Harquebusiers

The harquebusier was the most common form of cavalry found throughout Western Europe during the early and mid 17th century. Early harquebusiers were characterised by the use of a form of carbine, called a "harquebus". In England, harquebusier was the technical name for this type of cavalry, though in everyday usage they were usually simply called 'cavalry' or 'horse'. In Germany they were often termed ringerpferd, or sometimes reiter, in Sweden they were called lätta ryttare.

According to John Cruso in his cavalry manual of 1632, the harquebusier was "first invented in France." This type of cavalryman was characterised by the use of a form of carbine, the earliest type of carbine used was called a "harquebus" (a word derived from the heavier infantry weapon, the arquebus). In the late 16th century and into the first decades of the following century the harquebusier was envisioned, like the similar and earlier petronel, as a support for more heavily armoured cavalry, demi-lancers or pistol-armed cuirassiers and reiters.

Later, towards the mid 17th century, the harquebusier became the standard type of cavalry found throughout western Europe. The switch of the harquebusier from a mounted support role, reliant on firearms, to one of shock-capable close combat cavalry can be attributed to Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in the 1620s and 1630s. Initially, this was from necessity; Sweden was a relatively poor nation and could not afford to equip many expensive cuirassiers, therefore more lightly equipped cavalry had to be employed in a shock role. The success of Swedish cavalry in battle during the Thirty Years War led to other nations adopting their methods. Gustavus Adolphus also reduced the number of ranks in a cavalry formation from the previously usual six to ten, for pistol-based tactics, to three to suit his sword-based shock tactics.

The later harquebusier was used in a shock role by cavalry leaders of the English Civil War, such as Prince Rupert of the Rhine and Oliver Cromwell. They employed harquesbusiers very aggressively: charging with sword in hand, thus relegating their firearms to a secondary function. Indeed by the 1620s cavalry not equipped with a carbine could be termed "harquebusiers," just from the level and style of their armour protection. By the time of the English Civil War all cavalry not equipped as cuirassiers or carrying a lance, the Scots fielded light lancers as late as the 1650s, were called harquebusiers. In the course of the war the cuirassier ceased to be fielded in Britain, and when the cuirassier discarded his limb armour he instantly became indistinguishable from the harquebusier.

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