CHAPTER IX

THE DISPOSITION OF CAVALRY IN A CAMPAIGN

FIRST PART

Dependence on forage--Principles on which cavalry is placed in the front--Want of direction in 1870-- Galliffet’s influence--Service of information separated from that of security--The Napoleonic traditions revived--And generally adopted--French view--The cavalry of exploration--The cavalry of army corps-- The divisional cavalry--Generalissimo’s use of his independent cavalry--Movement _en bondes_--The effect of modern rifle--Difficulties in the attack of protective cavalry and mixed detachments. Page 86

SECOND PART

The modern disposition is theoretical--Tendency to increase independent cavalry at the expense of protective, for sake of initial advantages--Difficulty of weaker cavalry rôle--Von Bernhardi on German cavalry strength--Improvisation of cavalry--Dilemma-- Cyclists--Difficulty of training for non-professional cavalry--Danger of amateur cavalry officers--The ULM Campaign--Effect of first success--Boer tactics unsuitable to European war Page 93