Such fights will occur during the offensive reconnaissance of the
cavalry, in screening, and in enterprises against the enemy's
communications and lines of approach. Cavalry may also be entrusted
with the task of dispersing gatherings of hostile partisans, of levying
contributions on a large scale in the enemy's country, and of carrying
out other similar undertakings. Serious encounters must often be
expected under such circumstances.
It is naturally impossible to give tactical guides and directions for
all these various cases; each problem, rather, will demand its own
solution. At the same time certain typical phenomena continually repeat
themselves in all such combats, for which general principles and rules
for guidance may be profitably set forth.
The fight will be either offensive or defensive. In the offensive it
will either be a matter, if the enemy is also pressing forward, of
the battle of encounter, or else the attack against localities or
positions. In fighting against partisans, also, it will more frequently
be a case, as it was in France, of a struggle for localities. In the
defence, on the other hand, localities, positions, or defiles will have
to be defended. Beyond these groups no real fight can be considered
with the exception of surprises, which merit separate consideration.
It is therefore, in my opinion, advisable to develop the tactical
principles according to some corresponding grouping of the material.
Only thus can clear and reasoned conclusions be arrived at. For if
we take all the various principles evolved from different tactical
situations and jumble them illogically together, or discuss them from
points of view which are not closely based on the probable happenings
of reality, we run a danger of confusing the judgment instead of
clearing it.