"Tactics in Hungarian Uprising 1848/49?" Topic

From what I have read so far, there seems to be a lot of attacking and defending of "trenches." Are these actual trenches as in WWI style trenches, or are they more like field works or redoubts? It strikes me as a whole lot of digging-in for the mid 1800s.

Hussars seem to have an affect on the battlefield that far surpassed their number. A couple of squadrons of hussars seems to have been able to turn a battle. Why is that? Did regulars still form square? Did militia just panic and get ridden down?

Thanks.

First question: There weren't any more trenches seen in 1848-49 than found in 1812 or 1853. Certainly, there were sieges with trenches and set-piece battles, but you saw that in 1853-4 at Alma and most later battles and in 1812 at Russian Battles like Borodino and in the Peninsula as Wellington battled into Franch.

The Hussars were mostly made up of Hungarians who 1. were born in the saddle raising horse [Hungary was the source for Austrian army mounts], 2. Were considered an elite force beginning in the 1700s, which is why the 'Huzar' was copied by all Continental armies from then to WWII. They has a long tradition and a successful set of of light horse tactics and rightly 'respected' by the rest of the Austrian Army, and 3. being ethnically homogeneous units, the Hussars tended to enjoy morale advantages over their opponents who weren't fighting for home and hearth.

Bill

Redoubts and breastworks rather than trenches. (The entrenchments around Komarom featured in three major battles. These comprised a chain of ten redoubts connected by breastworks.)

Bill rightly points to the Hungarian hussars' quality advantage. Other factors:

The battles were relatively low troop density, often on relatively open terrain, which therefore presented many opportunities for cavalry to threaten flanks.

Much of the Austrian cavalry was heavier cuirassiers and dragoons. Feldmarschall Windisch-Graetz felt keenly his relative lack of light cavalry to the point of begging the Kaiser to transfer some from Italy.

Infantry did form square. On a couple of occasions the Austrian cavalry broke Hungarian squares. The cuirassiers in particular repeatedly demonstrated their superior shock effect.

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
link
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com

Can one use Napoleonic Austrian cavalry miniatures for 1848?

MiniPigs,

It's a bit off-topic but yes, you can use Austrian cuirassiers, chevaulegers/dragoons, hussars, and Uhlans for 1848 Austrians. For the Hungarians, you could use Nap. Austrian hussars for the first 12 regiments of hussars, for the 13th Hungarian hussars you'll have to do a bit of converting, for the 14th-18th, I'd suggest Honved miniatures in 15mm. Maybe someone will know something more in 28mm. What you need are hussars with a smaller shako.

I have a report on a book written (supposedly) by an Austrian cavalry officer, "Scenes of the Civil War in Hungary in 1848 and 1849: Personal Adventures of an Austrian Officer" that gives some insight into the tactics, operations, and relative effectiveness of some of the units.

You can read excerpts on my blog at the link below (I also give the link to the text online where you can read it and draw your own conclusions):

link

Best,
Ed M

This book is helpful too:
link

(roughly "The art of war in the War of Independence 1848-1849")

Chris