18th century European hussar formations hussar in 1763 between depicting a wounded hussar hussars in North America during the
American Revolutionary War 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 copied across Europe. These light hussars were ideal for
reconnaissance and raiding sources of
fodder and provisions in advance of 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 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 was the (Royal Hussars), raised from Hungarian deserters in 1692. Spain disbanded its first hussars in 1747 and then raised new units of in 1795. The were created in 1684 by the Count of Melgar to serve in
Spanish possessions in Italy and were named after the 1525 Spanish victory over the French army
at Pavia, south of Milan, Italy. During the battle, the King of France,
Francis I, was captured by the Spanish cavalry. The 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), the unit fought the Battles of Bailén, Tudela, Velez, Talavera and Ocaña and the actions of Baza, Cuellar, Murviedro and Alaquàs. The 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. , this regiment is named (Cavalry armored regiment Pavia No. 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, the ('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 later became two full regiments. These were united into one regiment in 1795, which was the 2nd Regiment of the Kingdom of Holland in 1806, with a 3rd Hussars being raised that same year, as well as the Guard Hussars Regiment. The Guard Hussars became the (the Red Lancers) after 1810; the 3rd was disbanded; the 2nd being incorporated into the French line as the . After regaining independence, the new
Royal Netherlands Army raised two hussar regiments (Nos. 6 and 8). They were disbanded (No. 8 in 1830), or converted to lancers (No. 6 in 1841). In 1867, all remaining cavalry regiments were transferred to hussar regiments. This tradition remains to this day, with the last surviving hussar regiment (
Boreel's,
103rd and 104th reconnaissance squadrons) carrying on the tradition of all Dutch cavalry predecessors.
Russian Empire formation of hussar regiments as a hussar 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 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 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. In 1759–60, three more Hussar regiments, were raised, the Yellow (
Želtiy), the Macedonian (
Makedonskiy) and the Bulgarian (
Bolgarskiy).
Hussars of Prussia's Frederick the Great During and after
Rákóczi's War of Independence, many
Hungarians served in 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 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 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 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 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.
19th century: hussar deployment worldwide The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars at the
Battle of Friedland The hussars played 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 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 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 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 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 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 the Emperor Napoleon's coronation. officer 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, the highly regarded
Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre. There were several
Russian regiments of hussars by the time of Napoleonic Wars and extensive use was made of them.
Eastern Europe 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 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 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 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 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.
Latin America , wearing the Húsares de la Muerte uniform 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 the 8th Tank Regiment of the Argentinian Army. In
Chile, the
Regimiento de Húsares de la Gran Guardia Nacional (Grand National Guard Hussars Regiment) was created by
José Miguel Carrera, who was himself previously a hussar in the Spanish Army. In 1813, as part of the army of the newly independent Chile, the regiment fought against the Spanish Army until its defeat at the disaster of the
Battle of Rancagua. It was dissolved by
José de San Martín after the Chilean Army fled to Argentina. In addition, the '
Húsares de la Muerte', or 'Death Hussars', were created as a paramilitary corps by
Manuel Rodríguez after the 'Desastre de Cancha Rayada' (Disaster of Cancha Rayada) on 26 March 1818, during the period known as the Patria Vieja (Old Fatherland). In
Peru, the squadrons of
Hussars of the Peruvian Legion of the Guard were created in 1821 by General
José de San Martín, from officers and troopers of the Squadron of "Hussars of the General's Escort", the former Squadron of Horse-Chasseurs of the Andes, which were included in the new army of the newly independent republic of
Peru. The 4th Squadron of the Hussars of the Peruvian Legion of the Guard was organized in Trujillo under the command of Peruvian Colonel Antonio Gutiérrez de la Fuente. Originally designated as "Cuirassiers" in 1823, it became the "Hussars of Perú" Squadron in 1824. It was renamed "
Hussars of Junín" for its performance in 1824 at the
Battle of Junín, which was one of the Spanish-Peruvian battles which determined the final defeat of Spanish colonial rule. The Hussars of Junín fought at the
Battle of Ayacucho on 9 December 1824, among the liberating forces commanded by Antonio de Sucre against the Royalist Spanish forces commanded by Viceroy José de la Serna. The heroic action of the Hussars of Junín Regiment as part of the light cavalry commanded by General
José María Córdova was victorious, the battle eventuating in the capitulation of the Spanish forces, affirming the final independence of Peru. For this heroic action, the "Hussars of Junín" Light Cavalry Regiment was declared the
Liberator of Perú with an inscription on the regimental flag.
North America In the United States, the
Georgia Hussars were a cavalry regiment founded before the
American Revolution that continues today as part of the
Georgia National Guard. The Hussars served the
State of Georgia as part of the
Confederate States Army during the
American Civil War, and after reconciliation served in Mexico, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and The War on Terror. Another famous Confederate regiment designated as Hussars were the
1st Virginia Cavalry, known as the
Black Horse Troop. Their grey uniforms had black facings, and unique rows of braid across the chest. The
Union army had two hussar regiments during the Civil War. The
3rd New Jersey Cavalry, nicknamed the Butterflies, wore dark blue pelisses with yellow braid, short blue
cloaks with red lining, and a distinctive peakless
forage cap similar to the British army. The
5th Missouri Cavalry, known as the
Benton Hussars, wore sky blue uniforms with dark blue facings and chest braid. On campaign, a
kepi was worn in place of the traditional fur cap. The Benton Hussars served as General
Charles S. Hamilton's elite bodyguard, and distinguished themselves at the
Battle of Pea Ridge and the
Battle of Iuka in 1862.
Hussars in the early 20th century On the eve of World War I, there were still hussar regiments in the British, Canadian, French,
New Zealand, Spanish, German, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Romanian, and Austro-Hungarian armies. In most respects, they had now become regular light cavalry, recruited solely from their own countries and trained and equipped along the same lines as other classes of cavalry. But Hussars were still notable for their colourful and elaborate parade uniforms, the most spectacular of which were those worn by the two Spanish regiments,
Húsares de Pavía and
Húsares de la Princesa. A characteristic of both the Imperial German and Russian Hussars was the variety of colours apparent in their dress uniforms. These included red, black, green, dark and light blue, brown and even pink (the Russian 15th Hussars) dolmans. Most Russian hussar regiments wore red breeches, as did all the Austro-Hungarian hussars of 1914. This rainbow-effect harked back to the 18th-century origins of hussar regiments in these armies and helped regrouping after battle or a charge. The fourteen French hussar regiments were an exception to this rule – they wore the same relatively simple uniform, with only minor distinctions, as the other branches of French light cavalry. This comprised a shako, light blue tunic and red breeches. The twelve British hussar regiments were distinguished by different coloured busby bags and a few other distinctions such as the yellow plumes of the
20th, the buff collars of the
13th and the crimson breeches of the
11th Hussars. Hussar influences were apparent even in those armies which did not formally include hussar regiments. Thus, both the Belgian
Guides (prior to World War I) and the Mounted Escort, the so-called
Blue Hussars, of the Irish Defence Forces (during the 1930s) wore hussar-style uniforms. ==Image and uniform==