Saint-Mihiel. The difference between regimental types was limited to the collar and facing tabs, madder for the chasseurs, and sky-blue for the hussars. To replace the shako, a dozen helmets were tested between 1879 and 1913 in several hussar and chasseur regiments: initially of the "policeman" type, or with crest, in leather (sufficient to protect against saber blows), then in metal (steel and copper or aluminum). The helmet adopted in 1913 resembled that of the dragoons, with a steel bombshell adorned with a brass band (with a decoration on the front representing a hunting horn for the chasseurs or a five-pointed star for the hussars), the crest bearing a mane, and a canvas field helmet cover: only a few regiments were partially equipped in 1914, with deliveries scheduled until 1919.
Organization
The cavalry is structured in hierarchical units, with each level having a theoretical strength. Around 30 cavalrymen form a platoon commanded by a lieutenant or second lieutenant; four platoons make up a squadron of 120 to 135 horses under the command of a captain; four squadrons are grouped in peacetime into a regiment of around 500 sabers,In addition to the four squadrons (sometimes more in the African army), there is the staff platoon (PEM), the non-ranking platoon (PHR) comprising the necessary specialists (farrier and his assistant farriers, saddler, wigmaker acting as hairdresser-barber, etc.), as well as a depot squadron. commanded by a colonel or lieutenant-colonel (two squadrons, or a "half-regiment", may be entrusted to a squadron leader).
In October 1870, the Imperial Guard was disbanded and its six cavalry regiments were renamed.The Guard Guides form the 9th Hussars, the Guard Horse Chasseurs the 13th Chasseurs, the Empress Dragoons the 13th Dragoons, the Guard Lancers the 9th Lancers, the Guard Carabiniers the 11th Cuirassiers and the Guard Cuirassiers the 12th Cuirassiers. The lancer regiments all disappeared in 1871.The remains of the 1st Lancer Regiment were transferred to the 14th Chasseurs, the 2nd was transformed into the 10th Hussars, the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th Lancers became the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Dragoons, while the 7th formed the 14th Chasseurs. After the French defeat of 1871 and the dissolution of the marching regiments, the French cavalry numbered 56 regiments in mainland France and seven in North Africa, including 12 cuirassiers, 20 dragoons, 10 hussars, 14 chasseurs, four chasseurs d'Afrique and three spahis. Added to these is the Republican Guard cavalry regiment, part of the Gendarmerie. The strength of all French troops was increased to bring them up to the level of their German neighbors, in a kind of arms race that continued until 1914. In 1873, 14 new cavalry regiments were created. The 1875 loi des cadres et effectifs thus provided for 70 regiments in metropolitan France (12 cuirassiers, 26 dragoons, 12 hussars and 20 chasseurs) and seven regiments in North Africa (four chasseurs d'Afrique and three spahis). Some of these regiments were grouped to form five cavalry divisions, each with three brigades (cuirassiers, dragoons, or light cavalry); the remainder were assigned to each army corps, each with one cavalry brigade (one light cavalry regiment and one dragoon regiment).
Further increases followed, notably in 1887, to boost the number of active officers and non-commissioned officers. In 1913, due to the increase in the number of large infantry units (in response to the German army's rising strength), four new cavalry regiments were created, bringing the total to 89: 12 cuirassiers, 32 dragoons, 21 chasseurs, 14 hussars, 6 chasseurs d'Afrique and 4 spahis.The spahi regiments have the particularity of being made up of five, six or nine squadrons, for a total of 25 spahi squadrons. A 5th spahi regiment was formed on August 1, 1914 by splitting the 2nd. Added to this were a squadron of Senegalese spahis and 12 squadrons of Moroccan auxiliaries (which later became the Moroccan spahis). In metropolitan France and peacetime, all cavalry regiments were now envisioned; the network of barracks (known as a "quartier" in the cavalry) covered the entire country, with a greater concentration in the East (along the border with Germany) and around Paris (for the maintenance of order). There are also remount depots, responsible for purchasing, breeding, and preparing horses, located mainly in the West.
Doctrine of Employment
Following the experience of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, characterized by the failures of large cavalry charges during the battles of Frœschwiller and Rezonville, the cavalry maneuver regulations of 1876 and 1882 leaned towards a defensive use of cavalry (avoiding frontal charges, with priority given to reconnaissance and patrols). Later, a more offensive approach—seeking confrontation with enemy cavalry—became favored. Several roles were assigned to the cavalry: