In old battles, did infantry or cavalry run in first?

Question: In old battles, did infantry or cavalry run in first!?
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Depends when you mean!. Some ancient armies had few, if any, cavalry!. In medieval times, battles would start with archery exchanges, followed by infantry combat, with knights wading in at the end!.

By Napoleonic times, the artillery would generally fire first, then the infantry would advance and engage, and cavalry would be used to try quickly exploit weaknesses, for example attacking exposed units!.

Of course there were many exceptions to this, often dependent on the composition and tactics of the armies involved!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In Ancient Warfare the main clash that happened was between infantry note the hoplite battles of ancient Greece and the battles of the Roman Legions!. Cavalry were used for scouting purposes and foraging!.
Prior to these battles the Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians and Babylonians relied heavily on chariots to breach the enemy's line followed by infantry to finish the job off!.
Alexander the Great used the Macedonian Phalanx devised by his father King Philip to breach the enemy's defences and then his elite Companion Cavalry to exploit the gap!.
The wars of the far east were completely different!. Cavalry were the main arm of any army with the exception of perhaps the Chinese who thought they would be safe behind the Great Wall of China!. The Mongolians under Ghenghis Khan and his heirs used cavalry with deadly effect!. They were mounted archers mounted on very fast ponies and were known for their speed as well as their ferocity in battle!.
The so called Barbarian Tribes of the west who swept into the Roman Empire after the fall of Rome used a combination of cavalry and infantry depending on the terrain!.
The period Known as The Dark Ages involved speed and quick conquest hence the Vikings and their very fast longships carrying infantry in search of land!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

This depends on when you are talking about >if you are talking about the age of High chivalry (ie about 1250)) then Cavalry are the basis of an army and the infantry are there to support them!. If you are talking about the American civil war then Infantry are the mainstay supported by Artillery and cavalry are mostly used as Reconnaissance and pursuing retreating soldiers!.

Similarly the Romans relied on Infantry and cavalry were very much in support!.

The full answer is -it really dependsWww@QuestionHome@Com

BBC - Battlefield Britain (TV show on DVD)!.

They follow maybe 6 or 8 battles from all over the British Isles over several different centuries!.

There's also another series (also from the BBC I believe) called Two Men in a Trench who do history in general but battles too!.

Check out the BBC website!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In the Civil War, It was infantry!. Calvary was used to screen infantry movements!. Calvary was used for flank movements also!.Www@QuestionHome@Com