by Lieutenant-Colonel Édouard Desbrière and Captain Maurice Sautai
Berger-Levrault & Cie, Paris & Nancy, 1907
A foundational study of the French cavalry during the opening years of the French Revolution, this volume examines the dramatic transformation and near collapse of the mounted arm from the outbreak of the Revolution on July 14, 1789, through June 26, 1794. The first volume in the French Army General Staff's acclaimed Organisation et tactique des trois armes series on Revolutionary cavalry, it explores the period the authors characterize as la crise—a time of political upheaval, organizational disruption, and military reorganization.
Drawing upon official military archives, regulations, correspondence, and campaign reports, Lieutenant-Colonel Édouard Desbrière and Captain Maurice Sautai analyze the profound effects of the Revolution on the cavalry, including the emigration of aristocratic officers, shortages of experienced leaders and trained horsemen, the difficulties of recruiting and equipping new regiments, and the administrative challenges that accompanied the transition from the Royal Army to the armies of the French Republic.
The volume examines the organization, training, equipment, remount system, tactics, and battlefield employment of French cavalry during the campaigns of 1792–1794, highlighting its role in reconnaissance, screening, pursuit, and combat. It also explores the reforms that gradually restored the effectiveness of the mounted arm despite severe shortages of horses, matériel, and experienced personnel during the Republic's most critical years.
