ODP: Question about cavalry charges

["Tomaszek"]

It depends where :)

In Central, and Eastern Europe using the cavalry units (sometimes extremely
large) was very popular - mostly thanks to the fact that urbanization of
that regions was - competing to the Western and especially Southern Europe
(Italy for example) Europe. It was also popular (fighting on the horseback)
thanks to high popularity of using militia of nobles (I do not know the
correct word - sorry :( ) which was giving large amount of skilled riders,
what was strictly determining way of using army - for complete destroying
enemy in open field battle, using it for besieging was impossible...

Specific examples :) (first part - Poland & terrains of Jagiellonian
dynasty):

1. Grunwald battle (1410) rather incorrectly called in western
historiography 1st battle of Tannenberg (pol.: Stebark)... (20 000 of Poles,
10 000 of Lithuenians, Czechs, Tatars & Moldavians (only 2500 - 3500
infantry ALLTOGETHER in Jagiellonian army), and about 15 000 of teutonic
knights (together with western "guests" of the Order...

Battle was huge clash of cavalry in the open field, but it is worth of
mentioning that Teutonic army was using canons (about 10 - 11) and larger
amount of infantry...


2. the battle of Orsza (1514) - fought between 20 000 of Polish and
Lithuenian cavalry, approximately 3000 infantry with cannons and 45000 -
50000 of Russian (cavalry only)


3. - as a way of showing of consequence of using masses of cavalry:
Kircholm (1605) - battle fought in Inflants near today's Ryga (former
USSR)during the war with Sweden... the battle was meeting of Swedish army
consisting of 2500 cavalry, 8236 infantry & 11 cannons with Polish army
(2700 cavalry, 1040 infantry). 
 

Those are three loose examples... I will try to find out more if You`ll be
interested...

Regards
Tom






This question was posed to me and I hope some here can help answer it:

In the "armored era,"  how often did two groups of cavalry charge into each 
other?

Can anyone cite some specific examples?

Thanks,
Tim


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