Cavalry Charge

Why does the square formation thwart cavalry charges?

The square infantry formation, like in Napoleonic battles.

At least one rank of infantrymen on all 4 sides of the square has to hold their muskets out horizontally, with bayonets fixed, for it to work.

This is because horses are sufficiently intelligent and strong that you can’t force them to impale themselves on a sharp pointed blade.

Thus, as long as the front of presented bayonets remained unbroken, it was impossible for cavalry to break into a square through momentum.As a musket with a bayonet attached outranged a cavalryman’s sabre, the cavalry were unable to get at the infantrymen and kill them. Rear ranks of infantry could then shoot down the ineffective cavalrymen almost at will – the longer the cavalry stayed milling around the square, unable either to break in or kill those with the bayonets keeping them out, the more men they were going to lose.

Further, a man on a horse at close range is a big target; cavalrymen without horses are even more ineffective on a battlefield, so killing the horses took the cavalry out of a battle as effectively as killing the cavalrymen themselves.

Thus, square formation, as long as the infantry were properly deployed, with bayonets presented in front, shooters behind, was invulnerable to cavalry charges as long as they maintained a solid formation on all 4 sides of the square.

Mounted Police charge protesters at Whitehall 24 November

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