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Cuirassier Armor
Cuirassier armor was the core protection of 17th-century European heavy cavalry, typically including breastplate, backplate, and helmet, balancing re…
Timeline
- 1618–1648German battlefields · GermanyDuring the Thirty Years' War, cuirassiers of the Empire, Sweden, and other states were commonly equipped with iron breast-and-back plates and open-faced helmets, supplemented by iron gauntlets and greaves, fighting with pistols and straight swords in charges, with armor thickness needed to withstand early musket fire.
- 1650–1665France and the Low Countries · Western EuropeAfter the war, cuirassier armor in various states tended toward simplification, discarding some limb plates to reduce weight, while breastplates were thickened to counter improved muskets; French and British cavalry became the model for European cuirassier organization.
- 1660–1670European kingdoms · EuropeBy around 1670, cuirassier armor remained standard equipment for heavy cavalry in most European countries, but its protective effectiveness declined against dense musket fire, foreshadowing further armor reductions in the 18th century.
Sources
- La Rocca, Donald J. and Pyhrr, Stuart W. The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480-1620 — Donald J. La Rocca; Stuart W. Pyhrr (2005)
- Black, Jeremy. European Warfare, 1660-1815 — Jeremy Black (1994)