კრესონი, ტაშისკარი და დმანისი: ცხენოსანთა შოკური შეტევა ქმედებაში

Abstract

The present paper discusses the effectiveness of mounted shock combat through the analysis of three battles. On May 1, 1187, near Nazareth, at the springs of Cresson, 130 crusader knights, accompanied by a small number of infantry, launched a fierce attack against an adversary 15 times their size. Despite their initial success, they were eventually defeated by the Muslims. In December 1260, Sargis Jaq’eli’s vanguard attacked a force of Mongols four times larger than their own in the vicinity of Tashisk’ari, resulting in a victorious outcome. Subsequently, the Georgians attacked the main body of the opponent, but after the initial success, they were defeated. Three centuries later, in 1583, a small detachment of Georgians launched a furious attack against an enemy force 30 times larger. The Ottomans barely survived the defeat.
All of these battles share common characteristics: an absolute disregard for the attackers’ numerical minority, initial success in the attack, and ultimate defeat. Did the attacking side have any chance of success, or was it a doomed tactical move from the outset? To answer this question, we must examine the tactics employed by both sides. Medieval European and Georgian warriors possessed a powerful tactical weapon known as mounted shock combat, executed with a couched lance. This type of attack was so formidable that often the opponent fled the battlefield before the actual battle commenced. The mounted shock combat was the most powerful weapon of the medieval army. Therefore, it is not surprising that armies proficient in this tactic did not shy away from engaging numerically superior opponents.