„Red cavalry”. Organizational state of the cavalry of the Workers ’and Peasants ’ Red Army from the mid-30’s till the outbreak of German-Soviet war in June 1941

Abstract

The cavalry of the Workers ’and Peasants ’Red Army was an important component, meant mostly for offensive purposes. As a result, for the whole period from the end of Russian Civil War to the outbreak of German-Soviet war in June 1941 work was being done on the development of its large units, like brigades, divisions and corps - and even mounted armies. Ways to use them on a modern battlefield were searched for, in order to for them to cooperate with modern mechanized and armoured formations. That is why the author, based on archival sources and plentiful subject literaturemainly Russian, presented its state of organization and size, as well as the changes which occurred in the second half of the 1930’s and on the eve of the Great Patriotic War from 1941–1945.