Together with the Dragoons and Uhlans, the Imperial and Royal Hussars (German: k.u.k. Husaren), made up the cavalry of the Austro-Hungarian Army from 1867 to 1918, both in the Common Army and in the Hungarian Landwehr, where they were known as the Royal Hungarian Hussars (k.u. Husaren).
Following the signing of the Compromise, the Austrian half of the Empire also started to build an army, the Imperial-Royal Landwehr (German: k.k. Landwehr). The two new Landwehr forces thus existed alongside the Common Army (Gemeinsame Armee), the imperial army of the whole Empire. In effect this meant that Austria-Hungary had three separate armies at the same time.
Imperial and Royal Hussars around 1910Hungarian Hussars attack in Krasnik, Poland 23. August 1914
Organisation
The Common Army had 16 hussar regiments and the Royal Hungarian Landwehr had ten. By tradition, the majority of the hussars were recruited from the Hungarian lands (modern-day Hungary, Slovakia and parts of Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Austria and Poland). The regiments, with a few exceptions, were all stationed there.
The Imperial and Royal Cavalry regiments each had two divisions (battalions) each of three squadrons (Eskadronen)
The Imperial and Royal Hussars in 1914
A list of the Imperial and Royal Hussars regiments in 1914 is given below by short title (i.e. "1st Hussars" as opposed to "1st Regiment of Hussars").
1st Hussars (Emperor) (Husaren-Regiment „Kaiser“ Nr. 1)
2nd Hussars (Frederick Leopold of Prussia's) (Husaren-Regiment „Friedrich Leopold von Preußen“ Nr. 2)
Master Farrier, 13th Hussars
3rd Hussars (Count of Hadik's) (Husaren-Regiment „Graf von Hadik“ Nr. 3)
4th Hussars (Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn's) (Husaren-Regiment „Arthur Herzog von Connaught und Strathearn“ Nr. 4)
6th Hussars (King William II of Württemberg's) (Husaren-Regiment „Wilhelm II. König von Württemberg“ Nr. 6)
7th Hussars (William II, German Emperor and King of Prussia's) (Jazigier und Kumanier Husaren-Regiment „Wilhelm II. Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen“ Nr. 7)
8th Hussars (von Terstyanski's) (Husaren-Regiment „von Tersztyánszky“ Nr. 8)
9th Hussars (Count Nadasdy's) (Husaren-Regiment „Graf Nádasdy“ Nr. 9)
10th Hussars (King Frederick William II of Prussia's) (Husaren-Regiment „Friedrich Wilhelm III. König von Preußen“ Nr. 10)
11th Hussars (King Ferdinand I of the Bulgarians) (Husaren-Regiment „Ferdinand I. König der Bulgaren“ Nr. 11)
12th Hussars (vacant) (Husaren-Regiment (Vacant) Nr. 12)
13th Hussars (Crown Prince William of the German Empire and Prussia) (Husaren-Regiment „Wilhelm Kronprinz des Deutschen Reiches und Kronprinz von Preußen“ Nr. 13)
14th Hussars (von Kolossvary's) (Husaren-Regiment „von Kolossváry“ Nr. 14)
15th Hussars (Archduke Franz Salvator's) (Husaren-Regiment „Erzherzog Franz Salvator“ Nr. 15)
16th Hussars (Count Üxküll-Gyllenband's) (Husaren-Regiment „Graf Üxküll-Gyllenband“ Nr. 16)
Royal Hungarian Hussars
The regiments listed below were part of the Royal Hungarian Hussars, also known as the Royal Hungarian Honved Hussars (k.u. Husaren), Honvéd being Hungarian for "Home-defender". English sources usually refer to regiments simply as e.g. the "1st Hussars" or "1st Honved Hussars".:
Johann C. Allmayer-Beck, Erich Lessing: Die K.u.k. Armee. 1848-1918. Verlag Bertelsmann, München 1974, ISBN3-570-07287-8.
Stefan Rest: Des Kaisers Rock im ersten Weltkrieg. Verlag Militaria, Wien 2002, ISBN3-9501642-0-0
Das k.u.k. Heer im Jahre 1895 Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums in Wien - Stocker Verlag, Graz 1997
k.u.k. Kriegsministerium „Dislokation und Einteilung des k.u.k Heeres, der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine, der k.k. Landwehr und der k.u. Landwehr“ in: Seidels kleines Armeeschema - Herausg.: Seidel & Sohn Wien 1914
k.u.k. Kriegsministerium „Adjustierungsvorschrift für das k.u.k. Heer, die k.k. Landwehr, die k.u. Landwehr, die verbundenen Einrichtungen und das Korps der Militärbeamten“ Wien 1911/1912
