NAPOLEONIC RUSSIAN UHLANS

The Russian army at the end of the 18th century was probably the largest and arguably one of the strongest armies in Europe. During the reign of Catherine II the Great (1762-1796), she won several important victories in the course of the wars with Turkey, won the war with Poland in 1792 and was instrumental in suppressing the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. Also in the course of the wars with revolutionary France (1792-1799), she did not show her wrong side. However, the defeats at Austerlitz (1805) and at Iława Pruska and especially at Frydland (1807) forced changes in the Russian army, which also affected its cavalry. Before 1805, there were four regiments of lancers in the Russian army, and in 1808 this number increased to eight. However, in the course of the 1812 campaign, the number of lancers' regiments in the Russian army was twelve. Russian officers and non-commissioned officers of this formation were armed with two pistols in olars and sabers. The privates also received lances. On the other hand, some of the privates in each regiment received cavalry rifles instead of pistols. The basic tactical unit was a squadron, and from 8 to 10 squadrons formed a regiment.