Editing Lancer (section)

==17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century lancers==
{{See also|Uhlan}}
[[File:Charge of Poznań Cavalery during November Uprising.JPG|thumb|Charge of the Polish uhlans at the city of [[Poznań]] during the [[November uprising]] in 1831]]

The lancer ([[Polish language|Polish]]: ''ułan'', German: ''Ulan'', French: ''uhlan'') had become a common sight in the majority of European, Ottoman, and Indian cavalry forces during this time, but, with the exception of the Ottoman troops, they increasingly discarded the heavy armour to give greater freedom of movement in combat. The Polish "winged" lancers were amongst the last European units to abandon their armour. There was debate over the value of the lance in mounted combat during the 17th and 18th centuries, with most armies having very few lancer units by the beginning of the 19th century.

However, during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], lancers were to be seen in many of the combatant nations as their value in [[shock tactics]] became clear. During the wars, the Poles became a ready source of recruitment for several armies, willingly or unwillingly. Polish lancers served with distinction in the Austrian, Prussian, Russian, and French armies, most famously in Napoleon's [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|French Imperial Guard]] as the [[1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard|''1er Regiment de Chevau-Legers-Lanciers de la Garde Impériale'']].

[[File:Bataille d'Aliwal 1.jpg|thumb|left|The charge of the British 16th Lancers at [[Battle of Aliwal|Aliwal]] on {{Nowrap|28 January}} 1846, during the [[First Anglo-Sikh War|Anglo-Sikh]] war]]

At the [[Battle of Waterloo]], French lances were "nearly {{convert|3|m|ft}} long, weighed around {{convert|3|kg|lbs}}, and had a steel point on a wooden staff," according to historian [[Alessandro Barbero]]. He adds that they were "terrifyingly efficient." Commander of the French 1st Corps, 4th Division General [[Pierre François Joseph Durutte|Durutte]], who saw the battle from the high ground in front of [[Papelotte]], would write later, "I had never before realized the great superiority of the lance over the sword."<ref>Barbero, pp. 161, 163.</ref>

Although having substantial impact in the [[Charge (warfare)|charge]], lancers could be more vulnerable to other cavalry units in [[close quarters combat]], where the lance proved to be a clumsy and easily deflected weapon when employed against [[sabre]]s in a mêlée.<ref>p150, Volume 16, Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition</ref> By the late 19th century, many cavalry regiments in [[Eurasian]] armies were composed of troopers with lances, as primary weapons, in the front rank and horsemen with sabres only in the second: the lances for the initial shock and sabres for the ensuing [[mêlée]].