German Influence on British Cavalry

Name: German Influence on British Cavalry
Author: Childers, Erskine

Childers, Erskine

Cavalry; Cavalry drill and tactics; Great Britain. Army -- Cavalry -- History

I shall endeavour to show, using von Bernhardi's "Reiterdienst," with
Sir John French's Introduction, and our own official Manuals, as my
text, that in the matter of modern Cavalry warfare no principles worthy
of the name exist among professional men. The whole subject is in a
state of chaos, to which, I believe, there is no parallel in all the
arts of war and peace. And the cause of that chaos is the retention in
theory of a form of combat which is in flagrant contradiction with the
conditions exacted by modern firearms, and is utterly discredited by
the facts of modern war.

The excellence of the translation furnished by Major Bridges has made
it unnecessary for me to introduce into this essay the various terms
and phrases used in the original German text. After a study of that
text, I am satisfied, if Major Bridges will permit me to say so, that,
obscure as the author's exposition often is, no part of the obscurity
is due to the translator. I have not found a technical term of which he
has not given the correct English equivalent, or a passage where he
has not accurately interpreted the original sense.

Let me add that I have been encouraged further to write this essay by
the keen and instructive controversy which followed the publication of
my book of last year. Incidentally I have taken the opportunity in this
volume to reply to some of the criticisms against its predecessor, and
to clear up some points which I think were not fully understood.

 E.C.

 _March, 1911._




CONTENTS


 CHAPTER                                                   PAGE

    I. INTRODUCTORY                                          1
        I. THE GERMAN MODEL                                  1
       II. "CAVALRY IN FUTURE WARS"                          7

   II. SIR JOHN FRENCH ON THE ARME BLANCHE                  15

  III. THE BRITISH THEORY OF THE ARME BLANCHE               36

   IV. CAVALRY IN COMBAT                                    53
        I. INSTRUCTION FROM HISTORY                         53
       II. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COMBAT                     66

    V. TACTICS AGAINST THE VARIOUS ARMS                     86
        I. THE PURELY CAVALRY FIGHT                         86
       II. THE CHARGE UPON INFANTRY                         94
      III. THE DISMOUNTED ATTACK BY CAVALRY                 98

   VI. THE FIGHT OF THE INDEPENDENT CAVALRY                103
        I. GERMAN VIEWS                                    103
       II. THE BRITISH VIEW                                124

  VII. THE BATTLE OF ALL ARMS                              133
        I. GERMAN VIEWS                                    133
       II. THE BRITISH VIEW                                154

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German Influence on British Cavalry

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