Cuirassier

Cuirassiers (/ˌkwɪrəˈsɪər/, from French cuirassier,pronounced: [kɥiʁasje]) were cavalry equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. This French term means "the one with a cuirass" (cuirasse), the breastplate armour which they wore. The first cuirassiers were produced as a result of armoured cavalry, such as the man-at-arms and demi-lancer, discarding their lances and adopting the use of pistols as their primary weapon. In the later 17th century, the cuirassier lost his limb armour and subsequently employed only the cuirass (breastplate and backplate), and sometimes a helmet. By this time, the sword was the primary weapon of the cuirassier, pistols being relegated to a secondary function.

Cuirassiers achieved increased prominence during the Napoleonic Wars and were last fielded in the opening stages of World War I. Cuirassiers continue to be employed as ceremonial troops by a number of countries.

16th and 17th centuries