VIII-The Cavalry General

In “The Cavalry General,” Chapter VIII, the discussion emphasizes the strategic superiority necessary for a smaller cavalry force to overpower a larger, superior enemy. Fundamental to achieving this advantage is the rigorous training and preparation of both horse and rider. The text delineates the stark contrast between an ill-prepared, disorderly force, likened to a troop of women entering combat against men, and a well-disciplined cavalry, adept in performing complex maneuvers that grant them an overwhelming advantage over untrained foes.

The author insists on the importance of thorough physical conditioning and training for both horses and riders, allowing them to navigate the rough terrain and execute swift, tactical movements without injury. This rigorous preparation is metaphorically likened to the difference between the physically robust and the lame, and further, between sightedness and blindness. Such a force, through its superior mobility and endurance, can inflict damage on and effectively retreat from a numerically superior enemy without substantial losses.

The necessity of maintaining the cavalry in peak physical condition extends to ensuring that the equipment, particularly bits and saddle-cloths, is secure and reliable, emphasizing the role of logistical attentiveness in combat readiness. The text challenges the notion that intensive training is laboriously burdensome by comparing it favorably to the physical demands of gymnastic training, asserting that equestrian exercise, imbued with pleasure, is uniquely elevating, akin to flying.

Valor in warfare is extolled beyond the glories of athletic competition, elevating military achievements as deserving divine honors and state-wide celebrations. The narrative even compares the strategic acumen needed in warfare to the cunning of buccaneers or privateersmen, who, through endurance and skill, manage to live off more powerful adversaries.

The chapter also offers tactical advice, such as avoiding difficult terrain when initiating an attack against a stronger force and the wisdom of employing only a portion of one’s force—preferably the most elite—in engagement to ensure a secure retreat. It suggests inventive strategies like creating false impressions of additional forces to disrupt the enemy’s pursuit. The text advocates for adaptability and the element of surprise as crucial factors in overcoming numerical disadvantage, underlining that meticulous preparation and strategic foresight are indispensable to achieving victory in cavalry engagements.