Croats (military unit)
The Croats, also known as Cravats or Crabats, were 17th-century light cavalry forces in Central Europe, comparable to the hussars. The Croats were initially irregular units loosely organized in bands. The first regular Croat regiment was established in 1625.
| Croats | |
|---|---|
| Active | 17th century |
| Country | Habsburg monarchy |
| Allegiance | Catholic League |
| Branch | light cavalry |
| Type | auxiliary |
| Role | off-battlefield |
| Equipment | Carbine and pistols |
| Engagements |
|
| Commanders | |
| Initial structures | Count of Tilly |
| First regular regiments | Albrecht von Wallenstein |
The most notable engagement of the Croats was their participation on the side of the Catholic League in the Thirty Years' War. At the height of the Thirty Years' War, as many as 20,000 Croatian cavalry were in the service of the Imperial Army, including the majority of Wallenstein's harquebusiers.
The name came to be used as a generic term for light cavalry from the area of the Habsburg Military Frontier rather than an ethnic designation, and included ethnic Croats, Hungarians, Wallachians, Poles, Cossacks, Albanians and Tatars.