II. ATTACK AND DEFENCE 113 III. CAVALRY IN COMBAT AGAINST THE VARIOUS ARMS, MOUNTED AND DISMOUNTED 119 IV. THE FIGHT OF THE INDEPENDENT CAVALRY 137 1. _The Battle of Encounter_ 138 2. _Attack of Localities_ 155 3. _The Defence_ 164 4. _Breaking off the Fight, Retreat, and Pursuit_ 166 V. THE ACTION OF CAVALRY IN BATTLE 173 1. _The Army Cavalry on the Flank of the Battle_ 178 2. _The Army Cavalry as a Reserve behind the Front_ 185 3. _Pursuit and Retreat_ 190 4. _The Rôle of the Divisional Cavalry_ 196 VI. DEPTH AND ÉCHELON 198 VII. FORMATIONS FOR MOVEMENTS 208 VIII. THE VARIOUS UNITS IN THE FIGHT 213 APPENDIX: Cavalry at Peace Manoeuvres 221 INTRODUCTION The great changes which have taken place in military science since the year 1866 have forced all arms to adopt new methods of fighting. It was, first and foremost, the improvement in the firearm which wrought the transformation of the battlefield and called forth an increased demand for cover against the murderous effect of fire. The infantry sought safety in sparser formations and in utilising the smallest accidents of the ground for cover, while the artillery adopted armoured shields, covered positions, and indirect methods of fire. It was only the cavalry that could not keep pace with these developments. Forming a conspicuous target, capable of being concealed only behind considerable inequalities of the ground, it could indeed seldom find cover within the range of the enemy's fire. As, at the same time, its strength in comparison to that of the great armies of the present day has sensibly diminished, it might be concluded that its particular value in battle had decreased considerably in possibility and importance.