Infantery. What kind of troops are these?

The borrowing of foreign words is generally characteristic of the history of military terminology. It should be remembered that the creation of the army and navy in accordance with the European model began already under Peter the Great. To denote the new types of troops, ranks and awards in their native language was not enough. One of these military terms-borrowing was the word "infantry". What kind of word is this, what kind of troops it belongs to and when it began to be used - we read below.

Etymology of the word

The origin of the word "infantry" leads to French or Spanish roots. In these languages the word "infantry" is still used. What is this term, and when he entered the lexicon of the Russian military, one can learn from historical documents

In the 18th century, the first mentions of such a form of troops as the infantry appeared. The meaning of the word in Russian is infantry, a special kind of foot troops. Military reports during the Northern War mention the military infantry - infantry as a formed division of the regular army. A little later, already at the time of Paul 1 , a new military rank was mentioned - a general from infantry, that is, a general of infantry troops. The word, as it was, remained foreign, and by the middle of the 19th century it was almost completely out of use in Russian military documents.

Infantery in ancient history

As a separate combat unit, the infantry existed in all the ancient empires of the world. The Sumerians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians covered their chariots and cavalry with separate pedestrian units - the prototype of that army, which later became known as the infantry. That this combat unit was created for specific tasks, confirm the information received from archaeologists, and fragmentary data of historians. The most famous warrior from the infantry of the antique century is the Roman legionary.

Infantry in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages infantry became an auxiliary force for the protection of forts, castles, cities and other fortified points. Following the example of knights, infantrymen used chain mail, armor and a helmet. At the end of the Middle Ages, the monarchy was strengthened. To do this, the kings needed strong troops, so in the foreground again acts as an infantry. That this military unit was easier to dial and arm, it was clear from the very beginning. Infantry was used as a throw-out force, which was supposed to save more powerful soldiers in battle. After the invention of firearms, the role of infantry again increases. Infantery becomes an important military unit, without which it is impossible to conduct military operations.

Currently, the name "Infantry" is used for infantrymen in Italy, France, Portugal, Germany.