For millennia, cavalry was the premier combat arm. Horses gave armies mobility and speed; often cavalry charges, either on the enemy's flanks and into his rear or through his center, led to the decision in a battle. This book analyzes the use of mounted troops from prehistoric times to recent conflicts in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. In contrast to many military history treatises that seek to identify a decline of cavalry over time in favor of modern infantry, Alexander Querengasser argues that only modern motor vehicles were able to replace cavalry. The book examines the many historical uses of cavalry, analyzing conditions for its employment, the role of geographic and climatic factors in its use, and developments in equipment and tactics. More than two hundred contemporary illustrations round out the volume.

With the outbreak of the Hussite Revolution in 1419, Bohemia found itself opposed by a superior force of European crusader armies. German knighthood was experiencing its last heyday. But the Bohemian heretics' army, under the leadership of energetic commanders like Jan Zizka, developed tactics with which they won one battle after another. The employment of the defensive Wagenburg ("wagon castle") and intensive use of the first cannon as field artillery brought them many successes. The Hussites were the first soldiers since Roman times to employ all the available branches in coordination on the battlefield. This book highlights not just the history of the conflicts, but also the weapons and military branches, organization and tactics of the Hussite armies.

On 5 November 1757, in the vicinity of the small Saxon village of Rossbach, Frederick the Great and his army achieved a spectacular victory over an enemy composed of French and Imperial troops. 22,000 Prussian soldiers drove an army twice their size from the field of battle. Neither before or after would the Prussian king achieve such a decisive victory at so little cost to his own forces. Following the battle the French did not actively participate in any further campaigns against Prussia, whilst the Reichsarmee's reputation was permanently damaged. In contrast Frederick's generalship assumed a new lustre after the difficulties he had experienced during the summer campaign in Bohemia. The present volume brings together essays by well-known authors who examine the battle from differing perspectives. These include analyses of the three armies involved, and discussion of the course of the battle, its effects on the surrounding civilian population, and forms of remembrance. The volume is illustrated with a number of attractive images and maps.