15 Dragoon Regiment

Cavalry was associated with great prestige in the Monarchy, but also worldwide. For a long time, especially heavy cavalry played an important role in wars. This role began to fade in the decades leading up to the Great War, when modern fire weapons appeared. Consider, for example, the final battle scene of the blockbuster movie “The Last Samurai.” Horsemen charging with death-defying courage were mercilessly mowed down by machine guns. Similar scenes took place in 1914, so the use of cavalry changed. The hussars and dragoons were dismounted from their horses. They were also forced into the trenches, next to the infantrymen. I already wrote about this here.

The nimbus, however, survived. Accordingly, the various propaganda materials also depicted idealized equestrian scenes for a long time. The post card attached to the post is also like this. The main theme is, of course, the excellent enamel badge of the 15th Dragoon Regiment. This also reflects the great recognition that surrounded the dragoons. One of the most beautiful and expensive badges.

According to the regiment’s numbering, it was the last, formed only in 1891 in Upper Austria. The command and garrison were first in Wels, then moved to Brünn, later to Zolkiew in Galicia. In 1914, the regiment took part in the battle of Jaroslawice and then in the Rawa Ruska operation. At that time they were still fighting on horseback. After that, the regiment was assigned to different infantry divisions per company. In this position, they mostly acted as messengers. As you can see, the role of cavalry regiments changed, their importance decreased, yet they distinguished themselves from their infantry comrades with demanding and expensive insignia.