Scenes from the Daily Service of the Old Army - Cavalry - Training

In 1893 the cavalry retained the three-year term of service, but the enlisted men remained only three years in the Landwehr of the 1st levy¹. Cavalrymen were trained in riding and drill, while foot training was reduced.

The training also included shooting exercises, but with a significantly smaller time allocation compared to the practice in the infantry. Non-commissioned officers also learned to shoot with the revolver.

In the first year of service gaits were to be learned, with the rider having to employ his weapons while mounted. Riding skills were then further developed and progressed from individual training to riding in closed formation (riding in place, movements in formation and attacks). On this the Drill Regulations for the Cavalry of 03.04.1909 stated: "The drill-type training on horseback is carried out principally in the squadron; it is continued in the regiment and reaches its conclusion in the brigade. But here, as in the regiment, the performance of the larger unit rests on the firm structure of the squadron"².

In addition to the regular training of cavalrymen in riding and drill, individually and in formation, there were also special training courses, e.g. detachments of non-commissioned officers and kapitulants to the Cavalry NCO School and to the Shooting and Telegraph School, or officers to the Military Riding Institute, to the gymnastics establishment, the Shooting and Telegraph School and to the War Academy. The Military Riding Institute with officer riding school and cavalry NCO school belonged to the X Army Corps and was located in Hanover and Soltau. The development of the Military Riding Institute goes back to the year 1816. On 10.12.1816 the Military Riding Institute for officers, non-commissioned officers and ranks of the cavalry (later also of the field artillery) was founded. In 1849 it was dissolved for a short time and re-established in the same year; the separation between the officer riding school and the cavalry NCO school took place in 1872. The locations of the institution were Berlin from 1816–1849, Schwedt on the Oder from 1849–1866, and from 1866 Hanover/Soltau.

The careful individual training of man and horse was regarded as the basis of the overall training. In the course of individual training particular emphasis was placed on "consolidation of pace at walk, trot and gallop, training in the light trot, in the increased gallop and at full gallop, agile riding in the terrain and overcoming obstacles of all kinds, quick taking up and holding of a given march direction, secure and skillful handling of the lance against various targets and rapid mounting and dismounting"³.

Already in the summer of 1888 some Prussian cavalry regiments received the lance, at first only the cuirassiers, then officially from 02.06.1889 all cavalry regiments. Previously it had been carried only by the Uhlans and by the Landwehr cavalry (until 1852). Initially made of raw wood, it was later blackened. It had an iron tip and, when not in use, was placed in a shoe on the stirrup. Experienced cavalrymen also broke in remounts. Training also included practicing against an opponent with the lance (contrafechten), as well as gymnastics exercises on horseback. Overall, "the cavalry should always seek to solve its tasks offensively"⁴.

Since the beginning of the 1890s, as the engagement ranges of the infantry extended to over 2000 m, it became necessary to move from the traditional drill grounds to proper training grounds. These were now purchased for the respective army corps. Regiment and brigade drill exercises and warlike shooting exercises of the infantry and field artillery were held here. The cavalry also carried out a number of exercises here. Training and firing ranges were located in Döberitz, Arys, Jüterbog, Alten-Grabow, Posen, Lamsdorf, Senne, Wesel, Elsenborn, Lockstedt, Munster, Hagenau, Gruppe and Hammerstein, Darmstadt, Wahn, Thorn, Lechfeld, Hammelburg, Zeithain, Münsingen. In the larger troop exercises one distinguished regimental and brigade exercises, larger cavalry exercises and special exercises or maneuvers. Each year the army corps that were to hold major troop exercises (= imperial maneuvers) before the Kaiser were designated. In the annual exercises the training areas were to be changed, also in order to minimize the burden on the population. During the larger troop exercises guard duty in the garrisons was reduced to a minimum; those on leave were recalled to increase the deployment strength. The recalled men were first brought back to the original training level by individual training.

There were, however, insights from the large autumn exercises, yet a contemporary remarked: "In the course of these imperial maneuvers one noticed a depressed mood among perceptive general staff officers and many older officers. Instead of placing commanders before important decisions in warlike situations, it was merely a greater or lesser dependence on the Imperial Headquarters. 'It must not go too far.' 'Pictures must be shown.' 'Mass attacks are preferred.' 'There must be a fight here, because only here can the cavalry attack.' These were more or less guiding considerations. And now the execution! Real reconnaissance by the cavalry hardly came to the fore. Artillery effects were disregarded entirely. Nor was an infantry attack properly prepared. Shooting was held in low regard. The leaders were ahead of the skirmish lines, the columns almost in the skirmish lines, the cavalry attacked when it was surely impossible — in short, one could occasionally see how not to do it. Very rarely the opposite. And then the concentration of these masses, these costs! No, it was distressing, and for me, as I was often near the foreign officers, also embarrassing. That is where one arrives in peacetime with the command: 'At command, Your Majesties'. And how will it be in war?"⁵.

Nevertheless the large autumn exercises also brought insights; thus the commanding General Hermann August von Grolmann (1829–1893) revealed to his subordinates after such a maneuver with the three divisions of his corps: "I have learned something today: you cannot lead from the rear! I thank you, gentlemen!"⁶.

The following are pictures from the estate of a cavalry officer (from the Uhlan Regiment "Grand Duke Friedrich of Baden" - Rhenish No. 7) that were taken during field service exercises and maneuvers on the Elsenborn training ground in the years 1908 ff. Photographer: Fr. Osw. Kluge/ Elsenborn Training Ground. The aforementioned officer is Rittmeister Stilke. The Royal Prussian Army rank list of 1912 assigns him to the said regiment as a reserve officer.